the.world.is.flat-第119章
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presentation of their message。 And like commercial sites that track visitors to
develop consumer profiles； terrorist organizations capture information about the
users who browse their websites。 Visitors who seem most inter
ested in the organization's cause or well suited to carrying out its work are then
contacted。 Recruiters may also use more interactive Internet technology to roam
online chat rooms and cyber cafes； looking for receptive members of the public；
particularly young people。 The SITE Institute； a Washington； D。C。…based terrorism
research group that monitors al…Qaeda's Internet communications； has provided
chilling details ofa high…tech recruitment drive launchedin 2003 to recruit fighters
to travel to Iraq and attack U。S。 and coalition forces there。 The Internet also grants
terrorists a cheap and efficient means of networking。 Many terrorist groups； among
them Hamas and al…Qaeda； have undergone a transformation from strictly hierarchical
organizations with designated leaders to affiliations of semi…independent cells that
have no single commanding hierarchy。 Through the Internet； these loosely
interconnected groups are able to maintain contact with one another…and with members
of other terrorist groups。 The Internet connects not only members of the same
terrorist organizations but also members of different groups。 For instance； dozens
of sites supporting terrorism in the name of jihad permit terrorists in places as
far…removed from one another as Chechnya and Malaysia to exchange ideas and practical
information about how to build bombs； establish terror cells； and carry out
attacks 。 。 。 Al…Qaeda operatives relied heavily on the Internet in planning and
coordinating the September 11 attacks。
For all of these reasons we are just at the beginning of understanding the geopolitical
impact of the flattening of the world。 On the one hand； failed states and failed
regions are places we have every incentive to avoid today。 They offer no economic
opportunity and there is no Soviet Union out there competing with us for influence
over such countries。 On the other hand； there may be nothing more dangerous today
than a failed state with broadband capability。 That is； even failed states tend to
have telecommunications systems and satellite links； and therefore if a terrorist
group infiltrates a failed state； as al…Qaeda did with Afghanistan； it can amplify
its power enormously。 As much as big powers want to stay away
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from such states； they may feel compelled to get even more deeply embroiled in them。
Think of America in Afghanistan and Iraq； Russia in Chechnya； Australia in East Timor。
In the flat world it is much more difficult to hide； but much easier to get connected。
〃Think of Mao at the beginning of the Chinese communist revolution；〃 remarked Michael
Mandelbaum； the Johns Hopkins foreign policy specialist。 〃The Chinese Communists had
to hide in caves in northwest China； but they could move around in whatever territory
they were able to control。 Bin Laden； by contrast； can't show his face； but he can
reach every household in the world； thanks to the Internet。〃 Bin Laden cannot capture
any territory but he can capture the imagination of millions of people。 And he has；
broadcasting right into American living rooms on the eve of the 2004 presidential
election。
Hell hath no fury like a terrorist with a satellite dish and an interactive Web site。
Too Personally Insecure
In the fall of 2004；1 was invited to speak at a synagogue in Woodstock； New York；
home of the famous Woodstock music festival。 I asked my hosts how was it that they
were able to get a synagogue in Woodstock； of all places； big enough to support a
lecture series。 Very simple； they said。 Since 9/11； Jews； and others； have been moving
from New York City to places like Woodstock； to get away from what they fear will
be the next ground zero。 Right now this trend is a trickle； but it would become a
torrent if a nuclear device were detonated in any European or American city。
Since this threat is the mother of all unflatteners； this book would not be complete
without a discussion of it。 We can live with a lot。 We lived through 9/11。 But we
cannot live with nuclear terrorism。 That would un…flatten the world permanently。
The only reason that Osama bin Laden did not use a nuclear device on 9/11 was not
that he did not have the intention but that he did not
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have the capability。 And since the Dell Theory offers no hope of restraining the
suicide supply chains； the only strategy we have is to limit their worst capabilities。
That means a much more serious global effort to stanch nuclear proliferation by
limiting the supply…to buy up the fissile material that is already out there；
particularly in the former Soviet Union； and prevent more states from going nuclear。
Harvard University international affairs expert Graham Allison； in his book Nuclear
Terrorism： The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe； outlines just such a strategy for
denying terrorists access to nuclear weapons and nuclear materials。 It can be done；
he insists。 It is a challenge to our will and convictions； but not to our capabilities。
Allison proposes a new American…led international security order to deal with this
problem based on what he calls 〃a doctrine of the Three No's： No loose nukes； No new
nascent nukes； and No new nuclear states。〃 No loose nukes； says Allison； means locking
down all nuclear weapons and all nuclear material from which bombs could be made…in
a much more serious way than we have done up till now。 〃We don't lose gold from Fort
Knox；〃 says Allison。 〃Russia doesn't lose treasures from the Kremlin armory。 So we
both know how to prevent theft of those things that are super valuable to us if we
are determined to do it。〃 No new nascent nukes means recognizing that there is a group
of actors out there who can and do produce highly enriched uranium or plutonium； which
is nothing more than nuclear bombs just about to hatch。 We need a much more credible；
multilateral nonprolif…eration regime that soaks up this fissile material。 Finally；
no new nuclear states means 〃drawing a line under the current eight nuclear powers
and determining that； however unfair and unreasonable it may be； that club will have
no more members than those eight；〃 says Allison； adding that these three steps might
then buy us time to develop a more formal； sustainable； internationally approved
regime。
It would be nice also to be able to deny the Internet to al…Qaeda and its ilk； but
that； alas； is impossible…without undermining ourselves。 That is why limiting their
capabilities is necessary but not sufficient。 We also have to find a way to get at
their worst intentions。 If we are not going to shut down the Internet and all the
other creative and collaborative tools that have flattened the world； and if we can't
restrict access to them；
the only thing we can do is try to influence the imagination and intentions that people
bring to them and draw from them。 When I raised this issue； and the broad themes of
this book； with my religious teacher； Rabbi Tzvi Marx from Holland； he surprised me
by saying that the flat world I was describing reminded him of the story of the Tower
of Babel。
How so？ I asked。 〃The reason God banished all the people from the Tower of Babel and
made them all speak different languages was not because he did not want them to
collaborate per se；〃 answered Rabbi Marx。 〃It was because he was enraged at what they
were collaborating on…an effort to build a tower to the heavens so they could become
God。〃 This was a distortion of the human capacity； so God broke their union and their
ability to communicate with one another。 Now； all these years later； humankind has
again created a new platform for more people from more places to communicate and
collaborate with less friction and more ease than ever： the Internet。 Would God see
the Internet as heresy？
〃Absolutely not；〃 said Marx。 〃The heresy is not that mankind works together…it is
to what ends。 It is essential that we use this new ability to communicate an
