Military版 - The politics of China’s high-speed train wreck |
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r******3
发帖数: 50 | 1 Some readers' comments for the article "The politics of China’s high-speed
train wreck" from Washington Post. link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-politics-of-chinas-high-speed-train-wreck/2011/07/27/gIQAGedXdI_allComments.html?ctab=all_&#comments
alance
Our skies are already crowded enough - plus there are airport TSA hassles
and the time getting to the airport. High speed rail makes sense in places
like the NE, Florida, Texas and California. The Chinese have an excellent
system that had an accident, caused in part by greed of some officials -
something unknown, of course in the USA. The space shuttle had its share of
accidents, too. It looks like we prefer foreign wars to improving our
infrastructure and creating employment.
7/27/2011 9:29:41 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 14 readersReplyReport
Nemo24601
It only makes sense if there are ample transportation options on the other
end of the line, getting you to your ultimate destination quickly and
efficiently. Where in Florida, Texas, or California do you have that? No?
Expect big garages and car rental places, then.
Today 7/28/2011 4:14:24 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 1 readerReport
ricardo52
Most airports are several miles and a slow (during rush hour) expensive taxi
ride from the city and they devote (waste) countless acres of land to
parking lots. Few of them have mass transit service to the city. In more
advanced countries than the US the main train stations are in the center of
the city with plenty of commuter trains, buses, and taxis available. Car
culture won't last much longer. It doesn't make sense for every individual
to burn enough fuel (oil, coal or nuclear) to move 2-3 tons of steel just to
move a 150 lb. person from point A to point B. And flying is no more fuel-
efficient than driving.
Today 7/28/2011 4:49:49 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 2 readersReport
2 more (expand)
JessenBow
Premier Wen have confirmed that the investigation will be progressed
transparently,and he has showed his great sympathy and condolences to the
victims and their families despite his sick body in the hot sunshine.China
is forging ahead with some inevitable pains,which has in turn stimulated
much more brilliant invention on their unique government system under the
long-history Chinese Civilization.
Today 7/28/2011 6:36:52 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 1 readerReport
The_New_Deal
Instead of bashing HSR the US should be trying to build a bigger and better
HSR than the Chinese. A project like this has the potential to put millions
of hard working Americans back to work not mention generate business around
the HSR once it is already built. Accidents happen- like the bridge
collapsing in Minnesota- that doesn't mean progress should come to a halt.
This article is full of sanctimony and his hardly written from an objective
perspective.
Today 7/28/2011 6:22:50 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 12 readersReplyReport
TaylorCoursey
Yeah, what's with the needless bashing of High Speed Rail (HSR). The problem
is single party, non-democratic, pseudo-communist-capitalism without a free
press. HSR is a great idea actually advanced nations like France and Japan
have been doing it successfully for years. The question is why are we no
longer an advanced nation. Is our new mantra if the Chinese can't do it then
there's no way we could?
Today 7/28/2011 6:46:20 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 2 readersReport
argumentative
But what if we had HSR that could move even faster than any existing bullet
train? I'm speaking of HSR that would not interfer with our existing, and
highly efficient freight rail system, and which is not ancored to decaying
urban city centers where its core ridership no longer lives. The HSR I'm
envisioning would utilize existing infastructure, have zero physical impact
on the property over which it traveled and thus would not require costly
protracted zoning battles. This HSR of the future would not be dependent for
funding on massive, boondoggle-laden Congressional funding initiatives and
thus would not result in the creation of superfluous lines added only the
secure the neccessary public funding. Maybe one day, improvements in this
new "aircraft" technology will make my vision a reality -but then I'm just a
dreamer.
Today 7/28/2011 7:01:25 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 2 readersReport
6 more (expand)
The_New_Deal
There is an average of 40,000 vehicular deaths per year in the US- only 35
people were killed in this particular train collision.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables...
Today 7/28/2011 7:41:34 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 1 readerReport
1234xyz
Yes, "Proof that the program is no model for the U.S." So don't. Use the
Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Taiwanese or other HSR as examples or
models.
Using corrupt communist Chinese models for anything is rather foolish.
7/27/2011 6:06:46 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 9 readersReplyReport
taonima2000
Good thing we had fail safes working on the metro two years ago, otherwise
one train would have run up the back of the other one, killing 6 people. Oh
wait, that did happen. What a stupid piece of **** editorial.
