On 25/10/2007, at 8:28 PM, Richard Toohey wrote:
My analogies usually go to custard, but I'll try this one.
You are in charge of getting four ambassadors to a meeting. As
well as making sure they are happy and fed, you are in charge of
their security.
All four are hated in their home countries and you know their are
people wanting to kill them.
Some of your choices:
1. One car per ambassador. If one gets taken out, at least three
are still OK (guess you would still be out of a job, though - so
not a perfect analogy.) Obviously means four cars, four drivers,
so more expensive. And more things to juggle. And if you are very
unlucky, all four could still get taken out (but obviously means a
lot of bad guys being lucky.) It takes four attacks to wipe you out.
2. All four in one car. If any assassin tries to take out an
ambassador, chances are the rest are toast as well. But only one
car / one driver - so less expensive. It takes one attack to wipe
you out.
3. All four in one car - but you start to worry about the risk, so
you start adding stuff to the car. Bigger engine, stronger body,
try and partition off the passengers, give them body armour, have a
spare driver, get the driver to drive randomly - lot more
complexity and things to juggle. Unless you and the car builder
are very good (did you think of EVERYTHING? What exactly did the
car builder DO under the bonnet - do you know?) - one attack will
still wipe you out.
Which of these options is "most secure"? (Sending them with Arnie
in his Hummer isn't an option.)
Now I'll send this and then think of how the analogy falls
apart ... 8-)
(Oops, sorry about not removing the irrelevant stuff from that post.)
And - just to extend the analogy further - the risks may not be
malicious. So if any of the above scenarios the risks would also be
accidental - car crashes, driver has heart attack, plane falls from
sky, etc. Something outside your control. Obviously for number 1 -
one accident does not wipe you out.
And one other extension - number 3 - the beefed up car - perhaps one
of the modifications goes wrong (so again, not a malicious attack) -
the engine overheats because of the extra weight, catches fire, and
your other mods mean that they're all locked in. The glue from the
partitions is toxic and they are overcome by fumes. Whatever. One
accident wipes you out completely.
Enough!
