Thread by @Shoq

Ok, I need your advice, Twitter. This isn't going to be a very typical Twitter thread. But I've always sucked at being typical. so here goes:

I had a chat with a counter-terrorism expert yesterday, I convinced him of my idea in which even a fairly incompetent … 1/15

terrorist/activist could crash our economy in less than 2 weeks (without hurting anyone) if demands—such as Congress enacting certain reforms—were not met.

He said "You're right. And only a snitch could ever stop it." I didn't share a precise implementation of … 2/15

the idea because it's not necessary. Once you get the central premise, several versions would work. He's going to bring it to his office, but said "I honestly don't know how we could ever plan for this. Far too many scenarios and variables. It's brilliant in a … 3/15

really terrible way."

He wasn't the only person I've shared it with. I've learned how to describe the logic without actually revealing the precise tactic. (An analogy here is that I can convince you of what a basic toxin will do to you and your life without … 4/15

telling you which poison, or which of a dozen plausible ways I could employ to get it into your body.)

I now wonder what to do with this idea. If I blog or novelize it to expose it, really bad actors could use it. If I don't, the good actors could never use it. … 5/15

And I have a hunch that the only way we will ever restore normalcy to this planet run amok with wealth and privilege is with some kind of asymmetrical warfare tactic like it. Without some kind of leverage, we have no way to stop this steady march toward dystopia. … 6/15

Voting just isn't going to upset the apple cart of all these insanely rich global elites now running everything. Not in our lifetime, anyway. 1000 @anandwrites could shriek about their selfishness, and it's not going to make a lick of difference unless we ever find … 7/15

@AnandWrites some kind of leverage to use against them.

It's a serious moral conundrum for me. At first, the basic idea was just interesting. It grew out of a more benign idea that a few friends felt would fail for a few reasons. I think they're wrong about that, but it still … 8/15

@AnandWrites pushed me to plug the holes they felt they'd found. But that led to this latest iteration which actually scared me senseless for about a week. For 3 months, I've tried to find a fatal flaw. (And I am good at finding flaws in ideas). I just can't find one. It would … 9/15

@AnandWrites work. And the first time it was tried. That doesn't mean Congress would actually comply with the demands, but once they fully contemplated the consequences, I can't see them not. The alternative would be devastating and cost trillions of dollars in losses across a … 10/15

@AnandWrites broad swath of the global economy. But then, since it could always be done again, they might dig in and damn the consequences.

So what do I do?

A) Just sit on this idea forever? Keep it to myself and watch everything around us unravel while people hand wring us … 11/15

@AnandWrites all to death, pretending some future miracle or fanciful revolution will change our trajectory? Or,

B) open this Pandora's box and expose the idea to bad actors who might use it for a more typical terrorist objectives, but at the same time, possibly provide a way … 12/15

@AnandWrites out of this dysfunctional governmental free-fall threatening our country and planet.

I realize this isn't a very typical twitter thread, but what the hell? We all need a break from the 2020 sweepstakes, right?

Most of my followers know I am not prone to … 13/15

@AnandWrites delusion or fantasy solutions, and am pretty good with the details of how things work. This idea can and would work. But that doesn't mean it's an idea that should ever see the light of day. For discussions sake, forget about testing my assumptions. It's a waste of … 14/15

@AnandWrites time. I'd have to share details that I can't share to explain why you'd be wrong. So just assume my premises are correct and stick to the core question I am putting forth: Disclose or not disclose?

Your replies and thoughts welcomed. 15/15