CHAPTER 7. THE NETWORK REALIGNMENT: THE RISE OF THE SYSADMIN-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
294. Vint Cerf, a universally acknowledged . . . uses it, and anybody can add services to it.” Quoted in Tapscott and Williams, Wikinomics, pp. 273-74.
The Undeniable Trajectory: Superempower Me!
295. That’s why, of all nations on this planet . . . we represent their most natural home. See Friedman, Lexus and the Olive Tree, pp. 29-42.
295. All politics begins with this question: Are man’s paths to happiness singular or infinite? Professor Stanley Hoffman’s question to me during my oral examination (comprehensive) at Harvard University’s Government Department in the spring of 1987. It is still burned into my memory!
296. For now, the reality is that globalization creates . . . inside too many “stationary states.” “Unreasonable men” comes from the writing of George Bernard Shaw; source is Wikiquote entry for Shaw, found online at en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw.
296. Invariably, too many experts today describe the world . . . haves versus have-nots. On this point, see David Rothkopf, Superclass: The Global Power Elite and the World They Are Making (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2008), especially his list of eight ways to know you’re a member of the superclass, pp. 289-91.
296. We have no global leaders of note . . . overwhelmingly found in the global middle class. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (New York: Penguin Press, 2008).
297. More people work in small firms . . . the economy, either formally or informally. On this see Daniel Pink, Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself (New York: Warner Business, 2002).
297. At first, it seemed like only those who worked . . . David Rothkopf observes. Quoted in Friedman, The World Is Flat, p. 278.
299. But that connectivity empowers in both directions . . . expectations are not met. On this see Jena McGregor, “Consumer Vigilantes: Memo to Corporate America: Hell Now Hath No Fury Like a Customer Scorned,” BusinessWeek, March 3, 2008.
299. Another time it’s a rogue trader who . . . demands from angry shareholders. See Doreen Carvajal and Caroline Brothers, “ ‘Rogue Trader’ Is Remembered as Mr. Average: Unassuming Suspect in a $7 Billion Loss,” New York Times, January 26, 2008.
299. Twenty years ago, official development . . . as much as the other two combined! One recent estimate put official development aid at $106 billion for 2006, foreign direct investment at $167 billion, and remittances at $301 billion; see James Mehring and Laurel Daunis-Allen, “Robust Global Trade: A Virtuous Circle,” BusinessWeek, November 12, 2007.
299. Befitting the frontier nature of this age . . . controlling roughly one-seventh of the flow. See Jason DeParle, “A Western Union Empire Moves Migrant Cash Home,” New York Times, November 22, 2007.
300. This same blogosphere . . . somehow do not measure up to expectations. On this, see Brownstein, Second Civil War, pp. 327-38; Glenn Reynolds, An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government and Other Goliaths (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006), pp. 89-114; and Dan Gillmor, We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People (Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly, 2004).
300. The real goal, as journalist James Fallows argues . . . from that of the real world out there. James Fallows, “ ‘The Connection Has Been Reset’: China’s Great Firewall Is Crude, Slapdash, and Surprisingly Easy to Breach. Here’s Why It’s So Effective Anyway,” Atlantic Monthly, March 2008.
301. Harry Emerson Fosdick, the early-twentieth-century . . . ordinary people.” Found online at en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harry_Emerson_Fosdick.
301. Collectively, the West is a high-trust networked commonwealth. This concept comes from Bennett, Anglosphere Challenge, pp. 39-40.
The American System Perturbed: The Rise of Global Guerrillas
303. By spreading our networks . . . parasites on these systems—as they have for ages. On this subject, see Misha Glenny, McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008), especially the chapter on China, pp. 313-41.
304. One of the first experts to attempt . . . many outweighs the dated knowledge of the few. John Robb, Brave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2007), pp. 67-129.
304. The same Internet that allows . . . globalization’s many extremist opponents. Robb, Brave New War, pp. 117-19.
304. Analogizing the Iraq insurgency to the 1930s Spanish Civil War . . . perpetual failure. Robb, Brave New War, pp. 47-49.
