Imagine if the engineers of 18th-century Britain could have foreseen the consequences of industrialisation. If they had been warned that it would bring untold wealth and comfort to millions, but would also disrupt human communities, lead to a terrible escalation of war and huge environmental degradation, how then would they have weighed the massive and momentous consequences?
Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.
And how are we going to?
Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.
“Nathan Rothschilds, I believe, is usually credited with the seminal insight that there are three notably successful ways to ruin: wine, women and engineers.”
http://timworstall.typepad.com/timworstall/2007/07/rothschild-lege.html
It seems he had particularly in mind the outstanding example of the Caledonian Canal:
“The canal was designed by engineer Thomas Telford ably supported by William Jessop and built between 1803 and 1822 at a cost of £840,000, but was never a great commercial success. As the canal was originally built too shallow and suffered from poor construction in places, most traffic still used the sea route. It was not deepened until 1847 (work designed by Telford’s close associate, James Walker) by which time most ships were too large . . ”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonian_Canal
Anyone would think that there was no war or huge environmental degradation before industrialization.
But they had Morris Dancing then.
Well let this old engineer give you a hint:
Now when was the last time you had to send your pox-ridden illiterate children to bed still hungry, because your horse went lame and you are having to thresh your meagre corn by hand ?
The industrial revolution resulted in the most solid implacable working class communities we have ever seen. Miners, millworkers, steelworkers, ship-builders, trawlermen, et al. They formed trade unions, demanded a welfare state, a National Health Service, free education, retirement pensions, and an education system free at the point of delivery for our children.
What spurred them to do that? Must have been something very special, and very potent.
Pride.
Bunter is an incredibly stupid bint though.
All these years I thought she was an ueber-socialist, and now it turns out she is an old-money class warrior trying to put the peasants back in their place.