But on the top floor of the eight-story concrete fortress, city officials in Orange County's most labor-friendly city are doing the once unthinkable: demanding big benefit concessions from their employee unions.
On Sunday, Japan's prime minister, Naoto Kan, called China's latest demands "unthinkable," a sign of his sensitivity to criticism that Japan had shown timidity to Chinese bullying.
Franz B. Humer, above, Roche's chief executive, rejected the idea, telling the Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung in an interview that "agreeing to Ebner's demand is unthinkable" given Roche's present strategy of linking biotechnology research with the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses.
But now, all across these highlands once ravaged by a 36-year civil war, the region's bloodiest anti-Communist conflict, Guatemalans are demanding the unthinkable — a strong military, back in their communities.
Corruption in Houston's housing market is unthinkable; supply always keeps up with demand.
SUCH demands would have been unthinkable a generation ago, when most parishioners were, in a word, more parochial.
Yet even to agree to negotiations would be viewed as a sign of weakness - and to concede to Hong Kong's demand for truly free elections would be unthinkable.
It remains intense, making the idea of bowing to American demands to take on the Haqqanis almost unthinkable, Pakistani politicians, businessmen and analysts said.
Although it is not yet clear what the law requires of a "private" university, it is unthinkable that we should stop short at the bare minimum demanded of "public" universities by the courts.
In his opinion, they were quite incomprehensible in "their clemency and their generosity". It was unthinkable that Herr Hitler should have revealed, at the same time such modesty in his demands, and such generosity in his offers.
Recession means demand for their most urgently needed services is up, receipts are down, and sizable increases in council tax are unthinkable.
