Allen September 30th, 2003
Two years after 9/11, our seaports still aren’t safe from attack. A thoughtful and detailed analysis as to our weaknesses in this area.
The fundamental problem? Who puts the bell on the cat?
In other words, who pays for port security? Does the government as a whole pay for it? Do the people who import pay for it? And if the costs are born by the importers, how cheap is that labor in China if you add in screening costs? Do you think Wal-Mart is interested in adding in those costs?
The unspoken problem with this analysis is the problem of soft target re-acquisition. If you harden the ports sufficently, won’t the terrorist networks simply re-target a softer port. A fishing vessel hauling in a boat full of kippers requires no manifest and will put into any port they desire.
The key is to pursue the terrorists in their homes. Disrupt their planning cycle sufficiently that they cannot plan these attacks.
The problem is that in the mean time they are still planning the attacks and will probably pull off a successful one before the end of the decade.
So we still need to harden, despite the fragility that such defenses will offer. If we don’t harden, they will attack there. If we do harden, they will re-acquire a new target.
And so the dance continues.
Allen September 30th, 2003
Two years after 9/11, our seaports still aren’t safe from attack. A thoughtful and detailed analysis as to our weaknesses in this area.
The fundamental problem? Who puts the bell on the cat?
In other words, who pays for port security? Does the government as a whole pay for it? Do the people who import pay for it? And if the costs are born by the importers, how cheap is that labor in China if you add in screening costs? Do you think Wal-Mart is interested in adding in those costs?
The unspoken problem with this analysis is the problem of soft target re-acquisition. If you harden the ports sufficently, won’t the terrorist networks simply re-target a softer port. A fishing vessel hauling in a boat full of kippers requires no manifest and will put into any port they desire.
The key is to pursue the terrorists in their homes. Disrupt their planning cycle sufficiently that they cannot plan these attacks.
The problem is that in the mean time they are still planning the attacks and will probably pull off a successful one before the end of the decade.
So we still need to harden, despite the fragility that such defenses will offer. If we don’t harden, they will attack there. If we do harden, they will re-acquire a new target.
And so the dance continues.
Allen September 30th, 2003
A “newspeak” to real world meaning that translates diplomatic terms to real world meaning (from a conservative point of view).
My favorite:
War on Terror. The enemy here is not terror, but the people–and their attendant states and institutions–who systematically promote and wield terror for strategic ends. Ultimately, this is a war on tyranny, and more exactly, it is a war against tyrants (and their terrorist bagmen).
Allen September 30th, 2003
A “newspeak” to real world meaning that translates diplomatic terms to real world meaning (from a conservative point of view).
My favorite:
War on Terror. The enemy here is not terror, but the people–and their attendant states and institutions–who systematically promote and wield terror for strategic ends. Ultimately, this is a war on tyranny, and more exactly, it is a war against tyrants (and their terrorist bagmen).
Allen September 29th, 2003
Excellent article on the decline of manufacturing in the US.
Interesting point in that economists are “deflating” the value of manufacturing goods made in the past — thereby making it appear that we still manufacturing is responsible for as much GDP today as it did in the past.
Allen September 29th, 2003
Excellent article on the decline of manufacturing in the US.
Interesting point in that economists are “deflating” the value of manufacturing goods made in the past — thereby making it appear that we still manufacturing is responsible for as much GDP today as it did in the past.
Allen September 29th, 2003
Got PS2?
So very, very cool. A Wallace and Gromit video game!
[Via the Shifted Librarian]
Allen September 29th, 2003
Got PS2?
So very, very cool. A Wallace and Gromit video game!
[Via the Shifted Librarian]
Allen September 29th, 2003
Website devoted to getting electronic voting done correctly. Apparently at odds with Diebold — always a good sign.
[Via Metafilter]
Allen September 29th, 2003
Website devoted to getting electronic voting done correctly. Apparently at odds with Diebold — always a good sign.
[Via Metafilter]