My blog is on a February Reuters article, "U.S unveils 53 billion in high-speed rail plan". The article was about the governments plan to invest in infrastructure by building new rail systems. The article also talks about Amtrak decision to spend 15 billion on a railway from New York City and New Jersey.
The author argues that although this spending is a step in the right direction, we are still falling behind countries like China (who plans to invest $451 billion to $602 billion in the next four years). The intended audience are people who are interested in the way their governments spend money and people interested in railways. The author uses almost entirely logos, which should be expected in a Reuters article.
It is strange that for the most part, we have less railways than most developed countries. We seem compelled to compete with them and keep up with their technology but we rely more on our highways and auto industries. This is becoming less practical as time goes on.
While it's easy to look at other industrialized nation's mass transit and dream of something similar here in the states, the idea is ultimately impractical. Americans have been tied to highways for more than half a century, and urban sprawl has meant an even greater reliance on highways in order to go to work, eat, etc. Additionally, America has a "car culture" unlike Europe, as it is seen that a car enables personal freedom. And so, most individuals own their own car and don't think of mass transit as a practical alternative.
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