The fallacy of soft power
The world runs on cold national self interest, not cultural capital
FEATURES
By
Patrick Porter
March 2024
You may have missed it, but British statecraft recently scored a triumph. The United Kingdom ranked second in Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Index, trailing only the United States.
For the Senior Communications Officer of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), these were glad tidings that affirm Britain’s stature in the competition for prestige and regard. It followed an “historic 2022, as the world celebrated the Platinum Jubilee and mourned the loss of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”.
This recognition follows the UK government’s own claim in the Integrated Review of 2021 that Britain is a “soft power superpower”, an aspiration that surely drives terror into our foes. Yet puzzlingly, Houthi militants persistently fire on British and American ships. Haven’t they read the league table?
Does Britain feel like a superpower to you, of any kind? It’s easy to like the thought that Britain exerts strength internationally through its celebrated heritage, from TV studios to the Premier League, from medieval churches to the City. It serves as a psychological balm when our material existence is under strain.
https://thecritic.co.uk/the-fallacy-of-soft-power/
