"You don't ever want a crisis to go to waste; it's an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid. In 1974 and 1978 we never dealt with it, and our dependence on foreign oil never changed."
A crisis is a terrible thing to waste
According to Thomas Friedman, this phrase was coined by economist Paul Romer. It echoes the slogan of the United Negro College Fund: A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
There have been lots of people using this phrase in the last few weeks, plus some earlier uses. Here is a small selection.
- Thomas Friedman (New York Times, 18 April 2004)
- Eliot Spitzer (January 2005)
- Arthur Affleck (February 2006)
- Geoff Davis (April 2007)
- John Lee (July 2008)
- Hazel Henderson (September 2008 - good article this one)
- TwinCities (October 2008, article deleted but the comments still there)
- Tim Dollmeyer (October 2008)
- Richard Heinberg (October 2008) via Matt Holbert
- Max McKeown (October 2008)
"A crisis is too precious an event to waste."
A cliché is a terrible thing to waste.
Related posts: Don't waste a miracle (October 2010), The Value of Chaos (December 2021)
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