Word: softly
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...good life at home doesn't make Europe strong abroad. The E.U. may have all the soft-power credentials in the world, but on the grand stage it has lacked the weight and influence of others. At times, it simply seems unable to say what it thinks. Washington and Beijing may squabble from time to time, but the U.S. has a reasonably well-articulated China policy: engage economically, encourage democratically, and criticize on human rights when appropriate. What's the E.U.'s China policy in a few words? (Read: "Should Europe Lift Its Arms Embargo on China...
...hikes are in the cards too: a 20% tax on alcohol and tobacco has already been approved by Parliament, a fuel tax is likely to follow, and other taxes are rumored. This worries executives like Doros Constantinou, the CEO of Coca-Cola Hellenic, which sells soft drinks in 28 countries. "An increase in taxes will have an impact on disposable income," he says. "That's not a good thing." While he feels his company has already reduced operating costs and won't be affected too much by Greece's crisis, he admits, "We can't be immune. After...
...Although the aura of Zheng's expeditions may somehow bolster China's budding soft power, it's unclear what lasting impact the visiting fleets had on medieval Africa. No durable trade ties were left in place. And while stories linger in Kenya's Lamu archipelago of a light-skinned community descended from shipwrecked Chinese sailors, the population there retains no trace of Chinese customs or language. "Not much endured beyond the legend," says Sautman. Indeed, scholars like Wade suggest the voyages themselves were something of an "aberration" in the wider context of Chinese foreign policy in that era, which...
...budgets. "We must pay a large price to maintain our freedoms, and if we do not pay enough in dollars, we may be forced to pay the price in blood." He also charges - somewhat incongruously - that "it is long past time for America to strengthen and effectively deploy our soft power," which is, of course, partly what Obama is trying to do by toning down the Bush Administration's rhetoric...
...similar fashion, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” marks the band’s sole instance of musical experimentation. In a departure from the soft rock which defines much of the rest of the album, this track is marked by a heavier bass line and more reverb. Much like the rest of the album, however, the lyrics still leave a little to be desired—“You’re all talk and nothing to say / We don’t want, don’t want what you’re giving...