Kim, Lim, Piatov

Secrets of Elite Soft Power

Our Goal:Our Goal: Show how Elites can use Soft Power to maintain their dominanceShow how Elites can use Soft Power to maintain their dominance

Top 1% = The Real Elite

How to prevent rise of

masses in Neo-Liberal

System?

How to prevent rise of

masses in Neo-Liberal

System?

Who are the Elite?

• An exceptional and/or privileged group that

wields considerable power within its sphere

of influence.

Exceptional Group

Who are the Elite?

• Fragmented Group• Dominant Elite

– Top 1% of Wealth (owning 40% of worlds wealth)– Control and benefit most from structure

• Functional Elite• Outlying Elite

Dominant Elite

Functional Elite

Outlying Elite

Masses

Elites

Why Elites Matter

Elite is a Role• Elites have been in our

society since the beginning of time

• It is in our nature to want to have leaders

• Elites have the best interest of society at heart

Elite is a Right• Every society needs elites to

maintain order– Wealth is compensation for

creating good living conditions (see failure of Tsarist Elites 1917)

• Elites are the enlightened• Role of Elites is to “run”

bastions of power to preserve and enhance their socio-economic position

Considerable Power – Smart Power

Element of Fun: Outliers

• “Outliers”: Challenging the system and hierarchy• The Outliers = The Outcasts

• Noam Chomsky• Ha-Joon Chang

Dominant (Structural) Elite

Outliers

Supporting Elite

Maintenance of Elite

• « Transformational Leaders »– Macro-level – maintaining the whole community

dominated by elites – identity voting

• « Transactional Leaders »– Micro-level – from ‘one commoner’ to ‘the elite’ –

rite of passage

Adapted from Joseph Nye’s “The Powers to Lead”

Liminality – the rite of passage

• Concept developed by Arnold Van Gennep

“the time in which people are on the threshold of entering a new phase in their life, having

left the previous one behind”

• Separation Transition ReincorporationFrom one ‘imgined community’ to another...

Why do certain people tend to vote for elites against their interests?

• Identity Voting– Reagan and his blue collar supporters– Health Care in the U.S. – War in Iraq

• Benedict Anderson: Imagined Communities• Victor Turner: Communitas

Soft Power Strategies

• Example of: Personal Responsibility + Freedom + Identity Politics:= Elite Manipulation

Charlton Heston : Bloodline of FreedomIndividual ResponsibilityCharlton Heston : Bloodline of FreedomIndividual Responsibility

Micro-Level Strategies

• 2 Strategies that keep the masses embracing inequalities and accepting “rules of the game”

1

Personal Responsibility

• Let the professionals explain

Soft Power Strategy

Idea of Personal

Responsibility&

Freedom

2 Functions

Brilliant!

Micro-Level Strategies

2

• Perpetuate belief that making it to the top is easy• Abide by Elite’s rules• Enforce rules of the top group

Case Studies: Illusion of Equality

“Anyone can make it!”• Start-up: “Facebook” & Mark Zuckerberg

(always elitist oriented) Youngest billionaire in the world

• Start-up: “Google” begun by Russian Immigrants

• Competition: “American Idol”

Case Studies:Cementing the Glass Floor

• Singers: Rappers and Pop-singers e.g. “Jenny from the Block”

• Governments: China’s internet censorship

• Royal Wedding: Prince William & a “Commoner”

Power Relationship?

Hard PowerHard Power

Soft Power

Hard PowerHard Power

Soft Power

Does a decrease in HP Require an Increase in SP?

Or can a reduction in both be sufficient for Elites to control society?

Power Relationship?

• These Regimes use vast HP (repression) AND SP (Propaganda) to maintain Elite Position (domestic)

• While US Uses less of both• US = “Smart Soft Power”

Hard PowerHard Power

Soft Power

Smart Power?Smart Power?

Smart Soft Power

• As society evolves to knowledge economy• Elites need more sophisticated tool of

manipulation• Smart Soft Power uses subtle Transforming

strategies combined with less Hard Power:– Identity Voting– Individual Responsibility & Freedom– False Hope