Biden starts infrastructure bet with US far behind China

[beijingwalker]

Opinions are like a55 holes. Everyone has one. USA will upgrade its infrastructure as it needs to, no more and no less easy or not (not impossible ). China will do the same.

US used to have the world best infrastructure and now is falling behind, most Americans think the crumpling US infrastructure needs a massive revamp and even Biden believes so, please don't try to deny the obvious.

 

[VCheng]

US used to have the world best infrastructure and now is falling behind, most Americans think the crumpling US infrastructure needs a massive revamp and even Biden believes so, please don't deny the obvious.

What is obvious is that you cannot deviate from your given script.

Please carry on!

 

[beijingwalker]

What is obvious is that you cannot deviate from your given script.

Please carry on!

What is my given script?

 

[nang2]

Nothing's going to fucking happen. Let's not kid ourselves. Even if Biden pulled off a miracle, at most he'd only be able to build 10% of the advanced infrastructure China has. And Biden is not going to pull it off.

Biden is more likely going to pull something else off instead, such as more of his political friends getting lucrative government contracts on these infrastructure projects. It is impossible for democratic countries with polarized political spectrum to successfully manage any long-term projects. Politicians know that so they focus on short-term gain instead.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I have watched a lot of passenger railways documentary in the US. The line New York - Toronto (550 km) have an average speed of less than 50km/h (almost 13 hours)

There are still a lot of Amtrak trains, but the speed is pathetic.

People are not understanding that Americans look at trains as old technology. You may as well be saying we should upgrade our horses. You aren't going to get people back on horses no matter how pretty they are or how super fast they can run these days.

We had train lines as the main way to shuffle people all over the country for over 100 years (1840's-mid 1950's). Tons of stories and movies about train happenings. Our trains were nice even 70 years ago...and they weren't crawling around at only 50km/h. So it's not like we have had no experience with trains and don't what we are missing.

This is from 1951. Just a few years before plane travel took over.

But with the advent of cars and airplanes they fell out of favor (just like horses). The train tracks were ripped out and turned into auto highways or recreational paths...and not many people were crying about their loss (nor about the loss of horses). They had their heyday in our past and now we have simply moved on. It's great to hear that trains are still highly loved in places like Asia. I doubt however you'll be like us and rely on them heavily for 100 years.

Bike path on old train line.

 

[KaiserX]

China may pass the US temporarily but I am afraid that the US will no doubt surpass China due to a simple reason- Immigration Population.

With Chinas population decline, its economy will no doubt be impacted. Sure new infrastructure is great but whats the use if no one is there to build or use it? China will have no choice but to increase its level of foreign immigration dramatically if it wants to become the worlds largest economy.

 

[GumNaam]

and then the democrats and the republicans will get into thier..."size" contests with each other and among themselves for the next 4 years and nothing will get done. democracy doesn't work! it just doesn't work!

 

[VCheng]

It is impossible for democratic countries with polarized political spectrum to successfully manage any long-term projects.

Yeah, that is why democracies like USA have never been able to complete any long term projects successfully. The helicopter flying around on Mars was probably made by DJI in china, right? ..... ...... Oh, damn .... wait!

Is that why all of the wide body jets flown by Air China have been made in Western democratic countries?

Further, there are NO big civil projects in the Western Hemisphere, right?

 

[nang2]

Yeah, that is why democracies like USA have never been able to complete any long term projects successfully. The helicopter flying around on Mars was probably made by DJI in china, right? ..... ...... Oh, damn .... wait!

Is that why all of the wide body jets flown by Air China have been made in Western democratic countries?

Further, there are NO big civil projects in the Western Hemisphere, right?

Read my words carefully and pay close attention to "polarized political spectrum". Any group of people can successfully manage any long term projects so long as they are united in their goals. Democracy has nothing to do with it. But a democracy without much unity inevitably leads to bickering, which is the primary enemy of long-term projects.

Oh, by the way, wide body jets are created by private companies which happen to be in democratic countries. But the achievement of private companies shouldn't be attributed to democracy, should it? And NASA is probably one of a few areas that has bipartisan support, although not as strong as what it had in space race.

