the Evil Line

About one percent of the stimulus package is allocated for high-speed rail. Christopher Beam says we should go directly for super-fast Japan-style trains:

Eventually, the United States could have a countrywide network of bona fide bullet trains. And as Obama likes to reiterate, no one said this would be easy. But upgrading our existing rail lines to support slightly faster trains doesn't bring that future any closer. In fact, it may postpone it. Instead of spending money making small upgrades to a flawed system, the government might get more mileage, so to speak, by starting from scratch.

But S.E. Kramer says exactly the opposite.