How We Value Life: The 9/11 Victim Fund (with Ken Feinberg)
Summary
Preet Bharara interviews Ken Feinberg, the former special master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, to discuss his new book and the challenges of valuing human life. Feinberg contrasts the national unity and bipartisan cooperation following 9/11 with today’s political divisiveness, expressing skepticism that the U.S. could respond to a similar catastrophe with the same effectiveness. He reflects on the emotional toll of administering compensation funds, arguing that mercy, rather than strict justice or fairness, should guide such efforts.
Topics discussed
Intro and sponsor messages
Introduction of Ken Feinberg and 25 years since 9/11
National unity in 2001 vs. today's divisiveness
How the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund worked
Bush administration's inclusive policies for victims
Comparing 9/11, Deepwater Horizon, and COVID responses
Why unity is harder to achieve in modern crises
Private charity vs. government compensation funds
Logistics and ethics of administering the fund
Sponsors and the emotional impact on victims
Personal stories from 9/11 hearings and trauma
The moral weight of sentencing and compensation
Horizontal inequity: Firefighters vs. Hedge Funders
Misfortune, justice, and the concept of mercy
Sponsors and return to interview
Will future disasters unite or divide America?
Ken Feinberg's career path and the role of luck
Advice for aspiring public servants and closing thoughts
Outro, credits, and final sponsor messages
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