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> Should every Chinese and Indian visit Venice, even though it destroys the city little by little? Should we send things as futile as watermelons by plane Who

> Should every Chinese and Indian visit Venice, even though it destroys the city little by little? Should we send things as futile as watermelons by plane Who are you to dictate where Chinese and Indians can and cannot visit or enjoy delicious watermelons? If someone wants to eat a watermelon like a dirty slave that is their business and you are not going to deny them that right. This is pure insanity. China and India are the biggest domestic aircraft markets in the world. The manufacturers literally cannot keep up with the demand. If trains were more effective they would have built them already. If California has taught us anything it's that implementation of high speed rail is a joke. I am appalled at the level of delusion and craziness in these responses, it would take a year to respond to them all. Air travel is not going anywhere and we are not setting society back 100 years on account of dubious climate histrionics. Want to save the environment? Ditch smartphones (future e-waste) and all their useless apps (and resource-sucking infra) we could all live without tomorrow. Turns out we were as effective in moving goods and services and leisure travel in 2008 as we are today. We just couldn't post to social media about how uncomfortable the airplane seat was and how the onboard Wi-Fi sucked.

deleted 1mo ago
[deleted]
fc417fc802 1mo ago
> If trains were more effective Well they're more convenient by virtue of being faster. The well off will inevitably pay for convenience if allowed. > If California has taught us anything it's that implementation of high speed rail is a joke. The only thing California stands as an example of in that regard is political dysfunction. A hypothetical benevolent dictator could have built out high speed rail there on time and on budget. > I am appalled at the level of delusion and craziness in these responses Has it not occurred to you that maybe that's a red flag that perhaps your own views or emotional state are a bit off? > on account of dubious climate histrionics. An empty dismissal of a vague and poorly defined (on your part) concept. How about engaging with a real position instead of name calling a straw man? > Ditch smartphones (future e-waste) And what do you suppose the combined total environmental impact is for those globally compared to other categories?
- fragmede 1mo ago
  Billionaires tried to build a new city with California Forever but got shot down. It's politically dysfunctional to the max!
- xp84 1mo ago
  You’ve got the answer with CAHSR. The only form of government that can build high-speed rail well is one like the CPC: a dictatorship which doesn’t need the consent of the governed. If we put them in charge of CAHSR they would have the job done in a couple years, but we would have to allow them to nationalize every single property in their way, by force if necessary, and cities, towns, unions, etc. would have no right to negotiate with them on any matter. All the problems they’ve had IRL are a result of them not being able to do whatever they want. Honestly I respect China a lot and it’s hard not to respect them when it comes to getting infra projects done, be it roads, trains, or whatever. But it’s not a system that has any overlap with the rights in our Constitution. Even Europeans expect more rights from their governments.
  - andriy_koval 1mo ago
    How US builds new highways in this situations, which are not different from rail in context of land use
    - bluGill 1mo ago
      The US rarely builds new highways anymore though. They expand existing ones a lot, but it is rarely a new build. Where they are built, it's on the edge of town where the entire farm was sold to a developer who specifically reserves some of it because the developers are well aware that people will not buy it in their new subdivision unless there's good roads to get into it.
  - Saline9515 1mo ago
    France has an extensive medium and high-speed rail network and is not an authoritarian state. This is purely an administrative issue. Why do HN believe that there are only two alternatives : the US and China?
Saline9515 1mo ago
Have you considered that the goal in life is not necessarily for societies to maximize dollars in the bank account? Or that pushing the strategy to its limits may be short sighted, and come with massive long term costs and externalies? In the case of Venice, and other places in Europe, the influx of tourists is just too much and displaced local populations, and erodes the infrastructure. And for what? To rush through cities in a week end and take photos on instagram that have millions of duplicates? Alternatively, have you considered improving your city to make it a place worthy of a visit?
ForOldHack 1mo ago
"dubious climate histrionics." See Dr Jamie Abarca, MD et al, to put those claims into a real perspective. Published decades ago.

deleted 1mo ago

[deleted]

fc417fc802 1mo ago

> If trains were more effective Well they're more convenient by virtue of being faster. The well off will inevitably pay for convenience if allowed. > If California has taught us anything it's that implementation of high speed rail is a joke. The only thing California stands as an example of in that regard is political dysfunction. A hypothetical benevolent dictator could have built out high speed rail there on time and on budget. > I am appalled at the level of delusion and craziness in these responses Has it not occurred to you that maybe that's a red flag that perhaps your own views or emotional state are a bit off? > on account of dubious climate histrionics. An empty dismissal of a vague and poorly defined (on your part) concept. How about engaging with a real position instead of name calling a straw man? > Ditch smartphones (future e-waste) And what do you suppose the combined total environmental impact is for those globally compared to other categories?

fragmede 1mo ago
Billionaires tried to build a new city with California Forever but got shot down. It's politically dysfunctional to the max!
xp84 1mo ago
You’ve got the answer with CAHSR. The only form of government that can build high-speed rail well is one like the CPC: a dictatorship which doesn’t need the consent of the governed. If we put them in charge of CAHSR they would have the job done in a couple years, but we would have to allow them to nationalize every single property in their way, by force if necessary, and cities, towns, unions, etc. would have no right to negotiate with them on any matter. All the problems they’ve had IRL are a result of them not being able to do whatever they want. Honestly I respect China a lot and it’s hard not to respect them when it comes to getting infra projects done, be it roads, trains, or whatever. But it’s not a system that has any overlap with the rights in our Constitution. Even Europeans expect more rights from their governments.
- andriy_koval 1mo ago
  How US builds new highways in this situations, which are not different from rail in context of land use
  - bluGill 1mo ago
    The US rarely builds new highways anymore though. They expand existing ones a lot, but it is rarely a new build. Where they are built, it's on the edge of town where the entire farm was sold to a developer who specifically reserves some of it because the developers are well aware that people will not buy it in their new subdivision unless there's good roads to get into it.
- Saline9515 1mo ago
  France has an extensive medium and high-speed rail network and is not an authoritarian state. This is purely an administrative issue. Why do HN believe that there are only two alternatives : the US and China?

Saline9515 1mo ago

Have you considered that the goal in life is not necessarily for societies to maximize dollars in the bank account? Or that pushing the strategy to its limits may be short sighted, and come with massive long term costs and externalies? In the case of Venice, and other places in Europe, the influx of tourists is just too much and displaced local populations, and erodes the infrastructure. And for what? To rush through cities in a week end and take photos on instagram that have millions of duplicates? Alternatively, have you considered improving your city to make it a place worthy of a visit?

ForOldHack 1mo ago

"dubious climate histrionics." See Dr Jamie Abarca, MD et al, to put those claims into a real perspective. Published decades ago.