Soft Power

Long past the days of empire and the divisive superpower era, Britain is turning a fresh face to the outside world. In a diplomatic sweep across North America, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has unveiled a reformed and modernized foreign policy, what he terms “new ways of exercising our influence in the world” by recognizing shifting and proliferating centers of power. Britain is a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, one of the P5-plus-1 negotiators on Iran's nuclear programs, a major figure in the 11-nation effort to aid Syrian rebels and a newly engaged, tweet-ready , Facebook -friending diplomatic force in the long-neglected corners of Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Re "Not your father's Cold War," March 18 I agree with Jonah Goldberg that the West and talking heads are mistaken in their reactions to what's happening in Ukraine. For one, it is much more complex than any of us can see. Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been canny in the way he has achieved his goals. He has truly befuddled the West. The same goes for members of the European Union. Goldberg is right that Europe essentially dismantled its military capability after World War II. NATO (meaning the U.S., the only member with a military large enough to serve as an effective deterrent against aggression)

Re "Diplomacy gets shortchanged in terror fight," March 18 Here's how to solve the problem of our government under-funding diplomacy in the fight against terrorism: Dissolve the State Department, except for the Office for Shoveling Money at Our Buddies, and pay huge corporations (by way of unsupervised, no-bid, cost-plus contracts) to undertake all our diplomatic needs. I predict that, suddenly, billions of dollars will become available for urgent diplomacy. GARY PAUDLER Summerland, Calif.

Long past the days of empire and the divisive superpower era, Britain is turning a fresh face to the outside world. In a diplomatic sweep across North America, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has unveiled a reformed and modernized foreign policy, what he terms “new ways of exercising our influence in the world” by recognizing shifting and proliferating centers of power. Britain is a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, one of the P5-plus-1 negotiators on Iran's nuclear programs, a major figure in the 11-nation effort to aid Syrian rebels and a newly engaged, tweet-ready , Facebook -friending diplomatic force in the long-neglected corners of Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The United States is the most powerful nation on Earth. Its stature in the world arena is more dominant, perhaps, than any other since the Roman Empire. But like Rome, we are not invincible. As we wend our way deeper into this struggle against terrorism, it becomes increasingly apparent that there are many things outside of U.S. control. We cannot hunt down every suspected Al Qaeda leader hiding in remote regions of the globe.

Singled out in next year's State Department budget as its "principal counter-terrorism initiative," the Regional Strategic Initiative is aimed at using "soft power" rather than firepower to counter Islamic extremism. It was developed in response to the president's National Security Strategy released in March 2006, which called for a gradual refocus toward strengthening alliances to defuse area conflicts, and away from military might.

During the last two months, as Washington focused on Iraq, few people were paying attention to what was going in the remote Ural Mountains of Russia. There, under the auspices of the benign-sounding Shanghai Cooperation Organization, some 6,000 troops, combat vehicles and planes from six nations conducted a nine-day war game called "Peace Mission 2007."

In January, Chinese President Hu Jintao was in Washington. And while he and President Obama forged ahead on trade deals and wink-to-the-press bromides of cooperation, many Americans are not so optimistic about what China's rise means. In a recent poll, 61% view China as "a threat to American jobs and economic security. " One increasingly hears the sotto voce warnings that our children will soon be learning Confucius at the feet of our new Chinese overlords. Then again, maybe not. For geopolitical prognostications of a less alarmist varietal, with nuanced notes of optimism about U.S. ingenuity and leadership, try "The Future of Power.

Entering the campus of the largest animation production facility in China, visitors are greeted by life-size statues of Disney and Pixar characters: Belle dancing with the Beast, Mowgli and Baloo sitting on a tree trunk and Buzz and Woody in a classic buddy pose. But this isn't an overseas outpost of the American studios. Instead, these knockoff statues are meant to inspire a new generation of Chinese animators to make films that can compete with Hollywood blockbusters and classics such as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Jungle Book" and "Toy Story.

Power, simply put, is the ability to influence others to get what you want. Nations need power because without it they have a difficult time advancing their goals. But there are ultimately three main ways for a nation to achieve power: by using or threatening force; by inducing compliance with rewards; or by using "soft power" -- attracting followers through the strength of a country's values and culture.

