No Socialist infrastructure needed: Bridge collapse causes train derailment near Sibley, Iowa

[malaise]

https://siouxlandnews.com/news/local/train-derails-near-sibley-iowa-sections-of-town-evacuated-for-safety

UPDATED 9:30 P.M.: A bridge collapse has caused a train to derail near Sibley, Iowa Sunday afternoon.

The Union Pacific derailment happened about 1:20 p.m. sending thick black smoke into the air. Emergency personnel says all waterways near the derailment have been blocked. 47 cars were involved in the crash.

[underpants]

1. I see that Sibley is pretty diverse

They have a Methodist AND a Lutheran church.

[malaise]

3. Good spot

probably explains the neglect

[Lovie777]

2. I've known for some time that republicans can care less about their . .

constituents.

[SergeStorms]

16. Well...

the middle class (what's left of them) and the poor, yes. But the wealthy constituents.....nothing but the best for them!

[Vogon_Glory]

4. It's a privately-owned bridge

That particular bridge, like most railroad bridges, is privately owned. They’re responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.

This is not to say that I favor the Tepublicans’ policies of neglect—I vehemently do not. But not all infrastructure fails are going to be due to Republican policies.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Republican policy is to relax regulations so more private infrastructure fails. . . . nt

[Vogon_Glory]

15. That part has truth to it.

In regards to the bridge, I was a bit surprised when I found out whose bridge that was. The UP has been maintaining and even replacing a lot of their older railroad bridges here in Texas.

[HootieMcBoob]

7. If Republicans had their way

All bridges and roads would be privately owned.

[NewJeffCT]

9. and the privately owned bridge was probably sold off

by a Republican governor and/or legislature to the company with a stipulation about bridge maintenance in the sale contract.

[Klaralven]

14. Most railroad infrastructure was built privately back in the late 1800s and has been ever since.

[Hortensis]

20. Thanks, Vogon. Helpful info.

The insurance carrier will have flown their rep out immediately, assuming the entity that owns it does not self insure. At least it didn't happen in a town. As it is, some were evacuated.

[brooklynite]

6. And what does this have to do with socialism?

There's a State Highway five blocks away that's been falling apart for years, and the Government is unable to develop a timely and practical strategy to repair it.

[malaise]

12. There is this neo-liberal view that government should privatize everything

and let the crooked contractors (linked to crooked politicians) repair infrastructure then charge taxpayers to use it.

But you already know this. They can fix that highway easily - tax the rich.

[brooklynite]

17. No, there isn't...

There is a libertarian view that Government should privatize everything. The neo-liberal view is that the private sector can provide a useful supplement to traditionally publicly-provided services (charter schools, construction of affordable housing) in sectors where the Government track record is spotty.

And whom do you imagine will be doing repairs on a publicly-owned bridge (hint: they contract out to private firms).

[malaise]

19. Check out Friedman and Hayek

- Reagan/Thatcher loved them and trickling down the piss on the rest of us became history.
The data is on my side of the argument. Ask Biden!

[brooklynite]

22. Reagan and Thatcher were new-liberals? Good to know...

[malaise]

26. I don't give a rat's ass what they were

That was their new world order - along with racism.

[edhopper]

29. Well then

don't throw around terms that don't apply. Clinton, and to an extent Obama were Neo-liberal.
Thatcher and Reagan were not. They were Neo-conservative, if anything.

[malaise]

30. The neo-liberals and neo-cons

share a lot in common.

[edhopper]

31. That is besides the point

Privatization of public works is not a part of the liberal agenda, neo or otherwise.

Just admit you made a mistake in identifying it as such or naming Reagan and Thatcher as Neo-Liberal.

We all post ill informed stuff at times.

[malaise]

32. It should not be but data shows otherwise

and not just in the US

[edhopper]

33. Well you will have to show me

where Neo-Liberals called for the privatization of all Government functions.

What data are you looking at.

And Friedman and Hayek were not neo-liberal. They are the architects of modern Conservative economics.

[malaise]

34. In reality it is the US dominated multilateral institutions that give the orders

When so called Social Democratic political parties across our planet defer to foreign interests and privatize their electricity, water, highways, airports, seaports, etc., and defund public health, public education and more, tell me which of those is a liberal policy?
What they imposed on Chile and the rest of us is being pushed in the US and Biden will face the fight of his lifetime to mop up the madness of trickle down economics by whatever name you want to call it.

[edhopper]

35. Don't disagree

but what we call it is important.
Because we must identify this a s the conservative/fascist agenda and the liberal agenda is to counter it.

[malaise]

36. I get that

but folks from our own ideological wing have played fast and loose with this trickle down approach to the destruction of the social good.

[edhopper]

37. Really

I haven't seen a Democratic President in decades call for lowering taxes on the rich. Clinton increased taxes on the wealthy, and Obama was stymied by McConnell and the Rethugs from doing so. Biden wants to, but we shall see if he is stopped by McConnell, Manchin and Sinema.
Raising taxes on the Rich has been part of the Democratic platforrm since Reagan. You will have to show me where Democrats have embraced trickle down, because I have not seen it.

[malaise]

38. Taxes are only one part of the package and you are correcct

re Dems taxing the rich

[edhopper]

39. I am not disagreeing

on how much the ruling elites are fucking us up though.

[haele]

40. Neo-Liberalism is economic, not political.

Unregulated, global marketplace. Competition creates efficiency and innovation. Governments should just get out of the way.

Corporations should be independent of National Borders free to do whatever the Market supports.

Labor is fungible, which makes it plentiful; so work should go to the most "productive" workers (i.e., cheapest).

Neo-Liberalism assumes the Market will self-correct should any business get too big, or deal on bad faith, or cheat, etc...


Haele

[hatrack]

8. Meh. Nothing here that MORE TAX CUTS won't fix!

[Lonestarblue]

10. Have you noticed that every time billionaires get a tax cut they run out and repair a bridge?

No, I didn’t think so.

[Cozmo]

18. You are sooooo right!

[FelineOverlord]

11. No Socialist infrastructure needed: Bridge collapse causes train derailment near Sibley, Iowa

The train contained highly explosive ammonium nitrate. 😱

Link to tweet

[malaise]

13. No biggie - just a little dislocation and poison for the peons

Someone should ask MoscowMitch for his thoughts on this.

[MineralMan]

21. That's two derailed trains now.

One in Southern Minnesota, and the second across the border in Iowa. Same tracks. That freight line runs from Minnesota clear down to the gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, right alongside the Mississippi River. It is heavily used to transport oil and chemicals. It has long been a ecological disaster waiting to happen. That bridge collapse is going to shut things down for a while.

Frankly, pipelines are safer for petroleum and chemical transport. Much safer, in the long run.

[malaise]

23. What a mess

[MineralMan]

24. It is a mess. I've been concerned with that particular freight

route for a long time. There is a huge rail yard in my city, where trains are made up. It is full of oil tanker cars. It, too, is right on the Mississippi River. The entire rail line goes along the river. Very dangerous stuff.

[malaise]

25. The billionaires and their tools don't give a damn

They are making money

[MineralMan]

27. Not if the trains can't move.

That line is going to be non-functional until that bridge is repaired.

[malaise]

28. They will have to learn the hard way