Art of Power

"POWER is the ability to alter the behaviour of others to get what you want, and there are three ways to do that: coercion (sticks), payments (carrots) and attraction (soft power). If you are able to attract others, you can economise on the sticks and carrots."


What makes a country a world leader?
- Is it population?
- Is it military strength?
- Is it economic development?

In today's information era, he wrote, three types of countries are likely to gain soft power and so succeed:

- Those whose dominant cultures and ideals are closer to prevailing global norms (which now emphasise liberalism, pluralism, autonomy);
- Those with the most access to multiple channels of communication and thus more influence over how issues are framed; and
- Those whose credibility is enhanced by their domestic and international performance.
"As we speak of leveraging our soft power, we must also look within. We must ensure that we do enough to keep our people healthy, well-fed and secure, not just from jihadi terrorism but from the daily terror of poverty, hunger and ill health."

Preview: The Paradox Of American Power by Harvard's Professor Joseph Nye

"To govern... one must have one's hands on three levers of power - the treasury, the army and the voice." Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew

"Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power." George Bernard Shaw