@gadgetcool5 @Petrolicious88 @Wangxi
Seriously, I think you guys are confusing the roles and importance of soft power and hard power.
Let’s start with the example of the Soviet Union, the Union collapsed primarily due to unsustainable economics... the Soviets model of planned economy basically meant that it couldn’t develop economically, whilst at the same time spend enormous amount of resources on ‘soft-power’ propping like-minded countries like Cuba by buying their exports which it had no need for. Under their model no matter what soft power they might have had... the reality of the situation which was a broken economy in this case, resulting in the lack of hard power, which would cause any soft power (propaganda) it might have had to fail, determined its fate.
Next, the British Empire... the Americans fought a war of independence and had the help of the French. The British couldn’t dedicate the amount of resources needed to retake America whilst fending off other European powers. If they tried it would have collapsed long before it’s actual eventual collapse at the end of War World 2 where it couldn’t afford to keep the empire anymore due to economics... again hard power at play.
The Chinese people’s worship of America is a continuation of their worship of western powers... which forced the then Qing into a situation of desperation through multiple wars and invasions... eventually leading to the collapse of the Qing and rise of ROC... further there is also the fact that America was the one that finally destroyed imperial Japan, liberated and returned Chinese lands... this also a result of hard power. Additionally, after WW2 there were no challengers to America thus their soft power can develop to what it is today, the fact that any country or company that could challenge it has been subdued or destroyed is also a result of the hard power that America possesses.
On the part about Chinese companies gaining market share or Chinese investments abroad mainly OBOR... it is all about benefits... in other words economics... the client countries gain in real terms... for example Chinese companies gaining market share is a result of the products it brings to market, which is a result of designs and production, which in itself a result of gains in education and economics, and that is a result of investments or FDI which in itself is also economics... Chinese companies investing in other countries, like what other countries have brought to China, brings jobs, taxes and economics activities to the client country... all of which is a result of hard power.
American economic success and subsequent technology development is partly a result of its geography and the resulting hard power after WW2... no other power could remotely challenge them for at least 4 decades... during which they built up their continued dominance... you will most likely bring up the Korean War and Vietnam War... so for the Korean War, the stalemate was a result of a mix of an incompetent commander, geopolitical factors and economics... it wasn’t worth continuing the fight for Korea if it meant a direct conflict with the Soviets, it was cost and benefit analysis and the Vietnam War was America internal conflict and again it wasn’t worthwhile continuing the fight if it meant a deterioration of the American homeland.
Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, etc they are great people who had a lot of soft power true... but their the great deeds, liberation of India, emancipation of African American and emancipation of Black South African were the result of a great deal of other factors... all of which ended up predicated on hard power and the realities of the time... I am NOT trying to minimise their roles but if the real situation was not as bad as they were no matter what soft power they had, it would have been irrelevant... you can even say the same with Mao, if the economic situation of farmers in rural China wasn’t as bad as they were at the time, the support he could have gained (via soft power) wouldn’t have been anywhere near the level it ended up as.
There are also examples among the western democracies themselves namely the Japanese and French examples... America was able to do anything it wanted due to its hard power in economics (market access) and military (weaponry and dependence on military alliance)... nowadays however we are starting to see push back because of the rise of China as more and more countries slowly shift their positions despite the huge and overwhelming soft power against it, this is partly due to the reality of the situation and tangible benefits To these countries, in other words, hard power overpowering soft power, there is also the actions of America that has cause tangible detrimental effects in their supposed allies and friends as a result of America applying both its hard and soft power in a world that is no longer as simple as it was in the Cold War where there was a real tangible (hard power) enemy in the form of the Soviets...
Japan is also a great example of how hard power is far more important then soft power... Japan has great soft power from its history, traditions and culture, any thing from its traditional shrines, Samurai and ninja culture, Kimonos and food to modern culture like games, manga, anime and even porn, soft power built over the last 4-6 decades but when China over took it as the second largest economy in the world... no matter what soft power it has... it’s pointless because they don’t bring tangible benefits
India as others have pointed out is the same... It has its history, traditions and culture, as well as its fake news mill and Bollywood but how much of that does it change the views of companies and countries when dealing with them, just because the news don’t mention the bad parts to fool the average person, it doesn’t mean it has any influence in tangible terms for companies and countries... no matter the soft power it has built... as long as it’s hard power in the form of its economy cannot keep up it is pointless
As long as China continues its current course, develop its military power to protect itself from all others and develop its economy to become even more inseparable from the world, both as supply and demand... the reality of the situation (hard and tangible power) will overpower any soft power the world can throw at it, further it will influence and affect China’s soft power as the countries dealing with them have no choice but change their views... There were mentions of YouTubers and academics that bring a positive view of China to the world... let me ask this, would these people have a positive view on China, if the reality of China wasn’t anywhere as positive as their view of it actually is... the Soviets tried and failed precisely because the reality didn’t match their propaganda and the reality for all to see. I think it would be easier to understand if you view hard power as tangible and soft power as intangible... unlike religion when it comes to business and geopolitics, where benefits means everything, intangible things that have no tangible base will in the end become irrelevant...
