The Gist Fact-Checking the Maduro Raid—and the Art of Fucking Around
22 snips
Jan 10, 2026 
Ben Ansell, a Professor at Oxford, joins to explore the intriguing concept of 'FADFO'—the idea of 'fucking around and not finding out.' He explains how modern political systems allow for reckless actions without immediate consequences, illustrated by Brexit's mixed results. The conversation dives into the impact of social media on public discourse and the importance of institutional guardrails. They also discuss how major political shifts, from defund-the-police movements to populism, may lead to future FADFO moments.
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Why 'Find Out' Often Fades
- FAFO (Fuck Around Find Out) often feels inevitable but rarely materializes immediately.
- Systems and markets adjust, allowing radical moves to appear less catastrophic than predicted.
Millennium Bug Near-Miss
- Ben Ansell recounts the millennium bug remediation as a near-miss averted by expert work.
- The fix made the problem invisible, which fed the illusion nothing needed to be done.
Guardrails Create Both Safety And Opportunity
- Stable societies build guardrails that absorb failures and prevent catastrophe.
- That resilience also invites actors who exploit tolerances knowing consequences are limited.
