Dan Wang

Right now we're in 2025.

How many people have actually ridden California high-speed rail?

The answer is zero because the first segment is supposed to start operating between 2030 and 2033 between Bakersfield and Merced.

So there's just these rampant failures all the time in America.

And somehow I don't really see many heads rolling from the heads of agencies or U.S.

senators stepping down because they failed at a transportation project.

It's something that is more common in Asia.

So why is there no sense of crisis, Patrick?

Riddle me this.

Well, it sounds like a problem with Americans.

It sure does.

Rather than with the Chinese.

I mean, they are really happy to broadcast all of their achievements.

They have these amazing trains they love to highlight.

They're constantly inviting Americans to go come check out these glimmering cities.

China's infrastructure gleams, and you only have to go over there to take a look at it.

And there are plenty of people ringing the alarm, but it does feel a little bit like boy who cries wolf.

So I think this is not just the sense of crisis with China.

There's also the sense of crisis in California and New York that even people here just shrug after such obscene cost overruns.

A lot.