General motors Quote by Garrett M. Graff
““The crash program for building the “super” dwarfed even the Manhattan Project. The AEC nearly tripled in size, growing from a handful of sites and 55,000 employees to 142,000 employees spread across more than a score of sites. It would devour nearly 7 percent of the nation’s entire electrical output, and, according to historian Richard Rhodes, exceed in capital investment the combined market capitalization of Bethlehem Steel, U.S. Steel, Alcoa, DuPont, Goodyear, and General Motors.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Pentagon’s War on Climate Change, Garrett M. Graff, 2021
The U.S. nuclear weapons program grew to an enormous scale, consuming massive resources and surpassing major industrial corporations in size and cost.
In simple terms: The nuclear program became huge, using huge energy and money.
Key Takeaway
Consider the scale of government projects and their impact.
Themes
war
government
resource consumption
industrial scale
Mood
analytical
critical
concerned
Type
historical
policy.
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- energy planning
- economic history
- national security
Key Concepts
budgetary politics
energy demand
military-industrial complex
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the hidden costs of such massive programs?
- How do we balance security with sustainability?
A Different Perspective
The focus on size may overlook ethical and environmental consequences.
