Will soft power surpass hard power in politics?
From missiles to memes: is the key to political influence to co-opt rather than coerce? Although it might at first sound like an oxymoron, soft power is a powerful tool used in the world of geopolitics, that plays a critical role in long-term strategic influence. While hard power focuses on the use of a country’s military to convince others to do something, soft power prioritizes cultural and economic influence, avoiding violence.
Author: Natalia Laskowska
Soft power was first defined as such by Joseph Nye, in Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power, in 1990. In his book, Nye claims that the American state’s power lies not only in its military or economic strength but also in the attractiveness of American culture and ideas. The “American Dream” implies freedom, opportunities, success, and equality for all individuals. America has managed to create this image of itself through popular music, fashion, and Hollywood movies. Let’s use New York City as an example. Whether it be through music, such as JAY-Z’s and Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind, TV shows, such as Friends or Gossip Girl, or movies, such as Rosemary’s Baby and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, New York City is known to be iconic, modern, and the “cultural capital of the world”. To someone who doesn’t live in NYC, it seems like the place to be: a vibrant city full of life, diversity, opportunities, and cultural richness. This image is, however, far from the truth. In contrast to how New York City is portrayed, the city struggles with homelessness, crime rates, metropolitan problems, as well as very high living costs. Many people who move to this metropolis struggle to “make it” due to income inequality, competitiveness, and the cost of living. These issues make it very difficult for locals to enjoy what the city has to offer, which shows the clear distinction between the idea of New York City shaped through soft power and its harsh reality.
‘Hallyu’ has been spreading across the whole globe in the last few decades, but what exactly is it? The Korean wave is the rapid popularisation of Korean culture and ideas, whether it be in music, with bands such as BTS and Blackpink, skincare, with popular aloe vera creams or sunscreens, or television, with people all over the world watching K-drama films, Korea has managed to create the image of a cultural hub of itself. A similar phenomenon can be found in Japan: people all over the world eat Japanese food such as sushi or ramen, listen to Japanese music, and read Japanese literature. The country attracts many tourists because of its rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes, delicious food, and completely unique energy: 37 million foreigners visited the country in 2024 alone. There are countless more examples of how countries use soft power to either boost their economic activity, improve their global image, gain leverage in international relations, or attract people from abroad.
Soft power’s dependence on persuasion is both its strength and weakness. It is easier to convince people of something when they feel that it is an opinion that they form by themselves, but it struggles to make a real difference in the world of geopolitics, in which hard power directly dictates reality. That is because if countries don’t get pressured to act in a certain way, which can be done through military threats or tariffs, they will do whatever is in their best interest, independently from others’ objectives. Though it is used more and more often, soft power still lacks hard power’s efficiency and rapidity, its strategies taking time and reflection.
Cover picture by: geralt – Pixabay
Edited by: Sophie Van Den Berge, Johanna Larsson Krausová
