While the term "post-traumatic stress disorder" hints at a modern invention, the ill effects of combat stress have been documented back to the Iliad and Samuel Pepys.
America's very successful freight train system will have to make some compromises to accommodate high-speed rail, but those needn't be the end of the world.
In the late 1980s, both Texas and Spain proposed high-speed rail systems: Texas walked away from the idea, while Spain leapt in a little too exuberantly.
While paying for its hefty infrastructure costs may be ambitious, many high-speed rail systems cover their operating costs and even turn a small operating profit.
The Netherlands' netherworld of tolerated-but-still-illegal marijuana has its homegrown critics who argue for outright prohibition or outright legalization.