> IIRC large portions of China's high speed rail might be a boondoggle... so not sure that's the best example. I think you need to revisit China's high speed r

> IIRC large portions of China's high speed rail might be a boondoggle... so not sure that's the best example. I think you need to revisit China's high speed rail. There was indeed a fair share of fraud and dubious construction options, but the end result was still the largest and most extensive high speed rail network in the world, and developed in record time. They have working world-class infrastructure, which in case of railway also has a big impact in national cohesion and nation-building. In the meantime, the US barely has conventional railway.