I think perhaps this is motivated by a belief that they need direct control because the indirect control that the liberal order built is not securely in their control in the new emerging world. It has potential to build ties to other powers that undermine US power. Direct control does not have that potential.

They are future-proofing, consolidating control over whatever they can, while they still can. They have a very real fear that China will act in the future.

[–] novibe@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That would make more sense to me if the soft power they were destroying was actually expensive, in terms of money/materials or time/people.

USAID was a pitiful amount. It was barely any effort.

I think the attack on Venezuela and their new stance to just take over everything around them is more indicative of what you’re saying.

But dismantling soft power still seems like a shot on the foot. With soft power they would be able to keep more control over Europe, South and Central America, Africa etc. To shore up more support for their more overt actions.

I think that if they don’t actually believe the crazy world building they are acting on, they put themselves into a corner by running on and amplifying the most illogical, contradictory and self-defeating conspiracies. So they don’t have really any other path than to dismantle “globalist communist trans”, and act like THE BIG DOG.

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

But dismantling soft power still seems like a shot on the foot. With soft power they would be able to keep more control over Europe, South and Central America, Africa etc. To shore up more support for their more overt actions.

You're missing my point. They do not believe that they can compete with soft power, they have convinced themselves that China's soft power will be much greater than America's soft power in the near future.

If you convince yourself of this then the only option that exists to compete is hard power and they are exerting that hard power now while they still can before China has fully reached the peak of its growing power.

The soft power has no value at all in a future where it is smaller than their rival. It is only valuable if you are the one with the most. They are exiting specialisation in soft power and instead specialising in hard power, China will take the US' role internationally as the soft power projector.