Failures of Imagination: The Deadliest Threats to Our Homeland--and How to Thwart Them

by Michael McCaul

From the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, a gripping look at the most dangerous and unexpected threats to our national security—and the actions needed to protect us. America’s inability to foresee the September 11, 2001 attacks was deemed a collective “failure of imagination.”  Our political leaders and intelligence professionals failed to anticipate the wide-ranging and unorthodox threats to the nation’s security. Nearly a decade and a half later, imaginations in Washington D.C. are still failing. Despite assurances from our leaders that America is safer today than it was before 9/11, the truth is, we are still vulnerable.Congressman Michael McCaul has spent years in Washington watching the Obama administration ignore or dangerously underestimate the most pressing threats to the country. Now in Failures of The Deadliest Threats to Our Homeland—and How to Thwart Them, the sitting chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, who receives daily intelligence about threats materializing against America, depicts in real time the hazards that are closer than we realize.  From cyber-warriors who can cripple the Eastern seaboard to radicalized Americans in league with Islamic jihadists to invisible biological warfare, many of the most pressing dangers are the ones we've heard about the least—and are doing the least about. In this compelling and action-packed narrative, McCaul outlines realistic scenarios that could inflict more damage on the nation than any attack we’ve yet faced.  He then explains how our vulnerabilities were created, why our enemies are actively contemplating them, and what we can do to solve them before it’s too late. Failures of Imagination offers a call to action for Americans to address these very real and present dangers, and the need for the White House—whoever its occupant will be—to combat them with the seriousness and urgency they require.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2016

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason I can't resist these type books. I know they are going to end up scaring me. I know that they are usually going to tick me off. I still read them. I think people need to be educated, even those these books do seem to be a guideline of how to wipe the US off the map.


This one is written by a Texan Republican who is a US representative, he also happens have served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. I expected great things from this book since he has those credentials. I didn't really get them.
I did like some of this book as McCaul writes very well. He starts each scenario with a fictionalized story of the disaster in the making. These read like a terrorism thriller and I couldn't read them fast enough, then he has the briefing for the disaster to the White House. These read kinda dry but I don't work in the White House so what do I know? Then he explores if the scenario could happen and what we can do to prevent it.

That was a fail. There just wasn't enough information for me as a reader to see any outlook other than the whole "we are screwed" thing.

Now the politics. I can see the wisdom of a Republican releasing this book in a big election year. He does employ some scare tactics on which presidential campaigns we should be rooting for and points out some of the failings of the current one under President Obama. But the thing is? I'm totally middle of the road on that stuff. I see points on both sides but then I try and figure out which side is going to screw me the least. Hopefully.


No switching of the political fence for this reader happened. I already hated a couple of them before I read it. So boo-yah.

So over-all I think that this book does serve a purpose, and it's a important one even if you aren't in the USA. Go out and educate yourself. I wish someone who was totally impartial on politics would have written this one though...and would have given a bit more of how to stop the crap from hitting the fan.

Booksource: Blogging for books in exchange for review

None of my friends have reviewed this book yet. They probably want to sleep at night, so I'm going with a review that loved the book. located here.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a few reasons I didn’t particularly like Congressman Michael McCaul’s book “Failure of Imagination”. First, if you’re going to list a number of problems, I’d like to also see a list of viable solutions. Without that, you’re just complaining, but not being very helpful. Also, I generally don’t like books which describe creative ways to commit acts of terror, which I look at as a “how to” books for terrorists. And while the Congressman made the point that he wasn’t giving away any secrets, and that unfriendly nations and the major terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda, ISIS, Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, etc., already have this information, it’s also true that the number of “lone wolf” terror incidents is rising, and many of those disgruntled individuals don’t have the support and direction from those major terror organizations, and may not be very sophisticated in their planning. So a book which describe weaknesses in our defenses, and creative ways to create havoc and destruction, such as this one, just might give them many fresh ideas to consider.

Generally, “Failure of Imagination” looks at a number of real or imagined terror threats against our Country. Some of the threats are written as fictionalized stories of the future describing how an attack against our Country could be made. While the fictionalized stories are interesting in the way a Tom Clancy novel might be, but in this case, there's no super-hero coming to the rescue to thwart the plans.

