3 ms·

It would be possible in the U.S. because the U.S. does not think long term any more. Everything is short term, and a failure if not successful within a very ti

by heresy 17y ago

It would be possible in the U.S. because the U.S. does not think long term any more. Everything is short term, and a failure if not successful within a very tightly compressed timeframe. There is no vision or ambition in the U.S. any more when it comes to infrastructural projects like this.

olefoo 17y ago
And that is one of the most worrisome aspects of modern american political culture. What happened to the country that put a man on the moon, that built the interstate freeway system, that made universal telephone and electric service available from sea to sea? None of those projects could be done today, they require planning horizons of ten years or longer and even if the vision were there would become mired in petty politics and shortsighted penny-wise pound-foolishness. Done right infrastructure projects create far more economic value than they cost over their lifetime.
- fnid2 17y ago
  Those projects were all before the invasion of the Military Industrial Complex Eisenhower prophetically warned us about. Plus, stocks are traded by households now and are focused on quarterly earnings. Prior to the 50's that was only true just before the great depression and look where we are now...
CWuestefeld 17y ago
the U.S. does not think long term any more Can you give specific evidence of this? On the one hand there is evidence of bridge failures, for example. But that's probably a result of poor initial design (i.e., many years ago) or incorrect monitoring and testing, rather than a failure to think long term. On the other hand, I offer the insanely large (and continually growing) investment in education. That's a long-term view, although a poorly formed one.
- yardie 17y ago
  Bridges are designed with a lifetime. The wear and tear of weatherization, vibrations, and entropy. The vast majority have no initial design problems. Bridges get old and need to be replaced. A lot were built in the 50s along with the interstate system. Many are coming up to or are past their expiration date. And for a long time American corporations and people really didn't think in the longterm. Now that we've found out what the real cost of short term gains are there has been a resurgence in thinking local. For example, the locavore movement, popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles, and the healthcare debate can all be considered long term strategies.
  - CWuestefeld 17y ago
    I know this is the popular perception. I'm trying to challenge what appears to be an unsupported assumption. Can you provide specific examples where we know that short-term goals prevailed over those of the long term? In particular, it should address the difference between making mistakes in expectations that resulted in poor long-term performance, as opposed to explicitly choosing to optimize for the short term, or explicitly choosing to ignore the long-term.

by heresy 17y ago

olefoo 17y ago

And that is one of the most worrisome aspects of modern american political culture. What happened to the country that put a man on the moon, that built the interstate freeway system, that made universal telephone and electric service available from sea to sea? None of those projects could be done today, they require planning horizons of ten years or longer and even if the vision were there would become mired in petty politics and shortsighted penny-wise pound-foolishness. Done right infrastructure projects create far more economic value than they cost over their lifetime.

fnid2 17y ago
Those projects were all before the invasion of the Military Industrial Complex Eisenhower prophetically warned us about. Plus, stocks are traded by households now and are focused on quarterly earnings. Prior to the 50's that was only true just before the great depression and look where we are now...

CWuestefeld 17y ago

the U.S. does not think long term any more Can you give specific evidence of this? On the one hand there is evidence of bridge failures, for example. But that's probably a result of poor initial design (i.e., many years ago) or incorrect monitoring and testing, rather than a failure to think long term. On the other hand, I offer the insanely large (and continually growing) investment in education. That's a long-term view, although a poorly formed one.

yardie 17y ago
Bridges are designed with a lifetime. The wear and tear of weatherization, vibrations, and entropy. The vast majority have no initial design problems. Bridges get old and need to be replaced. A lot were built in the 50s along with the interstate system. Many are coming up to or are past their expiration date. And for a long time American corporations and people really didn't think in the longterm. Now that we've found out what the real cost of short term gains are there has been a resurgence in thinking local. For example, the locavore movement, popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles, and the healthcare debate can all be considered long term strategies.
- CWuestefeld 17y ago
  I know this is the popular perception. I'm trying to challenge what appears to be an unsupported assumption. Can you provide specific examples where we know that short-term goals prevailed over those of the long term? In particular, it should address the difference between making mistakes in expectations that resulted in poor long-term performance, as opposed to explicitly choosing to optimize for the short term, or explicitly choosing to ignore the long-term.