Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. has lacked an operating theory of the world. But our post-Cold War entanglements have taught us all we need to know: disconnectedness defines danger. Countries that are thick with network connectivity (i.e. integrated into globalization) do not produce threats. Countries that are not so integrated, typically repressive regimes or failed states, do produce threats (e.g. terrorism, regional aggression, drug trafficking, etc.).
The world can thus be divided in two: The Functioning Core and the Non-Integrating Gap. Our national security imperative should be to Shrink the Gap.
The Core contains North America, most of South America, the EU, Russia, Israel, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and Asia’s emerging economies. The Gap encompasses most everyone else, but most pressingly the Middle East and North Korea.
What does it mean to “shrink the Gap?” We want to Make Globalization Truly Global. How? Kiss those dictators goodbye! Through overwhelming international pressure or, if we must, through invasion, we will oust troublesome Gap regimes.
We must never again win the war and lose the peace. Iraq has demonstrated that we need a massive reorganization of our armed forces.
Our war machine should be composed of two parts: The Leviathan and The System Administrators (or SysAdmin). The Leviathan (planes and smart bombs) will shock and awe, just as it did in Afghanistan and Iraq; the SysAdmin force (military police, humanitarian aid, etc.) will follow, doing what we failed to do in Iraq. We need to build up our SysAdmin capabilities.
