Jerry Large.
Posted on 12/22/2017 9:41:36 AM PST by MAGA2017
Machines and structures fail sometimes, but the human factor is at the heart of dangers we face time after time, from global warming to traffic collisions. People make mistakes.
The human factor likely played a role in Monday’s fatal Amtrak train derailment near Olympia. There will be a long investigation, but early indications are that the rails and the train functioned as they are supposed to, which leaves questions about the people at the controls.
When something goes wrong, the fault can be with the people who operate equipment, the people who design systems, the people who decide how much to spend on a project and how fast to move, or some combination.
Big systems are full of opportunities for human error, which becomes a larger problem with large public works, on which people are often not willing to spend sufficient time and money.
Most developed countries have those systems in place, but the U.S. rail system has long been neglected. Many other economically strong countries have high-speed rail systems with trains that travel 200 mph, and their systems are far safer.
We don’t have that. We don’t have a lot of things that we could easily have.
Many Americans are too cheap to pay for the kind of transportation system that other places take for granted, or for other public benefits that might raise their taxes without direct benefit to themselves. Shortsightedness is a human failing that Americans have more than our share of.
Congress, for instance, just overhauled taxes in a way that will raise the national debt and force further cuts in government that will hurt most Americans, particularly the young ones who’ll have to deal with the longterm consequences.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
...but socialism fails always.
So they agree with Trump that we need to fund infrastructure - I bet they forgot that tweet.
Well, forgive me, they had eight years of Obama and stimulus to deal with a situation like that. And can someone tell me why after about 75 years of communist rule, Russia and the East Bloc were cesspools as far as the environment was concerned.
The author is a full frontal, out of the closet, statist.
Seattle Times beclowns itself.
Just maybe illegals and welfare bums are sucking up the funds that could be used to promote the public good.
Put down the bong, Jerry!
Yeesh!
“too cheap to pay” Yeah that’s us.
I’m sure the writer hurt himself doing backflips for this waste of good hyperbole.LOL
The author’s Marxist Leader had 8 years to double the debt and ignore the rail system, yet the GOP will get all the blame for this train crash. Right on schedule.
It would help if train engineers knew their routes and paid attention to speed warning signs.
Jerry Large.
I wonder about this. After a few generations now of Affirmative Action and people whose judgement has been affected by drugs, are we witnessing in a lot of endeavors people in positions they just can't or won't do as well as is necessary?
“which leaves questions about the people at the controls.”
I’ve been wondering about that also. Are you hiding the names?
Small-minded Jerry Large.
Only bigger and bigger government with more and more regulations and higher and higher taxes can solve problems...
Did the rag suggest this after Philly...?
“Most developed countries have those systems in place, but the U.S. rail system has long been neglected. Many other economically strong countries have high-speed rail systems with trains that travel 200 mph, and their systems are far safer.”
High speed rail works best for distances of 500-600 miles.
To succeed it has to be faster and easier than using a car and then faster and easier than flying.
That means it is useful in much of Europe and Asia where congestion between urban areas prevails but it’s not very useful in most of the USA where congestion between urban areas is still pretty rare.
LA direct to San Francisco makes sense but not on the loopy route they’re building.
Seattle to Portland makes sense, too. But it has to be actual high speed rail and not just plain old passenger trains running too fast over old freight lines.
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