It is true that big actions can also have big unintended consequences. The transcontinental railroad not only opened up the frontier, but it also sped the subjugation of the Native Americans and the exploitation of Chinese immigrant labor. Our highway system helped spur the primacy of the automobile, with its attending urban sprawl and pollution. The era of dam building provided water for us to drink and grow our crops, generated electricity, and protected against floods, but we now know that many dams also had severe environmental consequences. We cannot be afraid to act big, but we also
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