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At one of our dinners, Milton recalled traveling to an Asian country in the 1960s and visiting a worksite where a new canal was being built. He was shocked to s
by treeman79 4y ago
At one of our dinners, Milton recalled traveling to an Asian country in the 1960s and visiting a worksite where a new canal was being built. He was shocked to see that, instead of modern tractors and earth movers, the workers had shovels. He asked why there were so few machines. The government bureaucrat explained: “You don’t understand. This is a jobs program.” To which Milton replied: “Oh, I thought you were trying to build a canal. If it’s jobs you want, then you should give these workers spoons, not shovels.”
- Robotbeat 4y agoAnd that, ladies and gentlemen, goes pretty far in explaining why American infrastructure costs are so high (although I suspect the paperwork burden, NIMBYism, and “citizen voice” are just as important). I strongly support the Biden Administration infrastructure program. BUT selling it as a “Jobs” program (at a time of near record low unemployment) makes me very wary.
- bombcar 4y agoSomething can be both - and effectively work as both. Almost anyone can move a shovel even if not very well, but operating heavy machinery has many more dangers. If your question is “how do we keep a relatively uneducated workforce employed gainfully” digging a canal with shovels Amy be the way to go. Especially if you only have a fixed number of useful canals.