Yeah that's fair. But the works and practice in mobilizing the workforce in the new deal played a big part in the US having industrial capability prior to WWII. Not mentioning other logistics, the power grid improvement alone may have made the difference in the war effort even being possible for the US. After the war private industry continued to benefit from cheap energy coming from those same projects. Hell if there's a miuntain range in your state you're almost certainly getting some of your power from a hydro plant made in the 30's.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But the works and practice in mobilizing the workforce in the new deal played a big part in the US having industrial capability prior to WWII.

Hard to power the 1940s industrial economy without coal. And hard to generate coal without an electrification of the Tennessee Valley. Without a doubt.

Hell if there’s a miuntain range in your state you’re almost certainly getting some of your power from a hydro plant made in the 30’s.

Given his attitude towards public works, it's very funny that Hoover has the nation's largest dam named after him.

[–] untorquer@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

There's also the west coast. The damming of the Columbia, while a natural disaster, made the region viable for manufacture and ship building. In some ways it lead to the possibility for the tech industry as well for better or worse.