[GOP_1900AD]

Barnett is a complete idiot and I do hope he reads this. Like all other past utopian visions, his notion of "core" purports to view the world as a frontier town and badlands surrounding it. Future war becomes as simple as taming the savages and putting in place law and order. The first mistake here is the conflate those who have technological development and wealth with those who are civilized. During the Cold War, we embargoed the uncivilized and kept them poor. Now, they have what they could not get back then. We've conned ourselves into thinking that the trappings of development and commercial economy has civilized them - it has not. We are going to be in a world of hurt. Expect the 2008 Olympics to be rather similar to the 1936 ones. Expect horrible, unthinkable things to develop in the 10 years after them, perhaps starting as early as the beginning of 2009.

[GOP_1900AD]

Here is my comment, awaiting approval, at Barnett's blog:

If another major war between great powers happens, since the DoD are buying into your ideas, we'll probably lose. We are transforming our military into a frontier town's sheriff's department. We assume all we, "the core," have to do is tame the savages. We assume that other nations who have trappings of development and technology are also "core" - and maybe even civilized. What a big mistake that is. Do not conflate superficial development and economic integration with being civilized.

It would be a real burden for you to bear. How sure are you? Are you that sure? Are you willing to bear that burden if you are wrong?

[indthkr]

"The first mistake here is the conflate those who have technological development and wealth with those who are civilized."

Exactly. Look no further than Iran, who is combining 20th Century weapons technology (nukes) with a 12th Century Worldview. Not a good combination, particularly when they have a powerful cash-flow machine to fund it (Oil).

Barnett's vision just tells everybody what they want to hear; it sounds good because it is a cheap, Something-for-Nothing proposition. We all just have to be friendly with our neighbor-states. It's they same kind of thinking that would propose that I not buy car insurance because my friend two houses down will happily bail-me-out if I initiate a 5-car pile-up on the freeway.

Barnett's "French-Style" thinking will ultimately lead us down a path to disaster.