My mother always emphasized the virtues of “being prepared” over “crisis management.” Of course a combination of the two is probably the reality of any situation. But definitely a Stitch in Time Saves Nine. But for some reason, the prepared people do not get the rewards or applause that the clean up crew does. And in the political realm or even business, the budget busters who manage crisis (not prevention) tend to get another boost to their coffers. “People like to see the hustle,” a friend told me when she talked about Hollywood. Perhaps our society has overindulged in disaster movies. Heroes swoop down to save the day. They don’t save for the day.

This Fast Draw cartoon sheds light on this. CBS News features these “Freakanomics” type animations by Mitch Butler and John Landis.