Over random intervals, the folks at Hey Obama Change This will be giving our readers a taste of what they’ve been reading. (And we read a lot.)
First up: Alex Abella’s history of the Rand corporation, titled Soldiers of Reason: The RAND Corporation and the Rise of the American Empire.
It’s not wonderfully engaging, but the subject matter is interesting enough to warrant a read. Sadly, the most interesting part of the book is the very last pages, when Abella tells us what he really thinks of RAND and numbers-based systems analysis. His views pretty much squared with my own, but throughout the whole book he presents the history of RAND much like the corporation itself: amorally. He presents a strong narrative of the think tank, but often fails to take it to task for its numerous failings.
What it means for Obama: Stay away from RAND people. If you want to know foreign policy, talk to people who know history, sociology, and psychology. Foreign affairs and diplomacy is not science, but rather a high art.
