We do not have a central planned economy and support free markets. Individuals are free to express themselves in speech, art, career choice, and every other aspect of liberty.
A Socialist or Communist State controls every aspect of the economy and individual freedoms. There is no freedom of capital or expression and no property rights either. It is NOT social programs that are democratically voted in and can be voted out.
Social programs vary between countries. We happen to have a pretty good social safety net. People are not ground into powder because they are poorer. We have a universal health care system in which the government administers and pays for darn near everything but it varies from province to province. It is paid for in taxes, mostly corporate and payroll. Social programs like health care, police, roads and welfare do not make a country socialist. These are voted in democratically.
We have a population of 37 Million, in the second largest country in the world connecting 3 oceans and 40% of the worlds known resources in metals, oil and gas, timber, water, so it is relatively easy and quite affordable to be generous. Our taxes are higher than yours, especially on payroll. California and New York are there though, pretty darn high.
Not so easy to do something like 'free' and universal Healthcare in the USA with a population almost 10x Canada's size.
Grey Cup Day across the land. The 107th final for Canadian Football League supremacy. It's akin to the USA's SuperBowl. Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams have droughts dating from '99 and '90 so someone's long wait will end.
Sales is what brings in the new opportunities and money. Look at the business growth that has happened when shortlines take over supposedly hopeless lines from the class 1s. Example: Blue Mountain and Reading.
Trapac Container Terminal is one of the most automated terminals in the Port Of Los Angeles that provides much intermodal freight. About 1/4 a mile away is a team track operated by the local shortline. It is always busy with boxcars and flat cars.
My point is there is plenty of business in the carload segments. If shortlines and regionals can make team tracks be profitable then surely the Class 1s can.
The only problem is that over the last 40 years the management of the class 1s has largely abandoned the entire concept of servicing the smaller customers.
The National Socialists still had ownership of companies - they were very tightly controlled and integrated with the state and it was better for the owners (or else) if they were in the party. The means of production were still privately owned but tightly controlled by the state and integrated with the state - Krupp, Messerschmidt, Henschel as examples.
In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics the state owned all means of production. It eventually collapsed on itself.
China used to be like the USSR in that regard, owning all means of production. But now it appears to have moved to allow tightly controlled ownership of companies with integration with the state similar to the National Socialists in Germany.
Either way, when one cuts to the chase it does not look like freedom (where the government serves the individual instead of the individual being subservient to the government) is something they are intending on exporting to Hong Kong.
JoeBlowSales is what brings in the new opportunities and money. Look at the business growth that has happened when shortlines take over supposedly hopeless lines from the class 1s. Example: Blue Mountain and Reading.
We have Nebraska Central Railroad which operates on about 350 miles of old UP and BNSF tracks. It is owned by Rio Grande Pacific, which operates several other shortlines.
It serves some small industries and some ethanol plants, but it also hits a lot of grain elevators in the small towns. It is a lifeline for these small towns and the farmers. It also is profitable.
Evidently they are able to make a profit serving these small towns, while UP and BNSF either couldn't, or didn't want to bother.
York1 John
York1 JoeBlow Sales is what brings in the new opportunities and money. Look at the business growth that has happened when shortlines take over supposedly hopeless lines from the class 1s. Example: Blue Mountain and Reading. We have Nebraska Central Railroad which operates on about 350 miles of old UP and BNSF tracks. It is owned by Rio Grande Pacific, which operates several other shortlines. It serves some small industries and some ethanol plants, but it also hits a lot of grain elevators in the small towns. It is a lifeline for these small towns and the farmers. It also is profitable. Evidently they are able to make a profit serving these small towns, while UP and BNSF either couldn't, or didn't want to bother.
JoeBlow Sales is what brings in the new opportunities and money. Look at the business growth that has happened when shortlines take over supposedly hopeless lines from the class 1s. Example: Blue Mountain and Reading.
Do you if they are union? The contract? Wage scale?
Miningman We do not have a central planned economy and support free markets. Individuals are free to express themselves in speech, art, career choice, and every other aspect of liberty. A Socialist or Communist State controls every aspect of the economy and individual freedoms. There is no freedom of capital or expression and no property rights either. It is NOT social programs that are democratically voted in and can be voted out. Social programs vary between countries. We happen to have a pretty good social safety net. People are not ground into powder because they are poorer. We have a universal health care system in which the government administers and pays for darn near everything but it varies from province to province. It is paid for in taxes, mostly corporate and payroll. Social programs like health care, police, roads and welfare do not make a country socialist. These are voted in democratically. We have a population of 37 Million, in the second largest country in the world connecting 3 oceans and 40% of the worlds known resources in metals, oil and gas, timber, water, so it is relatively easy and quite affordable to be generous. Our taxes are higher than yours, especially on payroll. California and New York are there though, pretty darn high. Not so easy to do something like 'free' and universal Healthcare in the USA with a population almost 10x Canada's size. Grey Cup Day across the land. The 107th final for Canadian Football League supremacy. It's akin to the USA's SuperBowl. Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams have droughts dating from '99 and '90 so someone's long wait will end.
You realize that Medicare and Social Security in the States were/are labeled as "socialism"? Of course both concepts originated under Bismarck in Imperial Germany, hardly a communist or socialist state.
Private property exists in many socialist and communist countries. Ditto with capital. Freedoms of expression are strong in Europe, where most nations have democratic socialist institutions, if not governments, which are democratically elected.
The railroad that operates the team track is Pacific Harbor Lines and they are union. They also service Trapac along with BNSF and UP.
BaltACD Convicted One Miningman Socialism and Communism REQUIRE an iron fist in order to function. I consider Canada more socialist than the USA, please describe the iron fist of Canada I view what we are seeing in China, these days, is Iron Fisted Capitalism, with governmental assistance in attacking foreign markets and the govenment getting a return on the 'assistance'.
Convicted One Miningman Socialism and Communism REQUIRE an iron fist in order to function. I consider Canada more socialist than the USA, please describe the iron fist of Canada
Miningman Socialism and Communism REQUIRE an iron fist in order to function.
Socialism and Communism REQUIRE an iron fist in order to function.
I consider Canada more socialist than the USA, please describe the iron fist of Canada
I view what we are seeing in China, these days, is Iron Fisted Capitalism, with governmental assistance in attacking foreign markets and the govenment getting a return on the 'assistance'.
I think it's recognizing that the Chinese Communist Party uses the "free market" for the sole purpose of ensuring the continued existence of the Party. Xi has said the aim is to bring moderate prosperity to the Chinese populace to preserve Party control. They are all about the term "collectivism". We are about the term "individualism" in its best, beneficial sense. Those terms are mutually exclusive. Are you familiar with the game, GO? We need to understand that game.
The C1's don't want to bother with switching the one's and two's they want high volume lanes with minimal car handling. That's why it best going forward the shortlines become agents of the carload network by: Marketing, Handling Information/Paperwork, and Switching for the C1's where it makes sense.. I would even go as far to say Shortlines should look at purchasing/leasing larger quantities of: Boxcars, Hoppers, etc.. We have a imminent Boxcar problem on the horizon..
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