The Discourse on America’s Soft Power

The noise around America’s soft power is becoming hard to ignore.

Many, from editorial pages to policy magazines, are sounding alarms that the era of American influence—often termed “soft power”—is fading. Voices like Caputo argue that this decline is largely due to the impact of Trumpism, rising tariffs, and the gutting of USAID.

Interestingly, there’s a consensus growing that this soft power comes from a culture that others aspire to emulate. But as it stands, are there even teenagers around the world looking to model themselves after American culture anymore?

In a recent piece, Stephen Walt of Foreign Policy laments the Trump administration’s apparent disdain for what his late colleague Joseph Nye called “the force of attraction.” He suggests that America without soft power risks becoming like Putin’s Russia—powerful but lacking charm.

Perspectives from the Ivory Tower

Walt’s reflections come from the academic world of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where opinions may be swayed by a narrow view of reality. Some seem to believe that the mantle of soft power has merely been passed to Beijing. This perspective, while prevalent, overlooks the global influences that shape perception.

I can recall my youth in Ireland during the early 2000s, where my brother and I consumed heaps of American television. Shows like “Prison Break” had us dissecting whether Michael or Lincoln was the brains of the operation. We endlessly debated Jack Bauer’s superhuman ability to avoid sleep during a crisis. We watched “Entourage” and argued fiercely about whether Ari Gold was a charming devil or an outright monster, often despite our tender ages. Our parents, burdened by their demanding jobs, often just let us take the reins of the remote.

We even splurged on an Abercrombie shirt that was priced three times higher than its cost back in New Jersey. We picked up American slang from “Friends” reruns and pretended to grasp the meaning of Thanksgiving. My cousin in Cork wore a Yankees cap for years before discovering baseball was a real sport. One local chip shop added “curly fries” because someone had seen it on a sitcom. American culture was like water to us—consumed eagerly and without thought.

A Lasting Influence

Fast forward to now, and it’s remarkable how American culture continues to shape global preferences. From Kendrick Lamar quotes in Uganda to teenagers in Jakarta proclaiming their love for UFC, American entertainment seems to be everywhere. Films from Mumbai are influenced by Hollywood, and the Oscars still draw attention from Los Angeles.

Taylor Swift’s recent tour saw crowds in cities like Tokyo and Singapore that no local artist could match. Netflix’s dominance reaches 190 countries, while the Apple logo seems to hold more value for Vietnamese teens than their national flags. Despite various setbacks, American universities continue to receive applications from all corners of the globe, including children of high-ranking Chinese officials.

K-Pop also had its shining moments—BTS took arenas by storm and “Gangnam Style” broke records. Yet, that frenzy faded, with subsequent moves from Korea lacking the same cultural weight. Korean pop culture might be widespread, but it often feels more like an appetizer than the main course.

The Chinese Ambition

China’s soft power strategy provides an interesting case study. The country pumps billions into cultivating its image, establishing Confucius Institutes and funding domestic film productions while broadcasting its state media worldwide. However, its actual impact remains questionable. Have Chinese films ever truly made it big in international markets? When did a Chinese artist last take center stage at a festival in Mexico City? The assertion that soft power can be manufactured through financial backing ignores the fundamental truth: it originates from a culture people genuinely want to replicate.

The Decline of British Influence

Then, there’s Britain, once a heavyweight in cultural export. Nowadays, British entertainment seems to be struggling. Coldplay was the last significant British band to resonate widely in America, and that feels like a relic of the past. British dramas, while still noteworthy, attract fewer American viewers every year.

The British royal family generates more gossip than glamour, and fashion from the UK has somewhat lost its allure in favor of Paris and Milan. The music charts are overrun by American artists, with British styles not quite the international trendsetters they once were.

In a world where few dream of the culinary virtues of steak and kidney pie, many are lined up for more exciting fare. Though no one in Manila clamors for Cornish pasties, local stores are doing a brisk business thanks to American fast food chains.

Resilience Amidst Skepticism

Even in the Trump era, America’s soft power appears to not just endure but thrive for reasons that might perplex some scholars. It isn’t policy-driven—it’s rooted in innovation, creativity, and dominance in various industries, all of which stay predominantly American.

American culture is persistent, transcending political shifts, unlike government leadership that changes every few years. While Mr. Walt seems to echo a leftist fear cloaked as a global issue, populations around the world—like teenagers from Helsinki sporting Air Jordans and munching on Big Macs while binge-watching shows—are largely unconcerned with China’s rise or Britain’s decline. America’s hold on global imagination has never been a government initiative. Despite continual declarations of its death, the eulogies often sound more like the musings of those drifting through a fog rather than grounded observations.