The Road to Nowhere

And we won the war, lost the battle
Lost the war, won the battle
--Humdrum and Humble,
Tears for Fears

It's too much to expect,
but it's not too much to ask
--Not Too Much to Ask,
Mary Chapin Carpenter
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Traveling today from Asheville to Boone N.C., we found the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed in two places, and has been so for the past year. These blocks required travelers to take large detours.

The Parkway is a major tourist destination and it is a few weeks from leaf-turning season, yet significant portions remain closed. One of the area's biggest tourist draws has blocked portions due to previous rock slides yet to be stabilized.

Of course roads are not the only untended infrastructure stateside. As New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson says, the U.S. has a "third-world [energy] grid.” While the federal government that takes "a back seat on everything except drilling and fossil fuels," the grid needs a projected $60 Billion to be upgraded to modern standards (The Energy Challenge.)

The U.S. is building roads in Afghanistan and Iraq with billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, small sections of a Historic Scenic U.S. Highway stay blocked due to rock slides.

Strange days indeed.