Soft power: Who does it help?

The UK has a vast amount of soft power, accumulated while the sun never set on the Empire

Soft power is one of those popular catchphrases. Nations export culture, ideology, and people to create soft power. This may be because the nation has a competitive edge. It could have a superior education system; it could have a rich culture; it could have a superior political system. It could possess military might — since hard power often translates into soft power.

One common assumption is that the “exported” people retain cultural ties and residual loyalties to the land of origin, which reinforces the competitive edge of the “exporter”. Soft power is assumed to create a feedback loop to reinforce hard