Comment by sosborn

12 hours ago

There's no practical reason we can't have good public transit AND better cars.

It is a nice bumper sticker slogan but public transportation operates at a loss almost universally.

It is really a problem with liberal democracy. Everyone has different values, everyone thinks their subjective values are the morally correct values and being so everyone should pitch in and help pay for the subjective values because they are morally correct. To not is "immoral".

This circular logic is half the posts on this forum if not talking about software.

  • > "public transportation operates at a loss almost universally."

    So do highways! Nobody makes a profit from a $50,000 crossing or a $250,000 4-way traffic light intersection, or a $1M road resurfacing, or a $100M bypass, or a $1Bn highway on-ramp and rebuilding. (Except when officials grift the public money to their mates' construction companies).

    It really is a problem with capitalist comments that the only things which are acceptable are things which make a profit - except for their personal cars which should be taxpayer subsidised.

Well, besides the big three auto makers buying up all the public transit and decomissioning it.

  • No no the invisible hand of the market will fix it, you see. Car manufactures will become so big and pay so many taxes that we could pave every road with rail.