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I had a recent vacation to Japan where the average person commutes by train instead of car. By your criteria the vast majority of that country wouldn't be clas

I had a recent vacation to Japan where the average person commutes by train instead of car. By your criteria the vast majority of that country wouldn't be classified as a "society". At least in the US, the government is paying vast and unsustainable sums of money to prop up a failing and inefficient form of transportation. That inefficiency was created at a time when the US was the only significant industrial power. We no longer have extra factory capacity from the second world war or armies of returning GIs to work in those factories or buy those products. We now have to compete on the world stage against other economies we're poorly matched to beat. It is time to move on to the 21st century and design our solutions to fit our current capabilities instead of what existed 70 years ago.

geodel 5y ago
So a much smaller land area island nation has citizen living in much closer spaces and using public transport and suddenly a huge continent sized nation with hugely diverse population can live like that. > It is time to move on to the 21st century and design our solutions to fit our current capabilities I am not sure single opinion would have clear idea of what is 21st century capabilities.
briHass 5y ago
> At least in the US, the government is paying vast and unsustainable sums of money to prop up a failing and inefficient form of transportation. Even though that is clearly an opinion-based statement, it's objectively wrong. The vast majority (3/4) of highway/road spending is done by state and local governments, not Federal. For the states/local governments, the amount is usually about 6% of all spending. About double that of police, and 2/3rds of hospitals and higher ed. It's not like roads don't also serve commerce. Even with robust rail infrastructure, that last-mile would require roads. 6% of the budget for something that benefits every single member of society in immeasurable ways seems like a pretty good deal to me. https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/highway-and-road-expenditures https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiative...
- Kranar 5y ago
  Where do you believe OP mentioned anything exclusive about the federal government?
  - briHass 5y ago
    I didn't assume that, but I was pointing out that even for the smaller governments (who do pick up most of the tab), it's not a vast nor an unsustainable amount. If anything, the fact that the Federal gov isn't a big part of the picture shows just how (relatively) minor the cost is. State, and particularly local, governments can't print the funds they need out of thin air.

geodel 5y ago

So a much smaller land area island nation has citizen living in much closer spaces and using public transport and suddenly a huge continent sized nation with hugely diverse population can live like that. > It is time to move on to the 21st century and design our solutions to fit our current capabilities I am not sure single opinion would have clear idea of what is 21st century capabilities.

briHass 5y ago

> At least in the US, the government is paying vast and unsustainable sums of money to prop up a failing and inefficient form of transportation. Even though that is clearly an opinion-based statement, it's objectively wrong. The vast majority (3/4) of highway/road spending is done by state and local governments, not Federal. For the states/local governments, the amount is usually about 6% of all spending. About double that of police, and 2/3rds of hospitals and higher ed. It's not like roads don't also serve commerce. Even with robust rail infrastructure, that last-mile would require roads. 6% of the budget for something that benefits every single member of society in immeasurable ways seems like a pretty good deal to me. https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/highway-and-road-expenditures https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiative...

Kranar 5y ago
Where do you believe OP mentioned anything exclusive about the federal government?
- briHass 5y ago
  I didn't assume that, but I was pointing out that even for the smaller governments (who do pick up most of the tab), it's not a vast nor an unsustainable amount. If anything, the fact that the Federal gov isn't a big part of the picture shows just how (relatively) minor the cost is. State, and particularly local, governments can't print the funds they need out of thin air.