Robert Samuelson’s latest on Social Security has been ably taken down by Mark Thoma and Max Sawicky. But this line from “no relation to Paul” has me wondering who his insurance agent is:

In normal usage, insurance suggests protection against something you don't expect to happen

I expect to get sick on occasion and I do not expect to meet the cohorts of Osama bin Laden, so I purchase health insurance but not Al Qaeda insurance. Does Mr. Samuelson have a different philosophy on what to insure?