when --nilChecks:On become a thing, dereferencing null pointers will be like Java, a NilError (NullPointerException in Java). This is why I said it's as safe mainstream languages that dont have AMM but languages like Rust are safer than those mainstream languages. any others to point out?
That is factually false.
"Perhaps it's not as safe as Rust"
And there even you have contradicted yourself.
"Perhaps it's not as safe as Rust but that brings specific trade offs most people dont wan't to deal with."
That much is true ... and can be said without telling falsehoods, like your first statement.
"I don't understand why people think that Nim is "terribly unsafe" when in reality it's like any other language"
You are confused by your own strawman.