 

[dbc]

Read my words carefully and pay close attention to "polarized political spectrum". Any group of people can successfully manage any long term projects so long as they are united in their goals. Democracy has nothing to do with it. But a democracy without much unity inevitably leads to bickering, which is the primary enemy of long-term projects.

Oh, by the way, wide body jets are created by private companies which happen to be in democratic countries. But the achievement of private companies shouldn't be attributed to democracy, should it? And NASA is probably one of a few areas that has bipartisan support, although not as strong as what it had in space race.

no it's not, how do you think our inter-states or rail roads before it happened- by magic? partisan bickering can be traced back to the origins of our democracy. We haven't splurged on infrastructure because it wasn't a burning issue. China is compelled to build for its very survival, the addiction is so severe it instituted the belt and road initiative. All to keep people employed to fulfill its social contract with her citizens. And by sheer genius also use the belt & road to create a vehicle for the Chinese leaders to take money out of China and shift billions into their overseas nest egg.

 

[nang2]

no it's not, how do you think our inter-states or rail roads before it happened- by magic? partisan bickering can be traced back to the origins of our democracy. We haven't splurged on infrastructure because it wasn't a burning issue. China is compelled to build for its very survival, the addiction is so severe it instituted the belt and road initiative. All to keep people employed to fulfill its social contract with her citizens. And by sheer genius also use the belt & road to create a vehicle for the Chinese leaders to take money out of China and shift billions into their overseas nest egg.

Surely if Americans are united, like what they did in WWII, they will release a tremendous constructive power. However, as the liberty wanes, so will the unity. Unfortunately, all great powers collapse eventually and then new power arises. The trend is certain. The details are not.

 

[FuturePAF]

Come back and tell me when they are being upgraded, it looks exactly the same from the days I lived there many years ago.

If the Biden infrastructure plan passes through congress and it allocates at least part of the $50 Billion proposed by the MTA on its fast forward plan, significant upgrades can be expected. With the funds given so far, they have made some for the following happen:

if they get the money, this is what they want to do (and if it gets approved in NYC, similar upgrades could be applied in other commuter and subway systems around the country)

 

[dbc]

Surely if Americans are united, like what they did in WWII, they will release a tremendous constructive power. However, as the liberty wanes, so will the unity. Unfortunately, all great powers collapse eventually and then new power arises. The trend is certain. The details are not.

you assume there was national unity during WWII .. do me favor and read some history books. National consensus and unity has always been elusive and it is by design. our constitution is written to diffuse power, check factions, balance interests, and prevent tyranny by either the few or the many. Designed not just to prevent tyranny of men but also tyranny of ideas and ideals.
it’s very rare to achieve national consensus it takes an unprecedented act of violence to achieve said consensus. Pearl Harbor and 911 are two examples. The US may decline into irrelevance in the future but I guarantee a China ruled by the CPC isn’t going to replace the US.

 

[nang2]

you assume there was national unity during WWII .. do me favor and read some history books. National consensus and unity has always been elusive and it is by design. our constitution is written to diffuse power, check factions, balance interests, and prevent tyranny by either the few or the many. Designed not just to prevent tyranny of men but also tyranny of ideas and ideals.
it’s very rare to achieve national consensus it takes an unprecedented act of violence to achieve said consensus. Pearl Harbor and 911 are two examples. The US may decline into irrelevance in the future but I guarantee a China ruled by the CPC isn’t going to replace the US.

What if by magic, cpc embraces the idea of liberty that was championed by us founding fathers? Of course it is impossible. But let the imagination fly for a mement. Would it be great to replace us?

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Surely if Americans are united, like what they did in WWII, they will release a tremendous constructive power. However, as the liberty wanes, so will the unity. Unfortunately, all great powers collapse eventually and then new power arises. The trend is certain. The details are not.

Americans are not as disciplined as they were. Just as Russians are not as disciplined as they were. Just as Japanese are not as disciplined as they were. Currently Chinese are the most disciplined.

The US may decline into irrelevance in the future but I guarantee a China ruled by the CPC isn’t going to replace the US.

CPC is irrelevant. Any other party that comes to power in China will make China more imperialistic. If you think PRC is bad, wait till you get a load of ROC.