Out with Exporting, in with Local Investment

Seems like they don't have a choice, if they want to keep the workforce that supports 1.3 billion folks employed and the government stable. Hopefully they'll use friendlier "green" plastics (no or minimal BPA, melamine, etc.), for the sake of their rail passengers. Now if only Amtrak would upgrade its rail cars, French TGV style, that would certainly take the edge off of using public rail transit here in the U.S. Guess I'll keep driving to Montreal to enjoy my Tim Horton's chocolate croissant, until that happens. - Larry

Hi edignan - I was predicting a few years ago that Amtrak would go under, since there wasn't much political will to keep it alive as a nationwide entity. But then $4 gas hit, the trains were packed, and I had to do a re-think. If we keep it alive, it would be nice to bring our trains and tracks up-to-spec, with the European and Canadian standards (smooth tracks, clean and comfortable interiors, WiFi, etc.). That TGV train from Brussels, Belgium to Paris, France was an amazing piece of 21st century technology, when I was travelling on it for business in 2003. Trains across Germany and the rest of Europe are amazing as well, and are little commercials (kinda like our Space Shuttles are) for those countries that maintain them so well. - Larry

long over due; Ike did the same thing with US economy only built interstate highways. why have 20 kilos of plastic in a million cars when you could use 20000 kilos to carry a million passengers?

milo "Back of the envelope calculation, be gentle please."

I think the local investment should be in small companies who could buy new or used machine tools and have a way to employ a small amount of people who can make small quantity runs. If that group was organized properly, they could create a buying group that would be close-to-competitive with larger metal and plastics buyers. There are many "retired or ready to retire" individuals who could run a small company profitably without devoting a lot of time to it.