And what was worst they were unable to prevent.
Montagu Norman was one of the people who foresaw disaster but were unable to prevent it.
Thus weakened, the Argentines were unable to prevent the British from making an amphibious landing on the islands.
Although security forces eventually regained control, they were unable to prevent the closure of the tunnel in Coquelles.
With family control past, he and Dominic were unable to prevent the controversial takeover of Cadbury by the American food group Kraft in 2010.
A lawyer for Mr. Arar, Maria LaHood, said the ruling set "a frightening precedent" by suggesting that the courts were unable to prevent torture.
In the end they were unable to prevent Mr Calderón slipping in through a back door behind the two great Mexican flags that hang behind the podium.
Eggs, sticks and bottles were thrown at a thin line of police blocking the entrance, and officers were unable to prevent repeated crowd surges.
After getting the crew to a safe place, the men were unable to prevent the pirates from boarding and jumped overboard under fire, the statement said.
Security guards not only were unable to prevent the drug use, the security director said, but showed up to work smelling of alcohol themselves at times.
Roubini and Rajan, awed by the size of the crisis they were unable to prevent, are now sombre models of contained ego and radiant pride.
