Green New Deal! (Air Travel Unnecessary)
02-09-2019, 05:52 AM
#221
Banned
Joined APC: Dec 2018
Posts: 648
Originally Posted by FlyyGuyy
Japan is about the size of California including it's many islands. Pretty tough to say we can build complex high speed railroad lines all across the country like they have when it would have to cover at a minimum 25 times the area.
02-09-2019, 05:52 AM
#222
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,716
Originally Posted by FNGFO
Have you looked at the price of the high speed rail in CA? Or the one about to be approved in TX? Let me help you out. You’re talking about spending in the hundreds of billions at a minimum to fully flesh out a high speed rail network. Probably more. And once you’re dropping the T word you’re starting to talk real money.
02-09-2019, 05:53 AM
#223
:-)
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,339
Originally Posted by ChecklistMonkey
You'll never completely eliminate air travel. Look at Europe today.
On the other hand, what's wrong with creating a robust high speed rail system on the US from KC to NYC through major metro areas of IND/ORD/CLE/PIT/the NE corridor, FL corridor, NE corridor? Would an efficient, affordable high speed rail eliminate some aviation jobs? Absolutely. But what's wrong with making the lives of people better? High speed rail revolutionized the Japanese economy. They have already successfully test a maglev system that will travel at nearly 350mph. We are the biggest economy in the world and the best we can do is the Acela between a few cities in the NE?
On the other hand, what's wrong with creating a robust high speed rail system on the US from KC to NYC through major metro areas of IND/ORD/CLE/PIT/the NE corridor, FL corridor, NE corridor? Would an efficient, affordable high speed rail eliminate some aviation jobs? Absolutely. But what's wrong with making the lives of people better? High speed rail revolutionized the Japanese economy. They have already successfully test a maglev system that will travel at nearly 350mph. We are the biggest economy in the world and the best we can do is the Acela between a few cities in the NE?
02-09-2019, 05:59 AM
#224
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,716
Originally Posted by Mesabah
The law of economics, if it was cost effective, it would have already been built. Aircraft can be shifted to follow the profitable routes, it will always beat railways over long distances.
02-09-2019, 06:08 AM
#225
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,788
Originally Posted by OOfff
You mean we’d have to redirect a tenth of our military budget for the duration of the construction?
1. National defense is one of the few specific things the federal government is actually tasked with doing.
2. The 2018 military budget was $700B. The California high speed rail project is currently billed at $77B and will surely balloon well past that. I believe the TX rail project is currently tabbed at $12B. So, redirecting 1/10th of the military budget doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Even if you were to do it for nearly two decades. We’re talking $90B for two states in today’s dollars and you want to build out the Eastern Seaboard. I think dropping a cool Trillion on high speed rail would be a conservative estimate, and not one that would ever pay off.
02-09-2019, 06:10 AM
#226
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,716
Originally Posted by FNGFO
Well, two things:
1. National defense is one of the few specific things the federal government is actually tasked with doing.
2. The 2018 military budget was $700B. The California high speed rail project is currently billed at $77B and will surely balloon well past that. I believe the TX rail project is currently tabbed at $12B. So, redirecting 1/10th of the military budget doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Even if you were to do it for nearly two decades. We’re talking $90B for two states in today’s dollars and you want to build out the Eastern Seaboard. I think dropping a cool Trillion on high speed rail would be a conservative estimate, and not one that would ever pay off.
1. National defense is one of the few specific things the federal government is actually tasked with doing.
2. The 2018 military budget was $700B. The California high speed rail project is currently billed at $77B and will surely balloon well past that. I believe the TX rail project is currently tabbed at $12B. So, redirecting 1/10th of the military budget doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Even if you were to do it for nearly two decades. We’re talking $90B for two states in today’s dollars and you want to build out the Eastern Seaboard. I think dropping a cool Trillion on high speed rail would be a conservative estimate, and not one that would ever pay off.
02-09-2019, 06:14 AM
#227
Banned
Joined APC: Dec 2018
Posts: 648
Originally Posted by OOfff
I’m going to assume you realize that rail projects don’t get finished in a year. So, maybe we make it 15% of the DoD budget (not including black money), and we easily make that trillion improve the country instead of feed Lockheed.
02-09-2019, 06:15 AM
#228
:-)
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,339
Originally Posted by OOfff
That’s not a “law of economics” in any way.
02-09-2019, 06:20 AM
#229
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,788
Originally Posted by OOfff
I’m going to assume you realize that rail projects don’t get finished in a year. So, maybe we make it 15% of the DoD budget (not including black money), and we easily make that trillion improve the country instead of feed Lockheed.
I know which I’m choosing if the question is put to me as to whether I’d rather spend a large amount of money on a public works project of dubious value or ensuring that our war fighters aren’t taking to the air in 30+ year old equipment.
02-09-2019, 06:23 AM
#230
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,716
Originally Posted by Mesabah
It absolutely is, money flows to the highest rate of return. That’s why the green new deal is even a thing, it requires government intervention, and a planned economy.
Your “law of economics” is woefully simple to the point of uselessness.
But beyond that, profit is a great motive, but may not be the only thing by which some people want to see the world shaped.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
