Blog 10a Thomas Barnett: The Pentagon's New map for war and peace

Thomas Barnett argues that the moral mission of the United States is to extend the benefits of globalization to the one-third of the world that is disconnected from the global community. America needs to create a more secure world by eliminating the seeds of conflict. In Barnett's world, Earth is made up of two groups, The first is the Functioning Core, nations like the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, and India. The second is the Non-Integrating Gap, made up of the Middle East, most of Africa, parts of Central and South America and parts of Asia. The Core is defined by economic, political and military stability while the Gap is home to poverty, authoritarian regimes and conflict. Led by the U.S., it is the Core's mission to shrink the Gap and usher in a new era of relative global stability. A transformation of a new military- one that would split the present force into two different organizations would be used to provide security to Gap nations which will slowly be added to the Core. The United States-with help from other nations-will play the role of global policeman and global SWAT officers.

I think it makes sense to realize that the trouble in the world stems from poverty, authoritarian regimes and conflict. Could Barnett's concepts be improved? How about trying out what he has proposed? The countries of the Functioning Core should take the lead and work together using their economic, political, and military stability to help the Gap people become self sufficient, democratic, peaceful societies.