# High speed rail ... how well will it fly?//Obama unveils high-speed rail plan **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 16, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-rail-how-well-will-it-fly-obama-unveils-high-speed-rail-plan/493347 "2009-04-16T22:33:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-rail-how-well-will-it-fly-obama-unveils-high-speed-rail-plan/493347/161 "2009-04-23T15:06:42Z")
> [@furt](#): > > I do notice that ad hominems are often the resort of people who don’t have an argument. > > I think HSR is likely to prove a wasteful boondoggle, for all the reasons already given in this thread. And I’m an English professor. FWIW, I have no connection with the auto industry, oil industry, etc. and I’m pretty skeptical about high speed rail. However, it might be worth a shot on the Boston to Washington corridor. The obvious place to start is by putting a link between New York and Philadelphia. If you can get by all the NIMBYs in New Jersey, that is. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-rail-how-well-will-it-fly-obama-unveils-high-speed-rail-plan/493347/162 "2009-04-24T00:05:59Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > People always tend to give away the fact that the arguments they offer against any given proposal aren’t their true more self directed motives by using the “Lawnmower argument”. > > I’ve given you your Lawnmower back already. > And anyway you said that I could borrow it for as long as I liked… > And anyway you never leant it to me … > And anyway I never wanted your stupid lawnmower… > And anyway it was broken when you leant it to me… > It would be so refreshing for people to stand up and admit that they work for the auto industry/road delivery/oil industry etc. then subject us all to the tired old,not very convincing chestnuts such as … > High speed rail travel would be a non starter because… > The infra structure would be too expensive… > And anyway there would be no demand for it … > And anyway it would be a security risk … > And anyway we’ve never done it before… > And anyway I like driving my car long distances or enjoy all the fun of airport security/check in etc. > And anyway it wouldn’t be as fast as a jet plane… > And anyway I dont like change… > And anyway it would put too much power into the hands of (Insert personal bugbear of choice here)… > And anyway I’m in a right wing anti government militia… [Sounds familiar . . .](http://images.salon.com/comics/boll/2006/06/08/boll/story.gif) ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-rail-how-well-will-it-fly-obama-unveils-high-speed-rail-plan/493347/163 "2009-04-24T09:55:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Sounds familiar . . .](http://images.salon.com/comics/boll/2006/06/08/boll/story.gif) :shrug: It’s possible that proponents of high speed rail have multiple hurdles to overcome to make their case, e.g. that high speed rail is reasonable in terms of cost; that it’s reasonable in terms of speed; that it’s reasonable in terms of convenience; that the benefits to society outweigh the costs of implementing it; and that political compromises will not excessively undermine the above. It doesn’t seem outrageous to me that a person should be skeptical on more than one of the above points. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-rail-how-well-will-it-fly-obama-unveils-high-speed-rail-plan/493347/164 "2009-04-24T12:41:09Z")
And as long as we’re throwing ad hominems around, I will guess that a lot of support for high speed rail comes from swipples who hate the way that much of the middle class uses cars to insulate themselves from the lower classes. ETA: Not that it really matters . . . what matters is the strength of the case for high speed rail, inedependent of the motivations of those who support it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-rail-how-well-will-it-fly-obama-unveils-high-speed-rail-plan/493347.md?page=8)