I do agree with Mr. Rush in the sense that "we" have become excessively safety obsessed.
Beyond that, however, it's pretty clear to me that not only did Mr. Rush not know what he was doing as regards submarine design, construction, and legitimate safety issues ... he didn't have the common sense to hire people who were experts on those topics. Quite the opposite, in fact. He REFUSED to hire the very people who are experts. The whole enterprise was a disaster from the start.
"What could possibly go wrong?" is often asked in a snarky, snotty, and ignorant way in the popular culture. We see it on this forum entirely too often.
It is also a legitimate question, one which Mr. Rush should have had actual subject matter experts asking AND ANSWERING from the start of his program. He spectacularly failed to do this.