I am beginning to understand why I have been mesmerized by the slow motion potential cataclysmic disaster that a failure of the Oroville Dam would be. It is a metaphor for the state of affairs in the USA.
Two sources of commentary about past incidents and current events at the dam.
http://www.chicoer.com/article/zz/20100223/NEWS/100227917
https://www.peakprosperity.com/podcast/107126/expert-what-need-know-about-oroville-dam-crisis