If we're going to say 'Facts right', lets get our 'Facts right' shall we?
Such ignorance. There are numerous trains in several countries which regularly go over 200 mph and they do so for sustained periods of time. Noting China (one of the several) and any flaws in their 'project' is completely irrelevant to the original point.
Talking about tax, standard of living, and comparing countries could also not be any more irrelevant and ignorant.
Since you began the discussion, lets clarify that the cost of living in the majority of European countries is far, far lower than that in the United States, I am assuming that's where you live since you have unbelievably unfounded and incorrect arrogance and make such false assumptions? Feel free to correct that if I'm wrong. To clarify, Norway, Switz, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Iceland, Sweden, UK, Finland, France, Austria, Italy, Greece, and Germany all have a better Consumer Price Index than the USA - and most of them better than Canada too.
Now Cost of living, while being the primary factor, is clearly not the only factor in 'Standard of living' - which actually has no technical definition, but take any given European country that you've been travelling and 'thanking their tax payers' and the chances are they have a higher standard of life than you do.