304. Robb warns, “This is the first time in modern history . . . fight a global war and win.” Robb, Brave New War, p. 19.
305. As for a far less robust but resource-rich Nigeria . . . the nation’s oil industry. For an example, see Steven Mufson, “Nigeria’s Oil Morass: Shell Takes $716 Million Charge After Attacks,” Washington Post, February 1, 2008.
305. Those failures inside the Gap . . . but trigger planetwide, winner-take-all effects. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (New York: Random House, 2007), pp. xxi-xxii.
306. History, Taleb reminds us, “does not crawl, it jumps.” Taleb, Black Swan, p. 10.
306. Our “stupid networks” . . . today have multiplied beyond measurability.” The concept of “stupid networks” comes from David Isenberg, “The Rise of the Stupid Network,” Computer Telephony, August 1997, found online at isen.com/stupid.html; Taleb, The Black Swan, p. 61.
306. “The pull of the sensational,” as Taleb puts it . . . any nation’s informal economy. Taleb, The Black Swan, pp. 79-80; and Robb, Brave New War, pp. 148-51.
307. The truth is, “al Qaeda central,” as terrorism . . . global control element it once was. See Marc Sageman, “The Next Generation of Terror,” Foreign Policy, March-April 2008.
307. We can buy into al Qaeda’s propaganda . . . but the conflict was never really about us. The classic in this genre is Michael Scheuer, Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror (Dulles, VA: Potomac Books, 2004).
307. Transnational terrorists and other criminal . . . least impressive and damaging. As James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds, argues (p. 228), “Short selling isn’t one of the great commercial evils of the day. The lack of short selling is.”
308. As the French Enlightenment . . . served afterwards to solve other problems.” René Descartes, Le Discours de la Méthode, Part II (1637), as found at Wikiquote: en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descartes.
The New Rules: From “Know Your Customer” to “Know Your Supply Chain”
308. The sum of these changes . . . the “four V’s” of “modern interconnectedness.” Chanda, Bound Together, pp. 94 and 253.
310. Of course, all you have to do is go back . . . Core stalwarts like Japan and South Korea. On this, see Stephen Mihm, A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007).
311. The average Chinese consumed 11 pounds of dairy . . . or the equivalent of 21 gallons. See Chi-Chu Tschang, “Got Milk?,” BusinessWeek, December 10, 2007.
311. A 2007 New York Times article . . . milk produced globally is traded across borders.” Wayne Arnold, “A Thirst for Milk Bred by New Wealth Sends Prices Soaring,” New York Times, September 4, 2007.
312. China’s meat consumption . . . higher than that of any other emerging market. See “A Meatier Diet,” BusinessWeek, November 6, 2007.
312. The upshot . . . “Saudi Arabia of milk,” exports dairy products to China like crazy. See Wayne Arnold, “Cultivating a Business: In New Zealand, Farmers Who Lost Subsidies Fine-Tune Their Trade,” New York Times, August 2, 2007; and Patrick Barta, “ ‘Saudi Arabia of Milk’ Hits Production Limits: New Zealand Dairy Thirsts for Capital, a Big Issue in Food,” Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2008.
312. By 2030, world food production is predicted to rise . . . just in the low-end foodstuffs. Cited in “U.
N.: 50 Percent More Food Needed by 2030; Global Summit Aims to Tackle Skyrocketing Prices Sparking Unrest,” Associated Press, June 3, 2008.
313. Australian cattlemen already . . . track every cow from birth to death in this manner. See Steve Stecklow, “U.S. Falls Behind in Tracking Cattle to Control Disease: USDA Plans Voluntary System After Cattlemen Divide on Making One Mandatory; Mad-Cow Mysteries,” Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2006.
314. I say, don’t be frightened or dismayed when Wal-Mart . . . into your system. See Marcus Kabel, “Wal-Mart Recruits Intelligence Officers,” Associated Press, April 24, 2008.
314. As Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams . . . production and buyer and even R&D chains. Tapscott and Williams, Wikinomics, pp. 59-62.
314. The principles of “wikinomics” . . . (i.e., make globalization truly global!). Tapscott and Williams, Wikinomics, pp. 20-30.
