As mentioned in my previous post on this subject, the "Ten Commandments of Globalization" are the key component to Dr. Barnett's military-market nexus concept, and describes the "seam between war and peace." They are again as follows:
(1) Look for resources and ye shall find, but...
(2) No stability, no markets;
(3) No growth, no stability;
(4) No resources, no growth;
(5) No infrastructure, no resources;
(6) No money, no infrastructure;
(7) No rules, no money;
(8) No security, no rules;
(9) No Leviathan, no security; and
(10) No (American) will, no Leviathan.
Understanding how these commandments are currently followed, or in some cases not followed, requires a step back in history to World War II and the conditions that were set to govern security in the Asia-Pacific region.
(10) No (American) will, no Leviathan: Prior to America's engagement in World War II, Japan was providing the will and the Leviathon with oppressive results across the Asia-Pacific. It built up supply chain infrastructure across the region, but with the sole purpose of supporting its dominance in controlling populations, resources and trade. As a result, not only did it undermine growth and stability in areas under control, it also ensured its failure in the attempt to over-extend military reach to U.S. territories.
With its defeat by American will and the American leviathon, Japan fell under the conditions of security that has mostly remained in place through the present day. The force of this American will and leviathon in the Asia-Pacific today is without doubt led by U.S. Pacific Command. The map below helps illustrate how the U.S. Military currently projects its influence in the region, and how existing partnerships and exchanges allow this influence to be extended:
*Taiwan is included under "Key Allies/Partners" in the sense that the U.S. has continually supplied them with weapons and weapons systems that are meant to help maintain a peaceful status quo with mainland China.
In essence, the "American leviathon" is generally an accepted presence in the Asia-Pacific, comprising of extended resources deployed by allies and partners. Countries like China and Indonesia enhance the effect of this leviathon by accepting its presence to the degree that military exchanges occur and a status quo is agreed upon.
(9) No Leviathan, no security: With the American leviathon's influence solidly permeated across the Asia-Pacific, security has been well-maintained and the only two key, traditionally recognized hotspots relatively contained: the Taiwan Straits and the DMZ between North and South Korea. The Taiwan Straits have cooled down significantly, but I will discuss these areas of risk at another point and where they fit into the security concerns of supply chain managers.
(8) No security, no rules: The security that has gradually swept across the Asia-Pacific since World War II has resulted in the majority of nations engaged in organizations such as the WTO and ASEAN, while a significant mass of bilateral trade agreements and/or economic partnerships have been entered into within the Asia-Pacific:
*Lines in red denote existing bilateral trade agreements and economic partnerships; lines in blue denote agreements that are under negotiation and/or formal consideration. Agreements between individual countries and ASEAN have been left out.
(7) No rules, no money: With so many nations in the Asia-Pacific participating in multiple "rule sets" in the form of bilateral and/or multilateral agreements, it is no wonder that money flows have increased.
Of course, without much further explanation required, this leads to the components of the remaining commandments: infrastructure, resources, growth, stability and markets. So if we want to discuss the parts of the Asia-Pacific where supply chain managers would have the most security concerns, we only have to look where the rules (i.e. rule sets) are weakest. This will be the main topic of my next post in this series.
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