California High-Speed Rail Thread

[memphis]

So far, the pro argument is "it would be so cool." And the con argument is "it's completely impractical." Thing is, both of those statements are true. As much as it pains me to agree with Torie, the numbers don't make any sense, and there's no way around that, cool or not. All that said, it'd still be a heckuva lot better than GOP boondoggles like the War on Iraq.

[memphis]

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of an LA to Vegas Party Train. If only it actually went all the way to LA. No need for a designated driver. Of course, it'd be more for Vegas than for LA. It'd be a heckuva better investment than another glitzy casino/hotel project.

[memphis]

No method of transport pays for itself. You may as well expect a small child to purchase his own meals.

[memphis]

Less is not the same thing as free. It would presumably still be an expensive project. It's a stupid question though, as how much less is the most important part of the cost angle. I presume there are some Central Valley people who are concerned about the disruptions associated with construction and the NIMBY factor of a noisy train.

[memphis]

George Will once wrote a surprisingly brainless article suggesting high speed rail was an attempt to hoist collectivism upon America. Somehow we've managed to avoid the dangers of buses, planes, subways and trains until now.

Will is hardly alone. There is a longstanding conservative impulse to attribute everything they dislike to Communism. It was slightly less absurd in the 1960s.