The United States still has unparalleled wealth, power and ability to innovate — but has passed its peak. Without better government, these advantages could fade in the decades to come. Last week, I focused on how the American Dream is drifting away from most people. This week looks at some[...]
Posts Tagged ‘european union’
Rise of the Far Right
The far right is back. After losing respectability in the 1940s and 1950′s because of its association with Fascism, ultra-conservatism has come storming back. What does this mean for western democracies? A specter is haunting Europe but it’s not communism. Although paranoia about evi[...]
July 28th, 2010 - 23:08 § in Foreign Affairs, Politics
Soft Power: A Personal View
Before leaving the issue of soft power, I wanted to look at it from another perspective. Since starting my international trips in 1974, I have met many people with strong opinions about the United States, some good and some…not as nice. Here is a sample of what I have heard along the way: Augu[...]
Building America’s Soft Power
Soft power is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option and attraction. Applied properly, it can bring immense benefits to the United States. We need to do better in boosting it. The term “soft power” was created by Harvard University’s Joseph Nye as a contrast to “hard powe[...]
Saving the Euro
I have always been skeptical about the Euro. It never made sense that 16 very different economies could share a common currency. The differences in income, government spending and economic cycles make such a diverse currency zone unwieldy. It’s been terrible for the Euro. Since peaking at close to[...]
