The most popular link this past week, by far, was not a link to this site but to the video of Tom's talk at TED in February 2005: Thomas Barnett's bracing talk on the future of war, on TED.com.

Here's their write-up:

Strategic planner Thomas P.M. Barnett has advised US leaders on national security since the end of the Cold War. In this bracingly honest -- and very funny -- talk, Barnett outlines a solution for the foundering US military: Break it in two. One half makes war, and the other half builds the peace that follows. Spontaneous applause and a standing ovation underscore what Barnett said on his blog: "Probably the best 20 minutes of speaking I have ever done."

The video:

Now, the links:
+ Fortify Your Oasis, who hates Tom slides, but loves his delivery, rating him above Steve Jobs.
+ hatke
+ ISN The Blog
+ Random Thoughts Containment Unit: 'it's effing brilliant'
+ Identity Unknown
+ Not A Hat: 'brilliant'
+ Who Would Reagan Vote For? 'I watched this expecting him to be a left wing peace nut, but he really wants to turn our military into serious cold, hard killers and then back them up with a serious force for rebuilding the countries we take down - Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. This guy is awesome, now if someone would just listen.'
+ blogish
+ The Fein Line
+ cartoon life: 'This is an idea that gives me hope for a better world. Win the war, and win the peace. It would certainly be better than the disastrous situation extant now, but I wonder about consequent accusations of cultural hegemony. I suppose one could worry about that when we get there. But let’s get there first.'
+ SageGuide: 'Pentagon Strategist Thomas Barnett gives a hilarious talk filled with macho bravado on the next step in the development of America’s military, creating a peace keeping force. Acknowledging America’s indomitable might when it comes to wars, he also acknowledges their poor record for instilling peace in countries it has conquered. Disturbing, hilarious and thought provoking at the same time, this talk is a refreshing addition to the regular TED line up of design, technology and social commentary.'