- No, I have not. But thank’s for the tip! I checked it out at wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon%27s_New_Map ) Seems well worth reading. I also found this article (will read it soon):
http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/published/pentagonsnewmap.htm
From the wikipedia article:
“The world can be roughly divided into two groups: the Functioning Core, characterized by economic interdependence, and the Non-Integrated Gap, characterized by unstable leadership and absence from international trade. The Core can be sub-divided into Old Core (North America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia) and New Core (China, India). The Disconnected Gap includes the Middle East, South Asia (except India), most of Africa, Southeast Asia, and northwest South America.”
This seems to be a correct and useful description.
One problem that poses a severe threat to several nations as well as the world at large is the incapability and unwillingness to question the system and actions of one’s own country in many ‘Disconnected Gap’ nations.
Instead of looking at parts of the world like the US or Scandinavia which are rich, dynamic and successful and asking the inevitable question ‘why isn’t our country doing this well?’, people in these countries are brainwashed into believing Socialism/Islam/Military Aggression provides a useful key to development. This alongside with blaming backwardness on some foreign force outside the nation like ‘Capitalist exploitation’ or ‘US imperialism’.
The approach to economic and democratic development in many of the ‘Disconnected Gap’ countries is ridiculous and futile, to say the least. Underdeveloped countries could learn a lot from examples like that of South Korea, a country that chose the path of industrialism, democracy and Capitalism instead of aid dependency and Socialism. There’s no reason this kind of development could be achieved by, for instance, Sudan or Cuba.
Significant for backward countries that there IS hope for in the near future, is their ability to admit their own shortcomings in the past. Whatever one thinks of a leader like Putin, it must be admitted that most Russians have realized that the Soviet Union turned out to be a fiasco. Today, more and more Russians are beginning to realize Capitalism is the only road to success. In Cuba, the denial of this very fact has become state religion.
Rich although ‘slow growth’ nations like Italy, Germany and France are other examples of nations where a lot of people have the courage to question their former national policies. The new conservative leader of Germany, Mrs. Angela Merkel, have admitted that the Scandinavian model of national ‘budget discipline’ combined with the preservation of 40 hours work weeks is a much better economic concept than the ones that have turned Germany, Italy and France into zero growth economies while nations like the US, Ireland and the Scandinavian countries have enjoyed annual GDP growth levels of around 3-6% for 15 years now.
I wish more countries would dare to ask the crucial question “If Capitalism, traditional work ethics and Democracy have worked so well in many other countries, what prevents us from giving it a try as well?”
Correction:
Of course, it ought to read:
“There’s no reason this kind of development could NOT be achieved by, for instance, Sudan or Cuba.”
If you want a preview see
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=pentagonsnewmap
Hugh Hewitt did a series of interviews with Barnett on this book
That’s a good point you make about the Gap countries blaming other countries for their failures rather than trying to learn from them. A counterterrorism expert, Randy Borum cites this cycle of recognizing a problem (it’s not right), comparing this problem to other countries (it’s not fair), attributing blame (it’s your fault), and stereotyping (you’re evil) as one of the biggest causes of international terrorism.