Reformatted for those on mobile: > Well, a pothole is not just a technological thing, it's also a political entity. Usually we think of European nations as ste

Reformatted for those on mobile: > Well, a pothole is not just a technological thing, it's also a political entity. Usually we think of European nations as steeped in governmental regulation, and the United States as a free market, but actually the opposite occurs in building roads. In the United States the government sets specifications and asks contractors to meet them. Once done with the road they have no more responsibility. > Contrast this to France where the contractors must come up with their own specifications and guarantee their work. This means that if a pothole developers the contractor has to fix it. But in the united States, once the job is done, as long as it has met specifications, the contractor is no longer liable. (Please don't use code blocks for quotations.)