I think the distinction between programmatic error (solvable) and operational characteristic (mitigatable) is valid in theory, but I disagree that it matters in practice.

Proactive prevention (like bounds checking) only "solves" the class of problem if you assume 100% developer compliance. History shows we don't get that. So while the root cause differs (math vs. probabilistic model), the failure mode is identical: we are deploying systems where the default state is unsafe.

In that sense, it is an apples-to-apples comparison of risk. Relying on perfect discipline to secure C memory is functionally as dangerous as relying on prompt engineering to secure an LLM.