Economic Historians call this contingency - we can't plan nor forsee the random path of events, the 'black swans' that change everything. Who would have foreseen that banning shallow drilling for environmental reasons would lead to a much greater and less manageable disaster? Frederic Bastiat (rapidly becoming my favorite economist after La Hayek) described it as "Things seen and things unseen".
Among the cognoscenti it's known as Sh** Happens. But the government lawyers that 'lead' us always design 'word systems' that assume that it doesn't (for a classic example check out our rockin' healthcare reform). Dr. Evil said it best:
Dr. Evil: Begin the unnecessarily slow-moving dipping mechanism.[Guard starts dipping mechanism]Dr. Evil: Close the tank!Scott: Wait, aren't you even gonna watch them? They could get away.Dr. Evil: No-no-no, I'm going to leave them alone and not actually witness them dying, I'm just gonna assume it all went to plan. What?
Scott: I have a gun in my room. You give me 5 seconds, I'll get it. I'll come back down here, BOOM! I'll blow their brains out!Dr. Evil: Scott, you just don't get it, do ya? You don't.Scott: It's no hassle--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: But--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: I'm--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: All I'm say--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: They're gonna get a--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: I'm--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: I'm just--Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: Would--Dr. Evil: Knock-knock.Scott: Who's there?Dr. Evil: Shh!Scott: But--Dr. Evil: Let me tell you a little story about a man named SHH! SHH! Even before you start, that was a pre-emptive "shh!" Just know that I have a whole bag of "shh!" with your name on it.
We are now in the Shh! phase.
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