State of the Union
01-26-2011 | 08:21 PM
#21
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From: leaning to the left
Hoss: Well-said.
High-speed rail: I don't remember the particulars, but when the high-speed between St Louis and Chicago was announced, I looked at the proposed price...for a train that would be about 18-20% faster!! It quickly became obvious that it was a feel-good jobs program for cronies in the construction industry, disguised as "public good" or "going green." California? Same thing. Florida? the one I remember (and wrote to my Congressman about) served the busy Orlando-St. Petersburg corridor. YGBSM. Even if the train could do Mach 1.69, how much time would really be saved....for the money involved? It would be cheaper...and do more good..to buy more conventional trains, with increased frequency. Hey, more train engineers, conductors, porters, ticket agents, and more jobs!! Hmmmm...maybe low-tech is good?
Terrorism: schools, shopping malls, churches, airports, libraries, busses, hospitals, gas stations...you name it: someone can walk in and blow themselves up, or drive next to it and blow up a car or truck. The more public a conveyance, or institution, the more attractive a target it becomes to the fanatical. AMTRAK is just as vulnerable, high-speed or not.
High-speed rail: I don't remember the particulars, but when the high-speed between St Louis and Chicago was announced, I looked at the proposed price...for a train that would be about 18-20% faster!! It quickly became obvious that it was a feel-good jobs program for cronies in the construction industry, disguised as "public good" or "going green." California? Same thing. Florida? the one I remember (and wrote to my Congressman about) served the busy Orlando-St. Petersburg corridor. YGBSM. Even if the train could do Mach 1.69, how much time would really be saved....for the money involved? It would be cheaper...and do more good..to buy more conventional trains, with increased frequency. Hey, more train engineers, conductors, porters, ticket agents, and more jobs!! Hmmmm...maybe low-tech is good?
Terrorism: schools, shopping malls, churches, airports, libraries, busses, hospitals, gas stations...you name it: someone can walk in and blow themselves up, or drive next to it and blow up a car or truck. The more public a conveyance, or institution, the more attractive a target it becomes to the fanatical. AMTRAK is just as vulnerable, high-speed or not.
Do you really think these other countries developed and are expanding their High Speed rail systems as "feel good jobs programs for their cronies in the construction industry"? We all know that Eisenhower is credited with the building of the Interstate Highway system...But, did you know that Roosevelt, in 1939, tried to get Congress to look at building a national highway system? His political opponents thought it was another ascent into the stratosphere of New Deal jitterbug economics". Sound familiar? I don't know where you get your information, or how you come to your conclusions...But, I think the facts are pretty telling.
California High Speed Rail
Midwest High Speed Rail
Florida High Speed Rail
By the way...It was the autobahns of Germany, during WWII, that made Ike realize that the highway system would need more than 2 lanes. What??? He used a Nazi's idea for America? What kind of a name is Eisenhower, anyway? Did anyone ever actually check his birth certificate?
01-27-2011 | 03:28 AM
#22
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From: 767 FO
So tell me again why my future grandkids should borrow money from the chinese to buy ca a train set. Cant they sell some of the oil they have offshore and buy their own train set. I want a high speed train from my house to aoc will your grandkids buy me one?
Wonder why our trains are antiques? Could it be because they would rather fly or drive.
I'll bet they could find Ike's birth certificate. Or as Chris Mathews says; "why dont he just release it I dont understand."
Wonder why our trains are antiques? Could it be because they would rather fly or drive.
I'll bet they could find Ike's birth certificate. Or as Chris Mathews says; "why dont he just release it I dont understand."
01-27-2011 | 03:56 AM
#23
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From: Trying not to crash
Barack Obama's birth certificate revealed here | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
01-27-2011 | 09:29 AM
#24
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From: 767 FO
Too bad no one can find our current President's...
Barack Obama's birth certificate revealed here | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
Barack Obama's birth certificate revealed here | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
I do think that Barry has chosen not to allow access to his Birth Certificate for reasons of his own. Perhaps he dosnt like the religon that was declared. Perhaps he doesnt like his parents marital status, I dont know and could not care less. I do know if Barry had an R by his name the press would never let it die. Just ask Dan Rather and the mysterious Texas Air National Guard files.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...2a99e17b21abe3
Last edited by FDXLAG; 01-27-2011 at 10:23 AM.
01-27-2011 | 11:37 AM
#25
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From: Student Pilot
Because their economy (GDP) has and is growing at a rate of about 9% a year...and they can afford it. We can't.
The mindset of the average American is consume, consume, & consume. Btw, did I mention consume. We as a people are not into savings; unfortunately just spending.
atp
Last edited by atpwannabe; 01-27-2011 at 02:46 PM.
01-27-2011 | 05:30 PM
#26
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 45,167
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
I think snipe was making the point that TSA, or government agencies, seem to focus on the Airlines solely. If anything terrorist related were to happen on a train, then the focus would shift there.
It's kind of taking a reactive approach, as opposed to a proactive one, something we have done a lot of in the past.
It's kind of taking a reactive approach, as opposed to a proactive one, something we have done a lot of in the past.
01-27-2011 | 05:39 PM
#27
Prime Minister/Moderator
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
MOD INPUT: Let's drop the political talk, ie the Birth Certificate stuff.
FWI, Obama's mother was a US citizen, so he is automatically a citizen by birth regardless of who his father was or where he was born. Even if another country declared him a citizen that does not invalidate US citizenship, so he could have a birth cert declaring him a citizen of somewhere else and still be good to go here. The US allows dual citizenship, which often occurs due to accidents of birth location. The law is clear on this, not really any room for debate.
Arnold was not born here, and was not born to a US parent so he cannot be a citizen by birth.
FWI, Obama's mother was a US citizen, so he is automatically a citizen by birth regardless of who his father was or where he was born. Even if another country declared him a citizen that does not invalidate US citizenship, so he could have a birth cert declaring him a citizen of somewhere else and still be good to go here. The US allows dual citizenship, which often occurs due to accidents of birth location. The law is clear on this, not really any room for debate.
Arnold was not born here, and was not born to a US parent so he cannot be a citizen by birth.
01-28-2011 | 07:44 AM
#29
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Madrid had a couple thousand casualties, the difference was that there was a better survival opportunity as compared to an in-flight bombing.
The end result (casualties, media, public opinion) was the same as if it had been an airplane IMO...maybe even more so since the victims were in their home environment.
But since we are talking HIGH-SPEED trains, the physics are the same, or close enough...anything which comes apart at much over 150 mph is not going to have any survivors...300 mph or 500 mph doesn't make any difference.
The end result (casualties, media, public opinion) was the same as if it had been an airplane IMO...maybe even more so since the victims were in their home environment.
But since we are talking HIGH-SPEED trains, the physics are the same, or close enough...anything which comes apart at much over 150 mph is not going to have any survivors...300 mph or 500 mph doesn't make any difference.
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