This idea that raw power does not succeed -- whereas soft power yields better fruits, better relations and a smoother world -- is not new. But it had its best moments in the early phases of the United States' military involvement in Iraq after April 2003.

Over the nearly four years that followed, President George W. Bush's ill-advised -- according to most European and other critics -- or even criminal, according to some, Iraq enterprise seemed to be heading for failure. The term "debacle" was widely used to describe it on both sides of the Atlantic.

From April 2003 to January 2007, the history of U.S. involvement in Iraq seemed to present conclusive evidence that military power was a thing of the past. The phrase was increasingly heard in European capitals that "there are no military solutions to essentially political problems." The lesson European policymakers and pundits drew from the U.S. armed forces' increasing difficulties in Iraq was a simple and straightforward one. It can be paraphrased as follows:

"You primitive Americans want to use brute force to impose your own idea of change on people who not only disagree with you but who fiercely resist this imposition. Raw power, military power, therefore is not only horrible in terms of the destruction and the casualties that it creates, but it also futile. It just does not work."

Therefore, the argument continued, it would be far better for prosperous Western industrialized democracies like the United States, Canada and the nations of the European Union to forget about military options and convert to applying the principles of soft power that are already being applied around the world by the European Commission in Brussels.

Thus, through the application of engagement and dialogue, with the added spice of commerce and, consequently, enhanced prosperity for all as the clear endgame, the international community will have a far better chance to resolve the issues that the deployment of military force can only exacerbate.

However, while it is easy enough to criticize the modalities in which American raw, military power has been used in Iraq, the fact remains that those forces were applied and that mistakes were indeed made.

Part 3: Why European policymakers think their economic influence has supplanted the need for projecting military force around the world

(Paolo Liebl von Schirach is the editor of SchirachReport.com, a regular contributor to Swiss radio and an international economic-development expert.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News