Other threats which are not fictionalized lay out the problems, but practical solutions are missing. Maybe there just aren’t any good answers as of yet, and maybe that’s the point. But as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I would have expected that he would have identified his specific ideas for improvements. Instead, he seems mostly to offer simple generalities. For example, when discussing the threats from ISIS, he notes that the Obama Administration isn't doing enough. He states that we need to hit their finances by stopping their sales of oil, and by preventing them from kidnapping people for ransom. OK, good ideas, and I’ve read that we are hitting their oil refineries and oil infrastructure. But I’m not quite sure how we can tell a criminal organization that it’s not nice to kidnap others and hold them for ransom, or to or to ensure that other criminal enterprises stop buying oil from them at deeply discounted prices. So to simply state the obvious, and to state steps which are already being taken to the extent possible, didn't seem helpful. I'd be curious to see exactly what the Congressman has in mind to stop the sale of oil by ISIS and to make ISIS stop kidnapping individuals for ransom.

He also notes that Obama has basically done nothing to secure our southern (Mexican) border. He writes that we need to do more - things like more fencing and video surveillance. But from information I’ve seen, the size of the undocumented population from across the border has stopped growing for the first time in decades. Perhaps this was due to the economic downturn of 2008, or perhaps it was because since that time, there are 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents along the Southwest Border. Also, our border fencing, unmanned aircraft surveillance systems, and ground surveillance systems have more than doubled since 2008. So if the Congressman feels that the Obama Administration has basically done nothing to secure our southern border, and that the additional boots on the ground, new technology, and the resources provided in the last six years aren’t enough, or aren’t working, what additional steps should be taken? Is he suggesting the Donald Trump wall, which Mexico will pay for (?) is the solution? He doesn’t really say.

In pointing out weakness in so many areas, such as cyber-security, our Visa program, the Department of Homeland Security, etc., as a Congressman and Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, aren't those things he should be working toward improving? Enacting new laws and preparing spending bills are Congressional duties. I think he may be taking steps to work on these self-identified weaknesses, but he didn't provide specific details about his ideas. Perhaps he felt describing House Resolutions he was sponsoring would make the narrative too technical. But to me, simply blaming Obama for everything, and then not offering specific solutions, was a weakness in the book. It made the book more of a partisan rant than a helpful overview of the problem(s) and solution(s), unless his point was the need to elect Republicans to state and federal offices.

Another aspect of the book which seemed more political oriented than practical, besides making me feel I should fear Obama’s weaknesses as much as terrorist’s strengths, was McCaul’s diversion into the 1996 presidential election. From a look at terrorist threats today, and to jump back five election cycles seemed somewhat strange. But his point was that there was a threat of foreign (Chinese) contributions to the Clinton campaign which could possibly have influenced political considerations for the winning candidate. I thought at first this might lead to a complaint against the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court which has the effect of allowing huge donations from unnamed sources, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, I had the feeling that bringing this item from the past into today’s discussion of terrorism threats was intended to remind us that we shouldn’t trust those Clintons, especially the one running for President in 2016.

So the book left me a little disappointed, more political than practical. Unless perhaps that the true purpose of the Congressman's book is to remind us all of the many and varied threats against our Country, and with that in mind, to encourage us all to be supportive of government steps to protect us. So instead of joining a protest against the government for asking Apple to help analyze the iPhone records of the San Bernadino shooters, or supporting individuals who, under the banner of "freedom on information", divulge secret surveillance techniques the government uses to monitor terrorist activities, we all should consider the greater threat and act accordingly.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this tour-de-force of potentialities, the author takes us through several scenarios where US interests are threatened. We learn of a bio-terror attack at Disney World, a dirty bomb in Houston, and an attempt by the Chinese to influence a US presidential election, among several other scenarios. The author details the plots and follows up each case with explanations as to how likely the scenarios are to actually happening,as well as what the powers-that-be can do to stop them. I thought it especially admirable that the author is donating the proceeds from the sale of the book to charitable organizations focused on military veterans.

[Janice Bojan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't learn very much that I hadn't already read somewhere else. The book was a failure of imagination too, I read thrillers, there are a lot more imaginative ways for terrorists to attack than what's in this book. I hope the folks at DHS read thrillers.

[Jim Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCaul is likely right. Many of these tactics are some of our more feared scenarios in the national security community. Hopefully decisionmakers are reading this book and agreeing as well. We need to be preparing for the next attack, not figuring out how to stop the last one that already happened. Unfortunately we are very slow to adapt. Kudos to him on working to get ahead of the curve.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fair notice, I won this book through a prepper website, presumably through the author's publicist.

Let's take the easy insult and get it out of the way: Failures of Imagination was a failure of imagination. Alright, not fair and not altogether true. Yes, the scenarios presented have been covered before. But for the type of scenario-plus-discussion this book format presents, it was kind of necessary. It allowed Mr. McCaul to present previous situations that prove these scenarios possible. And while it might have been more interesting to see what kind of psychotic threats McCaul could have come up with, it might not have been as practical.

