The dream, a staple of some far-future science fiction, especially Arthur C. Clark’s opus, isn’t Looney Tunes at all. And it’s still alive. Short of any government allowing fission rockets blasting off the surface, the elevator may be the only efficient way to loft sufficient cargo and crews to build solar system spacecraft in low orbit. Let alone star ships. The ISEC’s next conference is in Seattle in August.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
Weird concept, but it might work. Imagine the “no fly” space around it – a terrorist’s dream.
There are some far-future novels with just that idea, terrorist crippling an elevator. But, by then there are scores of them. As in this one by Clarke: http://tinyurl.com/nrqqohd
A good case for international cooperation, if you ask me.