The West’s own soft power trade-offs are fast disappearing with tariff wars, uncertainties over Ukraine and Greenland threats. Domination is a key feature of imperial power, signifying the systematic command and control of populations and territories. Trump’s conversion of soft power into transactional zero-sum trade-offs, along with the crudest might-is-right case for hard power, are signs of weakening, rather than strength. The Iran war is anything but a co-operative effort and could have a huge negative impact on Europe if it continues on US-Israeli terms. As Washington shifts from soft power and persuasion to hard imperial discourse, the US’s continuing domination grates in Europe.

Source: The Irish Times April 12, 2026 08:05 UTC