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The Velvet Glove That Cloaks the Fist of Power: The Role of U.S. Military Communication in Addressing the North Korea Threat

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Diplomatic and Mediated Arguments in the North Korean Crisis

Part of the book series: Palgrave Macmillan Series in Global Public Diplomacy ((GPD))

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the role that military communication plays in shaping the North Korea nuclear threat. The U.S. military, in conjunction with other levers of national power, uses a wide variety of public statements, often mediated by the media, that range from passive (also known as military soft power) to actions of force (hard power). These statements are constructed to have effects on domestic as well as international audiences. In addition to laying out a framework for military communications and their intended effects, we discuss unintended consequences or risks of these military communications. Last, we describe how military communications attempt to shape the international environment and the behavior and expectations of potential adversaries and allies.

Speak softly and carry a big stick….—Theodore Roosevelt (1901)

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Correspondence to Gail Fann Thomas .

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Thomas, G.F., Kline, J. (2021). The Velvet Glove That Cloaks the Fist of Power: The Role of U.S. Military Communication in Addressing the North Korea Threat. In: Hollihan, T.A. (eds) Diplomatic and Mediated Arguments in the North Korean Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan Series in Global Public Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70167-3_8

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