The soft power myth

Soft power is supposed to be about the ability to project values.

Has “soft power” been over­rated?

Traditionally, many have argued that it is a significant component of a nation-state’s international influence. India, for example, has consistently emphasised soft power components of its international outreach — International Yoga Day being one of the most recent and high profile aspects of this strategy, but Hindi movies have perhaps been the most long-standing component. No evaluation of Sino-American tensions going forward is complete without an analysis of how American soft power is a crucial aspect of its competitive arsenal.

But some recent developments make it clear that this narrative needs to be