By pulling up the drawbridge around higher education in the U.S., Donald Trump is sabotaging the transnational networks that have amplified American power. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/04/29/world/stop-scaring-future-world-leaders/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #donaldtrump #softpower #educations #mit #harvard
KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won proposes EU-style Korea-Japan union to boost growth, attract talent, and enhance global economic influence amid protectionist trends.
#YonhapInfomax #CheyTaeWon #KoreaJapanUnion #EconomicGrowth #BrainDrain #SoftPower #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=59727
Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung outlines ambitious plans to boost South Korea's cultural market to 300 trillion won and cultural exports to 50 trillion won by 2030, emphasizing government support for K-content industries.
#YonhapInfomax #LeeJaeMyung #CulturalMarket #KContent #CulturalExports #SoftPower #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=59290
Africa: Culture Can Build a Better World - Four Key Issues On Africa's G20 Agenda: [The Conversation Africa] The cultural and creative industries are a growing source of income and job creation around the world, generating tens of millions of jobs. The cultural sector is also linked to soft power, to relations between countries. http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TKCNQh #Africa #Culture #G20 #CreativeIndustries #SoftPower
ÜBERWACHT! 
Die ZDF-Aussteigerin Katrin Seibold im Gespräch mit Jonas Tögel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRVbHaeXRRs
Drums of Power: Burundian Ingoma and Vinka’s Vibes Unite Culture and Geopolitics https://www.byteseu.com/918322/ #BurundiDrummers #Geopolitics #KampalaGeopoliticsConference2025 #MakerereUniversity #SoftPower #SoftPowerNews #TopUgandaNews #Uganda #UmurishoTroupe #Vinka
https://www.europesays.com/1992029/ Drums of Power: Burundian Ingoma and Vinka’s Vibes Unite Culture and Geopolitics #america #BurundiDrummers #geopolitics #KampalaGeopoliticsConference2025 #MakerereUniversity #Politics #SoftPower #SoftPowerNews #TopUgandaNews #Uganda #UmurishoTroupe #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #UnitedStatesPolitics #US #USPolitics #USA #UsaPolitics #Vinka
Trump's #TradeWar With #China Is Now Hurting #Hollywood —and US #SoftPower
On Thursday, #Chinese officials retaliated against President Donald Trump’s tariffs by imposing new restrictions on US movies. That’s a big blow to America’s cultural cachet in the nation.
#Trump #tarrifs
https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-trade-war-with-china-is-now-hurting-hollywood-and-us-soft-power/
China pledges US $137 miIllion for Myanmar earthquake relief
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-pledges-137-million-myanmar-earthquake-relief-5059306
With US absent, China steps in for earthquake-hit Myanmar
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/us-absent-china-steps-myanmar-earthquake-5039981
#SoftPower #China #ForeignAid #geopolitics #Myanmar #earthquake #MyanmarEarthquake
About 60 letters canceling contracts were sent over the past week, including for major projects w/the #WorldFoodProgram, the world’s largest provider of #food aid, a #USAID ofcl said. An ofcl w/the #UnitedNations in the #MiddleEast said the #WFP received termination letters for US-funded programs in #Lebanon, #Jordan & #Syria.
The projects were being canceled “for the convenience of the US Government” at the direction of #JeremyLewin, a top lieutenant at #Trump *adviser* #ElonMusk’s #DOGE whom the Trump admin appointed to oversee & finish dismantling the #USAID, acc/to letters sent to USAID partners & viewed by the AP.
#Trump admin ends some #USAID contracts providing #lifesaving #aid across the #MiddleEast
The Trump admin has notified the #WorldFoodProgram & other partners that it has terminated some of the last remaining lifesaving #humanitarian programs across the Middle East, a #US ofcl & a #UN ofcl told AP on Mon.
#TheCrueltyIsThePoint #SoftPower #geopolitics #USpol
https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-humanitarian-aid-1167e0f64dde9ab6cafa0d5e0b812710
I would dearly love to agree. However: the workaround is elegant in it's simplicity, the aggressor state purchases media outlets in the target country.
By their nature they will be to some degree self-funding.
If done correctly, the person doing the purchasing can even get a seat in the House of Lords and thus contribute to writing the laws that will govern the target country for generations to come.
It also helps the person doing the purchasing become a household name, which is a soft-power of a separate sort.
I'm always slightly wary of using New Statesman as a source but in a pinch, they have a good summary of it. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2023/02/what-does-evgeny-lebedev-want-evening-standard-independent-newspaper
#Trump’s #USAID cuts cripple American response to #Myanmar #earthquake
Three days after the quake, there are NO teams from the #UnitedStates on the ground in Myanmar, a stark illustration of how Trump has upended America’s role in disaster response.
#ForeignPolicy #ForeignAid #SoftPower #USpol #geopolitics
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/31/myanmar-earthquake-thailand-usaid-trump/
The cliché of the loud, ignorant American abroad.....that is the Couchfucker.
The "majority view" in #China sees some of #Trump's moves as an "own goal"
Da asserts that most Chinese people he talks w/viewed #USAID, the #ForeignAid agency, as one of America's strengths, improving its image & influence in the developing world. Virtually eliminating the agency was "in #China's interest."
Da said he learned some of his English in college while listening to #VOA broadcasts & also learned news that wasn't reported in the Chinese media.
Da acknowledges that in recent years, VOA was less important as the internet spread. But he says another agency mattered more: the U.S. Agency for International Development (#USAID).
In an email to #USAID staff, Jeremy Lewin, a #DOGE ofcl who took over running the day-to-day ops at USAID from Pete Marocco on March 20, said the RIFs would go into effect either on July 1 or Sept 2.
This comes as the #Trump admin wraps up the dismantling of the 64-year-old USAID, having terminated some 5,200 contracts, & moves forward with its plan to shift the remaining portion of its work to the #State Dept.
The #Trump admin is terminating nearly all of the remaining 900 employees of the #USAID, in a final reduction-in-force #RIF.
Virtually no one will be spared, not even political appointees, acc/to 2 snr USAID ofcls….
Staff were ordered to leave "the front office" by 1PM on Fri for reasons that are not clear, the ofcls said. But they may still be asked to continue working for a few months.
#Musk #DOGE #Aid #geopolitics #SoftPower
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/03/28/g-s1-56968/usaid-terminates-nearly-all-its-remaining-employees
[NYT Opinion-Gifted]: Hillary Clinton: How Much Dumber Will This Get?
March 28, 2025
