There's a lot of stuff going on that I could write about. But since it's mostly demoralising, distressing, and downright depressing. I will give it a wide berth, take a rain check, and not add to the gallons of ink (metaphorically speaking, in the age of online media) that have already been splashed on it.
Nor will I comment on how these regretful, terrible, disastrous events – sadly all man-made of course; there are no natural disasters to reflect on, no victims of force majeure to grieve, no "acts of God" to bemoan – are being leveraged by various politicians, from all sorts of camps, and of different, dare I use the word, convictions for their short-term gain.
But then, I guess we get the representatives we freely elect. And afterwards, at least some of us suffer from a classic case of "buyer's remorse", the sense of regret after having made a purchase, the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you drive away from the store: "You shouldn't have bought that." "You should not have let that salesperson walk all over you."
In serious cases, I am told, symptoms can extend to anxiety, nausea, and sweaty palms. Sleepless nights even. But as voters in democracy, as opposed to shoppers in consumerism, at least we get to correct our mistake four or five years later – in theory, having counted our losses, and vowed to be more circumspect next time around. Sounds reassuring, right?
There is a new book out in the United States entitled Buyer's Remorse. How Obama Let the Liberals Down. It is authored by Bill Press, a prominent liberal (in the American sense) syndicated radio and television host who explains the many ways Barack Obama has failed to live up to either his promises or his progressive potential, leaving Democrats disillusioned on the issues that matter most: "He rode into office on a celebratory tide of liberal jubilation, but as his typically centrist presidency comes to a close, he leaves his supporters haunted by what might have been." [My emphasis]
I am not taking sides in this discussion, but the sentiment is well described I think. Needless to say, the Republicans, beholden more and more to the extremism of the Tea Party movement, never liked the man in the first place. He couldn't win, really, could he?
I do know one thing though. Barack Obama would trade any and all successes of his Presidency – and no matter what they tell you, there have been some – for a meaningful inroads into his country's gun laws. Of the worst twelve mass shootings in U.S. history, five happened on his watch. And if there is one thing he takes both seriously and personally, this is it.
Linda McCartney sadly died from breast cancer in 1998, at the age of only 56. She and Sir Paul had three children – Mary, Stella, and James. And yes, your association is spot-on: Stella McCartney is one of the most successful fashion designers of her generation. Remember fashion, please.
Ever since September 2014, its officials have now been engaged in “Operation Chopsticks”, getting ready for the day when just competing with Australia for The Ashes, and I will spare you the details of this particular Sports Oddity, would no longer be good enough.
The Power of Soft Power. Sadly, we have lost track of the heroic undercover agent moonlighting as a newsreader on Doordarshan. From a distance, I wish her well. For me, she is in the same league as World War One spy Mata Hari (1876 – 1917), surely the role model for all female spooks – well, except for her unhappy ending as being executed by a firing squad for all your troubles is obviously not a desirable career outcome.
When the boss sets his mind to anything, it gets done. And all Chinese oligarchs are “with the program” – some more, some less voluntarily – so money is really not an issue. Have you noted their latest shopping sprees for highly paid foreign stars to come and play for the clubs in the China Super League, and in parallel, their systematic foray into European football?
Meanwhile, even without yet being a world dominator in football, Xi Jinping is ranked fifth on the Forbes list of The World’s Most Powerful People 2015 (the latest available) behind, in ascending order, Pope Francis, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and Vladimir Putin [sic].
“Last September, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in more than 1,200 years of British history (her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and 216 days). At 90, she is also the world's oldest monarch, setting the tone at public events and receiving world leaders and other visiting dignitaries at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. The British Royal Family has enjoyed record popularity in recent years, last year celebrating the addition of a new member: Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, the fourth in line to the throne. Ever the modern royal, ‘HRH’ was the first queen to send an e-mail, and she posted her first Tweet from the Science Museum in London in 2014. On the week of her 90th birthday, she received 17,420 pieces of mail from well-wishers, according to the Royal Family's Twitter account.”
The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide and had more international hits, including "Last Train to Clarksville", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", and "Daydream Believer". At their peak in 1967, the band outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined.
But then, I guess we get the representatives we freely elect. And afterwards, at least some of us suffer from a classic case of "buyer's remorse", the sense of regret after having made a purchase, the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you drive away from the store: "You shouldn't have bought that." "You should not have let that salesperson walk all over you."
In serious cases, I am told, symptoms can extend to anxiety, nausea, and sweaty palms. Sleepless nights even. But as voters in democracy, as opposed to shoppers in consumerism, at least we get to correct our mistake four or five years later – in theory, having counted our losses, and vowed to be more circumspect next time around. Sounds reassuring, right?
There is a new book out in the United States entitled Buyer's Remorse. How Obama Let the Liberals Down. It is authored by Bill Press, a prominent liberal (in the American sense) syndicated radio and television host who explains the many ways Barack Obama has failed to live up to either his promises or his progressive potential, leaving Democrats disillusioned on the issues that matter most: "He rode into office on a celebratory tide of liberal jubilation, but as his typically centrist presidency comes to a close, he leaves his supporters haunted by what might have been." [My emphasis]
I am not taking sides in this discussion, but the sentiment is well described I think. Needless to say, the Republicans, beholden more and more to the extremism of the Tea Party movement, never liked the man in the first place. He couldn't win, really, could he?
I do know one thing though. Barack Obama would trade any and all successes of his Presidency – and no matter what they tell you, there have been some – for a meaningful inroads into his country's gun laws. Of the worst twelve mass shootings in U.S. history, five happened on his watch. And if there is one thing he takes both seriously and personally, this is it.
And I still do not wish to go into the dubious spectacle of Donald “The Donald” Trump and Hillary “It’s My Turn” Clinton battling it out for the White House.
Anyhow, the lasting image of the past days which I prefer to retain is that of a petite lady (I use the noun wisely, respectfully, and in the most complimentary way possible), wearing outrageously coloured outfits, and surrounded by her extended family as she celebrates her 90th birthday.
Spoiler alert: It was her second such occasion this year already.
The relevance of this particular event will hopefully become clear at the conclusion of my musings – provided you read on of course. So for now, hold the thought and mental image please while I digress.
Joseph Samuel Nye, Jr, born in 1937, is an eminent American political scientist who developed the concept of “Soft Power”. It means the ability to attract, co-opt, and win over others by means of persuasion rather than resorting to coercion through force, financial inducements, or economic sanctions. The currency of a nation’s Soft Power consists of three elements, according to Nye: "its culture (in places where it is attractive to others), its political values (when it lives up to them at home and abroad), and its foreign policies (when others see them as legitimate and having moral authority).” Soft Power. The Means to Succeed in World Politics (2004)
In his book, Nye argues that Soft Power is a more difficult instrument for governments to use than hard power for two reasons: many of its critical resources are outside their control, and Soft Power tends to "work indirectly by shaping the environment for policy, and sometimes takes years to produce the desired outcomes."
In a later work, The Future of Power (2011), Nye reiterates that Soft Power is a descriptive, rather than a normative, concept. Therefore, it can also be wielded for nefarious purposes. "Hitler, Stalin, and Mao all possessed a great deal of soft power in the eyes of their acolytes, but that did not make it good. It is not necessarily better to twist minds than to twist arms." Nicely put, Professor.
Disappointing all political romantics, Nye also explains that Soft Power does not contradict the theory of realism in international relations: "Soft power is not a form of idealism or liberalism. It is simply a form of power, one way of getting desired outcomes." – The capability to combine it, as appropriate and possible in any given case, with hard power is what Nye calls “smart power”.
Barack Obama totally understands Professor Nye’s model: “Real power means you get what you want without having to exert violence.” Which, on its own, would not have taken out Osama bin Laden of course.
Enough political theory to last us for a while, I would say. Why am I digging so deep here? Because Professor Nye’s musings have a lot of relevance for the macrocosmic world we inhabit and the microcosmic lives we lead in it. And they will eventually also bring us back to the aforementioned 90-year-old birthday girl.
I remember seeing a television interview in 1969 – yes, we did have moving pictures with sound coming out of a box in our living room back then, albeit of the black-and-white variety – with a certain Linda Eastman, a divorced New York photographer and single mother of a daughter, who had just married Paul McCartney. She was asked how she had managed to get one of the most eligible, attractive, and sought-after bachelors of the time to tie the knot with her.
Her answer, short, pure, and simple: “By gentle persuasion.”
Linda McCartney sadly died from breast cancer in 1998, at the age of only 56. She and Sir Paul had three children – Mary, Stella, and James. And yes, your association is spot-on: Stella McCartney is one of the most successful fashion designers of her generation. Remember fashion, please.
47 years later, and no longer an impressionable kid, I still recall those words: “By gentle persuasion.”
“Thaw with her gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with his hammer. The one melts, the other breaks into pieces.” Henry David Thoreau, American author and philosopher (1817 – 1862)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, collectively known as The Beatles, along with many other British artists, over the past half-century have made a huge contribution, not just to the export statistics and the Treasury of the United Kingdom, but also, and maybe primarily, to its standing in the world – building its Soft Power at a time in history when “Rule Britannia” was a thing of the past.
To this day, popular music, fashion and design, and the performing arts industry are widely influenced by British creative talent, and the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and many others who followed first gave the term “British invasion” a whole new meaning to Americans in the Sixties. And the “visited” people was delighted and quickly won over, once they had reassured themselves the “invaders” were not reclaiming their colonies lost in the War of Independence (1775 -1783).
But they were just the trailblazers. In today’s Hollywood, self-doubt and insecurity are so pervasive that local movie experts agonise over “The Decline of the American Actor” (The Atlantic) - precipitated, mostly, by British competition.
But then, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the U.S. of A: Just this week, Portland Communications, an international political consultancy and PR firm headquartered in London, published the second edition of their annual global index “The Soft Power 30”, a ranking of countries according to the criteria Digital, Culture, Enterprise, Engagement, Education, and Government (all objective), complemented by international polling data reflecting public perception across the world (subjective).
The report makes for fascinating reading. The Top Ten overall are:
1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. Canada
5. France
6. Australia
7. Japan
8. Switzerland
9. Sweden
10. Netherlands
Bottom line: "The ability to engage with and attract global audiences has never been so critical to prosperity, security, and international influence." (Index author Jonathan McClory)
China is in 28th out of 30 places: “While lack of democracy and free press continue to negatively impact perceptions, there is no question that China will remain a draw for investors and visitors alike, as it assumes the position of a 21st Century super-power,” comments McClory.
But since his country still has quite a way to go, China’s President Xi Jinping – in addition to championing a more assertive foreign policy, particularly in relation to Sino-Japanese relations; China's claims to the bulk of the South China Sea Islands; involvement in Asian regional affairs; further building its already huge presence in sub-Saharan Africa; and additional initiatives related to energy and natural resources – has identified the surest complementary Soft-Power means to achieve that status (and famously, the Chinese think very long-term): a government-led strategy to become no less than a “world football power by 2050”.
Fortunately for the English, this island nation does not have to rely on such a fanciful undertaking as they can deploy world-beating talent in other relevant areas of life – see above. Less relevant than football maybe? You tell me.
Meanwhile, in China, no effort or expense is to be spared.
Before going into the details of this Master Plan, one anecdote simply must be told.
In September 2014, President Xi Jinping, having assumed this office only a-year-and-a-half before, for the first time visited India, the other Asian giant about to take on a central role on the world stage, or so everybody used to think at least. Remember the BRICs? If not, please check them out on Google. What was a revelation back in 2001 looks quite dated now. But then, no surprise there really, given the fast-moving and changing world we live in.
In the course of the high-profile, three-day affair, which of course was widely covered in the media, a newsreader at the Indian state TV channel Doordarshan referred to the illustrious guest on air as “Eleven” Jinping, mistaking his name with the Roman numerals XI. The poor woman was fired immediately for incompetence, and to everybody’s relief, the state visit was brought to a successful ending.
Her error sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, one tweeter wryly commenting: “Fired? She deserves own show.”
I have my own theory on this episode, and I admit it’s a conspiratorial one, but please bear with me. After all, only the paranoid survive.
To this day, I believe that newsreader was not nearly as ill-informed, innocent, and ignorant as everybody made her out to be. I think she was a very, very deep undercover agent about to be found out, whose only opportunity to get an all-important message to her handlers in the UK was on that live news show, almost two years before the Chinese government officially announced its plans.
You see, she was in fact warning the English Football Association of the impending threat to their own ambitions for world domination. Football, Soccer to our American friends, a game played with 11, “Eleven” players. Get it?
This espionage triumph was owed to Soft Power at its best and in its most productive, genuinely heart-felt, and effective variety, drawing on the shared tradition of the glorious days of The Raj. Remember: the common language, the same legal system, and the identical Westminster parliamentary democracy – not to mention G&Ts, Chicken Masala, and, of course, cricket.
Honestly, who needs the European Union?
But unfortunately, as we know now, the FA missed the cue, and instead the signal was indeed mistakenly picked up by the English and Wales Cricket Board, the governing body of another game played by teams of “Eleven”.
Ever since September 2014, its officials have now been engaged in “Operation Chopsticks”, getting ready for the day when just competing with Australia for The Ashes, and I will spare you the details of this particular Sports Oddity, would no longer be good enough.The Power of Soft Power. Sadly, we have lost track of the heroic undercover agent moonlighting as a newsreader on Doordarshan. From a distance, I wish her well. For me, she is in the same league as World War One spy Mata Hari (1876 – 1917), surely the role model for all female spooks – well, except for her unhappy ending as being executed by a firing squad for all your troubles is obviously not a desirable career outcome.
Coming back now to President Xi Jinping’s ambitious plans for Chinese football, all finally unveiled in April of this year, they are of breath-taking dimensions.
Don’t for a minute doubt this guy means business. And never mind the Andaman Islands or whatever else China is ostentatiously pursuing, engaging on, or throwing its weight around about.
When the boss sets his mind to anything, it gets done. And all Chinese oligarchs are “with the program” – some more, some less voluntarily – so money is really not an issue. Have you noted their latest shopping sprees for highly paid foreign stars to come and play for the clubs in the China Super League, and in parallel, their systematic foray into European football?
In recent weeks Chinese entities have either acquired clubs outright, such as England's Aston Villa, or taken controlling stakes in teams such as Inter Milan and Espanyol Barcelona in Spain – and possibly former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan, where talks are said to be ongoing. Chinese companies are also becoming sponsors of FIFA, the governing body of world football.Xi benefits from the decided advantage of a system that allows you to hold the top posts of the party and the military, in addition to being the Head of State through the office of the President. Indeed, he is sometimes referred to as China's "Paramount Leader" – still modest, compared to his comrade Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, but then, as we discovered recently, he is entitled to a bit of bravado for his unrivalled pop girls groups.
Meanwhile, back in DC, poor President Obama has nightmares of “Checks and Balances” – but that’s a good thing.
Just one fun fact, if I may: Among the Top Ten of the world’s biggest employers in 2015, according to Forbes magazine, three are (mainland) Chinese, with the Chinese Liberation Army proud runners-up to the U.S. Department of Defence. Don’t be misled, however. The majority of the CLA’s budget, efforts, and personnel are spent on “internal security”. With football hooligans at least for now way, way down their list of projects, priorities, and preoccupations. Ethnic minorities and religious movements, displaced and disenfranchised urban workforces, and young people misguided by foreign influences via the worldwide web, by contrast, are very much in scope.
Foxconn, in 10th place, is headquartered in Taiwan, that runaway island province we may or may not come back to another time. We should. Based on previous visits, I definitely think they deserve it.
The UK National Health Service, in fifth place and supplying a nation of merely 64 million, always baffles me. And of course it’s free of charge. But is it also sustainable?
Just by way of a comparison, China’s population is nearing 1.4 billion.
Well-documented world leaders in Soft Power already, as we have seen, the United States obviously don’t like to put all their eggs in one basket.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (1858 – 1919)
Smart power, Professor Nye – right?
Anyhow, coming back to China President “Eleven’s” Soft Power Game Plan, in brief, here’s the deal.
Qualifying for a World Cup is the first target – and yes, they have been there once before, in 2002, but were ignominiously eliminated after the Group stages, without a goal or a point, having lost to Brazil (predictable), Turkey (debatable), and Costa Rica (unacceptable). Hosting the tournament, with 2030 in his sights, and then winning football's ultimate prize remain long-term ambitions. A steep mountain to climb.
Key elements identified as being crucial to success are raising the level of play and thereby the attractiveness of the China Super League clubs by signing foreign stars; developing an original fan base; building a football culture; and nurturing home-grown talent. By 2020, Xi – a self-declared football fan – wants 50 million Chinese children and adults playing the Beautiful Game.
Seeing there are currently 100 million kids under the age of six in his vast empire, the stats are on his side. Plus, of course, money is so not an issue. We had better take this seriously.
Meanwhile, even without yet being a world dominator in football, Xi Jinping is ranked fifth on the Forbes list of The World’s Most Powerful People 2015 (the latest available) behind, in ascending order, Pope Francis, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and Vladimir Putin [sic].
The German Chancellor, in turn, has very recently been ranked Number One in Forbes’ annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women – for the sixth year running, would you believe it. Just for one moment assuming a future U.S. President Hillary Clinton, elected in November and inaugurated in January, what may the list look like a year from now? In 2016, as a mere Presidential candidate, she is still only runner-up.
