In other words, it was the new high speed train line running along the main trunk of Japan's national railway system, initially from Tokyo to Osaka, and then extended down to the southernmost island of Kyushu. Boy - what a world of difference between the state of the art speed, safety and precision of the Shinkansen and America's own funky Amtrak system. It too could be a real gem, attracting tourists from around the world, if legislators in Washington could only stop working so hard to find ways to give billionaires and huge corporations money that they don't need and put money where it really IS needed - in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. For a mere fraction of all the money that is wasted on corporate subsidies and tax cuts for billionaires, we could build a world class train system - it might not set any records, mind you, but it would definitely be able to hold its own against the foreign competition. But alas - our system of national priorities is so corrupt and depraved that we seem unable to save ourselves and do what is necessary to rebuild the nation. With the Republicans cutting Amtrak funding in spite of this terrible Amtrak accident in Philadelphia and the desperately needed upgrades it points to, if things keep going the way they are going, there might not even be any Amtrak left for me to ride on when I return from Romania in the fall. And that's too bad, 'cause I really love Amtrak - it's a great way to see the USA!
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