Afghanistan’s Opium Is The Problem (And Solution)
Lots of talk about the future of Afghanistan COIN. Not sure why the focus seems to be on alliance non-efforts. Unless, of course, that focus marks a lack of American assets available rather than an exercise in multilateralism.
If you are not zooming in on the “black” international connectivity of the burgeoning opium market, you are wasting your time. Opium is the fastest growing sector of the Afghani economy; one that can be hijacked and and ridden to success. Solve that, then apply standard COIN doctrine and drain the swamp.
How To Think
MIT’s Ed Boyden has a good cheat-sheet on how to think:
- Synthesize new ideas constantly.
- Learn how to rapidly learn.
- Work backward from your goal.
- Always have a long-term plan.
- Make contingency maps.
- Collaborate.
- Make your mistakes quickly.
- Write up best-practice protocols.
- Document everything obsessively.
- Keep it simple.
Some of this stuff should be kept implicit, including his particular conversations-notes strategy, but its an excellent rundown. Sometimes I think he class he wants to teach should be the sole focus of of an undergraduate program.
Pervasive Internet – 1 Billion Tons of Emission
News.com on a report by American Consumer Institute:
- Telecommuting, a “zero emission” practice, eliminates office space and car commutes: 588 million tons.
- E-commerce cuts the need for warehouses and long-distance shipping: 206 million tons.
- Widespread teleconferencing could bring one-tenth of all flights to a halt: 200 million tons.
- Downloading music, movies, newspapers, and books saves packaging, paper, and shipping: 67 million tons.
The Option of Urbanism
I’m hearing good things Christopher Leinberger’s The Option of Urbanism: Investing in a New American Dream, in which he outlines the positive potential of embracing urbanism and building “walkable infrastructure” accordingly. More here.
French Book Market Spirals The Drain
The French force Amazon to charge for shipping to protect independent bookshops from the evils of competition. Lame.