It was not lack of technology or money that stopped society from dealing with the deadly unsanitary conditions in working-class neighborhoods of provincial towns and cities; rather, it was the absence of political will. Providing sanitation and clean water to the masses is an enormously expensive undertaking, but one that delivers huge long-term economic and non-economic benefits. Such projects are not viable for private companies motivated by short-term returns on investment, so the problem of sanitation can’t be solved by the invisible hand of the market. Instead, it is imperative that the
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