The New Normal: In Search of New Deterrence
316. The search for “Deterrence 2.0,” as one . . . increasingly interconnected world.” Carl W. Hunt, “Promoting and Protecting US Interests in the Cyber World: Violent (and Non-Violent) Non-state Actors—Workshop Summary,” Institute for Defense Analyses, January 9-10, 2008.
317. But all these responses seem so asymmetrical . . William Easterly’s terminology. Easterly, White Man’s Burden, pp. 3-7.
317. James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds . . . opinions efficiently. Surowiecki, Wisdom of Crowds, p. 10.
318. My recent favorite nongovernmental . . . the secret and the unclassified. See wikileaks.org/.
318. If working their hearts and minds online . . . less symbolic and more material. Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations (New York: Portfolio, 2006), p. 136.
319. As the columnist Brad Todd noted . . . an effective response within minutes. Brad Todd, “109 Minutes,” found online on westernphalanx.blogspot.com/2005/07/109-minutes.html ; cited in Reynolds, Army of Davids, p. 69.
319. Today’s globalization, as über-blogger Glenn Reynolds . . . once enjoyed in the past. See Reynolds, Army of Davids, p. 139.
The Global Accelerant: The Great Globalization Build-out
321. Overall, emerging markets are expected . . . for over 40 percent of that stunning total. See “Building BRICs of growth,” The Economist, June 5, 2008.
321. By 2020, China will have roughly the same . . . almost doubling by 2020. See “China’s Infrastructure Splurge: Rushing On by Road, Rail and Air: China’s Race to Build Roads, Railways and Airports Speeds Ahead,” The Economist, February 16, 2008.
322. I mean, it’s one thing for the UK’s National Grid . . . extensive network of pipelines. See “A Bear at the Throat: The European Union Is Belatedly Grasping the Riskiness of Its Dependence on Russian Gas, but It Is Disunited and Short of Ideas for How to Reduce It,” The Economist, April 14, 2008; and Guy Chazan, “Gazprom Drills Deeper into Europe: U.K. Becomes Foothold in Entry to Consumer Market; Mistrust Lingers,” Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2008.
322. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries . . . investment opportunities in the East. See Khalaf, “Boomtime in Lands of Oil and Money.”
323. For example, Hollywood markets . . . roughly half its box office registers overseas. See Nic Hopkins, “Foreign Box Offices Contribute Most to Hollywood’s Coffers,” The Times of London, March 16, 2005.
323. Commensurately, when a Bollywood (Indian) . . . beachhead for its major stars. See Eric Bellman, “Bollywood Dreams Benefit Both Parties: Deal for Dreamworks, a New Market Awaits; Passport for India Stars,” Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2008.
325. Africa, home to about one-fifth of the world’s uranium . . . in this direction. See Natalie Obiko Pearson, “African Nations Pin Power Hopes on Nuclear Energy: Western Interests Help Spur the Push to Develop Plants,” Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2007.
325. This unfortunate sentiment creates strange bedfellows . . . third world crooks.” Collier, Bottom Billion, p. 187.
The Inescapable Realignment: Reengineering Development (in-a-Box™)
332. I joined Enterra Solutions . . . and boosting local development as a by-product? For a generic, early description of this sort of port capabilities, see Brian Mockenhaupt, “The Age of Resilience: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Global Threats. Welcome to the Institute for Advanced Technologies in Global Resilience,” Esquire, December 2006, where Stephen DeAngelis was named to the “Best and Brightest” list as an “inventor.”
333. Otherwise, as Paul Collier notes, all you trigger is a brain drain. Collier, Bottom Billion, p. 112.
333. Development-in-a-Box is, in many ways . . . goal of “transaction governance capacity.” See Prahalad, Bottom of the Pyramid, pp. 77-78.
337. For example, more than 1,400 . . . core and common to every global retail bank. This is according to one of the world’s largest consultancies, Accenture, which, of course, has service products for each of those 1,400 processes.
338. For proving these concepts, Iraq was a pretty daunting environment. For some early coverage on our work there, see Linda Loyd, “Enterra Solutions Provides Technology to Iraq,” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 7, 2008, found online at www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20080307_Enterra_Solutions_provides_technology_to_Iraq.html.
