The thing about Trump's infrastructure plan is: it doesn't really exist | James K Galbraith

The Republican leaders of Congress killed off that plan months before Trump ever reached the Oval Office. What we are left with is a farce

Visitors to these American shores - if they squint and look real close - may be forgiven for thinking that they've stumbled back into socialism. We still have a federal post office. We have a national railroad - ok, it's not much. And here in Texas, I pay my water, sewer, and electric bills to the local government, send my kids to the public schools (free, with orchestras) and teach at a state university. At 65, I have reached the age of social security and Medicare without working a day in the private sector.

Public infrastructure is the backbone of the private economy, as any developer knows. Public infrastructure isn't only, or even mainly, ports, airports or pipelines (which are often enough private in this country), so it doesn't have all that much to do with productivity or competitiveness.

Related: Comey's testimony shows: the impeachment machine is warming up | Richard Wolffe