Putting Resilience at the Heart of Nation-Building

These are nerve-racking times at the Pentagon. For "Big War" adherents, Iraq is not looking like the "one off" that many hoped it would be, as Afghanistan-Pakistan appears to be, if anything, an even harder slog. None of the dominant Big War scenarios are looking good, now that Iran is ever closer to nuclear deterrence, North Korea ever closer to collapse, and Taiwan ever closer to a peace deal with Beijing. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, meanwhile, is locking in a more balanced take on small wars versus large, and the serious Leviathan budget-cutting has begun.

Continue reading Tom's New Rules column for this week at WPR.

Comments

[Steven J.]

Tom,The majority of what I've learned from the new paradigm shift in global security has come from your writings. And being the late comer on this topic, it becomes more apparent every day that there must be a neglect in understanding by Americans that;a.) A Government does serve a purpose.b.) It doesn't just fall out of the sky.c.) If left to grow in the conditions of the Serengeti, it will die before it gets started.

Then again, it just may be Conservatives take on the Monroe Doctrine.

[Tom Barnett]

My argument has long been that we take care of the world because we find such effort good for our business, morally right, and ultimately a firm contribution to our collective security.

Wanting a good investment climate is a selfish thing, but a good thing.