Something I'm wondering about that you may have a comment on: Gates observes that America is failing at telling its story to others. Meanwhile, China seems to be doing better than ever in this regard. Of particular note, Xi and his team seem to be pushing the idea that China is more a civilization-state than a nation-state. Xi's new "Global Civilization Initiative" is a recent manifestation of this. I think this is a significant development. But I can't find any U.S. experts on U.S.-China relations who think so. I gather, from what I've read so far, that they dismiss it as feint--of-mind posturing by China. Aside from wondering whether I'm right or wrong, it also makes me wonder whether any past government has fielded a new strategic story about itself that succeeds in gaining powerful traction before the other side realizes it?
In addition, Matt, I'd note that I have followed, admired, and learned from your Substack posts for a while now. Much appreciation from here. Today, I'm chagrined to say, learning about USIA's precursor, the IIA, is new to me. Plus I don't find much from a Google search about it. Meanwhile, tho very slowed-down, I hope to keep writing about noopolitics. Our initial efforts to contrast realpolitik and noopolitik have never gained traction; I'm sensing a geopolitics vs. noopolitics comparison may work better. The fight for Ukraine halps substantiate this.
Matt: It's been years since our last contact, but we have tried to make similar points, as in David Ronfeldt and John Arquilla, Whose Story Wins: Rise of the Noosphere, Noopolitik, and Information-Age Statecraft, RAND Corporation, PE-A237-1, July 2020.
Something I'm wondering about that you may have a comment on: Gates observes that America is failing at telling its story to others. Meanwhile, China seems to be doing better than ever in this regard. Of particular note, Xi and his team seem to be pushing the idea that China is more a civilization-state than a nation-state. Xi's new "Global Civilization Initiative" is a recent manifestation of this. I think this is a significant development. But I can't find any U.S. experts on U.S.-China relations who think so. I gather, from what I've read so far, that they dismiss it as feint--of-mind posturing by China. Aside from wondering whether I'm right or wrong, it also makes me wonder whether any past government has fielded a new strategic story about itself that succeeds in gaining powerful traction before the other side realizes it?
In addition, Matt, I'd note that I have followed, admired, and learned from your Substack posts for a while now. Much appreciation from here. Today, I'm chagrined to say, learning about USIA's precursor, the IIA, is new to me. Plus I don't find much from a Google search about it. Meanwhile, tho very slowed-down, I hope to keep writing about noopolitics. Our initial efforts to contrast realpolitik and noopolitik have never gained traction; I'm sensing a geopolitics vs. noopolitics comparison may work better. The fight for Ukraine halps substantiate this.
Matt: It's been years since our last contact, but we have tried to make similar points, as in David Ronfeldt and John Arquilla, Whose Story Wins: Rise of the Noosphere, Noopolitik, and Information-Age Statecraft, RAND Corporation, PE-A237-1, July 2020.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA237-1.html