That's one interpretation of this article, but the other is that we can't really build anything big in this country anymore because of red-tape, regulations, and competing government fiefdoms.

From the article: "They point with frustration and embarrassment to successes in countries around the globe — particularly China, which has built more than 20,000 miles of high-speed rail in about two decades."

Sure - nobody wants a $100B high speed rail line between Fresno and Merced. But why can't we build what everybody actually wants - a high speed rail between SF and LA with a reasonable price and timeline? This isn't an issue of engineering, it's an issue of management.