Jabberin' 'Bout Joe Nye's Concept of "Squishy Power": The Powerhouse US Political Scholar Passes Away at 88
- *
US Politologist Joseph Nye, renowned for shaping the idea of 'Soft Power', passes away at the age of 88. - Renowned political scientist Joseph Nye passes away at the age of 88.
Home to the big wigs of brainiacs for over half a century, old-timer Joe Nye pupated at Harvard University, authoring a handful of bang-up books and scads of academic dossiers. Servin' under ex-US presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in the realms of national security, this ivy-league guru tackled varied topics spanning from arms control to African unity. But ol' Joe caught his big break in the '80s with his "Squishy Power" notion.
Unlike the more belligerent "Hardcore Power," lockin' down the hefty duty of a country's powerful aspirations, like artillery expenditures and weapons-loomin', "Squishy Power" in Joe's lingo refers to the knack o' "gettin' others to crave whatcha crave." Dig this example: when ol' Franklin D. Roosevelt whipped up a "Good Neighbor Policy" for Latin America, check out that US influence growin' like thick kudzu.
Ever since that chin-pullin', ass-kickin' Trump fellow took the helm, "Squishy Power" moves have taken a nose-dive—foamin' at the mouth oppressive policies like slashin' international aid and crackin' down on foreign scholars in the US. Meanwhile, the White House rug rat's focus shifted over to beefin' up the "Hardcore Power" game, like jackin' up military spending and layin' down the smackdown with sanctions.
When confronted about his thoughts on Trump's second round robin, Joe aired 'em out to French news agency AFP back in February: "Trump ain't got a clue 'bout power. He only sees coercion and suckin' up cash." The US President, in Joe's narcissistic take, mixes up short-term kickbacks with long-term blowback. "Hardcore, jackboot power," says Joe, "might work in the short end of things, but it drags a long shadow for others to shove off the US."
During his stint with the Carter and Clinton administrations, Joe zeroed in on nuclear policy. We've got Joe's long-time Harvard pardner Graham Allison claimin' Joe'll be recalled for "down-to-earth smarts and his practical input"—akin to keepin' WW3 at arm's length.
- Donald Trump, the Bonehead
- Harvard University, the Ivory Tower
- Hardcore Power, for the Toughies
- Squishy Power, for the Sweet Talkers
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Good Neighbor President
- Jimmy Carter, the Nuke Fella
- Bill Clinton, Slick Willie
- The '80s, when Everything Was Awesome
[1] https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/about-usaid[2] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01636538808034783[3] https://www.voanews.com/[4] https://www.brookings.edu/research/it-takes-more-than-democracy-to-create-sticky-soft-power/[5] https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS23133.pdf
- Joseph Nye, the scholar who coined the concept of "soft power" in the 1980s, passed away at the age of 88, leaving behind a significant impact on US politics and policy-and-legislation.
- Nye's "soft power", a contrast to "hardcore power," emphasized the ability to influence others through attraction rather than coercion, such as education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and general-news.
- As a US political scientist, Nye served under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and was associated with Harvard University, where he authored numerous books and scholarly articles on topics like war-and-conflicts, arms control, and African unity.
- In the Trump era, the dependence on "squishy power" has diminished significantly, with an emphasis on "hardcore power" strategies like increased military spending, sanctions, and restrictions on foreign scholars in the USA.
- Nye, reflecting on Trump's presidency in an interview with the French news agency AFP, criticized the President's view of power, stating that Trump misunderstood the concept and only recognized coercion and financial gain, disregarding the long-term ramifications of such "hardcore, jackboot power" strategies.
- In his work with the Carter and Clinton administrations, Nye focused on nuclear policy, ensuring that practical measures were taken to reduce the likelihood of a nuclear war, earning him recognition as a wise and shrewd statesman.
