I have more and more trouble as each year goes by of picturing a prosperous United States in 50-75 years time. That isn&#x27;t to say there&#x27;s going to be some huge revolution or massive collapse in our economy. But barring a third world war that can allow politicians to play fast and loose with public funds, political friction is SO high on all the most important issues of building a nation, that I think the U.S. may have hit an apex of development.<p>Yes, technology will continue to improve. But the great philanthropists of our past and future had and still have little interest in building high speed rail, repairing old bridges, dredging harbors, or laying fiber.<p>Google&#x27;s pervasive internet may be as useful for the 19 million Americans estimated to still not have access to broadband as the abjectly poor in sub-Saharan Africa.