7/27/2011 7:11:21 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 8 readersReplyReport
markie_de_sade
As the trains go, so does the government? Come on, people, get a grip.
Believe me, I am no fan of the Chinese leadership but divining the
government's nature from a train wreck is an overly simplistic assessment
and a ludicrous leap.
7/27/2011 5:21:08 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 8 readersReplyReport
muppeteer
Was this article "Made in China"?
Pretty shoddy reasoning on display.
A bridge collapsed in MN recently. That shouldn't have happened! Where were
the fail safes?
DC Metro had a big one recently as well, Where were the fail safes there?
How about that lady killed by the falling masonry up in Boston, They had to
redo a whole bunch of it. Fail safes?
Seriously, for a supposedly "Premiere" paper, sometimes I wonder what the
folks at the Post are smoking. Don't y'all have some critical thinkers down
there to slap you around when you propose this kind of thing? Any kind of
proof readers? Bueller? Bueller?
7/27/2011 6:08:32 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 7 readersReplyReport
RSweeney1
Perhaps China can import some real talent from California's high speed rail
project.
They have spend decades blowing hundreds of millions in taxpayer money and
have built nothing except an impressive group of Powerpoint slide shows and
animations showing what they would build if they could ever agree to
actually build something acceptable to their NIMBY greenies and their
enablers.
7/27/2011 3:39:01 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 7 readersReplyReport
kenarmy
The author of this article is interweaving two concepts into an inconsistant
pattern. He makes several (obviously) valid points about China's high speed
rail, but then points out how safe the Japanese high speed rail system is.
And I might add the European version (e.g. the French TGV) is jus as safe.
But then the author concludes that a high speed rail system in the U.S.
would be unsafe. Only if it's built to the Chinese model! I took my first
high speed rail trip in France in 1990 (Paris to Tour, about 200 miles in 1
hour). This could hardly be described as untested technology. This is the
way most peoplke travel long distances within Europe; center city to center
city. No need to get to the airport 90 minutes early. No long lines thru
security. The U.S. current model; putting a high speed train on conventional
rails so it can run only slightly faster than a conventional train (at
twice the price); is clearly not viable. The east and west coasts are ideal
places for high speed rail service. Everytime I go to Europe I feel like a
person from undeveloped country entering the modern world.
Today 7/28/2011 6:34:10 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 6 readersReplyReport
privacy5
"Everytime I go to Europe I feel like a person from undeveloped country
entering the modern world."
God so true. I flew out of Munich once. The train there was something out of
the Jetsons. At one stop, the cars separated and the first half the train
went one way, the second half to the airport. I was in awe.
Today 7/28/2011 6:55:05 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 2 readersReport
dave57
Privacy.. In so many ways, the American dream moved to Europe. We spend our
money on the military and war!
Today 7/28/2011 7:38:56 AM PDTRecommendReport
zcezcest1
WaPo misses the point. High speed rail is about moving people and goods. Yes
goods, because it frees up other rail lines.
The fact that the Chinese had poorly designed safety issues is an indictment
on a particular portion of their program. Not surprising that this occurred
.
But ...
it does nothing to change the positive impact this system will have on China
for the next 100 years. These problems will be fixed, as WaPo pointed out,
such basic safety features have been around for a very long time.
7/27/2011 9:45:03 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 5 readersReplyReport
The-Historian
Spot On.
Today 7/28/2011 7:52:23 AM PDTRecommendReport
myvoicetoo
Wow - big news flash- China has corruption, inept officials, and a bludering
communist bureaucracy. Gee, I wonder if they will get mired in pollution,
failed policies, and in incurable urge to catch up at any price, even if
they make things worse in the process.
Now given that the Chinese have problems does not mean we need to go back to
the horse and buggy or accept the corroded system we now have in this
counrty. How about learning form some European or Asian countries that are
doing far better on high speed rail?
What a lame editorial.
7/27/2011 8:03:28 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 5 readersReplyReport
smi2le
So American airplanes are no good because they sometimes crash? This is the
dumbist article I have ever read.
7/27/2011 7:39:34 PM PDTRecommendRecommended by 5 readersReplyReport
cuppajoe
Obviously you didn't comprehend what you were reading.
