April 2012

Soft War = Smart War? Think Again

This commentary provides a staunch critique of the "soft-power" doctrine with regard to US strategic planning. The author criticizes the US government decision to sacrifice its hard power capabilities for the sake of expanding its soft power, arguing that it ignores three uncomfortable "realities" of warfare. Firstly, force is more effective than finesse in achieving results. Secondly, autocratic leaders are better at subtly manipulating the West than vice-versa. Thirdly, the infliction of physical pain is one of the only human universals which transcend culture and thus "being able to inflict visibly decisive pain still beats any and everything else".

Download: