If USAID really spread the “soft power” of the US around the world, I would be completely in favor of it. If it promoted the greatness and the power of the American nation-state, I’d say let’s totally spend more money on it.
But in the past 30 years, USAID has been doing the exact opposite. It spread ideas that undermined not only ours but any nation-state. It promoted the idea that cultures and people are interchangeable widgets with interchangeable parts.
The idea of soft power is amazing. It’s a great achievement of the nation-state model. Today, it’s as infected with neoliberalism as we all are, unfortunately. But if it could take a cure, that would be great.
Clarissa's Blog 
Leave a comment