it's fall of 2002. all the news is about terrorism, al qaeda, saddam, iraq, etc. that's it, that's what's happening.
if you'd said the true threat was a real estate bubble whose collapse would lead to so many suicides life expectancy would drop, you'd have been a crazy person.

but it would have been true. americans were afraid of muslims, so very very afraid of muslims, but the derivatives market and synthetic opioids were the actual threats to society, to public health and safety, to freedom even.

it's almost impossible to see that far out with clarity. but it's COMPLETELY impossible to do so if you remain trapped in the analytical framework that media and government is tirelessly trying to impress upon you.

threats that make headlines, you're deliberately conditioned to see them out of proportion, social rewards and punishments disincentivize any attempts to see clearly, and people love punishing one another, so we maintain discipline ourselves. they make the rules, we police them.

bush, cheney, rice, powell, all wanted you to think saddam was about to nuke new york. they SAID that was the biggest threat in the world.
but wmd's were already in the city: bear stearns, lehman brothers, moody's.
risk assessment is not easy, especially when they fuck with you.