Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe
Graham Allison
Well, the power outage allowed me to finish this morsel this morning after work. I broke up the reading between the book's two parts, reading all of the former and all of the latter in their respective sittings. I think that the book is best dealt with in the same fashion, because the two parts don't combine effectively into a coherent whole.
The first section of the book was fairly impressive, a general primer on the threat of nuclear terrorism. Well-organized and for the most part fair, this section detailed the who, what, and where of potential nuclear terrorism. Threats such as al-Qaeda and rogue states were enumerated and expanded upon, as well as potential sources for nuclear material. The general consensus that the recently deregulated Soviet Union is the most viable threat as a source of nuclear material for terrorists. While the writing is a bit simplistic, the thoughts are coherent and the information seems reliable. Most importantly, it is relevant and interesting, something new and not usually considered in depth by the everyday American.
In the second section of the book, however, the part where Allison describes his step-by-step plan to prevent nuclear terrorism (after carefully outlining before that the former Soviet Union has lost material which may be in terrorists' hands, no less), the book degenerates into a slobby mess of self-righteous partisan attacks. Allison adopts a know-it-all attitude and even attempts to take credit for a policy of George H.W. Bush. While his input may have been useful, I highly doubt that this low-level beaurocrat was solely responsible for the policy. Allison's general contention all throughout the second half of the book follows the same logic, that he knows best and that his plan is feasible and necessary lest America fall prey to an inevitable nuclear attack.
What bothered me most about this triumphant parade of self-aggrandizement was, ironically, the amount and ferocity of irrelevant jabs at George W. Bush. Now, I am no fan of the President's, but Allison owed it to his readers to cut the man a fair break. The drawn-out criticism of the Iraq war was really unnecessary; the point could have been made much more effectively had it been succinct. Allison only succeeds in dredging up old and festering wounds, coming off as immature. To make matters worse, he even repeats some of his quoted material and many of his points, almost verbatim.
He had me in the first part of the book, he really did. I went into the second half expecting an even-handed plan that was fairly realistic and actually somewhat feasible. Despite the blurbs (I'm really learning not to believe blurbs on this nonfiction stuff), the plan offered would require too many resources and too much focus on one scenario. Even where this is acknowledged (apparently, one hour of each day of the President's time would absolutely have to be devoted to the threat of nuclear terrorism), the plan plunges ahead in an idealistic world of unattainable hopes. The plan isn't even that good, were it to be executed. It also depends on mitigating circumstances.
My advice would be to check out the first half of the book for an interesting analysis of a very real potential threat to America, but to skip the plan for redemption. It embodies much that is wrong with modern politics, and for that the book has to ultimately be dismissed and liberal whining. That's really too bad.
Grade: B-
Graham Allison
Well, the power outage allowed me to finish this morsel this morning after work. I broke up the reading between the book's two parts, reading all of the former and all of the latter in their respective sittings. I think that the book is best dealt with in the same fashion, because the two parts don't combine effectively into a coherent whole.
The first section of the book was fairly impressive, a general primer on the threat of nuclear terrorism. Well-organized and for the most part fair, this section detailed the who, what, and where of potential nuclear terrorism. Threats such as al-Qaeda and rogue states were enumerated and expanded upon, as well as potential sources for nuclear material. The general consensus that the recently deregulated Soviet Union is the most viable threat as a source of nuclear material for terrorists. While the writing is a bit simplistic, the thoughts are coherent and the information seems reliable. Most importantly, it is relevant and interesting, something new and not usually considered in depth by the everyday American.
In the second section of the book, however, the part where Allison describes his step-by-step plan to prevent nuclear terrorism (after carefully outlining before that the former Soviet Union has lost material which may be in terrorists' hands, no less), the book degenerates into a slobby mess of self-righteous partisan attacks. Allison adopts a know-it-all attitude and even attempts to take credit for a policy of George H.W. Bush. While his input may have been useful, I highly doubt that this low-level beaurocrat was solely responsible for the policy. Allison's general contention all throughout the second half of the book follows the same logic, that he knows best and that his plan is feasible and necessary lest America fall prey to an inevitable nuclear attack.
What bothered me most about this triumphant parade of self-aggrandizement was, ironically, the amount and ferocity of irrelevant jabs at George W. Bush. Now, I am no fan of the President's, but Allison owed it to his readers to cut the man a fair break. The drawn-out criticism of the Iraq war was really unnecessary; the point could have been made much more effectively had it been succinct. Allison only succeeds in dredging up old and festering wounds, coming off as immature. To make matters worse, he even repeats some of his quoted material and many of his points, almost verbatim.
He had me in the first part of the book, he really did. I went into the second half expecting an even-handed plan that was fairly realistic and actually somewhat feasible. Despite the blurbs (I'm really learning not to believe blurbs on this nonfiction stuff), the plan offered would require too many resources and too much focus on one scenario. Even where this is acknowledged (apparently, one hour of each day of the President's time would absolutely have to be devoted to the threat of nuclear terrorism), the plan plunges ahead in an idealistic world of unattainable hopes. The plan isn't even that good, were it to be executed. It also depends on mitigating circumstances.
My advice would be to check out the first half of the book for an interesting analysis of a very real potential threat to America, but to skip the plan for redemption. It embodies much that is wrong with modern politics, and for that the book has to ultimately be dismissed and liberal whining. That's really too bad.
Grade: B-
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