Washington is now undermining that legacy with its own hands. Instead of persuading allies through shared interests and mutual respect, it increasingly relies on pressure, threats and transactional demands.
onsdag 20. august 2025
When America stops leading, Asia starts looking elsewhere
As political scientist Joseph Nye argues, successful leadership requires more than coercion. It relies on soft power, the ability to persuade through example, credibility and shared benefits. For decades, the US understood this. It led not through coercion but through example. It provided security, opened markets and built institutions that others wanted to join – a model sometimes described as “imperialism by invitation.” That is what made the US-led order legitimate.
Washington is now undermining that legacy with its own hands. Instead of persuading allies through shared interests and mutual respect, it increasingly relies on pressure, threats and transactional demands.
Washington is now undermining that legacy with its own hands. Instead of persuading allies through shared interests and mutual respect, it increasingly relies on pressure, threats and transactional demands.
