OP-ED: "Africa's World War," by Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times, 14 June 2007, p. A31.

Paul Collier's new book, "The Bottom Billion" is a must read. His previous work with David Dollar at the World Bank is a classic. Collier is arguing SysAdmin precedence and return-on-investment right out of the Copenhagen Consensus (he authored that brilliant chapter on conflict prevention that I used in BFA). Collier wants an international process by which failed states in Africa attract military interventions designed to quell mass violence or rogue regimes and jump start economic connectivity to the global economy. He and Kristof see the G-8 as needing to spearhead this new expansion of thought on aid and security's nexus. Sure, it's be great to build up the AU to do this, but if Africa doesn't have the resources to pull itself up economically with foreign aid, how will it do so security-wise with military aid? So walk the dog backwards: 1) you need an interested Leviathan 2) you need bodies for the attendant SysAdmin 3) you need a model of a new blending of development, diplomacy and defense. And we've got CJTF-HOA leading to Africom and both India and China all over Africa. Line up the G-20 and a revamped WB to finance it all and connect the front end to the UN Security Council and the back end to the ICC (their entire slate of defendants to date have been African), and you've got the package. Or you can make it Bill to Bono to Clooney to Angelina to the other Bill to Buffett (check out the glam shots on "Fair Vanity"). But I like my six-pack better.