Why the U.S. can't build icebreaking ships

Re:Why the U.S. can't build icebreaking ships by lotsofpulp on Thursday September 26, 2024 @05:11PM (#41663437)

Passenger rail systems require the procurement of immense amounts of very pricey land, or the transfer of ownership of existing rail lines. I don’t see that as a similar cultural issue.

Boat building can be solved by spending money to build boats (and perhaps waiting a couple decades for expertise to be built up).

Using eminent domain or changing the view of the public on land rights is a much higher barrier.

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Re:Why the U.S. can't build icebreaking ships by gottorf on Thursday September 26, 2024 @05:45PM (#41663794)

> Boat building can be solved by spending money to build boats (and perhaps waiting a couple decades for expertise to be built up).

I actually don't take it for granted that enough money thrown at a problem can automatically solve it. There's a critical mass of underlying assumptions without which the marginal output of each additional dollar supplied becomes so limited that it just doesn't make sense, even with the government money printer.

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