Thomas Barnett makes the case for globalization:
First, we can remember that we sought this outcome -- a world of numerous great powers rising peacefully in their growing prosperity. This is why we created an international liberal trade order following World War II and defended it throughout the Cold War. No superpower before us had ever shaped and sustained a world order capable of such integration, and we should be proud of the vast peace dividend we've generated for the planet. Globalization may cause great frictions between civilizations, but it has begotten unprecedented peace among nation-states.
This is where the Obama administration and its so-called "Smart Power" diplomacy seem curiously deficient. China has just inked a major trade deal with Taiwan and Russia has concluded a customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan. The net result of those moves will be to peacefully extend the influence of both great powers.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has moved slowly. President Obama has only now promised to send the Korean Free Trade Agreement to Congress after the November elections, but hasn't spent much time defending it. During her swing through Latin America, Secretary Clinton promised to put her support behind the Colombia Free Trade Agreement - but both deals have been languishing for years now.