Entering the campus of the largest animation production facility in China, visitors are greeted by life-size statues of Disney and Pixar characters: Belle dancing with the Beast, Mowgli and Baloo sitting on a tree trunk and Buzz and Woody in a classic buddy pose. But this isn't an overseas outpost of the American studios. Instead, these knockoff statues are meant to inspire a new generation of Chinese animators to make films that can compete with Hollywood blockbusters and classics such as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Jungle Book" and "Toy Story.

Hobbled by leg and foot injuries, Yao Ming surprised no one when he confirmed his retirement from basketball Wednesday in his birthplace of Shanghai to a live global television audience. Fans across China commemorated the bittersweet news by posting streams of gratitude online and tuning in to a five-hour special on state television lionizing the sports star who brought glory to the nation on and off the court. "The NBA can survive without Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets can survive without Yao Ming, but we cannot survive without Yao Ming," read a comment on a Chinese Twitter-like tribute page that received 1.5 million entries within hours.

If things continue as they are and Britain's Prince Charles succeeds his mother to reign as king until his death at a ripe old age, then sometime around 2040 the young couple getting married in Westminster Abbey on Friday will be King William V and Queen Catherine. By sheer accident of birth, William will then be the head of state of whatever is left of today's United Kingdom. Would that be all right? My answer is: In theory, no; in practice, probably yes. If William and Kate behave themselves, unlike some of the gamier members of Britain's royal family, and contribute to the development of a modernized, slimmed-down constitutional monarchy, this can actually be better than the likely alternatives.

Last year, when China broke off military-to-military talks following the Obama administration's long-expected sale of defensive arms to Taiwan, a high American official asked his Chinese counterpart why China reacted so strongly to something it had accepted in the past. The answer: "Because we were weak then and now we are strong. " On a recent visit to Beijing, I asked a Chinese expert what was behind the new assertiveness in China's foreign policy. His answer: "After the financial crisis, many Chinese believe we are rising and the U.S. is declining.

BOOKS Joseph S. Nye Jr. Since World War II, the dynamics of power on the world stage have shifted. According to Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, we are now in the era of "soft power," a new paradigm that includes cultural influence, moral leadership and even likeability. In his new book, "The Future of Power," Nye makes the case that it will be neither soft nor hard power but, rather, "smart power" that will be deployed by leaders in the future. Zocalo at the RAND Corp., 1776 Main St., Santa Monica.

In January, Chinese President Hu Jintao was in Washington. And while he and President Obama forged ahead on trade deals and wink-to-the-press bromides of cooperation, many Americans are not so optimistic about what China's rise means. In a recent poll, 61% view China as "a threat to American jobs and economic security. " One increasingly hears the sotto voce warnings that our children will soon be learning Confucius at the feet of our new Chinese overlords. Then again, maybe not. For geopolitical prognostications of a less alarmist varietal, with nuanced notes of optimism about U.S. ingenuity and leadership, try "The Future of Power.

Re "Not your father's Cold War," March 18 I agree with Jonah Goldberg that the West and talking heads are mistaken in their reactions to what's happening in Ukraine. For one, it is much more complex than any of us can see. Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been canny in the way he has achieved his goals. He has truly befuddled the West. The same goes for members of the European Union. Goldberg is right that Europe essentially dismantled its military capability after World War II. NATO (meaning the U.S., the only member with a military large enough to serve as an effective deterrent against aggression)

Shortly after the Gulf War in 1991, I visited Syria, where the warmth of the Syrian people stood in stark contrast to the imposing portraits of Hafez Assad that lined the streets. After a day of sipping tea and wandering through Damascus marketplaces, my friends announced that they wanted to take me to a "very special" restaurant. Famished and expecting a rich meal of Syrian cuisine, I hid my disappointment when we arrived at Burger King.

On Valentine's Day, Congress received a gift from President Obama: the federal budget for fiscal year 2012. As its opening shot in what promises to be a long and hard budgetary battle, the White House requested $47 billion for the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Although this is a 1% increase overall ? with extra money primarily dedicated for preventing and treating HIV/AIDS and malaria ? it makes cuts in most other major programs. Although belt-tightening is undoubtedly necessary, too many Americans ?

Indian leaders hope visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai this week will emphasize the safeguarding of mutual interests between the two countries based on historical and cultural links as talks cover the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan expected to begin this summer. New Delhi has pledged $1.3 billion in reconstruction aid to the violence-racked nation since 2001, making it Afghanistan's fifth-largest donor. It has built roads and hospitals, maintained a generous visa policy and educated many of the country's top leaders, including Karzai, who was scheduled to arrive Wednesday for a two-day visit.