My reading of the single mention of tropical algebra in the article wasn't that its use is another example of established European rail superiority -- though I

My reading of the single mention of tropical algebra in the article wasn't that its use is another example of established European rail superiority -- though I think the text is ambiguous. > Worse, this is a nationwide problem. Amtrak can and should fully replace its senior management with people who know how to run a modern intercity railroads, who are not Americans. But then middle management will still think it knows better and refuse to learn what a tropical algebra is or how it is significant for rail schedule planning. They do not know how to learn, and they do not recognize that it’s a problem. This percolates down to planners and line workers, and I don’t think Americans are ready for a conversation about full workforce replacement at underperforming agencies. Rather the thesis is more like like: - upper management don't know how to learn the major established lessons from Europe (one might call this strategy) - middle management don't know how to learn about new (not yet standard anywhere) refinements that augment the existing system (one might call this tactics) You may be right that it's just an unsupported and false claim, not a hypothetical, and probably if the wind changes direction and I read it again, I'd agree with you on the author's meaning. Nevertheless, I find the "need to learn to learn strategy and tactics" argument plausible.