And add utilities to airlines and highways (see jim’s post). There’s no business case for running electricity, roads, and water into sparsely populated areas, but we do this anyway because there is a value beyond whatever “business case” there is for it.

It’s counterintuitive, but the tracks often aren’t the problem: it’s the electrical wires that supply power to the trains between D.C., NYC, and Harrisburg, which were designed and implemented over 100 years ago now. The old tracks have been replaced nearly in their entirety, but saw plenty of 100+mph speeds…

I understand, but considering the massive success that high speed rail has had outside the U.S. and the success of the Northeast Corridor, which is the closest thing we have in the U.S., a blanket statement like “high speed rail makes no sense” itself does not make sense.

Have you been to Europe or the northeast lately?

The federal fuel tax has been the same since 1993. It’s not worth a whole lot in 2016 dollars, especially considering how much better cars’ fuel economy is now, generally.

To clarify, the Northeast Corridor runs an operating surplus, but does not “make money” when capital costs are considered. No one should let an operating surplus fool them into thinking the Northeast Corridor could be or should be privatized, because a massive amount of money is going to be needed to make sure its…

That’s the point.

I can see the Russian navy recruitment campaign now: “Join the navy, see the world! Tartus! Vietnam! ...Tartus!”

Risk/benefit analysis of “marketing appeal vs. accurate consumer expectations.” Marketing prevailed.

This just in! —Companies regard all Americans as numbskull illiterate cretins put on this earth just to make themselves wealthy because it’s true and they want to avoid crushing liability (in addition to making themselves wealthy, but why the hell else do you start a business?).

Bear in mind that NHTSA investigation isn’t the same a products liability lawsuit. There are definitely different standards and priorities at play.

Or all the mindless “states’ rights” whining over the years could come back to haunt a conservative government when this is presented an overreach of federal authority in the federal courts (see Sketch’s post).

It should have stopped there, but...

Not trying to make a point at all, just trying to clarify what (I think) OP was talking about. Otherwise, yes, there’s no evidence that international trade “balances out,” nor is it relevant in any way in the abstract.

True only in part. Yes, a given car is probably far more expensive in Europe. But when you live in a congested city where it is nearly impossible to park and your car is guaranteed to get beat to hell, a small shitbox may be the only thing you want to drive. This is why you see middle aged men wearing suits driving…

I think this was more in reference to international trade, not wealth distribution between classes.

If anything, it’s the most appropriate and logical, considering you haven’t capitalized anything in your posts. There are only two reasons this could be, and one of them is that your shift key is broken. So...is it?

Is your shift key broken?

I can imagine the follow-up series: “Bolt or Screw?...With James May”

If you’re on the roads surrounding Stinson Beach, CA, as the nav in the photo suggests, you should neither be using Autopilot nor be driving below the speed limit.