The total passion for the total height
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Online usersWho's NewPollShould the Construction of *that* Mosque Be Allowed to Proceed?
Yes. It's a property rights/free speech issue first and foremost.
48%
No. This is war, and self-preservation trumps the enemy's self-forfeited "property rights."
41%
No. It's a sensitivity issue.
3%
Undecided. There are powerful arguments on both sides.
7%
Total votes: 29
 Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell
 Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
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Thundering through France at 357mph Submitted by Peter Cresswell on Tue, 2007-04-03 22:29
Just imagine being in the cab as this machine sped like a great steel arrow through the countryside . . . Things streaked past -- a water tank, a tree, a shanty, a grain silo. They had a windshield-wiper motion: they were rising, describing a curve and dropping back. The telegraph wires ran a race with the train, rising and falling from pole to pole, in an even rhythm, like the cardiograph record of a steady heartbeat written across the sky. Perceptive readers would recognise that quoted passage from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. What an experience that must have been; Rand the railway-lover would have eaten it up. UPDATE: Not a bird, and not a plane -- and not exactly a train -- but as one commenter in Webster's piece points out, the Chinese Maglev achieved 580kph over four years ago, and regularly touches 430kph in service. Talk about a Shanghai surprise! LINKS: Aboard the fastest TGV in the world - Ben Webster, Times Online RELATED: Heroes
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 The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
 Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
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It's not so simple, Sandi
The TGV has benefited from France's draconian compulsory purchase laws, i.e. similar to American eminent domain laws. British laws give more rights to property owners.
As southern Britain is more heavily populated than northern France, it is more difficult and expensive to obtain the necessary land to build high speed rail lines. There is also a lack of terminal capacity in London, hence Eurostar's move from Waterloo to St Pancras.
The French invested heavily in TGV at the expense of their rural services that are poor in quality compared to those in the UK and other parts of Europe. The TGV's capital and operational subsidies are huge in comparison too.
Those who hate property rights and love subsidising public transport adore the TGV. I prefer the privatised operations (with lower subsidy) in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Japan etc.
Locamotive Breath
On morning report a CNN reporter who was aboard the train, said it hit 578kmh and that the world record of 581kmh was set by a Japanese train; which is a different design (something along the lines of it floats on a cushion of air).
There was also comment that if we had such a line here, you could get from Auckland to Wellington in an hour and a half. Now wouldn't that be a an exceptionally wonderful thing. Who would want to deal with airports and the tedium of flight?
Having crossed under the Chunnel a few times, it is always very noticeable when arriving in France from England, its like giving your "horse its head". The increase in speed is dramatic compared to the speeds that British Rail can allow on their dodgy tracks.
How thrilling!
I find it amazing that the French have not had any fatalities in 26 years! Their technology is certainly a darn sight better than their cinema. I recently saw a wonderful documentary on the building of the Millau bridge - what a beauty! Now I have two good reasons to visit France one day.
Maglev Trains
I had the opportunity to ride the Shanghai Maglev. The highest speed I remember seeing (they have a monitor showing travelers the speed progression) was 424 kph. Quite a ride! I believe there is a Japanese Maglev now that in the last year has achieved higher speeds then the Chinese version.
- Jason
Jason D. Quintana is not associated with the Ayn Rand Institute -- neither as a writer nor as a speaker.