Denton begins [The Profiteers] with a bang, itemizing amoral investments, environmental damage, exploitation of labor and chummy relationships with policy makers. Whether she persuades on all points or not, she shows that it’s a conversation we must have.
The 'Big Dig' was a reminder that infrastructure projects can be messy—and budget-busting—undertakings. But it is more common (if less salacious) for the building of roads, bridges, ports and dams to spur economic development. To ignore this dimension of Bechtel’s work and to zero in on the company’s alleged cronyism are among the many shortcomings of The Profiteers a missed opportunity the size of the Hoover Dam.
In The Profiteers, Sally Denton reminds readers that Hoover Dam was not, as many believe, a New Deal project...She has long documented the shadowy relations of wealth and politics...
