A biography for Thomas P.M. Barnetthasn’t been written yet.
“Every U.S. president enters office promising stronger ties with our southern neighbors, only to thereupon largely ignore them.”
“Here's my favorite bonehead concept from the 1990s in the Pentagon: the theory of anti-access, area-denial asymmetrical strategies. Why do we call it that? Because it's got all those A's lined up I guess. This is gobbledygook for 'If the United States fights somebody, we're going to be huge. They're going to be small.'”
“Having grown up on 'Star Trek,' I've had one great dream since childhood, and that is to see my life end somewhere other than here on Earth.”
“Transnational terrorism, in the form of the Salafi Jihadist movement, is fundamentally a function of globalization.”
“America has remained highly engaged in global affairs throughout decades of growing energy dependency, so it's hard to imagine it would disengage if its quest for energy self-sufficiency failed - especially amidst a world of heightened resource competition.”
“Crafty politician that he is, Obama was smart enough to set low enough standards for his administration to claim 'victory' by the summer of 2011 or so.”
“The Marines are like my West Highland Terrier. They get up every morning, they want to dig a hole, and they want to kill something.”
“The Department of Homeland Security is a strategic feel good measure. It's going to be the Department of Agriculture for the 21st century. TSA - thousands standing around.”
“If you can get out in front of people with your ideas and your execution, you'll attract the people who need to be pulled in.”
“You can't drag people from understanding to action. A customer isn't actually at the last mile if you're the one dragging her to the finish line.”
“Frankly, the only thing China has in easy abundance is people and dirty coal. Neither is the asset they're made out to be.”
“An economically confident America has - since becoming a world power at the start of the 20th century - tended toward global engagement. It is during times of economic stress (1930s, 1970s) that America has become more withdrawn.”
“So long as the global economy continues to recover, that remains Obama's No. 1 claim to successful leadership. Nothing else even comes close.”
“The most important thing you need to know about the Pentagon is that it is not in charge of today's wars but rather tomorrow's wars.”
“During the cold war, it was easy for the Pentagon to justify its budget, as the Soviets essentially sized our forces for us. We simply counted up their stuff and either bought more of the same or upgraded our technology.”
“The Air Force has it far worse than the Navy in terms of existential fears, primarily due to the rapid rise and unbelievable dissemination of drones, where seemingly now every military unit has their own miniature air wing of what would have recently passed as toys.”
“Most Americans have little idea of how far our nation's worldwide standing had fallen by the end of the Bush administration; no matter how bad you thought it had gotten, it was worse.”
“Washington has a tendency to hold other powers to standards that it routinely flaunts - plain and simple.”