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> Isn't this an unavoidable curse of all maturing democratic/capitalistic countries and economies? It seems to be, which is really ruining many aspects of soci

by jjav 3y ago

> Isn't this an unavoidable curse of all maturing democratic/capitalistic countries and economies? It seems to be, which is really ruining many aspects of society. One hears all the stories back from the 40s and 50s where a group of neighbors or interested people just got together, bought some materials and built up a club house or community center or pool or any number of things in a few weeks. So towns had all these amenities because they were cheap and easy to build comunally. Today to build even a small club house for the kids in the community for instance, you'll need to raise millions of dollars to pay off permits and inspections and lawyers and insurance and professional builders (since they won't let you build it yourself). So hardly anything can be done, nobody can afford it. Arguably sure, the quality of the club house today, if it could be built, is better. But does it matter? How much do we lose by not being able to build hardly anything? That clubhouse from the 50s might be a bit rough around the edges but in most cases it is still standing 70+ years later and has brought joy to counless people.

duped 3y ago
There's a lot more context behind why we were better at building things in the 1940s and 50s than less regulation and bureaucracy. For example we spent 7% of GDP every year on a government agency to build stuff - not because it was needed, just because it created jobs for people at the tail end of the Depression and first half of the War. Perhaps the entire industry that it fueled didn't die overnight and the millions of people they employed made building at scale during the largest economic expansion in American history helped.
mikhailfranco 3y ago
Yes, in 1970s England, my junior school added a new swimming pool, largely paid for by community fundraising, and built by parents. My father was an architect and craftsman, who contributed design skills and labour. In the 2000s, most old clubhouses and village halls had to be upgraded for disabled accessibility, or face closure. This usually meant rebuilding toilets, not just adding wheelchair ramps. Grants were available from local government. My father was retired by then, but did the designs and grant applications for several halls in his neighbourhood.
- jjav 3y ago
  > Yes, in 1970s England, my junior school added a new swimming pool, I attended an elementary school that had an olympic swimming pool, which was built just from parent donations because it didn't cost much at all to build. Dig a hole, pour some concrete, done. Today I can't think of any elementary school around here that has any kind of swimming pool (let alone an olympic one) because it would take millions of dollars for permits and other BS fees.

by jjav 3y ago

duped 3y ago

There's a lot more context behind why we were better at building things in the 1940s and 50s than less regulation and bureaucracy. For example we spent 7% of GDP every year on a government agency to build stuff - not because it was needed, just because it created jobs for people at the tail end of the Depression and first half of the War. Perhaps the entire industry that it fueled didn't die overnight and the millions of people they employed made building at scale during the largest economic expansion in American history helped.

mikhailfranco 3y ago

Yes, in 1970s England, my junior school added a new swimming pool, largely paid for by community fundraising, and built by parents. My father was an architect and craftsman, who contributed design skills and labour. In the 2000s, most old clubhouses and village halls had to be upgraded for disabled accessibility, or face closure. This usually meant rebuilding toilets, not just adding wheelchair ramps. Grants were available from local government. My father was retired by then, but did the designs and grant applications for several halls in his neighbourhood.

jjav 3y ago
> Yes, in 1970s England, my junior school added a new swimming pool, I attended an elementary school that had an olympic swimming pool, which was built just from parent donations because it didn't cost much at all to build. Dig a hole, pour some concrete, done. Today I can't think of any elementary school around here that has any kind of swimming pool (let alone an olympic one) because it would take millions of dollars for permits and other BS fees.