The future of power Joseph S. Nye Jr.

Abstract

The first part of the book bears the title (Patterns of Power), which deals in the first chapter, its general idea, and distinguishes between hard power (economic and military), and soft power “the ability to influence others through common means of framing the agenda, persuasion, and elicit positive attraction from In order to obtain preferred results", the smart power (a combination of the two). In Chapter Two ("Military Power"), Nye argues that military power depends largely on context, and that militaries need to be increasingly versatile to deal with very different types of issues, ranging from classic warfare to counterinsurgency. , humanitarian intervention and the provision of aid and relief. The author repeats his basic argument when declaring that while military power is still decisive in world politics, it is no longer sufficient to achieve victory, as evidenced by the difficulties the United States and NATO have faced in winning the hearts and minds of the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq. In Chapter Three on Economic Power, Nye clarifies the fact that economic power is a prerequisite for both (military) power and soft power. In this chapter in particular, the book feels like a textbook, providing basic principles of sanctions, assistance, etc., underlining its intention to provide an introductory text suitable for those with little prior knowledge of international affairs. Chapter Four (“Soft Power”) is interesting because Nye discusses how China has been one of the most enthusiastic international actors to embrace the concept, and how the Chinese government’s willingness to develop an engaging narrative influences its foreign policy, which is one of the actual policy recommendations. Few here are in empowering the US State Department and creating a more centralized public diplomatic apparatus. In the second part of the book, "Power Shifts Between Diffusion and Transmission," the author dwells on how Facebook and Twitter are changing our lives, but this is rarely news to the reader. As early as the 2000s, Nye wrote about the fact that non-state actors are becoming increasingly important, without that implying the end of the state's existence as a major actor in the global system. He makes an interesting point that the internet and social media are in no way tools meant to mobilize good causes, but can also help repressive governments undermine movements. For the opposition, Nye raises important and interesting questions regarding how to think about “hack,” what role should governments play in cyberspace?, and how should the threat of economic espionage, cyberwarfare and cyberterrorism be dealt with? He argues that while cyberspace will strongly influence international politics, it is "unlikely to be a game-changer in power shifts" in the coming decades.The book concludes in its third and final part under politics, in which it deals with policies and strategies that employ the use of forms of force in achieving foreign policy goals. While the book is very well written and very easy to read, the reader gets the impression that in trying to address the general, non-expert audience, Nye often remains on the surface, careful not to make any controversial statements. This is particularly the case in Chapter Six, where he briefly analyzes the positions of different countries, and only summarizes the general wisdom without presenting his view to the end. Nye argues that a one-dimensional extrapolation of Chinese growth is unrealistic and predicts that the United States will remain the most powerful country in the world by The year 2050 - provided that the mistakes of the years of the administration of former US President George W. Bush are not repeated. In short, despite some loopholes, Joseph Nye's latest book provides an interesting overview of international politics, but given the author's extensive knowledge he could, in several respects, provide a more in-depth analysis.