Text: If the state can't build, then it can cut taxes, substituting private consumption for public infrastructure. This is fine; Americans have large cars (often to protect from other large cars) and large houses. But it's not a substitute for infrastructure and other social goods; it's a conscious decision to lose years of life expectancy and have a less efficient transport system to avoid building up the state.
Text: If the state can't build, then it can cut taxes, substituting private consumption for public infrastructure. This is fine; Americans have large cars (often to protect from other large cars) and large houses. But it's not a substitute for infrastructure and other social goods; it's a conscious decision to lose years of life expectancy and have a less efficient transport system to avoid building up the state.