Bump back. As I said at the beginning, it's a longish, somewhat tough slog, but well worth it. This guy nails it, and fporetto's and x's commentaries are well worth it, as well.
If you want to read a real long but really engrossing piece, written at least a full year before 911, which is fascinating in its prescience and which also hits on some of the same themes mentioned above, check
this one out.
And here is a post-911 piece by Robert Kagan, Power and Weakness, that should not be missed by anyone thinking seriously about the present balance of power in the West, and, consequently, the balance of power around the world.
And lastly, here is a lecture by Francis Fukuyama, Has History Restarted Since Sept 11?, which comments on Kagan's article in some interesting ways.