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Comment by nickthemagicman

6 years ago

There's an Irish Channel here in New Orleans literally thousands of Irish people died to make it.

Agree with you. Things used to be faster because people in charge were careless.

7 comments

nickthemagicman

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simonsarris  6 years ago

But unlike back then, we have power tools and vast mechanization. One Diesel powered machine can do the work of thousands of men. If we wanted to build a canal today we ought to be able to do it much faster regardless of carelessness level.

  • nickthemagicman  6 years ago

    Classic straw man logical fallacy.

    Because machines exist, does not mean carelessness levels go one way or the other.

    You're just adding an unrequested extra variable.

    We could build it even faster with machine AND being careless.

    So what?

    • jonplackett  6 years ago

      It surely a machine that can do the work of 1000 people more than compensated for extra safety.

      Even if you have 1000 people you’re willing to sacrifice, if just one machine can do all their work then carelessness can’t be the main reason we’re so slow now.

      1 reply →

scurvy  6 years ago

Umm the Irish Channel is just a neighborhood name. It's not a canal. Yes, thousands of Irish died from yellow fever and malaria while digging canals in New Orleans (Basin St and those going to the lake).

They were considered expendable because they were Catholic (unlike the Scotch Irish who were protestant). They were also lied to and told that New Orleans was close to the Irish communities in New England.