Barnett on 5GW

Props to Arherring for provoking (and providing the illusion of choice to ?) Tom Barnett, in his description of this blog and 5GW:

My own sense is that 5GW will be all about fait accomplis and the illusion of choice, and that the real nature of debates will be purposefully disguised until relevant players (always tricky to define, because many will self-select, but few will be “chosen”) have steered outcomes toward desired ends. In that sense, it’s a form of corporatism (a specific poli sci term) on a global scale until such time as institutions arise for greater global pluralism (connectivity typically predates code, which is driven by scandals revealed in their “due course”).

It is the ultimate in horizontal global positioning (“conflict” suggesting too much kinetics) designed to stave off system-disrupting vertical perturbations/attacks.

This is where I think John [Robb] has it backwards: it’s 4GW, not globalization, that spawns its own self-limitations/destruction (parasites never seek system destruction, hence their limits of influence). 5GWers will, for many useful reasons, declare the terrorists to be “in charge of the world,” but that will only serve as the primary obfuscation in global security affairs. Others are already well in use in other sectors (like “peak oil” in energy).

The 5GWarrior will win.
The 4GWarrior will lose.
And the 3GWarrior will never know it.