The fiction narrative beginning each chapter was actually pretty well written and several of them could have worked well as full novels. The analysis afterwards was fairly good, as should be given McCaul's past in the Justice Department and his current time in the House Committee on Homeland Security. I only wish the partisan bias wasn't so obvious. As I noted in my reading progress, he appeared to be cautioning me against voting for Barack Obama for a third term. It made it hard to read sometimes, pushing through the political bent.

Also, the terrorist presented were always Islamic. I would have liked to see a scenario with a far-right group along the lines of Neo-Nazis or the Klan. Or like those standoffs on public land in Oregon and how bad that could get. Heck, let's talk about Ted Kazynski.

I was very disappointed that McCaul did not mention the threat posed by an EMP. An electromagnetic pulse, whether from a high altitude nuclear blast or even from a bad solar flare, is a huge threat that should have had it's own chapter. At the very least it should have been brought up in the chapter on cybersecurity. Alas.

So, as a book to raise awareness on threats to America that won't put someone to sleep, this book succeeds. Just don't expect it to cover everything or even to be very surprised by the scenarios presented. It is nice that McCaul's profits all get donated to military veteran charities.

[Brendan Steinhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Failures of Imagination" is an important book for all Americans to read. U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul wrote this book in order to remind us of the terrorist threats we face, and to urge us to be vigilant and better prepared. This book is a must read for the intelligence community, national security professionals, first responders, Capitol Hill staffers, and other patriotic Americans who work to keep our country safe.

It is also a must-read for presidential candidates, who are vying to be the next commander in chief. The scenarios outlined in this book are plausible, frightening, and preventable - if we take the necessary steps to take these threats more seriously, and to combat them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the threats our country faces, and how to thwart them. As the 911 Commission noted, the government's failure to prevent the 911 attacks was in part a "failure of imagination" - in other words a failure to imagine scenarios that terrorists might have been plotting. This book is an attempt to get our government and its leaders to think imaginatively and creatively so that we can predict and prevent the next 911 from happening on American soil.

[Christopher Tippins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sobering book details 8 possible scenarios of attacks on the US, the most terrifying of which is a smallpox attack by Islamic fundamentalists that begins in Disney (google "Operation Dark Winter" for this already gamed out scenario and its horrific ramifications).

While our government assures us we are dealing with a "jv" team, our enemies make plans to decapitate the US and this book describes how they could go about it.

The 9/11 commission called the attacks of that day “a failure of imagination”.

This book, written by U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, picks up where the commission left off revealing just how vulnerable we are to a myriad of threats, including bioterrorism, nuclear attack, cyber warfare and threats to our NATA alliances among others.

These types of attacks are not only plausible, they are probable and the foundations for the scenarios in this book all have basis in fact, detailed in the book as well as steps we can take to mitigate them.

More on “Operation Dark Winter” here:
http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/our...

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the chapters would make a good book or movie.

[Caroline Burks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book with "worst case scenarios" painted by a man who has clearly thought them all through. Startling close to possible, the book outlines just how vulnerable America is in every sector of national security. A great book to get you thinking about homeland security that is mostly devoid of politics. However, McCaul's criticism of the political system appears sometimes and largely depletes the books credibility in my eyes.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking and a little scary. Would have been more effective if the author hadn't constantly tied everything back to a Deomcratic failure. By not criticizing Republicans it comes across as politically motivated rather than tje author's claim of a wide ranging call to arms.

[Tim Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about terrorism scenarios from a former Congressman who worked with the committee on Homeland Security. Most of these scenarios are entirely possible of happening in the future and he tells of ways to prevent them from happening. A great read.

[Seth Rutter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the approach and subject matter would be a great read, even if it is just one opinion voiced by one person. It began great but quickly became strongly partisan, which became a constant distraction from the analyses.

[Michael P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out. The attack scenarios are well-written and compelling, but the partisan commentary that follows them is off putting and rather poorly thought out.

[Taylor Ernst · Rating 1 out of 5]

What’s your stance on insider trading?

[Katie Lundstrom · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s a tendency for any professional to get consumed by their work, and to see the solution to every problem through the lens of their own field. But there are many different fields and political positions and departments and committees and branches of government for a reason – different situations require different solutions. While it is important to be aware of the threats that the nation faces, it is unwise to see every foreign policy interaction through the lens of defense and counter-terrorism. It is a recipe for creating enemies where conflict can be avoided.

