Policymakers are reportedly refraining from certain counterterror or preventive policing measures because of a political fear of being accused of racism; this self‑censorship converts a reputational risk into a public‑safety policy gap. The dynamic can make foreseeable threats harder to address and pushes debate from tactics to taboo management.
— If true, the phenomenon reframes modern public‑safety failure modes as driven by cultural signaling and reputational incentives, requiring procedural safeguards that allow evidence‑based prevention without instant politicization.
2026.01.06
100% relevant
Heather Mac Donald is quoted in the newsletter asserting that attacks were foreseeable and preventable but that fear of being called 'racist' will stymie government action; the piece uses recent attacks (Sydney, U.S. stabbings, synagogue attack) as the empirical hook.
← Back to All Ideas