General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat's the bullshit about "can the Federal government do big things"?
What the fuck is wrong with these people.
Who built the railroads?
Who built the highways?
Who built the bridges?
Who built NASA?
Who put a man on the moon?
Who built the fucking internet?
Who set up the fucking National Park system?
Who set up Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security etc.
STFU scumbags and parasites. The majority of the people attacking the Federal government made their money using infrastructure provided by the Federal government.
Go Cheney yourselves!!
applegrove
(118,925 posts)the Republican guest on Crossfire last night talking about how the messed up roll out of Obamacare shows that Government can't do things properly. I wanted to reach in there and grab the guy by the scruff of the neck. This ACA roll out fiasco is the private contracters fault.
malaise
(269,328 posts)I'm pissed
Bunnahabhain
(857 posts)Well, private contractors, nearly indentured Chinese immigrants, and other unfortunates.
Government can and should do big things. Rarely can government do it without help. I look on government in this role as a convenor or facilitator.
malaise
(269,328 posts)when it has done things no one in the private sector could deliver.
Bunnahabhain
(857 posts)That's basically just not true; it was private contractors. Glad to see there's room in your thinking for help no matter what the form is.
Of course the government can deliver things the private sector cannot. Only the US government has the power of the US Treasury behind it. That helps to kick a lot of ass. There's a reason the US put a man on the moon first.
Progressive dog
(6,933 posts)It was built on government land, over a government route, with government subsidies.
From wikipedia
Bunnahabhain
(857 posts)But that's a completely different assertion than "built by the government" and also acknowledges that public/private cooperation can (quite literally) move mountains. And again, as it hits close to home, let's not forget the thousands of Chinese immigrants used to build the Western portions.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)they and their ilk unleashed on the world.
malaise
(269,328 posts)Meanwhile here's the 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure from the ASCE
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/bridges/overview
<snip>
Over two hundred million trips are taken daily across deficient bridges in the nations 102 largest metropolitan regions. In total, one in nine of the nations bridges are rated as structurally deficient, while the average age of the nations 607,380 bridges is currently 42 years. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that to eliminate the nations bridge deficient backlog by 2028, we would need to invest $20.5 billion annually, while only $12.8 billion is being spent currently. The challenge for federal, state, and local governments is to increase bridge investments by $8 billion annually to address the identified $76 billion in needs for deficient bridges across the United States.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)Response to malaise (Original post)
CJCRANE This message was self-deleted by its author.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)FarCenter
(19,429 posts)The government funded many of the first 6 on your list, but the implementation of all was done by private firms.