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[quote user="Paul Milenkovic"] [quote]Yes, I am embarrassed that the rest of the world is leaving us behind in trains, cars, electronics, cameras, medicine, etc.  We used to be the leading edge, now we have become the caboose. We do, however, have the most sophisticated weapons.  I wonder what that says about us?[/quote] I teach at a university, and from my vantage point, I don't know anything we do here from cancer research to combustion in Diesel engines that is not leading edge.  We even have an EV-1 on the engineering campus, donated by GM to further our program in advanced hybrid vehicles -- the picture of me standing next to one didn't upload as part of my "signature" for some reason. And judging from the many races of people I see each and every day, some speaking languages I recognize, others speaking languages I don't even know what they are, I see the rest of the world coming here to be at that leading edge. What does it say that we have the most sophisticated weapons?  That was certainly not the case just prior to WW-II, and many brave Americans paid with their lives at Pearl Harbor and in the Phillipines for that.  Why do we have the most sophisticated weapons now?  Part of it was after reaping the fruits of isolationism, naive reliance on diplomatic agreements, and of a peace dividend where military preparedness was reduced, we vowed never again.  The other part of it was that a certain Central European nation embraced a kind of racist vision and vented its frustrations against a certain ethno-religious minority.  Many of them with the education and job skills that allowed them to leave did just that.  Long before that racist vision turned to wanton killing, many could see what was going to happen.  And they came here.  And they helped give us the world's first atom bomb.  And the world's first hydrogen bomb.  And many other technical advances, both military and non-military in nature.  And if it were not for these events outside our borders, America might still be an agricultural backwater, a sort of fly-over continent, where the nations leading in engineering and scientific discovery were France and Germany. As to the fears that we are becoming like that certain Central European tyranny, my parents lived under the heels of that tyranny as conquered peoples and knew what the real deal was.  I also don't see anyone leaving here in haste, and I see a lot of people trying to get in, many of whom we are treating badly for their efforts. What does it say about us that we have the most sophisticated weapons?  Being of immigrant refugee heritage myself, it says that America is still a land of freedom and a refuge to people cast off from distant shores.  When a military tyranny rises up, the people who have the smarts to engineer the best weapons make their way over here. What does it say about us that our car industry is struggling?  The Wall Street Journal reports that the car companies in Germany are also in financial trouble.  But there is a portion of the US auto industry that is still doing OK, but it goes under names like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.  Not only do they have assembly plants in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and other places, but many of the car designs come from studios in California.  The names are East Asian, but these car companies are multi-national. What does it say about us that we lack HSR?  Both here in the US and in Europe, most passenger miles take place in private automobiles (90 percent vs 80 percent).  Here in the US, the remainder of passenger miles not in an auto take place by air (about 10 percent) with a smattering of bus (less than 1 percent) with a frisson of Amtrak (.1 percent).  In Europe, the non-auto share of passenger miles (20 percent) is pretty evenly split between air, train, bus, and ferry boat (roughly 5 percent share each).  The largest growth has taken place in their domestic airlines with a slight decline in train travel overall in percentage terms. Are you embarassed because the US is behind Europe in ferry boats?  Are you embarassed because the US lags Europe in patronage of intercity bus (I believe that the motor coaches buses used here are European designs if not outright imports)? I take it that trains are the things you are most worried about.  Passenger trains may yet get to play a major role moving people in the US as our population grows as more people in the world move here (projected to to reach a half a billion within our lifetimes, largely driven by immigration).  As advocates, I think we can move in that direction a bit more quickly if we adopt a more positive attitude. [/quote] I don't always agree with Milenkovic's views on passenger rail issues, but I respect them.  He always presents logical and well support arguments for his point of view.  This argument is a good example.  If everyone posting to Trains' Forums followed suit, the level of discourse would be enhanced immeasurably.
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