Andrew Jackson's "external improvements"

Jackson's two administrations (1829-1837) saw a huge spike in infrastructure development. Befitting his focus on promoting cotton exports, the vast bulk was spent to connect America to the outside world--hence his "internal improvements" were really external improvements!

Everything I needed to know about globalization I learned in American history.

That's why I was fascinated with Fallon's focus on cross-border infrastructural connectivity in Central Asia--the bridge (I wrote that bit with my "non-poison" pen!).

It's that sort of understanding that makes it harder to want to isolate Iran in the region, because the Iranians, whether we like it or not, are natural infrastructure providers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Stans in general. Ditto for the Turks and Chinese.

Get used to these postwar partners. They are not going away.

Comments

[Louis Heberlein]

There are also significant middle class populations in those countries that have watched, grasped, adapted and applied essential core business and cultural practices that moved them to the new core.

Because that was a relatively recent modernization process, they still retain the insights necessary to see new modernization processes from the existing perspectives in Afghanistan and the Stans, and to be better mentors than many old core governments.