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>It's not meant to be insulting, it's just based on the numbers It's offensive and insulting to go off on an anti-American tangent that signals a complete lack

>It's not meant to be insulting, it's just based on the numbers It's offensive and insulting to go off on an anti-American tangent that signals a complete lack of engagement with the comment supposedly being replied to. You're compounding it. Whether what you write is true or not, has nothing to do with it being an obnoxious political digression. I made a comment on tradeoffs. Whether anybody is willing to spend money on things that have a positive return for society is changing the subject. The assumption was that we all are.

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arcticbull 6y ago
I'm genuinely not sure why you think it's insulting and anti-American to suggest American governments don't prioritize spending on public transit, when the numbers bear that out. It's an observation, not an attack. It's viewed as a welfare program, a lifeline for those who can't afford to own cars. American's don't really like public transit - in part because of this perception. That's not a value judgement. [1] Governments invest in things people like and care about and are popular - that's one way to get elected, after all. Am I wrong? Do Americans actually love public transit, and is the government in fact willing to invest as much as it takes to make the system work right? All the data I've dug up suggests otherwise but if you have some I'm happy to read it. > Whether anybody is willing to spend money on things that have a positive return for society is changing the subject. The assumption was that we all are. Well, not really, narratives and entrenched interests do a good job of convincing people to vote against their own interests. [1] https://www.wired.com/story/transit-center-census-americans-public-transportation/ https://www.wired.com/story/transit-center-census-americans-...
- danjac 6y ago
  That conveniently ignores the fact that public attitudes are not in any way shaped, whether by corporations or politicians. If a leader believes that public transit is in the long term best interest for America, then they can work to change public attitudes. In the same vein, automobile manufacturers will do their best through advertising and lobbying to ensure America's love interest in their private vehicles continues indefinitely without competition from the public sector.
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arcticbull 6y ago

I'm genuinely not sure why you think it's insulting and anti-American to suggest American governments don't prioritize spending on public transit, when the numbers bear that out. It's an observation, not an attack. It's viewed as a welfare program, a lifeline for those who can't afford to own cars. American's don't really like public transit - in part because of this perception. That's not a value judgement. [1] Governments invest in things people like and care about and are popular - that's one way to get elected, after all. Am I wrong? Do Americans actually love public transit, and is the government in fact willing to invest as much as it takes to make the system work right? All the data I've dug up suggests otherwise but if you have some I'm happy to read it. > Whether anybody is willing to spend money on things that have a positive return for society is changing the subject. The assumption was that we all are. Well, not really, narratives and entrenched interests do a good job of convincing people to vote against their own interests. [1] https://www.wired.com/story/transit-center-census-americans-public-transportation/ https://www.wired.com/story/transit-center-census-americans-...

danjac 6y ago
That conveniently ignores the fact that public attitudes are not in any way shaped, whether by corporations or politicians. If a leader believes that public transit is in the long term best interest for America, then they can work to change public attitudes. In the same vein, automobile manufacturers will do their best through advertising and lobbying to ensure America's love interest in their private vehicles continues indefinitely without competition from the public sector.
- deleted 6y ago
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