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Everyone’s mind is fit to be changed.

By rob | April 4, 2006

I’m currently in the process of reading The Pentagon’s New Map, a book written a couple years ago by a professor and strategist for the Naval War College. Not the typical book I’ve been reading lately – it has nothing to do with theoretical physics or cooking – but a book at about “war in the context of everything else.” Dr. Barnett has developed a theory that separates the world into it’s “Global Functioning Core,” that which has been touched and participates in globalization, adhering to rule-sets which make typical conflict unlikely due to the strong interconnectedness; and “The Gap,”, the countries and regions of the world that for whatever reasons – cultrurally, politically, economically, are non-participants in this growing global rule-set.

I’m about half-way through this book, and up to this point I have now, and in the past have been, in complete agreement with his theories. That economic globalization – the participation in basic economic and adherence to legal principles – is the one force that can end up leading to global peace. (probably much to the dismay of some friends that believe protesting such pro-globalization organizations such as the WTO, World Bank, and others)

However, recently I have hit a point in the discussion that has slightly gone against what I had previously held to believe – that the invasion – or attempted conversion of Iraq from a “Gap” nation to a “Core” nation is a good idea. Scratch that, I have no doubt at some point it would have been a good idea, and necessary, but I disagree with the “when” and “how.”

In my time doing project management and learning to set priorities for myself, and at my workplace, I have learned to plot my potential projects on a three dimensional graph, based on their cost, risk, and potential benefit. Then, picking first the low hanging fruit (those projects with least risk & cost, but high or reasonably good benefit) and working from there.

I don’t believe the invasion of Iraq fits that model. Surely, converting an Arab country, governed by a dictator, with great wealth disparity to a member of the functioning “Core” would be a great trophy, but what of the cost and the risk?

As I am only half way through this book, my mind is left open to be changed, of course. However, it is good to know that there might be some laudable overarching strategy to the actions the US has taken in the past couple years, even if how they have been “explained” (if I can even use that word) to the American people and the rest of the world have been laughable at best.

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