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The vast majority of the train system in the USA was built with private money, so it's a poor example of capitalist failure. The fact that passenger trains are
by nickff 6y ago
The vast majority of the train system in the USA was built with private money, so it's a poor example of capitalist failure. The fact that passenger trains are unviable in the USA is a product of the distances and the airplane.
- adrianN 6y agoDistances in the US are mentioned a lot, but few people actually propose going from NY to SF by train. Moving more people for example in the Northeast Corridor, or in the Bay Area by train is a realistic goal.
- evgen 6y agoThe vast majority of the train system was built on public land that was provided to those private builders for free. If they had to pay for the land they never would have built in the first place.
- bluGill 6y agoThat public land was worthless at the time. Without the train nobody wanted it, the train made it valuable to the public. Things have changed since 1880 of course. However it isn't fair to evaluate it against modern values.
- mauvehaus 6y ago> That public land was worthless at the time. Without the train nobody wanted it, the train made it valuable to the public. To the white people, perhaps. The indigenous population probably would have rather it stayed that way.
- bluGill 6y agoOnce again we are looking at history with a modern eye. What you say is true, but irrelevant.