Joe Love Thanks for your response.

In part, I agree with you about the weakening of US soft power since 2003. I say in part for a few reasons.

First, I don’t know that it’s gone down that much. In that 2018 study I cited it was still fourth.

Second, I may be using the term a bit liberally; I’m focusing on the cultural projections of a nation, as well as the psychological appeal it has to people. I think the U.S. definitely has fallen off here but still is well ahead of China.

And third, for the U.S., this article was focused on how it came to be the superpower and thus was looking at the 19th and especially 20th century.

Last, I didn’t even get into that other global issue which greatly threatens stability and that is the environmental crisis. Combining those forces of Mother Nature along with the massive changes to human consciousness and I don’t think any country can become a power by itself. We shall see!