All the Trouble in the World

I'm a big fan of Ralph Peters. His manic style makes me think I should consider coke and steroids, grounded with a touch of smooth scotch to be able to write like him. (Talent would help as well.) Here he is in the New York Post about his concerns with the global crisis. (article)

Pakistan? A bad idea in 1947, it's a worse idea now. Home to the Islamic bomb and the world's safest haven for terrorists, this bankrupt, dysfunctional country is the strategic bookie's odds-on favorite to pose the greatest threat to global security in this generation (there's competition, though, so spread your bet - win, place or show).

Don't discount the possibility of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan, either. India would win and move on, licking its brutal wounds, but Pakistan would dissolve into an Afghanistan without the charming scenery.

Then there's China, virtually a continent unto itself. For over a decade, I've argued that we should worry more about a failing China than a successful one (although the latter poses problems, too). The speed of China's uneven transformation shattered the age-old architecture of a society once so robust even Mao couldn't break it completely.

If you want a feel for where China could go, re-read "The Grapes Of Wrath," multiply the Okies by many millions, worsen their lot, then take away the Joad Family's jalopy - but give them arms. As a minimum, we'll witness grim repression.