Whether the intention behind such actions by members of Congress was to undermine the Obama Administration, to sabotage the nuclear negotiations, or to gain domestic support, they have done nothing but sabotage the image of the United States.

A distinctive, bilingual Hispanic American culture is blurring old distinctions between Mexican-Americans and other Latinos. That culture’s swaggering soft power can be felt across the Spanish-speaking world.

The United States is conducting a “soft power” campaign – an effort to deter potential IS recruits and supporters of the militant group. Projects are being aimed at the young, who have joined IS in alarming numbers from around the world.

A Pew Poll conducted last year found that that only 28% of Americans believe that their “country stands above all others.” This is down 10 percentage points from just three years earlier.

This is a means to unify military and humanitarian assistance to the rebels, in order to maximize the soft power of the United States on the Syrian opposition.

The United States’ best soft-power tool is an obscure government program you’ve never heard of. Does it still have a future?

The “soft power” of religious opinion makers is an important factor.  In fact, some have argued as Amb. Charles Freeman (USFS, ret.) has that “only a coalition with a strong Muslim identity can hope to contain” the terrorists.

After years spent exhorting the virtues of soft power, Western diplomats must be watching House of Cards with gloom.