The Better Normal: The Rise of the SysAdmin-Industrial Complex
341. In March 2008, a collection of over fifty retired . . . capabilities that we have.” See Dale Eisman, “Analysts Call for ‘Soft Power’ Tactics in Future Conflicts,” Virginian-Pilot, March 19, 2008.
341. As respected defense analyst Chet Richards . . . poorly equipped militias.” See Eisman, “Analysts Call for ‘Soft Power’ Tactics in Future Conflicts.”
341. As one of my blog readers . . . be having about the American rebels in 1780.” Found online at www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/2008/03/long_war_soft_power.html#comment-453830.
343. Lockheed’s purchase was a shot across the bow . . . manner of crucial network flows. See August Cole, “Lockheed Looks Beyond Weapons: Contractor Targets Growth with Services in Strife-Torn Areas,” Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2007.
344. Because when the Bush administration’s . . . pretty big hint of where victory lies.” See John Hewko, “Mobilizing Aid for Trade,” Latin America Panel, WTO General Council meeting, November 20, 2007.
347. As Harry told me for an article I wrote . . . This is the future.” Thomas P. M. Barnett, “No. 40: Sea-Traffic Control,” Esquire, October 2007, found online at www.esquire.com/features/esquire-100/seatraffic1007.
347. Then think about packaging all that up . . . SysAdmin-industrial Complex. I am indebted to Dan Abbott of tdaxp.com for mashing up my SysAdmin concept with the military-industrial complex to produce the idea of the SysAdmin-industrial complex.
347. Collectively, that effort . . Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. See the institute’s award website found online at ashinstitute.harvard.edu/ corporate_site/innovations.
347. One of my favorite examples is an advertisement . . . simple: “Invest in Macedonia.” Find it online at www.investinmacedonia.com/.
349. But if that’s your take . . . updated version of imperial Japan’s “Co-Prosperity Sphere.” For a glimpse, see Khanna, Second World, pp. 278-91.
CHAPTER 8. THE STRATEGIC REALIGNMENT: RESURRECTING THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA
The Undeniable Trajectory: The Devil We Knew
352. Cultural critic Susan Faludi’s 2007 book . . . too Oprah-ish, too emasculated. See Susan Faludi, The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2007), pp. 1-88 and 116-64.
353. In his polemic The Enemy at Home . . . attacks from Islamic fundamentalists. Dinesh D’Souza, The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and Its Responsibility for 9/11 (New York: Doubleday, 2007).
353. Delving deeper into the American psyche . . . hostage-taking “savages,” is no myth. See Faludi, The Terror Dream, pp. 199-216 and 241
-86.
354. But when you read Faludi’s . . . die in combat while serving in the U.S. military. Faludi, The Terror Dream, pp. 165-95.
354. As Faludi concedes, much of this retraditionalization . . . irony were greatly exaggerated. Faludi, The Terror Dream, pp. 142-64 and 287-96.
354. Within five years, we had processed . . . the CW network’s Aliens in America. See Christopher Mason, “Little Sensitivity Lesson on the Prairie: A Canadian Sitcom Pokes Fun at Muslim Stereotypes,” New York Times, January 16, 2007; and Bill Keveney, “Aliens Shows Its Serious Side: Muslim Character Seen as Positive Influence,” USA Today, October 1, 2007.
355. As always, given our uniquely synthetic . . . such religions as “children of Abraham.” See Prothero, Religious Literacy, p. 155.
355. The attacks of 9/11 were a classic case of “chosen trauma” . . . these events. On this concept, my thanks to Richard Landes, Boston University.
356. We “contaminate” the Arab world . . . while the locals assume infinite time. On this subject, see director Ric Burns’s fantastic documentary, The Way West: How the West Was Lost & Won, 1845-1893 (1995), and Margaret Walsh, The American West: Visions and Revisions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005).
356. Just as in our wars of today, America’s . . . seventh-century pre-economic paradise. See Yenne, Indian Wars, pp. 109-299.
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