The only way possible we can exercise ‘smart power’, yet alone ‘soft power’ is to have a Constitutional amendment. As long as we have lobby groups pushing for war, those getting fat on dead bodies (The Pentagon's budget for buying new weapons rose from $61 billion in 2001 to over $80 billion in 2004. Lockheed Martin's sales rose by over 30% at the same time, with tens of billions of dollars on the books for future purchases. From 2000 to 2004, Lockheed Martins stock value rose 300%. Northrup-Grumann saw similar growth with Department of Defense (DoD) contracts rising from $3.2 billion in 2001 to $11.1 billion in 2004. Halliburton, with Dick Cheney as former CEO, had defense contracts totaling $427 million in 2001. By 2003, they had $4.3 billion in defense contracts, of which approximately a third were sole source agreements)..
Additionally, I am sure you all saw how it is now Hollywood that gives a platform to presidential candidates, not only with their money but with their voice. Hello???? So, yes, Hollywood in itself is soft power, but it is scary power! In other words, the power behind the power, are movie stars. This in itself is disturbing because of the cultural divide with other countries.
We need to start by having the right people in Congress and in the White House. Once we have the right decision makers and policy makers, there is no limit to what America can do. At one time America’s shine attracted like gold, now it repels as strongly. It would not have to increase it army if it not have so many enemies. It has enemies because of its policies. The policies are bad because those who want to get rich at the expense of the country. And more importantly because so many have forgotten George Washington’s farewell speech and also Wilson:
“The Founding Fathers have warned against the evils of the politics of factions, especially in the conduct of foreign relations.” He further wrote: President Wilson had proposed an “infallible test” for the hyphenated American that, so that in spite of maintaining affections for the old country, when voting or fighting, the heart and mind are centered around America.”
