turrhall, on 03 October 2023 - 11:04 PM, said:
My argument is just that the British isles is large enough to warrant high-speed rail, which Japan proves regardless of ownership. I'm not in favour of HS rail here to kickstart the economy but to provide the average person with access to better intercity travel - you'll maybe argue that this can be done with improving the current network, and fine, I'd be in favour of that too, I'm not completely wedded to HS per se but it seems backwards to me to not invest in the type of rail system that is clearly the future otherwise by the time it's renewed it will already be out of date.
Either way, personally, I would like the entire train system (like all public infrastructure) to be under public ownership but that's just me.
You may prefer not want to live under 'state control' (you do anyway btw, that's the nature of living within a society) but, and I'm absolutely not an expert on China or the Chinese, they do. There's a high satisfaction rate there for how their economy is managed - it has lifted 100s of millions out of poverty in the last century so why wouldn't they be?
Makes me think of the Mark Fisher quote on 'capitalist realism' being "the widespread sense that not only is capitalism the only viable political and economic system, but also that it is now impossible even to imagine a coherent alternative to it." An alternative exists in China. Maybe they like it because they have to? Maybe you like our system because you have to? Who's to say?
I’m actually not in favour of high speed rail. For the sake of a small amount of time in excess I’d rather have a rail service with capacity for people (and most definitely freight), that runs on time and is fair value. £285 for my return to London a week ago!?! So yes for me improve the current network. But HS2 was a marque statement…world leading blah blah , make Britain great again nonsense.
I think improving the network for the average person (your words) would be making the trains run on time to get to Manchester not to take 15 mins off getting to London for an occasional trip. And get the freight off the roads to free up our clogged motorways. Improving the network will cause disruption true but so has hs2.
As for being backwards I think more spend on fast and reliable internet is more futuristic so there’s more virtual meetings than folk jumping on a train for a few hours of meetings.
Though we’re probably very different in politics (but at least debating constructively 😂) I’d have nationalised utilities and transportation. Heavily performance related pay.
Yes I live under state control. We all do. But not one where I’m told how kids I can have, or I can’t protest. Do I like our system? Yes relative to there’s.
China is a massive propaganda machine. Economic and social data is pretty much ignored by investors as it’s inflated, dishonest and corrupt.
Millions have been brought out of poverty…but now live away from their families doing unskilled jobs. Their homelands still in desperate poverty. The disparity in wealth is huge too. From abject poverty to super wealthy.
Their treatment of group like (and not just) Uyghurs is akin to genocide with their reeducation camps and labour reforms. A Chinese scholar recently being sentenced to life for….researching them.
Disgusting regime and one I try my very hardest to avoid supporting commercially.
"Can't change or choose your football club. Sorry son"