KIRSTEN MORTENSEN: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy…on a societal scale? “I started asking this question because of something I’ve noticed when I watch ‘experts’ on television talk about disasters. Maybe you’ve noticed it, too. The ‘experts’ sometimes give off an odd vibe. They sometimes seem inappropriately ‘up’ and excited.”

Well, it’s normal to be excited when something you’ve studied comes to the forefront of issues and you get a lot of public attention. For bureaucrats, it’s also a chance to boost budgets. But that’s not inconsistent with the idea that these people are getting off on this in a selfish and shady way.