Foreign Policy In Focus

2 days ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Soft power, the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion, has long been a cornerstone of international influence. For decades, the United States has arguably been the global leader in this domain, its allure stemming from its democratic ideals, economic dynamism, technological innovation, and vibrant cultural exports. However, as the recent Economist article “How China Became Cool” suggests, the landscape of soft power is undergoing a profound transformation.

3 days ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Many people, armed only with moral and political convictions, would be too intimidated to confront an army or navy directly. But not all. Twelve nonviolent human-rights activists with the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) are currently sailing a small boat, the Madleen, to Gaza. They hope to create a humanitarian sea corridor through Israel’s illegal blockade.

4 days ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Like a spoiled child, Donald Trump has kicked over the sandcastle defending what is left of the rules-based international trading order. As critics of that order, we accept the opportunity and challenge it creates to rethink international relations and mutating neoliberal dogmas. However, we are greatly concerned by the chaos and misfortune that Trump’s actions have caused for workers and farmers across North America. No one chooses to be born in the United States, Mexico, Canada or anywhere else.

1 week ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

According to conventional wisdom, diplomacy begins at the end of domestic politics, which implies that domestic politics influence diplomacy. However, constructivists in international relations believe that domestic and foreign politics are constitutive of each other. In other words, it is not just that domestic politics drives a country’s diplomacy but diplomacy that impacts domestic politics. This view resonates with how Vietnamese leaders look at the role of diplomacy.

1 week ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Originally published in TomDispatch. The Trump administration seems intent on undermining America’s ability to make human rights a significant element of its foreign policy. As evidence of that, consider its plan to dramatically reduce policy directives and personnel devoted to those very issues, including the dismantling of the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and Labor.