Whitney Lazo
October 4, 2013
Every state strives for power in
order to be dominant and the most important aspect is hard power, while soft
power plays a less crucial, yet still significant role. It is important for a
state to have hard power so they can protect themselves and pose as a threat to
others, therefore other states will not be a danger to them. Soft power is only
important once a state has obtained as much hard power as possible. Soft power proves
a state’s credibility based on culture. As Steven Lukes states in “Power: A
Radial View”, power is based off of what A can influence B to do and how. The
influence begins with physical strength and is guaranteed with the political
and social aspects of the state.
The most important part of power is
coercion. This can be determined by observing the winners of conflicts and how
the victory was achieved. In history, all conflicts are achieved with war or
strength. In World War II, the Allies won the conflict of dangerous
dictatorship against Germany and other states by military force. America won the Mexican American War because
of their military advantage over Mexico. America was then granted the title of
a continental power. If A can get B to do what A wants because B cannot compete
against such strong threats or attacks, that is the most successful type of
power[1]. Therefore, power is based mostly off of
control. The amount of control one state has over another is the amount of
power they obtain, to an extent.
The remainder of a states power is
credited to persuasion and cultural influence. A state will be considered
powerful if they have modern technology, impressive academics, and a good
reputation around the world. For example, Adolf Hitler built up a very strong
force in order to capture the vast amount of land that he did. He also was able
to persuade the people of Germany to support him and his anti-semitic views.
However, to the rest of the world Hitler and Nazi Germany did not demonstrate
an awarding society, and therefore were not powerful enough. On the other hand,
America in the mid nineteenth century exhibited a great deal of soft power due
to the advancement in technology and enticing culture. Because of this, America
attracted a rush of immigrants. It is important to obtain soft power in order
to validate hard power. Soft power guarantees a respectable reputation to the
rest of the world. If B wishes to emulate A, A has achieved soft power.
Both military strength and culture
determine a states power. However, it is the balance between the two that are
most important. Military strength must come first in order to be victorious in
war and pose a threat to ward off dangers. This will then secure the state.
Persuasion is then important in order to convince the world that a state has
everything they want. Because power is based off of influence around the world,
a state with the most military influence has achieved power, yet if this state
now achieves a higher status in culture it has gained the maximum amount of
power.
I think you did a very good job of explaining Luke's main arguments, but you never stated in the first paragraph what your stance is. Through the rhetoric you use I assume that you agree with him but this response was more of a summary.
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