unemployment up to 9.6%

#226
#226
utgibbs said:
Are you joking? Bulgaria has a better rail network.
Click to expand...

yea, our rail network is sooo bad, that Warren Buffet, plunked down $30 Billion of his own cash to buy an American railroad company

Like I said earlier, a railroad wont get me to work in 30 minutes, it wont get my wife and kids to the grocery store, or church, it cant get me to the local restaurant for a friday night dinner and it wont deliver me my pizza/mail

Our railroad is one of our great American Industries
 
#227
#227
droski said:
define "better?" you just can't handle the fact we don't have a bullet train can you?
Click to expand...

fast rail is absolutely a must in America. How have we lived without it to date? Look at how much it is going to change mindsets about livable communities. Andres Duany is going to have an orgasm.
 
#228
#228
BigPapaVol said:
fast rail is absolutely a must in America. How have we lived without it to date? Look at how much it is going to change mindsets about livable communities. Andres Duany is going to have an orgasm.
Click to expand...

it's ego pure and simple. these networks lose billions a year in europe. we should build one just so we can tell the rest of the world we own it? it's like a guy putting huge rims on his f150
 
#230
#230
utgibbs said:
Are you joking? Bulgaria has a better rail network.
Click to expand...

Bulgaria is the same size as Tennessee.

The US has over 140 thousand miles of standard gauge rail lines, Bulgaria has just over 2000 miles and the US rail system moves 10 times the amount of freight as the whole European Union.
 
Last edited:
#231
#231
Img_facts.gif



... they always get in the way of indoctrinated talking points.
 
#232
#232
BigPapaVol said:
what is this silliness about upgrading our rail network? Hell, we spend a fortune maintaining via government giveaway to Amtrak. I'm just not sure I understand your insistence on railway upgrading. Don't know how much time you've spent using the existing network, but it's actually solid. I've used it a decent bit commercially, as a military movement officer for a deployable brigade and as civilian as my father in law vacations via train every year and we tend to go.
Click to expand...

Although I spent some time in Columbia, South Cakalaki (where the trains still run) it was difficult to get train service, even to the Northeast - which is where the majority of our rail service remains.

I feel it is far superior transport to air travel for any intra-continental trip, and I know a thing or two about air travel. When I'm in Europe, my default mode of transport is train. Admittedly I actually don't spend much time in the NE, but it's also about the only place you can get a viable commercial train. Having said that, I don't think there is good service from NYC to Boston.

Which basically says everything you need to know about US rail infrastructure.

It's a QoL + environmental issue.

As for other topics, your pizzaria and your local pub should be within walking / cycling distance in a liveable, urban community. The US is on a downward trajectory quickly learning that suburbia was the greatest waste of money in the history of the world.
 
Last edited:
#233
#233
MG1968 said:
Bulgaria is the same size as Tennessee.

The US has over 140 thousand miles of standard gauge rail lines, Bulgaria has just over 2000 miles and the US rail system moves 10 times the amount of freight as the whole European Union.
Click to expand...

We're talking about people.

And we shouldn't be transporting all that coal anyway by rail or otherwise.
 
#236
#236
utgibbs said:
The US is on a downward trajectory quickly learning that suburbia was the greatest waste of money in the history of the world.
Click to expand...

it's truly awe inspiring that a person could be as FoS as you and still function, generally someone in your condition becomes a political candidate for the green party.

US urban centers are already packed to overflowing and the QoL is far lower, the education standards are lower, taxes are higher, crime is higher, and even in a city like NYC, which has an extensive subway system, the streets are still packed with traffic.
 
#237
#237
utgibbs said:
Although I spent some time in Columbia, South Cakalaki (where the trains still run) it was difficult to get train service, even to the Northeast - which is where the majority of our rail service remains.

I feel it is far superior transport to air travel for any intra-continental trip, and I know a thing or two about air travel. When I'm in Europe, my default mode of transport is train. Admittedly I actually don't spend much time in the NE, but it's also about the only place you can get a viable commercial train. Having said that, I don't think there is good service from NYC to Boston.

Which basically says everything you need to know about US rail infrastructure.

It's a QoL + environmental issue.

