I'm hopelessly behind the times, I suppose, and an ill-behaved blogger. Were I more current, I'd be crafting an insightful and hilarious post about Arnold Swartzenegger's entry into the California gubernatorial race. Perhaps something conceptual. Maybe coverage for Twins 2 starring Arnold and Gary Coleman. Something worthy of Mark Russell. Or the Capitol Steps, at least.

Instead, I'm thinking about this. Truthfully, I didn't even read the whole article, and the commercialization of a terrorism futures market seems no less or more tasteful than a death pool. What's been bugging me is the unanimity with which America has dismissed the idea.

Any idiot should be able to understand that The Pentagon was on the verge of accomplishing something it rarely does -- achieving goals in a simple and inexpensive way. Futures markets are used because they instantaneously reflect trends in thinking across a large group of people -- in this case, terrorism experts. They're also used because of the low barrier of entry for participants. Weak spots could be identified quickly. Changes to security policy and shifts in focus would result in changes in the market, pushing up futures in areas that need additional attention. It's a quick way to have countless eyes on a set of problems. No one opinion can drown out another. It's a good fucking idea.

But we're too sensitive, as though not talking about pox patient zero chilling out at Cinnabon in O'Hare will prevent it from happening.

Analogcabin @ 3:05 PM
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