Voices of Mexico no. 85

Our Voice

These are times to test President Barack Obama. Several features of his administration suggest a change in the way the U.S. will be implementing its foreign policy. It has been said that a mere change of style in foreign policy is shallow, not a profund transformation; others suggest that Obama's proposed change is only a product of rhetoric and campaign slogans.

However, style and narrative matter, and these can be two significant components that contribute to the long- awaited renovation of U.S. international policy. Thus, to what extent can the new style yield the hoped-for outcomes, namely, a real change in the U.S. image abroad, restored international legitimacy, enhanced soft power, reinforced respect for U.S. hard-power resources and, more importantly, a sustainable strategy that allows smart power to put down roots in the American path for the twenty-first century?