As for other topics, your pizzaria and your local pub should be within walking / cycling distance in a liveable, urban community. The US is on a downward trajectory quickly learning that suburbia was the greatest waste of money in the history of the world.
Click to expand...

sounds like you don't do train as much as you talk about it. I can get to anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard via train. Eurail passes and the clustered nature of the place make the train a viable alternative for Americans heading to Europe without a vehicle. It's a simple matter of availability, them knowing where to go and you being able to travel loaded.

As to your glancing reference to New Urbanism and suburban living: please. If Americans didn't want the suburban life, it wouldn't have happened. There were reasons driving suburban development. There are now reasons that the New Urbanism can work, but much had to happen to make it viable. I don't disagree with the idea of interconnected and walkable neighborhoods, but to pretend that walkable could be universally applicable is absurd. I actually like the movement and tend to like TND style development, but it isn't remotely for everyone.
 
#238
#238
droski said:
every country in the world has suburbia. you are really losing it.
Click to expand...

Yes, most are building it (in order to satisfy the Capital Accumulation Crisis). Most, however, do not have the exburb hinterlands of the USA.

These are communities without a future. It is extremely difficult to retrofit them for any livable community. It's bungaloo Las Vegas.....
 
#239
#239
utgibbs said:
Yes, most are building it (in order to satisfy the Capital Accumulation Crisis). Most, however, do not have the exburb hinterlands of the USA.

These are communities without a future. It is extremely difficult to retrofit them for any livable community. It's bungaloo Las Vegas.....
Click to expand...

I don't know where you get some of the stuff you post, but it's borderline insane at times.
 
#240
#240
utgibbs said:
Yes, most are building it (in order to satisfy the Capital Accumulation Crisis). Most, however, do not have the exburb hinterlands of the USA.

These are communities without a future. It is extremely difficult to retrofit them for any livable community. It's bungaloo Las Vegas.....
Click to expand...

may i ask why you chose to stay in this horrible horrible country?
 
#243
#243
BigPapaVol said:
sounds like you don't do train as much as you talk about it. I can get to anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard via train. Eurail passes and the clustered nature of the place make the train a viable alternative for Americans heading to Europe without a vehicle. It's a simple matter of availability, them knowing where to go and you being able to travel loaded.

As to your glancing reference to New Urbanism and suburban living: please. If Americans didn't want the suburban life, it wouldn't have happened. There were reasons driving suburban development. There are now reasons that the New Urbanism can work, but much had to happen to make it viable. I don't disagree with the idea of interconnected and walkable neighborhoods, but to pretend that walkable could be universally applicable is absurd. I actually like the movement and tend to like TND style development, but it isn't remotely for everyone.
Click to expand...

There is a deep mythos in America about the 'burbs. Most of it stems from the state of the cities a la Sinclair Lewis - dirty, stinky, squalor, etc. The City wasn't for "decent" folks. Manifest destiny as well, blah, blah. However, just as the car and tire companies in the 1930s conspired to take rail out, Capital Accumulation desperately needed SUBURBIA, lest it sink into crisis.

Right now, Americans flock to Main Street USA, Orlando to remember what walkable, liveable community feels like. And Mr Pizza Delivery (sorry, I forgot your avatar) has probably never been on a train in his life. Hell, not a few military personnel when they get out stay in Europe because of those types of communities. I don't even think they know why most of the time, and they can ramble when asked, but I think it can be summarized as QoL.

So, if they had the choice, a lot of Americans (remember Jerry Reed!) would choose trains and walkable communities. But most have never been exposed to either.
 
#244
#244
you are one of these americans that goes to france and tells them how we are all idiots and they are all so brilliant aren't you?
 
#246
#246
utgibbs said:
I've seen a fair bit of the world, and like a good entrepreneur, I would like to import the good stuff! :)
Click to expand...

i've seen a fair bit of the world too and it's always painfully obvious as to why america has the greatest economy in the world and these countries do not. The high speed trains are probably the only exception because they actually run on time.
 
#248
#248
droski said:
you are one of these americans that goes to france and tells them how we are all idiots and they are all so brilliant aren't you?
Click to expand...

Fortunately, I've managed to sway a few that we aren't idiots, but I think it's been sheer personal charisma.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top