Book Talk: How the U.S. Government Plans to Save Itself While the Rest of Us Die

On this week’s first episode of The E.R., Sharon Weinberger, Elias Groll, and Ryan Gallagher are joined by Garrett Graff to discuss his latest book, Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die, which was released last month. For over sixty years, the U.S. government has operated a “continuity of government” contingency plan in the case of a nuclear attack, or some other crippling event. First created during the Cold War, these secret programs are meant to protect the highest-ranking officials in government. The plans include extensive evacuation procedures, bunkers made to withstand a nuclear blast, and post-Apocalyptic instructions for the continuation of the republic.

Most of these measures were put into place during the epochal contest with the Soviet Union, but with a rising threat of nuclear terrorism, biological weapons, and the ramp-up of tensions with North Korea, there are still plans and structures in place to protect all three branches of government. Graff gives listeners a riveting history lesson on these top-secret programs, and an inside look into how the U.S. government plans to save your elected and appointed officials … while we all burn to a crisp.

Garrett Graff is a journalist and author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die, which was released in May 2017. Follow him on Twitter: @vermontgmg.

Ryan Gallagher is a U.K.-based investigative journalist for The Intercept, where he focuses on government surveillance, technology, and civil liberties. Follow him on Twitter: @rj_gallagher.

Elias Groll is a staff writer at FP, covering cyberspace, the FBI, and the Justice Department. Follow him on Twitter: @EliasGroll.

Sharon Weinberger is FP’s executive editor for news. She is the author of The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency That Changed the World. Follow her on Twitter: @weinbergersa.

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