A bridge designed only for present traffic may be obsolete as soon as nearby housing and commerce expand. The example supports government planning across ten-, fifty-, or even hundred-year horizons. Companies and individuals are not normally responsible for carrying unprofitable national capacity over such periods. Long-term military infrastructure therefore depends on state planning that survives changes of leadership.
Notable Point · 1:03:13-1:05:41
Governments must plan beyond market horizons
Bridges and defense production illustrate why states must preserve capacity for needs decades ahead even when that investment cannot earn an immediate return.