The Invisible Graveyard of Crime

> Critics of the FDA talk about the “invisible graveyard,” or the untold numbers who die due to the overregulation of medicine. The federal government tries to protect people from taking dangerous or unproven treatments, but if the system errs too much on the side of caution, people will die because they can’t get treatments that might otherwise save their lives. Ideally, you want a system that considers the tradeoffs between preventing harms through regulation and the need to let innovation go forward.

> I’ve recently realized that a similar metaphor can apply to crime. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has undertaken a gang crackdown that has been roundly denounced by the American press, even as articles grudgingly acknowledge its successes. Reuters informs us that dozens have died in the process.

> Bukele took office in 2019. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, the number of homicides dropped from 1,147 to 496. Of course, getting the murder rate down doesn’t simply save lives. Violent areas see less influxes of capital and lower levels of economic activity. According to one estimate, crime costs the US 12% of GDP annually.