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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 and
collaborate for the right ends…for constructive human aims and not megalomaniacal
ends。 Building a tower was megalo…maniacal。 Bin Laden's insistence that he has the
truth and can flatten anyone else's tower who doesn't heed him is megalomaniacal。
Collaborating so mankind can achieve its full potential is God's hope。〃
How we promote more of that kind of collaboration is what the final chapter is all
about。
：：：：： Conclusion： Imagination
：：：：： THIRTEEN
11/9 Versus 9/11
Imagination is more important than knowledge。
…Albert Einstein
On the Internet； nobody knows you're a dog。
…Two dogs talking to each other； in a New Yorker cartoon by Peter Steiner； July 5；
1993
Reflecting on this past decade and a half； during which the world went flat； it strikes
me that our lives have been powerfully shaped by two dates： 11/9 and 9/11。 These two
dates represent the two competing forms of imagination at work in the world today：
the creative imagination of 11/9 and the destructive imagination of 9/11。 One brought
down a wall and opened the windows of the world…both the operating system and the
kind we look through。 It unlocked half the planet and made the citizens there our
potential partners and competitors。 Another brought down the World Trade Center；
closing its Windows on the World restaurant forever and putting up new invisible and
concrete walls among people at a time when we thought 11 The dismantling of the Berlin
Wall on 11/9 was brought about by people who dared to imagine a different； more open
world…one where every human being would be free to realize his or her full potential
… and who then summoned the courage to act on that imagination。 Do
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you remember how it happened？ It was so simple； really： In July 1989； hundreds of
East Germans sought refuge at the West German embassy in Hungary。 In September 1989；
Hungary decided to remove its border restrictions with Austria。 That meant that any
East German who got into Hungary could pass through to Austria and the free world。
Sure enough； more than thi