The Apocalyptic Scenario People Aren’t Thinking About

Some catastrophes are visible in advance. There are increasing numbers of signs that they might happen. Steps are taken to try to avoid them. Others come as a total surprise. No one was thinking about the possibility of that particular catastrophe happening and suddenly it does, and it is utterly devastating, and the survivors see that there was a chance that it would happen and everyone should have been thinking about how to reduce the risk. That’s why I’m a supporter of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. I get emails from them from time to time, reminding me of the apocalyptic-level peril we’re in. The email I got yesterday quoted an expert and former national security advisor who warns that it’s not enough for leaders to say “nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought . . . Without concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and reduce reliance on nuclear weapons, the United States could end up in a nuclear war it says must not be fought.”

I fear that the Biden Administration is so beleaguered, so preoccupied in trying to address so many problems on so many fronts, that it is failing to address this very grave concern.