About this title: National security expert Graham Allison identifies the serious threat to the world posed by the availability of nuclear weapons and materials, and suggests ways that may make the possibility of their falling into terrorists' hands far less likely. He identifies the key danger points (notably the former Soviet Union) that need to be secured, tells ...
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Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 0805076514 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. 0805076514 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780805076516ISBN:0805076514
Description: Fine in Like New jacket. Hardcover with dust jacket, Like New, clean, tight, unmarked, edge wear. North American Orders are shipped by kbooks every business day. International orders are shipped on Tuesdays and Friday's. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Constable & Robinson
Date Published: 2006-03-30
ISBN-13:9781845293499ISBN:1845293495
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Constable & Robinson
Date Published: 2006-03-30
ISBN-13:9781845293499ISBN:1845293495
Description: Good. Good title in good condition. Pages are clean and tight. Covers show some edgewear and bumping. Satisfaction guaranteed. If item not as described, return for refund of purchase price. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780805076516ISBN:0805076514
Description: Very Good in Very Good- jacket. 0805076514 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall There is light edge wear to the dust jacket and the binding is a bit loose from use. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780805076516ISBN:0805076514
Description: Fine in Near Fine jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. A leading strategist opens our eyes to the greatest terrorist threat of all--and shows how to prevent it before its too late. Hardcover, 263 pp., with unclipped jacket. Excellent condition. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780805076516ISBN:0805076514
Description: Very Good. Fine in Very Good dust jacket. Appears to be unread. Tiny closed tear on top edge of dj/light wear overall. Tight and clean copy. No remainder marks. read more
"Terrifying look at the ease with which a nuclear bomb could be smuggled into the United States. The reality of this book makes it hard to sleep at night."
"Graham Allison's nuclear terrorism prevention strategy is a perceptive and tough look at a nagging problem of grave national importance. It's perhaps the best strategy possible given America's current structure. Allison warns that if terrorists get weapons of mass destruction, then the game is over because these weapons will probably be used against us, and therefore a rigorous strategy of locking down weapons worldwide is sensible. Allison fails to explain how the United States can act as the world's nuclear policeman. His book is loaded with practical suggestions like using financial incentives in nations like Russia to encourage foreign officials to lock up or destroy excess weapons, giving money to non-nuclear states to produce less dangerous plutonium and uranium, having a more humble foreign policy, improving intelligence, strengthening global alliances, and so on. But there's a sense that even if all of these suggestions were followed to the letter, the United States would remain vulnerable.
So, in my view, Allison's strategy is flawed.
The correct strategy, in my view, is to reform America in serious ways to substantially reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism. And that means a new understanding of terrorism as well as substantial political reform that requires, in effect, a Second Constitutional Convention.
Allison, along with experts such as Bruce Hoffman as well as most people, see terrorism as essentially a government and military and police problem. And I think that's a mistake. I think terrorism is a bigger problem -- it's a citizens' problem. We're the ones who suffer when it happens. So citizens need to prevent it. And as citizens we have wider latitude and authority to act than government officials have.
Terrorism, in my view, is "violence against individual rights". Begin with my definition and a solution will follow. One can suppose there are three types of terrorists -- criminals (neighbors who violate our rights), tyrants (our own government officials who violate our rights) and foreign terrorists (powerful individuals abroad or heads of state.) All three types of terrorism must be prevented, in my view. It's not enough for government by itself to try to fight terrorism, because in trying to fight terrorism, government may become a terrorist towards its own people. It's a multi-faceted problem, larger but solvable, in my view. We can't try to fight one form of terrorism by exacerbating another. But this happens routinely in airports: to prevent airline hijackings (crime) security guards frisk every passenger without cause (a form of tyranny that passengers put up with despite being treated like criminals.)
My book "Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism" (Amazon & Kindle, 184 pages) spells out the logic for a prevention strategy. The essential concept linking an effort to prevent each type of terrorism is the application of light (meaning information, exposure, awareness.) For example, to prevent crime, we must identify all movement in public while strengthening privacy. For this to happen, citizens must agree to such monitoring, and for this to happen, people must become real citizens, not merely apathetic consumers and shoppers which characterize most Americans today. The concept of citizenship is examined (again, a type of light); citizenship should be a contract between individual and state with specific responsibilities and privileges. It's possible to prevent every instance of home-grown terrorism using this method. The rest of my book shows how one can apply the concept of light to exposing the other types. For example, I think the architecture of government requires an overhaul so that America can make steady long-term foreign policy, consistently rewarding friends and punishing enemies; but today it can't do this because administrations change every eight years, sometimes after only four. I propose a revised architecture based on lessons from history and political philosophy.
My strategy will prevent all types of terrorism, including smuggled nuclear bombs. Allison's won't. My strategy is brief, rational, non-religious, written by a citizen for citizens, non-technical. Be prepared: there are some controversial ideas (one expert found it "bracing"). But my book can protect America. It's plain logic from one citizen to another. Allison's tough strategy is perhaps the best that America can do given the current constraints, and I respect Allison as an expert on foreign policy, but I argue that we need to reform America in serious ways using my strategy to protect ourselves. If reforming America is impossible, then Allison's strategy is the next best thing. Please read my book and judge for yourself.
I challenge Mr. Allison to debate the merits of my strategy."
"I wasn't sure how much I'd learn from this book given that I took a class on this stuff last fall, but I found it pretty informative (not to mention frightening). The reiteration over and over of the main points was sometimes a little annoying (yes, I got the point 40 pages ago), though. Also, one big qualm: from the introduction, it seems the author has a very mistaken idea of where Houston's Chinatown is located."
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