“We never see the crises that the government averts, only the ones it fails to prevent. Preparing for them may seem wasteful—until suddenly, tragically, it doesn’t.” My latest, on how Musk is courting catastrophic risk: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc... - ThreadSky

brianklaas.bsky.social • 1 day ago

“We never see the crises that the government averts, only the ones it fails to prevent. Preparing for them may seem wasteful—until suddenly, tragically, it doesn’t.” My latest, on how Musk is courting catastrophic risk: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/doge-musk-catastrophic-risk/682011/

Comments

popsbury.bsky.social•1 day ago

Right. Games of chance (and even everyday life) teach us that outlier events happen more often than expected.

smerr.bsky.social•1 day ago

It’s hard to measure the impact of something that didn’t happen

robsterlobster1.bsky.social•1 day ago

Insurance companies attempt to model tail risk all the time, and where the tail risk is unable to be modeled, they set limits on their payouts to levels of tolerable financial pain. Real life policies and actions without managing downside risk is (monitoring for example) is rank incompetence

troutgirl.bsky.social•1 day ago

I know he can be a butt-kisser to the rich but Michael Lewis is actually pretty good on the unheralded -- and his best books, like _The Fifth Risk_, tend to be about ordinary people in the government managing risk.

gopickaflower.bsky.social•23 hours ago

❤️‍🩹 what a heartbreaking mess

fuckswasticars.bsky.social•19 hours ago

I want the government to leave me the fuck alone, that includes the current regime.

lisamikolajczyk.bsky.social•1 day ago

I said all along COVID19 pandemic could’ve been contained before it ever escaped China but Trump dismantled the pandemic prevention program in place.

robsterlobster1.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you for this timely and insightful article. What’s astonishing to me, is that an individual running large industrial companies doesn’t understand basic principles of risk management. I blew things up as a kid to see if I could put them back together. I was 8! And the pieces never fit again

camofarc.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thanks for this, Brian. Of course the right-wing media that control our country's minds will ensure no that sense of this reality sees light of day.

pcta1129.bsky.social•1 day ago

Excellent article. Examples of the penny wise, pound foolish school of government - refusing to fund preventive measures at a reasonable cost and leaving us open to catastrophes costing us 1000s of times more in money as well as devastation to people’s lives

bssnplyrmom.bsky.social•23 hours ago

For example, if we continue on the same path flu and Covid deaths will be much higher next winter.

fiverayrays.bsky.social•1 day ago

There will never be a good time for DOGE. This headline does not entice me.

bergerbeebs.bsky.social•1 day ago

Is it EVER a right time?

flynavy77.bsky.social•1 day ago

Cut NOAA, Cut FEMA, say HELLO to Hurricane Season 2025!

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