I rode on a bullet train in Japan that went about 160 miles an hour. It was a lovely ride, on a very clean train, going through beautiful countryside. I saw solar water heaters on roofs everywhere
That was 40 years ago, in 1969. Now, Japan has even better bullet trains, and so does most of Europe and various other countries.
In the USA, we don't have bullet trains. We rely on planes to get somewhere fast. Expensive, vulnerable, polluting planes.
We could get on a train in San Francisco, and get off in New York the next day, rested.
Of course we won't this year. Probably not next year either. Why?
The price of the present wars that we're involved in, is, as I understand it, approaching $1 trillion. That's enough to pay for health care, rebuild the nation's infrastructure, help homeless veterans get off the street and so many other things that would turn this into a better country. As I am a veteran, I don't like the way we treat people who have put their lives on the line to support the military-industrial-corporate complex.
Instead, we seem to be moving backwards; we're seeing increasing poverty, dying industries, and a few people getting paid astronomical sums for doing I'm not sure exactly what. Our infrastructure sucks, our social support system is either a comedy or a nightmare, education seems to be a precious commodity, and nourishing food is a luxury.
For what? For bringing so-called "democracy" to some countries that don't really want our style of democracy? Come on. We all know better. There are certain industries in the United States that aren't suffering, and those are the ones making weapons. We can't make a really good $10,000 car, but we can make a really good million dollar tank. We rescue GM, we rescue the banking industry, but we can't get it together to rescue good people who've fallen on hard times.
After I got out of the Army, back in the 60's, I became a hippie. I believe that the ideals that were born in me at that time, of peace, love, and prosperity for all are still excellent. I'm proud to be a hippie, even though I may not really look like one. But my heart is still there, and I still march in the street against war, and I still wear a peace symbol, and I'm proud of it.
But it's not just a question of having a good heart; you start adding the billions and trillions, and you quickly realize that war sucks for many reasons, including that you're getting practically no result for all that money, and all that pain; and you eventually leave the country you're trying to "democratize", just as we left Vietnam, and just as we will leave Iraq and Afghanistan.
Oh, sorry, did I touch a nerve? If I did, you just haven't learned the real meaning of Afghanistan for the Russians or the real meaning of Vietnam for Americans.
Merciful God, make the numbers appear clearly. Make the numbers of people who have been maimed, and who have died on ALL sides, and the amount of money that has been wasted finally be understood. And may the people of the United States finally get motivated enough that they will not stand for this murderous, useless waste any more.
Then, perhaps, we'll have bullet trains. And a good health care system. And all the other GOOD things that other countries have.