Death Is Easy

DEATH IS
EASY
by
Russell Madden


Freedom As If It Mattered

FREEDOM, 
As If
It Mattered
by
Russell Madden



Guardian Project

The Guardian
Project
by
Russell Madden




Random

RaNdoM
by
Russell Madden




 
 

 

COLLAPSING BRIDGES

by

Russell Madden

 

 





While it is not unheard of for highway bridges to collapse, the loss of the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has received major media coverage. The moment of destruction was even captured by security cameras. Given the recent steam pipe explosion in New York City that an provided eerie reminder of 9/11, new attention is being focused on the aging infrastructure upon which we all rely.

Estimates are that nearly a large number of the 600,000 bridges in this country –– about 80,000 –– need to be repaired or replaced. (See here.) Add to that number deteriorating water and sewer systems, crumbling highways, levees, and outdated airports, the future looks ripe for other unpleasant –– and ultimately unnecessary –– incidents such as the one that occurred in the Twin Cities. The cost to complete all the required upgrades would be in the thirteen-figure range (that’s trillions, folks).

Meanwhile, the State has spent nearly 500 billion dollars of our stolen tax money in Iraq, with no end in sight. The trillion dollar mark will likely be reached in the not too distant future. (See here.) While I don’t sanction the theft of anyone’s money, especially not by the State, frankly, I would rather the money wasted in Iraq to kill people and blow things up (like 300,000 bullets per enemy killed! See here.) be spent on shoring up bridges and such, actions that might actually save lives.

Of course, even better, sell all the bridges, roads, water and sewer systems, and airports (and parks, while we’re at it), use the money to pay down the national debt, cut departments and budgets, and let private investors deal with such life and death issues.

Because I can guarantee you one thing: when the choice is between the life and death of its citizens, whatever the State does is more likely to end in the latter than the former.

(from Don't Get Me Started!, 8-02-07)