The Pentagon's New Map
I'm reading this book right now, and it's making a WHOLE LOT of sense. The basic theme is that there are two types of places in the world: some belong to the Functioning Core, and Some are in the Non-Integrated Gap.
The difference in the two basically comes down to widely accepted rule sets. For example, the Core is typified by freedom; freedom of speech, universal suffrage, personal, private property rights, and affluence.
The Gap is typified by lack of freedom, political repression, ignorance, poverty, etc.
Tha major differentiating factor? Connections to the rest of the world. The Gap doesn't Integrate. For whatever reason (religious or cultural "purity", maintenance of control by a fascist minority, whatever) these countries, cultures, and economies have very little exchange with the rest of the world. Little exchange of ideas (because speech and communication are not free and open), little exchange of money, because the economies are tightly controlled either through ideology (in communist-leaning states) or because of corruption and the 'Great Leader' syndrome.
I'm not done with the book yet, but it's helping me pull together some facets of my political beliefs that I have instinctually gravitated towards, into a coherent and logical tapestry.
When we export security to the Gap, what we should really be focusing on, is exporting logical and workable rule sets: belief in the rule of law, in common identity and defence. It's not enough to merely pacify through military force and leave, because these places are not experiencing a temporary abberration in the normal orderly existence; they don't have the basic underpinnings of civilization.
Anyway, I'll have more to say when I finish the book and have time to chew on it for a while.
The difference in the two basically comes down to widely accepted rule sets. For example, the Core is typified by freedom; freedom of speech, universal suffrage, personal, private property rights, and affluence.
The Gap is typified by lack of freedom, political repression, ignorance, poverty, etc.
Tha major differentiating factor? Connections to the rest of the world. The Gap doesn't Integrate. For whatever reason (religious or cultural "purity", maintenance of control by a fascist minority, whatever) these countries, cultures, and economies have very little exchange with the rest of the world. Little exchange of ideas (because speech and communication are not free and open), little exchange of money, because the economies are tightly controlled either through ideology (in communist-leaning states) or because of corruption and the 'Great Leader' syndrome.
I'm not done with the book yet, but it's helping me pull together some facets of my political beliefs that I have instinctually gravitated towards, into a coherent and logical tapestry.
When we export security to the Gap, what we should really be focusing on, is exporting logical and workable rule sets: belief in the rule of law, in common identity and defence. It's not enough to merely pacify through military force and leave, because these places are not experiencing a temporary abberration in the normal orderly existence; they don't have the basic underpinnings of civilization.
Anyway, I'll have more to say when I finish the book and have time to chew on it for a while.
posted by Larry at
10/16/2004 04:44:00 AM
1 Comments:
Not really a problem- debt, in a wierd way, is an asset. Debt means that somebody trusts you enough to extend cr4edit, and everybody with a finger inthe transaction has every reason to make sure that you succeed- so you can pay it back. In the case of the national debt, every US citizen, every foreign government using the dollar as a reserve currency, they all have the best reasons to make sure our economy works.
Besides, the Gap is not primarily a function of income- rather, income is an indicator of Gap-like practices.
Barnett makes the observation that the GDP associated with stability is shockingly low- no democratic society with a GDP of $9,000 per capita or better has ever collapsed.
There's an article by Russ Nelson, from which a lot can be inferred. One of the major differences between the Gap and Core is the trust we in the Core are willing to extend to each other, for good reason.
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