A National Security Vision for Democrats

ILLUSTRATED: We must align strategy for hard power with soft power.

Over a year ago I posted A Democratic National Security Platform for 2008.  However it was a point-by-point plan for government institutions.  It was not an idea encapsulated in a slogan.  Two recent articles, one by Joseph Nye and an op-ed by General Zini and Admiral Smith stress that hard power strategy and soft power must be aligned.  In other words, the next White House must coordinate soldiers, diplomats, and spies one the one hand, with foreign aid, development, and exchanges in culture and education. Hard and soft power coordination.

The national security business will be brisk in the  21st Century.  With the possible exception of East Asia, most American military activity will be in the greater Middle East, and at a lower intensity in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The roots of these problems cannot be solved with hard power.  Hard power might only keep it in check, preventing it from threatening our interests.  

There must be an effort to project our arts and culture, survival aid, economic investment, and efforts to build an education system on these sub-continents.