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A comment on Taiwan managed to build high-speed rail. Why can't California?. Parent comment

Re:Taiwan managed to build high-speed rail. Why can't Califo... by jaypeg25 on Sunday October 20, 2019 @01:19PM (#21305507)
I'd say in the US at least it's hard for a politician to devote money toward a multi-year program that their constituents won't see the benefit of for quite some time (or in the case of upkeep and maintenance, at all).

The politician isn't looking to do what's right, they're looking to get reelected.

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Re:Taiwan managed to build high-speed rail. Why can't Califo... by spaced-out on Sunday October 20, 2019 @01:28PM (#21305576)
Why are politicians in other countries able to accomplish this while those in the US can't? Are American politicians just lower quality than those in other countries? Or is that their constituents are more prone to short-term thinking than their counterparts elsewhere?
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Re:Taiwan managed to build high-speed rail. Why can't Califo... by BurningFrog on Sunday October 20, 2019 @02:49PM (#21306188)
> The politician isn't looking to do what's right, they're looking to get reelected.

But that's true in all democracies, pretty much by definition.

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