On the “thinking the unthinkable” theme, a reader reminds me of this fine 2003 essay from the Belmont Club, “The Three Conjectures.”
From which:
“The so-called strengths of Islamic terrorism: fanatical intent; lack of a centralized leadership; absence of a final authority and cellular structure guarantee uncontrollable escalation once the nuclear threshold is crossed. Therefore the ‘rational’ American response to the initiation of terrorist WMD attack would be all out retaliation from the outset.”
Where is Herman Kahn when we need him?