Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : The world said goodbye to one of the most important figures in international relations (IR) theory on May 6, 2024; Joseph Nye died in that date. Nye is infamously known for coining the word “soft power,” which single-handedly changed the way policymakers viewed the instruments of diplomacy. He argued that intangibles like culture, democracy, and even ethics are powerful national treasures.
Nye’s Journey: From Post-War America To Harvard
In 1937, America was in its golden era post World-War II, which was then followed by the cold war and the troublesome Vietnam conflict. Nye was born in 1937. He graduated from Oxford University and went on to get a PhD from Harvard University. Later on, in 1964, he became a part of Harvard’s teaching staff. By the late 1970s, he, along with Robert Keohane, gave birth to neoliberal institutionalism, a new and powerful theory of IR.
Some time later, Nye moved into policy positions, working under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. That’s when Nye faced the reality of over-reliance on military force and economic might.
What Is Soft Power?
In regard to ‘Soft Power’ being a 2004 publication in his book Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, Nye reasoned that prowess for any nation was not limited solely to arms and economics; it also attracted and persuaded in ways such as:
Democratic values
Cultural appeal
Advocacy for human rights
Educational outreach
Social help (aid)
Equity and openness to gander
The aforementioned.
Global affairs and presidential criticism, have been defined differently in two distinct these by Nye framing U.S Policies from the era of cold war through Biden’s presidency which policies in the State Department with global diplomatic structures making them face international scrutiny.
The emergence of Donald Trump clearly bothered him. Nye, shortly before passing away, gifted an interview to CNN in 2024 where he expressed:
“My concern is that President Trump seems to ignore soft power… The Berlin Wall didn’t come down because of shooting – it came down because of hammers and bulldozers that were controlled by a mindshift courtesy of the Voice of America and the BBC.”
Joseph Nye and India: Formulating the Strategic Pivot
As for the India US relations, Nye was instrumental in ‘bringing the two countries together’ in the period of George W. Bush. He was part of the Track 1.5 conversations of the Aspen Strategy Group with notable personalities like Henry Kissinger and K. Subrahmanyam, where he helped design the framework for the remarkable nuclear deal signed in 2005 by Bush and Manmohan Singh.
Nye in his 2023 commentary predicted the trend lines:
“India and the US do not appear to be fated for a marriage, but rather for a partnership of indeterminate duration. One that will only be sustained as long as both countries worry about China.”
Stern Warning on China and Democratic Freedom
Nye was tough on China’s use of sharp power, warning democracies not to adopt authoritarian methods:
“Most of the soft power democracies have at their disposal is brought to them by civil society... Being open is a very important resource.”
This is particularly relevant for struggling democracies like India alongside the US as they confront state-sponsored information warfare and aggressive propaganda.
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