1) the USA is bigger than all of EU geographically. Seattle to Miami is about the same distance as London to Tel Aviv Israel.
2) Population Density. The US has huge swaths that are less dense. Between LA and SF, is basically farmland with some cities here and there. The HSR is being built right in that corredor and this is the BEST we have so far ... no trains.
3) Unions. The whole project was largely created as a make work program for Unions at prevailing wage. Which feeds the (D) party coffers exclusively.
4) Democrats. Democrats run the state. They can't blame R for anything. But they do anyways.

We have "high speed rail". They are called Airplanes. For the cost of the HSR project, California could buy every man/woman/child at least 10 Round Trip flights between any two CA airports. This does not include the cost of the train tickets, which are largely expected to exceed plane tickets for the same trip.

Unfortunately, trains have some sort of emotional capture with a group of people who don't care about such things like costs, because they are covered by taxpayers.

I can almost guarantee that the cost of this will spiral out of control and take way longer to complete than they are telling you right now.

CA High Speed Rail, was supposed to be done by now, it doesn't have a single working section, and has already ballooned its expenses. But here we are, throwing good money after bad, instead of cutting it off.

it wasn't politics as you said, it was a legal status. The politics was fought in DC, by elected representatives. A lot of stupid laws in place, compliance isn't politics, it is survival.

The reason it is alive today, isn't in spite of itself. It is alive because it is exactly what it has ALWAYS been.

Functions exactly as it should.
Hasn't chased bigger metrics.
Hasn't deviated from core goals/values.
Provides service as advertised (pun intended).
Stayed out of politics.

The perfect role model for business longevity.

Just don't F it up by going AI.

It's sarcasm.

It is literally every talking point that beats around the bush about why kids aren't learning.

They aren't learning because we're spending more time fixing everything BUT why they aren't learning.

What we need is more social programs. We need more anti whatever training because kids are disproportionally affected by something or another. The overweight kids need more food because obviously they are starving or something. And also, more after school programs and later start times for schools because reasons. For all this, we need more administration and testing for our students so that we can know more about what they aren't learning in pretty reports and stuff. And tech, we need more distracting tech because they don't get enough with their phones.

And taxes, we need to pay more because all these programs aren't free.

Maybe THEN we'll tackle illiteracy.

*I'm in IT for Education. Schools aren't teaching kids because the schools are distracted by everything but educating kids. Oh, they'll claim they are "trying". My dad used to say "Trying is a noisy way of doing nothing".

The system will be dead in less than 5 years. Samsung will change the terms of service and you will be left holding an empty bag having bought a pig in a poke. Not even a pig one can put lipstick on.

And Louis Rossmann will have to make yet another video about how wrong it all is.

It is almost like nobody pays attention.

Boomer here, get off my lawn. Yes, I've become the greybeard I used to make fun of 40 years ago.

It was meddling by both D and R in our economy, both were scared of invisible boogiemen of "something bad might happen".

Fear is a great motivator. Courage is standing in the face of danger understanding the risks might be worse doing nothing than doing something. This is a calculated risk and ought to be rewarded in the marketplace if it is correct.

Conglomerates are neither good nor bad in and of themselves. The good is they offer efficiencies in the marketplace. The bad is they take advantage of those efficiencies and often get "too big to fail" (a lie).

People guessing who have no stake in the market are making bad choices, because of other reasons. Both D and R do this. I call it the "There ought to be a law" reactions. Nobody stops long enough to say "no there shouldn't be".

Do Two parent families vs single parent families.

Making it in this world is about making good choices consistently. Constantly telling people the world is stacked against them (it's true, but for almost everyone) and that trying is a waste (it isn't) is a huge mistake. Citing your skin color for success or failure is simply a crutch.

Do 4 things, consistently leads to above average outcomes, on average because most people can't do those four things. Life does not have guarantees but it does reward good choices over time.

See Poker (and not sports betting) for example. Also, Poker doesn't care what color your skin is.

You'd be amazed at how little effect firing execs actually has over the option of firing a bunch of low level worker bees .

Fire 1 exec for 12 Million salary
OR
Layoff 250 worker bees and save 25 million in salary expenses .

Nobody cares about workers at the level where these decisions are made.

Filed Under: "One is a tragedy, a million is a statistic" - Stalin (allegedly)

"even one time"

Unless you never use a password, in which case, you log in via all the other available options BUT password. You don't notice it missing. Passwords are so 1980s, get with the program.

I don't use biometrics because .. lets just say they are their own version of compromised. You cannot be compelled to give up your Password (legally) (hammer method is still valid) but a fingerprint, face ID etc that doesn't require you to speak can be compelled. I have no idea why people think it is "more secure" to use biometrics.

How does one discern the difference between someone hurling an epithet randomly based on topical knowledge versus someone wanting to discuss actual Nazi doctrine from 1930s?

How much influence do you think FDR had on Nazi politics before the bad stuff started? Most Americans have no clue how closely FDR aligned with Adolf before it went sideways.

Calling everyone a Nazi doesn't work any longer, except in the crowds that don't care about diminishing the horrors of 1930's Germany. But you don't care about history, so you hurl epithets all around hoping something sticks.

See: Boy who cried wolf parable.

You are correct. In your uninformed opinion those are reasonable assumptions. You don't know, you assume. What is clear or obvious from someone who has NEVER met me, isn't so clear if you have.

I've been addicted to drugs, had to dumpster dive, even sleeping in a park.

Meanwhile, the poor today have all their needs met, if they can manage a few simple steps. They can even have servants bring them food at all hours from a cornucopia of cuisines from around the world. In minutes.

Let me put it to you this way, why do people go to the gym? Because their life is easy, they have to "work out". Working out is "struggle" so you don't end up weak.

I have more scars (real and mental) than you can even imagine. What you think you know, is your own problem, not mine. I don't judge you, except for your stated biases. You're a bigot, you just don't know it.

"Universe 25 was a 1960s-70s experiment by John B. Calhoun that created a "mouse utopia" with ample food, water, and nesting sites, but no predators or disease. The experiment demonstrated how an overpopulation of mice, despite a lack of material scarcity, led to a social breakdown known as the "behavioral sink". This collapse included social withdrawal, aggression, a breakdown of parental care, and a cessation of reproduction, ultimately leading to the colony's extinction." -GoogleAI created summary.

We don't want to admit it, but we're so successful and wealthy that we cannot see the value of struggle.

Or, if you want the Space version, WALL-E fat lazy human civilization.

The problem is, removing resistance makes us weaker not stronger.