But I mean, if Barack Obama can be bested by Dr Merkel, who is to say she can’t also keep Mrs Clinton in her place. I’m taking bets, and for now, my money is on “Angie”, as her fans in Germany lovingly refer to her. The link, of course, is to the eponymous song released by The Rolling Stones in 1973 and first played in her honour during the German election campaign in 2005 – without permission by the Stones would you believe it.
“Angie, Angie, when will those clouds all disappear?
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You can’t say we’re satisfied
But Angie, Angie, you can’t say we never tried
“Angie, you’re beautiful, but ain’t it time we said goodbye?
Angie, I still love you, remember all those nights we cried?
All the dreams we held so close seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear,
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?”
Those Christian Democrats – who would have thought? Angie won the elections and has held the office ever since.
And speaking of places, quite a bit further down that list is the 90-year-old I mentioned at the beginning. Ranked 29th, we find Queen Elizabeth II of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, up from Number 41 in 2015. And here is what Forbes have to say about her:
“Last September, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in more than 1,200 years of British history (her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and 216 days). At 90, she is also the world's oldest monarch, setting the tone at public events and receiving world leaders and other visiting dignitaries at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. The British Royal Family has enjoyed record popularity in recent years, last year celebrating the addition of a new member: Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, the fourth in line to the throne. Ever the modern royal, ‘HRH’ was the first queen to send an e-mail, and she posted her first Tweet from the Science Museum in London in 2014. On the week of her 90th birthday, she received 17,420 pieces of mail from well-wishers, according to the Royal Family's Twitter account.”
Strangely, Portland in their The Soft Power 30 never even mention Her Majesty when summarising all the strengths of the United Kingdom which, we remember, they rank second in the world:
“There is no dearth of soft power strengths in the UK’s assets, strong government, vibrant culture, considerable heritage and history, and strong digital capacity make the UK one of the most admired nations in the world. Over 1700 foreign correspondents are based in the UK, and with a dynamic media market of its own, London is global media capital.”
And this is where I take exception with their assessment. What they say is all well and true, but “Queenie” – as she is lovingly called by her most loyal subjects when they speak about, not to, her – surely makes a huge contribution. For me, she is Soft Power Personified, holding not just four generations of “Royals”, a borderline dysfunctional family, together, but also playing a huge role, both as a public figure almost all “Brits” can rally behind – being a Republican in this country is a lonesome existence – and, importantly, endearing her nation to the rest of the world, thereby making it so much easier to transport or rather, export its undisputed “soft” assets.
All the more so since, for historical reasons, Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, is also the Sovereign of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and of twelve more countries that have become independent since her accession in 1952: Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
So, this past weekend Her Majesty celebrated her 90th birthday for the second time around. The actual date of her birth is 21 April 1926, but seeing the weather is usually not so great that time of the year, the British, pragmatic as ever, prefer to have the official party in June – not that it never rains then in this country either.
It was both a dignified and lavish three-day affair, with wide global media coverage, and nobody attending or watching it from afar could fail to be impressed by her, combining steely self-discipline, quiet authority, and personal charisma. What’s not to like?
Well, except maybe her taste in colours. In the course of the TV commentaries, however, I learned what that is all about. Elizabeth II has actually explained it in the past – she does it out of her deep sense of duty. Her credo is: “I have to be seen to be believed.”
I’ve seen her, and I’m a believer.
“I’m a Believer”? Ring a bell? The U.S. rock band, The Monkees had a huge hit with this song, written by Neil Diamond, and released in December 1966.
Yes, that’s the year England won the World Cup, just the once. Don’t get me started on The Third Goal.
“I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Love was out to get me
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted all my dreams.
“Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.”
The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide and had more international hits, including "Last Train to Clarksville", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", and "Daydream Believer". At their peak in 1967, the band outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined.
And the great news for all of us old enough still to remember The Monkees from back then is they have released to good reviews a new album – playlist to younger people – on the occasion of their 50th anniversary, coinciding with a tour of, you have guessed it, 50 venues across the U.S. between now and the end of October. If you have nothing on for the 29th of that month, maybe consider travelling to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, for the closing gig. Never been, but I hear it’s a downright delightful place to visit.
The title of both the tour and the album: “Good Times!”
Good times always, Your Majesty. With all due respect, Ma’am – you rock!
“Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.” Aristotle, Ancient Greek philosopher (384 – 322 BC)
