Saw this guys presentation on CSpan or something the other night. It's not all that new so it's probably been discussed but I found it interesting. The Pentagon's new map By Michael Barone http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/baroneweb/mb_040520.htm Thomas P. M. Barnett is a professor of political science at the Naval War College who has spent much of the past 15 years roaming the halls of the Pentagon delivering a Power Point brief (the Pentagon word for briefing) on his strategic view of the world. It is based partly on joint seminars that brought together people from the war college and from Cantor Fitzgerald, the bond trading firm, which lost many of its employees on September 11. Barnett published a version of it as an article in Esquire in 2002, and last month saw the publication of his book The Pentagon's New Map. His view of what United States military forces can and ought to do is congruent neither with those of conservatives or liberals; he professes to be a Democrat but supports the Bush administration's war on Iraq, though he has some scathing criticisms of the administration's postwar conduct. Few Americans have ever heard of him. But there are signs that he may turn out to be one of the most important strategic thinkers of our time and that Rumsfeld's Pentagon is putting some of his ideas into practice.
His presentation on TV is great too if they ever show it again--A very impressive speaker with some good Audio Visual to help him explain his ideas.
I have seen the breifing at the Naval Warfare Development Center (NWDC) down in RI. It makes a lot of sense actually.
It really does--wish I coulda seen it live and asked a few questions too ! The guy has some really fresh ideas---I liked his thoughts on "turning" Iran instead of blowing it off the map but that's gonna be a tricky one I fear.
i posted about this guy's fresh approach to foreign affairs and the miiltary, but most seemed not to like it at the time... i'm glad viewpoints have changed somewhat.... he's not perfect, but he does have some very unique ideas we should consider over the next few years
I figured someone already had heard of this guy--prior to the election we all may have been a bit over-protective of Bushs' policies to defend ourselves from old YOU-KNOW-WHO.