====================================================================== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. ======================================================================
I think the "Chinese economists" discussing HSR are at odds with other "Chinese economists" who perhaps have a much longer perspective....low ridership is a reality but that's true *now*. As the inland areas develop, as they seem to inevitably will do, these latter economists expect a large increase in ridership going out to 10 and then 20 years. The pay off is not always evident. For example, if HSR can cut into lower speed standard rail, then these trains will run less, freeing up track for cargo and coal transport, now routinely slowed or side-tracked. What would be the pay off for that? There are plan to run HSR from Shanghai to Beijing, a huge passenger AND freight corridor. When HSR starts running freight...this has result on remaining tracts, easy maintenance of way costs were are astronomical in China due to heavy coal transport. If China is able to reverse it's use of coal, what are the effects of that on rail of all sorts? S.Artesian worked in rail road development in the U.S. so of course we have to take what he says seriously. But there are economic spinoffs to develop rail and increase rail transport in terms of payoff of what that infrastructure allows. A new power plant brings development in two directions: in the feed in industries used to build the components at the front end, and providing energy to develop more productive forces on the back end. China develops a very large amount of all this. It is not true that stimulus goes mostly into 'parks and apartment' buildings. The real money is going into actual production, through means as suggested by S. * Artesian*. In the US none of this happens and is thus completely different. that's it may come crashing down is without question, but the payoff, the real payoff, economically, could still be huge. David ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
