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How To Lose Friends And Not Influence People In One Easy Step
The drone strike that killed general Soleimani in the wee hours of December 3rd, 2020, has literally been the shot that has been heard around the world. However, not in a good way. Almost none of the US allies supported the move. Instead, many were horrified at this turn of events.
The US is quickly losing any prestige that it once had in the world. Even many of the greatest advocates of the values that the US was supposed to stand for are condemning what the Trump administration is doing.
Former Czech Foreign Minister, Karel Schwarzenberg, yesterday issued a strong statement that demonstrates what many of the friends of America are feeling right now. The America of old, the one that was supposed to stand for freedom and the rule of law, is no more.
While this image was always a bit idealistic, the view of the United States as a symbol of democratic values still reverberated around the world. Just based on this, the US had a certain moral weight and soft power that it could use to its advantage.
Schwarzenberg’s words show how fast the US is losing its influence:
“I grew up in a time when in order to go to war, you needed to declare it. However now shots are fired, rockets launched, and places bombed without any formal declaration of war.
