Amid talk of escalation, one should contemplate the possibility of disaster, even if (you think) it’s unlikely.

John Leake Sep 15, 2024 READ

Shortly after 9/11, I heard numerous politicians saying things like, “We never imagined that our enemies would use passenger planes like missiles to attack our buildings.” After the great financial crisis of 2008, I heard politicians saying they didn’t see it coming—that somehow our risk models didn’t apply. In short, captured politicians often don’t see (or acknowledge) that a disaster is coming until it’s too late, and then they act surprised by it.

Amid talk of escalation—of supplying sophisticated long range missiles to Ukraine with which to attack Russia—prudent people should start asking themselves, “Am I ready to die for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and am I ready for my children to die for it?”