92. Fault and responsibility as factors
in the prevention of risks
It is possible to over-focus on the
attribution of guilt in a catastrophe, thereby under-focusing on the systemic
and accidental factors that led to the disaster or potential disaster at hand.
Furthermore, when it comes to global catastrophes, there may be no time to
punish the guilty, so their guilt is not as relevant as it would otherwise be.
Still, this doesn't mean that it isn't worthwhile to select competent, loyal,
and predictable personnel to manage dangerous systems, just that a
military-style focus on guilt and responsibility may not be as relevant to
global risks as we are prone to thinking.