I’m not even sure you know what my argument is. I haven’t articulated a full point so I think there’s some filling in the gaps going on. But what I wrote up above (without people reading into it) is factual.
Easy to have high speed rail when a dictator makes all the decisions and doesn’t have to worry about political opposition or profitability. (Talking about China in case it wasn’t obvious.)
edit: Yes, the U.S. need to improve its infrastructure. But don’t compare us to the likes of China since their form of government gives them an advantage when it comes to large government-backed projects.