Diplomatic incentives can receive much less attention than sanctions or military threats. Governments also have reasons to keep negotiated benefits private: publishing one settlement can give the next negotiating partner a baseline for its demands. Routine trade and cooperation attract less news coverage than a confrontation. Foreign aid becomes more visible when programs are cut or opposition parties attack their cost. These differences in visibility can leave observers with an incomplete picture of the incentives used in diplomacy.
Notable Point · 2:24:38-2:26:59
Why diplomacy's carrots are less visible than its sticks
Cooperation, trade, and aid often remain quiet, while coercive measures become public news and distort perceptions of how states exercise power.