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Why is the USA unable to complete large public infrastructure projects?
-ARC tunnel in Jersey was canned which would have doubled NJ TRANSIT capacity to NYC reducing traffic.
-Politics in the mid west shunning high speed rail.
-Refusing to raise taxes on gas to fund mass transit and walkable development.
-Roads in terrible shape, traffic ever worsening, sprawl America getting fatter.
All while China doubles their high speed rail in TEN YEARS is it, they already have the largest network.
While Europe and Japan enjoy highly walkable cities with mass transit options.
Again these places turning to renewable energy at a much faster rate.
America is no longer at the edge of innovation, unless it comes to weaponary, we have that. I mean are defense budget is more than all the worlds nations combined. What happened to this place. While Germany and China fight for the fastest mag lev trains, we are fighting inequality in our own borders, racially, economically, socially, ethnically. Fighting people in the third world bent on fundamental religious beliefs that will never die unless we bring the true weapon of education. Why???
Because large infrastructure projects cost money and most Americans are anti tax and don't care for such projects until a catastrophe happens like the Interstate highway that collapsed or the levees in New Orleans that toppled over and flooded the city. You have conservative Congressman who don't even want to subsidize Amtrak! We will see what happens with the high speed rail plans Obama has proposed.
Remember that after the 9/11 attacks the only means of transport were mainly personal cars since all aviation was grounded. We need other viable forms of transportation.
Americans have a very screwed set of priorities.
Because it's not something we prioritize. Simple as that. We could have nice infrastructure and cities just like Europe, but most Americans could care less, or are ignorant to, the merits of such infrastructure.
It's because our system of government is so decentralized.
To get a federal bill for rail, you have to give something to all the states (whether or not rail is viable in those states, like Alaska or Wyoming) because Senate seats are determined by political geography, not population. It's frankly ridiculous that Montana and North Dakota have the same number of votes as Texas and California. You also have state governments competing with (and fighting with) each other. It's significant that most advanced plans for high speed rail are networks entirely in one state (Florida and California). Throw in the county and city governments (and most importantly, suburban governments) and it's impossible to get anything done.
The suburbs are a major problem. They benefit most from existing infrastructure, but the have be most to lose from new infrastructure (in increased congesting, noise, etc.). The first-ring suburbs have the "sweet spot" in terms of environment, lifestyle and convenience, they don't want anything to threaten it, and they have the money to put up huge obstacles.
China is a totalitarian state. They can condemn property with ease and implement a system by fiat. They also have extremely cheap labor, no unions, weak worker protections, etc. European governments, while they don't have the power of China, are much more centralized than in the US.
Too busy wasting money blowing up other people's stuff - and it's socialism!
Amen to the first part of your answer.
As for the second part, conservatives only call it socialism when it comes to spending on things that they don't like or support. Unfortunately, they don't like to spend money on anything associated with mass transit and they certainly don't like spending money on existing or crumbling infrastructure. After all, it's not where THEY live. Okay....off my soap box now.
One other issue is that compared to most countries the US for the most part has a lower population density overall than Europe and Asia. Another is that the trend is to only deal with a problem when it blows up in your face here. That can be said for almost every issue, everyone knows its a problem but refuse to solve it until its at a crisis point.
...the trend is to only deal with a problem when it blows up in your face here. That can be said for almost every issue, everyone knows its a problem but refuse to solve it until its at a crisis point.
+1 for you.
The day we get rail (and other infrastructure improvements) will be the day when 56% of adults are morbidly obese, our bridges have all collapsed into oblivion, numerous blackouts have obliterated the power grid, and gasoline is $44 a gallon.
The American way is to attempt to solve everyone else's problems in the world, and completely ignore our own. That is, of course, until there's a catastrophic failure.
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