5 ms·

I think the best way to prevent a great depression 2.0 is to build massive infrastructure projects. Green jobs, trains, highway updates, bridge repairs, electri

I think the best way to prevent a great depression 2.0 is to build massive infrastructure projects. Green jobs, trains, highway updates, bridge repairs, electrification, grid modernization, IMO these are best to both kill unemployment and decarbonize for an efficient 21st century economy.

arkanciscan 7y ago
And a pony!
- davewritescode 7y ago
  Borrowing money at cheap interest rates to build things that keep us competitive for the next century isn't a horrible idea but glad that you're completely dismissing it.
  - arkanciscan 7y ago
    But we can't even get people to do that when they have toilet paper.
Loughla 7y ago
Trains, maybe. Bridge repairs, maybe. Highway updates, probably. But the others, in the current (and last 20-40 year) political climate are a no go, I bet. Some will die because "green" is anathema to half the population. Others will die because they are not proper earmark-able vanity projects that you can stamp a rich person's name on (grid modernization, I'm looking at you). Overall, and maybe I'm pessimistic, I would bet absolutely none of the things on your list will happen. I used to say that they wouldn't happen until something catastrophic occurred, but now that we're here, I don't buy that anymore. They'll be called socialism, or a waste of time, or outright called lies from the left/right/wherever. But I am not, and may not be able to be convinced that the US can accomplish anything positive and productive, at all, for the foreseeable future.
sunflowerfly 7y ago
Not a terrible idea, but these all take years to design. We tried the "shovel ready" approach in 2008. What they found was that there were few projects fully designed and ready to go. Producing construction ready engineering documents is one of the last steps in the design process.

5 ms·

I think the best way to prevent a great depression 2.0 is to build massive infrastructure projects. Green jobs, trains, highway updates, bridge repairs, electri

by Dumblydorr 7y ago

arkanciscan 7y ago
And a pony!
- davewritescode 7y ago
  Borrowing money at cheap interest rates to build things that keep us competitive for the next century isn't a horrible idea but glad that you're completely dismissing it.
  - arkanciscan 7y ago
    But we can't even get people to do that when they have toilet paper.
Loughla 7y ago
Trains, maybe. Bridge repairs, maybe. Highway updates, probably. But the others, in the current (and last 20-40 year) political climate are a no go, I bet. Some will die because "green" is anathema to half the population. Others will die because they are not proper earmark-able vanity projects that you can stamp a rich person's name on (grid modernization, I'm looking at you). Overall, and maybe I'm pessimistic, I would bet absolutely none of the things on your list will happen. I used to say that they wouldn't happen until something catastrophic occurred, but now that we're here, I don't buy that anymore. They'll be called socialism, or a waste of time, or outright called lies from the left/right/wherever. But I am not, and may not be able to be convinced that the US can accomplish anything positive and productive, at all, for the foreseeable future.
sunflowerfly 7y ago
Not a terrible idea, but these all take years to design. We tried the "shovel ready" approach in 2008. What they found was that there were few projects fully designed and ready to go. Producing construction ready engineering documents is one of the last steps in the design process.