[dv_dt]

The US has profited immensely from "building stuff to build stuff" back from the new deal programs in the 30's, wartime factory infrastructure investments in the 40's, as well as massive infrastructure buildout of the highway systems, water and sewers, etc. in the 50-60's. I think coasting on a lot of that build out is what allowed lower than typical infrastructure expenditures for many decades, but also gave us (and our political/business leadership that grew up in those years), a warped low view of how much infrastructure investment is reasonable.