America goes darkEUA somem na escuridaoPor Paul Krugman8 de agosto de 2010The lights are going out all over America literally. Colorado Springs has made headlines with its desperate attempt to save money by turning off a third of its streetlights, but similar things are either happening or being contemplated across the nation, from Philadelphia to Fresno.As luzes se apagam em todo Estados Unidos. A cidade de Colorado Springs estampou nas manchetes dos jornais locais sua intencao desesperada de economizar dinheiro apagando um terco de seus semaforos, mas estao acontecendo coisas parecidas em todo o pais, desde a Filadelfia ate Fresno.Meanwhile, a country that once amazed the world with its visionary investments in transportation, from the Erie Canal to the Interstate Highway System, is now in the process of unpaving itself: in a number of states, local governments are breaking up roads they can no longer afford to maintain, and returning them to gravel.Contudo, um pais que assombrou o mundo com seus visionarios investimentos nos transportes, desde o canal de Erie ate o sistema de autopistas interestatais, agora se encontra em um processo de despavimentacao: em varios estados, os governos locais estao destruindo estradas que nao ja nao podem mais manter e reduzindo-as a cascalho.And a nation that once prized education that was among the first to provide basic schooling to all its children is now cutting back. Teachers are being laid off; programs are being canceled; in Hawaii, the school year itself is being drastically shortened. And all signs point to even more cuts ahead.E uma nacao que outrora valorizava a educacao, que foi uma das primeiras a oferecer escolarizacao basica a todas as suas criancas, agora esta fazendo cortes. Os professores estao sendo despedidos e os programas cancelados. No Havai, ate o curso escolar esta acabando de maneira drastica. E tudo indica que no futuro mais ajustes serao feitos.Were told that we have no choice, that basic government functions essential services that have been provided for generations are no longer affordable. And its true that state and local governments, hit hard by the recession, are cash-strapped. But they wouldnt be quite as cash-strapped if their politicians were willing to consider at least some tax increases.Dizem-nos que nao temos eleicao, que as funcoes governamentais basicas servicos essenciais proporcionados durante geracoes ja nao sao viaveis. E e certo que os governos estaduais e locais, duramente acoitados pela recessao, estao sem recursos. Mas nao estariam assim se seus politicos estivessem dispostos a considerar ao menos alguns aumentos de impostos.And the federal government, which can sell inflation-protected long-term bonds at an interest rate of only 1.04 percent, isnt cash-strapped at all. It could and should be offering aid to local governments, to protect the future of our infrastructure and our children.E no governo federal, que pode vender bonus a longo prazo protegidos contra a inflacao, com uma taxa de juros basica de 1,04%, nao gasta o dinheiro. Poderia e deveria oferecer ajuda aos governos locais e proteger o futuro de nossas infraestruturas e de nossos filhos.But Washington is providing only a trickle of help, and