7/27/2011 8:36:12 PM PDTRecommendReport
trazom56
I think you missed the point of the article. -- massive corruption and basic
safety features not added in a rush for prestige. Many people have argued
that we should adopt a more Chinese way of doing things. Perhaps those
people are wrong.
Today 7/28/2011 7:14:55 AM PDTRecommendReport
privacy5
This is a stupid editorial.
"but also a major blow to the credibility of the communist government"
I'm not that old, but I remember a time when communism didn't have much
credibility, especially here. The only reason they have any 'credibility',
such as it is, is because they've managed to make off with a big chunk of
our economy by bribing (err, I mean lawfully lobbying) our legislators, and
working peasants to death in sweatshops. Hell, put anyone behind the wheel
of a new BMW and suddenly they have 'credibility' I guess.
Go spend a month training around Europe, taking the ICE train overnight from
one capital to another. Take rail from Vienna to Munich or from Hamburg to
Milan and then come back and tell us how bad trains are.
What is your alternative, sitting stopped in rush hour traffic the way
American peasants are condemned to do for the rest of their lives?
China quality on everything is crap, we knew that. Try out German quality.
They do trains too, and very well.
Today 7/28/2011 6:20:31 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 4 readersReplyReport
crete
In Germany 2011 ten dead in high-speed rail crash, 2006 23 dead in high-
speed rail crash, in 2000 101 dead in high-speed rail crash. Not bad for a
country with 1/15th the population of China.
Today 7/28/2011 7:43:24 AM PDTRecommendReport
taxpayer2
This certainly does prove the superiority of our free enterprise system and
free competition. Let's see, our trains only run at 60 mph (when they aren't
running at 30 mph. And for sure we have so few you don't have to worry
about them crashing into each other. And even when they do occasionally fall
of the 100 year old tracks or hit at truck at one of our many at-grade
crossings, few people are hurt since so few are riding them. Instead they
are packed one person to a car burning up imported oil and flooding the
world with inflated petro-dollars. Let's give the Chinese credit for at
least trying to be responsible.
Today 7/28/2011 6:01:37 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 4 readersReplyReport
billyrockville
This proves nothing. Once we did have a viable passenger rail system, that
was based on the free enterprise system and free competition, and it didn't
cost the government a dime to operate and actually turned a profit! The
government interstate project killed it. There are two reasons we don't have
high speed rail, no private company in this day in age could ever overcome
the bureaucratic hurtles to build it with out being an extension on the
government and we still have the interstate and air travel. There is no
demand for it at present in this country, and we can't afford to build
another "nice to have" thing.
Today 7/28/2011 6:41:58 AM PDTRecommendReport
The-Historian
Build it and they will use it.
Today 7/28/2011 7:30:01 AM PDTRecommendReport
billyrockville
Build it and we will pay for it......Forever!!!!!!
Today 7/28/2011 8:10:08 AM PDTRecommendReport
Chagasman
You have it all wrong. What is not a model for the United States is China's
one party authoritarian government, its corrupted officials, and its lack of
regulation of business. Unfortunately, the Republicans want exactly that:
Permanent Republican majority, unlimited corruption through unlimited
campaign funding, and government getting out of the way of business so that
it can pollute the environment, ignore dangers in the workplace, and engage
in risky and corrupt business practices without regard for consumers or
their rights.
High speed trains run safely without problems everywhere else in the world
without problems. China's problems are not an excuse to dismiss high speed
rail.
Today 7/28/2011 5:56:50 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 4 readersReplyReport
billyrockville
Seems to me that it is the Democrats that want a one party system. Take off
your blinders, lay off the Kool-Aid, and take a look at the past 6 years.
Our president who just gave a speech last Monday, announced that it was a
shame he couldn't usurp the power of the congress to fix the debt mess to a
cheering crowd. The president was a Democrat, and the crowd was democrat. It
is Democrats who constantly strive to extend the power and reach of
government into every facet of our lives. Just how blind are you?
Today 7/28/2011 6:47:54 AM PDTRecommendReport
tbarksdl
What demon seized control of the Post's editorial offices and wrote this
travesty? A wreck on a high speed rail line proves the whole idea of high
speed rail is wrong? To even bother analyzing this piece of flagrant
propaganda would give it more than it's due. The real wreck here is that of
the once proud Washington Post.
Today 7/28/2011 5:06:38 AM PDTRecommendRecommended by 4 readers |
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