Infrastructure
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| “When you build a thing you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must also repair the world around it, and within it, so that the larger world at that one place becomes more coherent, and more whole; and the thing which you make takes its place in the web of nature, as you make it.” –Christopher Alexander |
It is a fundamental responsibility of government to serve people. And serving people means to facilitate the interaction of people through infrastructure. This is nothing new: Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution empowers Congress “To establish Post Offices and post Roads.” In those days that meant the government had a duty to make sure that you (a) had a place to get your mail, and (b) there was a road which the government's workers could take to deliver that mail. [1]
Today that has extended to all kinds of infrastructure (airports, highways, bridges, and so on) and is supported by other parts of the Constitution. Infrastructure is essential to American success.
The question is not if we should build it. We should and we must. The question is: what should we build?
Again, the Constitution is a good guide. If it promotes interstate commerce, if it aids in the useful advancement of arts and sciences, then it should be on our list to consider building.
From there it's a question of optimization. Of compromise. Of balancing the new with the legacy. Of having a built environment that complements the natural environment. Of all of the good things that a regulated, good government can do on behalf of We, the People.
That's the infrastructure we should seek.
[1] The Articles of Confederation—the beta version of the US Constitution—had a clause for post offices but not for roads. Good upgrade, framers.