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And the ideal number of suicides is 0, and the ideal amount of spyware is 0, etc. All of these are targets, but an ideal doesn't give you further information on how to prioritize

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No country has managed to bring the total number of suicides to 0. Which tells you that it’s a harder problem.

But again, practically every country has managed to being the total number of school shootings to 0. Which tells you that it’s not a particularly hard problem.

Many other countries have succeeded at bringing school shootings to zero, providing the fundamental feasibility in principle. That makes the difference.

The difference in America is that Americans really don't want to. By the time Sandy Hook happened, Americans had already long decided as a culture that they were willing to trade the lives of their children to protect their sacred right to keep and bear arms. Hell, many are happy to, as long as the kids aren't theirs.

Sort of. Sandy Hook meaningfully changed polling. Americans broadly support the idea someone should do something. Of course, they get colder feet when it gets more specific.

Regardless, this makes it very different from a 0 suicide or 0 spyware goal. Those don't have a similarly reasonable theoretical solution.

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