Amit's Blog

Geopolitics: The Hidden Hand That Stacks the Economic Deck Geopolitics ruthlessly distorts the global economic canvas, favoring powerful nations like the U.S. and EU while constraining the Global South, former colonies, and non-aligned energy producers. Colonial legacies lock in extractive economies, with nations like the DRC losing wealth to foreign firms. The dollar’s dominance, enforced by sanctions and debt traps, chokes non-aligned states, as seen in Iran’s GDP plummeting 10% post-SWIFT ban. Technological monopolies in AI and semiconductors widen the innovation gap, with Africa’s 29% internet penetration trailing the North’s 90%. Environmental burdens fall on the South, with Nigeria’s oil wealth enriching Western firms while 50% of its people live in poverty. Military might, via U.S. bases and proxy wars, secures economic control, while cultural hegemony—through Hollywood and English—marginalizes local models. Global governance, skewed by IMF voting and WTO rules, favors the pow...

Understanding Soft Power in Global Influence   Soft power, coined by Joseph Nye, is a nation's ability to influence others through attraction rather than coercion. It stems from a country's culture, political values, and foreign policy legitimacy. While distinct, soft power isn't entirely independent; a nation's economic and military might often provide a credible foundation, resources for cultural diplomacy, and contribute to an aspirational image. However, soft power also operates autonomously through intrinsic cultural appeal, universal values, and non-state actors. The effective combination of both hard and soft power is known as "smart power," suggesting a complex, interdependent relationship rather than strict independence. The assertion that soft power is " something that flows out of hard economic or military power" and "doesn't seem to be an independent variable" touches upon a highly complex and often debated aspect of interna...