> The auto lobby hoped a transcontinental convoy would grease the wheels for increases in highway appropriations and drive profits for the sign-making industry.
Neat, just like how gov projects still get done today.
To me one of the most sobering experience of my life was visiting Hoover Dam.
Yes, they needed a consortium of companies because no one company was big enough, they built a railroad, a town, the concrete is still curing, yadda yadda yadda.
But for me the biggest moment was at the end of the filmstrip, they said "the government contract was delivered early and under budget." I nearly fell out of my seat.
No way that ever happens today. Not only the Accentures, GD, Northrup Grummans of the world, but even the little guys like the ones I used to work for all use up every dollar available on the contract. If the contract is worth $291 million, then dammit you bill the government $291 million and not a dollar less! If anything you're figuring out how to do a contract mod to squeeze them for more money.
It's amazing that, together, multiple of the largest construction companies in the United States, not only got the job done in record time, but left money on the table. I'd like to think it might happen again because that's the type of thing that makes me proud to be an American.
What does the government completing projects under budget in 1919 vs today have to do with capitalism?
Capitalism is still capitalism, really the only thing that changed between 1919 and today is the size and scale of administrative state (and subsequently far more lobbying groups to exploit it). The entire economy is way less capitalist than back in 1919.
Unless that’s what you mean by “late state capitalism”?
Neat, just like how gov projects still get done today.