Since the passage of the National Highway Act of 1953 (NHA), our highways have been used to move tanks and other military assets across the continental United States, emergency vehicles and commercial trucks carrying raw materials (not suitable for transport by freight trains).
The passage of NHA resulted in the decline of the American automobile industry and increased use of trains, helicopters and other forms of public transportation. No longer do we need cars to get to where we want.
General Motors had to merge into General Electric Motors. Boeing Oldsmobile is now the top manufacturer of supersonic Air Force jets and military helicopters. And the Disney Company purchased Ford in a bankruptcy organization.
Thanks to NHA, air travel is limited to trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights. Cruise ships and yachts make up 90 percent of all travel between the Continental USA and the Caribbean, and 55 percent of travel between the west coast and Hawaii.
A few so-called Tea Party activists complained to Fox News about wasteful spending and want to end the subsidies to Amtrak, high speed rail and other public transportation infrastructure. Some conservatives are even calling for the privatization of public transportation. And even some people are calling for the return of the automobile. Are they out of their mind?
Since this is a family friendly discussion board, I will not even repeat what was said about the people who use buses and trains. Can you imagine us getting behind the wheel and driving a car?