High-Speed Rail and Infrastructure

[WizardofOz]

National debt tops $22 trillion for the first time as experts warn of ripple effects

The national debt surpassed $22 trillion for the first time on Tuesday, a milestone that experts warned is further proof the country is on an unsustainable financial path that could jeopardize the economic security of every American. The Treasury Department reported the debt hit $22.012 trillion, a jump of more than $30 billion in just this month. The national debt has been rising at a faster rate following the passage of President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax-cut package a little more than a year ago and as the result of congressional efforts to increase spending on domestic and military programs. The nation has added more than $1 trillion in debt in the last 11 months alone. “Reaching this unfortunate milestone so rapidly is the latest sign that our fiscal situation is not only unsustainable but accelerating,” said Michael A. Peterson, chief executive officer of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan organization working to address the country’s long-term fiscal challenges.

 

[ok doser]

China is a totalitarian nation and can spend money however they wish. Japan and France are small nations geographically compared to America. So do you not care at all about how much a high speed rail will actually cost? Here in California the high speed rail has MASSIVE cost overruns and was behind schedule by over a decade. These things don't bother you? As a California taxpayer they greatly bother me. Plus

those high speed rail systems in Japan and France lose money. They are unprofitable.

if there was profit to be made in them, private individuals like musk would be champing at the bit to invest their own money

 

[The Berean]

if there was profit to be made in them, private individuals like musk would be champing at the bit to invest their own money

Exactly. The first Intercontinental Railroad that was complete in 1869 was government funded and the private companies took advantage of lack of government oversight to line their pockets. They figured that was the only way to turn a profit on the railroad construction. LOL!

 

[SabathMoon]

I doubt diesel railroads are practical, but I don't see expansion railroads to come. Meglev is a supercooled joke, and may even be worse than diesel.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Liberals like the Whiz are so pathetic. They change the subject, tell some lies, then go on a rant about something that the thread is not even about.

 

[WizardofOz]

Liberals like the Whiz

I’m not a liberal.

They change the subject,

Deficits impact the ability to invest in infrastructure.

tell some lies

Quote one

then go on a rant about something that the thread is not even about.

Who started this thread anyway?

 

[WizardofOz]

This site is pretty cool and has a lot of good info about high-speed rail.

HSR is currently in operation in more than 20 countries (including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan). HSR is under construction in more than 10 countries (including China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, Spain, and Italy); and in development in another 14 countries (including Qatar, Morocco, Iran, Russia, Poland, Portugal, Bangladesh, South Africa, India, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil). HSR has been in operation in Japan for 50 years carrying more than 9 billion passengers without a single fatality.

The US might not be ready yet due to fiscal constraints but HSR is definitely expanding across the globe. Has anyone ever ridden on one? I'm curious what the experience is like.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

This site is pretty cool and has a lot of good info about high-speed rail......

Info about High Speed Rail:

• It's stupid
• Its a waste of money
• Its a boondoggle
• Its breathing final breaths into old technology
• It expands government bureaucracy
• We don't need it
• It might work okay in tiny countries bit its dumb for America
• It taxes the poor to give a perk to the rich

 

[The Berean]

This site is pretty cool and has a lot of good info about high-speed rail.

HSR is currently in operation in more than 20 countries (including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan). HSR is under construction in more than 10 countries (including China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, Spain, and Italy); and in development in another 14 countries (including Qatar, Morocco, Iran, Russia, Poland, Portugal, Bangladesh, South Africa, India, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil). HSR has been in operation in Japan for 50 years carrying more than 9 billion passengers without a single fatality.

The US might not be ready yet due to fiscal constraints but HSR is definitely expanding across the globe. Has anyone ever ridden on one? I'm curious what the experience is like.

I've rode the Japanese Shinkansen back in 2002. This bullet train is sooooo quiet and smooth. And fast! We traveled 450 miles in abut three hours.