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January 30, 2008

What Is It about Think Tanks?

By: Bernard Chazelle


If you say that "water is wet," people will think you've been eating the wrong kind of brownies.
If you say "As Einstein once told Goedel, water is wet," people will marvel at your wit, wisdom, and erudition.

Now say you ask me point blank: "Bernard, what's your big plan for avoiding nuclear catastrophe?" I might suggest getting rid of all nukes in the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan. But that's because I don't know what I'm talking about.

If you ask a cab driver (and for that purpose, any cab driver will do), the conversation may go like this: "I'd secure existing nukes and appoint an expert to tell the prez what's up. I'd mess up with terrorist finances, and I'd make sure hospitals are ready when it all goes kaboom! Did you say 42nd and Broadway?"

That's why he is a cab driver. The man cannot think geopolitically the way they do in think tanks.
At the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, for example, they've got the biggest brains who've researched the matter for years and years and years. And this is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking they've produced that no cab driver could ever match:


Top Priorities to

Reduce Threat of Nuclear Terrorism:


1. Securing existing nuclear weapons and materials

2. Creating the position of "Nuclear Terrorism Czar"...

3. Disrupting terrorist finances

4. Developing a contingency plan in case of attack

(I bet they got a bonus for that last one. The brilliance!)

— Bernard Chazelle

Posted at January 30, 2008 10:45 AM
Comments

I like the sound of "Nuclear Terrorism Czar." I'll bet Al Qaeda already has one of those. Because it's a czar who's in charge of threatening others with nuclear terrorism, right? Like we're doing with Iran?

If it's not, I have no idea what they're talking about.

Posted by: SteveB at January 30, 2008 11:34 AM

Haul the weapons into space and set the controls for the heart of the sun. Then, STOP manufacturing them.

Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 30, 2008 11:36 AM
But that's because I don't know what I'm talking about.

And you are not a deep thinker. If you were you would be in a tank. Ergo.

Posted by: empty at January 30, 2008 12:35 PM

And let's not forget Naomi Klein's definition:

"A think tank is a group of people who are paid to think -- by the people who make tanks."

Posted by: SteveB at January 30, 2008 01:36 PM

think tanks set agendas and create industries. good call, steveb

Posted by: mark baard at January 30, 2008 02:06 PM

think tanks set agendas and create industries. good call, steveb

Posted by: at January 30, 2008 02:06 PM

4a. Stockpile duct tape.

Posted by: Guest at January 30, 2008 02:19 PM

The link below is to an online version(?) of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. And thus worth a sneer or two for their aspirations to teh Serious. You decide.


http://cernigsnewshog.blogspot.com/2008/01/nuke-policy-blog-tank-getting-word-out.html

Posted by: Bruce F at January 30, 2008 06:00 PM

The list doesn't include:

5. Spend trillions on useless "space shield."

It doesn't even the weaker alternative:

5. Spend billions confirming the uselessness of a space shield.

...even though the people that make tanks would love a point like that. Be grateful for small miracles.

Posted by: Whistler Blue at January 30, 2008 06:12 PM

So wait. ATR is NOT a think-tank?

I might suggest getting rid of all nukes in the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan.

I don't think we'd respect anyone if they didn't have nukes.

Posted by: Ted at January 30, 2008 08:36 PM

Ted: Well then, I guess the genie's out of the bottle.

Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 30, 2008 10:23 PM

4a. Stockpile duct tape.
Posted by Guest at January

4B. and shovels
4C. and long fairly wide boards

Yep, that'll do it. Bring it on!

Posted by: catherine at January 31, 2008 11:39 AM

Nukes are the only way to deal in a world controlled by empire. We give up the empire, we will have a basis for humanity to dismantle nukes. We're screaming "Drop the gun!" to the world while we're pointing assault rifles at them.

Of course, we'd have to change the distribution of income, too, to make war a less attractive venture for our elites. That's probably the sticking point.

Posted by: No One of Consequence at January 31, 2008 11:44 AM