Remember our discussion ...

... about corrupt governments and poverty? The same is true of terrorism and plain violence. Governments of thieves and nations whose governance has been destroyed by warring factions funded by groups with no good in mind are the prime source of most of today's international crises. This CNS report discusses "kleptocracy"--the rule of thieves. I'm reminded of St. Augustine's remark about human governments always tending to be collections of robbers.

Scary stuff.

I was able to read Robert Preston's The Demon in the Freezer over the Thanksgiving holiday. It reads fast, but is very serious in its presentation of an analysis of the anthrax assaults of 2001 and the possibility of an even more dangerous attack using the smallpox virus. I recall it in the light of this article in today's Fox News. Bioweapons are far easier to build, according to the experts, than nuclear/radiation devices. The warning has been delivered to the new administration in very clear terms by an expert panel.

A more detailed examination can be found here, at the Washington Post.

UPDATE 12/3/08: More on the National Security Commission's report on CNS News today.