Chairman McCaul’s book, Failures of Imagination, pairs fictional accounts of attacks on the US with a breakdown of the real threats facing the nation followed by policy recommendations. Through eight different cases, McCaul covers the possibilities of a variety of national security threats: terrorist attacks by Al Qaida, ISIS, and its affiliates on the Capitol and other populated areas, cyberattacks by North Korea involving high level hacking financed by China, foreign interference in elections through illegal campaign financing, and Russian expansion.

The main threats that the Chairman outlines are issues that we have discussed at length in class, especially those that pertain to China’s rise or Russian military power. His strategies for responding to these threats, however, are limited in scope. Nearly every chapter calls for increased military funding, presence, and intervention, on every front. This leaves no room for the possibility of cooperation through socialization tactics or international institutions to address problems of discord between nations. Rather, every threat is assumed to be of the worst intentions and the only hope for peace is mentioned in the afterword – that through the prescriptions of military force and strong-arm diplomacy the US can “find a way to live in a world where future generations don’t have to imagine the worst-case scenarios” (253). McCaul focuses on uses of historical narrative that imply consistent and constant failure on the part of US national security organizations and neglect to incorporate any significant political historical analysis to provide further insight into the roots of conflict or anti-American sentiment in places like Iraq or Iran.

This book was profoundly frustrating to read, from the consistent jabs at the current administration’s policies (at times completely irrelevant to the narrative) to the fear-mongering goal of its publication. It is very much a child of the current congressional gridlock and the consistently one-sided rhetoric caters exclusively to voters and policymakers within the Chairman’s own party. I am sure that my conservative friends will love it, but my fear as that some will feel more justified in regarding immigrants and Muslim Americans with even more fear and prejudice. McCaul writes that we must “organize and enhance our fight against violent extremism in the United States” and “empower local communities to counter violent extremism” on page 213, but does not explain how the government would pursue these goals despite calling it a “basic concept.” By avoiding defining what homegrown extremism prevention would entail, McCaul leaves the door open for some of the more draconian measures that his party’s presidential candidates have discussed. Instead, I would have liked to see him point to projects like Average Mohamed, which was created in Minneapolis (http://averagemohamed.com/ (Links to an external site.)).

[Randy Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fiction book is written by the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Michael McCaul. It is divided into eight section each dealing with a particular type of terrorist attack. It shows in fiction form how the attacks could be carried out then explains by telling of real similar attacks what action could have stopped them. It also shows that when terrorist attacks do not succeed they try again for the same target. The author clearly believes not enough is being done to keep us safe. Fans of the current administration will not like what this book reveals but everyone else should love it. I give it five stars.

[Lowell Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book that will provoke you to think about the safety of our country and the world. There are eight scenarios described that could actually happen and cause a catastrophe. McCaul is a member of the US House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Obviously he is well informed on the subject of intelligence. I have had the opportunity to hear him speak of our security and he brings an up close and personal feel to our risks. I suggest this book. It may open our eyes.

[Robert Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

++I would rate this book higher as I feel that the message of be aware, informed, and capable is very much needed, but the partisan effort to continually knock the entire Obama administration and the kill 'em all attitude have a tendency to turn me off. (By the way, I am not a fan of Obama). The 8 fictional scenarios described in the book are indeed plausible, and most of the suggested remedies seem to be possible. If you are complacent about the state of the world in which we live, I would urge you to read this book. If you are already paranoid, perhaps not.++

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have liked this book, but it was just fairly boring and uninspired.

The premise is fine, fictional scenarios that our nation faces and how they could be prevented. Problem is that the solutions proposed by the author are very vague. Things like we need to secure or borders, with no real suggestions on how to do that. Not that it's a big deal, but the book is also a little more partisan than I was anticipating.

[Roger Feenstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

While written well, this is a depressing book. It shows how easily a terror attack of any kind can happen. Each chapter is taken from real life scenarios or threats, but I felt like it would be a good training manual for someone who needs ideas on how to kill a mass of people. It's a sad and dangerous world.

[Nancy Newcomer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are 10 chilling scenarios of terrorist attacks on the U.S. presented as homeland security briefs. Not great writing but the information is very interesting. One of these scenarios is similar to a novel I am working on. All are written with the latest facts about government capabilities and responses. Hope this remains only fodder for fiction and not actual events in our future.

[Ryan Hillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great post 9/11 thriller!!

[Charlie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping scenarios on potential terrorism plots against the US. An important read for every American.