@ubernostrum hmm, OK, I may have miscommunicated and leaned too far into comedy, diluting my points. Let me try and drily break them down so we can see if we’re actually on the same page or close to it.

The US’s traditional vision of soft power includes things like massive - often very beneficial - foreign aid, but depending on who’s in Congress and the White House it may come with strings attached, such as not allowing abortion services. The EU’s also supports wars but is most visible in the West in the form of consumer protection laws that reach across its borders, often aligning with the interests of the left in US.

“Soft power” is the “nice” way of so called “global powers” to assert their control over others, as opposed to “hard power” in the form of military power or actual military aggression. It is imperialistic and colonialistic, by definition. I’m only commenting on the shift in global dynamics and on how some good can still come of this. Sort of in a very upbeat “silver linings “ way.

I’m not that smug at all about plugs. I’m typing this on an iPhone with a Lightning port that I’m in no rush to replace - in part because I also care about waste.

My point about it has more to do with the EU’s success - under these arguable metrics - while maintaining its diversity.

Ultimately, I think we came at this from different perspectives and in different moods. I understand how my toot can come out as you’ve described it and I appreciate the check-in to reevaluate in the future.