Useful Fools

Many in the “soft power” crowd really mean something more flaccid - limp power. In other words, not power , just scolding (yeah, that’s you we’re talking about, Democrats of the Jimmy Carter party). Ultimately it’s based on the utopian hope that all can be solved without violence or threats.

But in the recent Georgia episode, the US and its allies have used real soft power in a pretty elegant manner. It doesn’t that powerful when the prime ministers of some former Soviet republics, and France, went to Tbilisi early in the conflict. Hey - they’re just talking heads.

But their presence greatly increased the risks to Russia of attacking Tbilisi… and sure enough, Tbilisi remains free.

And, there were the 2000 armed combat troops the U.S. Air Force flew into Georgia early in the conflict. Here was the Russian Army, at war with Georgia, allowing a significant portion of the Georgian Army to be deployed by Americans right into the conflict. And again, the Russian’s didn’t stop it.

The “soft” move of using unarmed military transports was a hard threat to Russia. Imagine what would have happened if they had attacked those U.S (hence NATO) aircraft. Oops!

Now some powerful NATO ships are sailing to Georgia on a humanitarian mission. Yep - combat ships carrying humanitarian supplies. Not chartered civilian airliners or UN craft, but NATO flagged, armed and capable combat vessels.

I wonder why we went that route? Once again, firing for effect, without having to fire at all.

When those ships land, will it be at Poti, now surrounded by Russian troops? Will the resulting supply convoys have American trucks with American soldiers delivering bandages and tents and food? What will the Russians do when those convoys cross their lines?

More elegant use of power.

But it goes on…

Suddenly Poland agreed to have part of the US missile defense system on their territory. Hmmm… despite what the Russians say, it’s obvious the system isn’t to defend Poland from Russia - or to defend anyone from Russia. It doesn’t have the capability.

But it does defend Poland… softly. That system will be crewed by American soldiers on an American base. Not a place the Russians would want to attack if they decided to go after Poland. It becomes a NATO trip-wire.

The same may happen with the former, heh, Russian ABM radars in the Ukraine that have now been offered for use by the US.