Posted on 10/02/2010 3:04:25 PM PDT by DManA
Chancellor Angela Merkel called for calm Friday after riot police used what critics called "Rambo" tactics to disperse thousands of opponents of a contentious rail project.
[snip]
The seven-billion-euro (9.5-billion-dollar) Stuttgart 21 project aims to make the city and the surrounding region part of a 1,500-kilometre (930-mile), high-speed rail route across the continent.
Opponents say most people are against the project, that it will go massively over budget and will ultimately fail to speed up rail traffic. They say that the money would be better spent on other parts of Germany's rail network.
Locals in the wealthy city of Stuttgart object most of all to parts of their train station, built between the wars by architect Paul Bonatz, being demolished, and to trees, many of which are very old, being cut down.
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Played Army in Germany from ‘71 - ‘74, so things probably have changed...
The trains worked for them, but the distances were much shorter than we have to deal with. Certainly a fifty mile trip to work would be well beyond their comprehension.
So, when my Sp/4 savings allowed, I bought a Volkswagon bus, and went where and when I wanted to go.
Still operate under the same rules.
when I think of train projects, I think of all those creepy Seimens ads for high speed projects here. Don’t know if Seimens has its fingers in this one, but it sure knows how to play political capitalism.
Maybe they should just stick with the roller coasters?
Just as I always thought: trains are evil and trees are good.
This project is a ten-year project...and it upsets probably a quarter of the city’s population because entire neighborhoods will be shut down for six to twelve months at a time.
Where is that train station located?
That’s the one in Stuttgart.
I call it crony capitalism..
yeah, that’s the term I was looking for. Except there’s always the specter of a “reich” over their.
Their rail system is the virtual model for those who propose more rail for this country. The Germans know it, use it and it is very efficient. Their rail maintenance is the best in the world.
Who cares.. We are too spread out to have an effective rail system...
exactly my point in relation to the High Speed Rail (HSR) projects being funded all over this country. Case in point, what will be the next Riderless Express between Orlando and Tampa. Hopefully Scott will continue his lead to victory and as a businessman first, will stop this debacle right in its tracks, no pun intended.
The rail system in Germany is ideal for the small clanish origin villages where keeping a car is more expensive than keeping one in Manhattan. The villages are so small that vitutally anything of need is withing easy walking distance for even the elderly.
Having lived there and being the son of a German immigrant, I know. But I also know as an American (Native Texan) who has lived all over this country and the world as an Army Brat and Veteran as well, It will not work in this country unless they take our cars away. Even if they do, we will come up with another invention to keep our independence from being hearded like cattle.
I know because it is my business as a machine design engineer as people bring new ideas and invention hopes for help.
That’s what I guessed. I was in Stuttgart at their version of Oktoberfest last year. Fun.
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