> Is there some difference between the state and taxpayers that I don't know of?

Probably! -- They are not the same at all - not anymore.

The Almighty, Supreme and Omnipotent "State", or if you prefer, the power mongering politicians we "elect" to run it; literally suck the life blood right out of the populous. Whereas, the "Taxpayers" are those people who are getting sucked dry!


But any drier, and 100% of the people will all become totally dependent on "Government" (Except for the wealthy ruling class, of course). Who then will pay? A non-existent middle class? Perhaps it is finally happening; as John Kneiling used to regularly warn in the pages of Trains Magazine, "We will eventually run out of taxpayers long before we run out of unmet government dependency".

And if you want to know why no President and no Congress, has ever done anything actually beneficial to the cause of passenger trains, and never will; it is simple. Unemployed dependents of Big government (like me) always VOTE (whether we choose to or not! or actually go to the polls or not!); whereas passenger trains NEVER vote! Thus it is that the the power mongers that keep us dependent, always retain their power.


As for the previously mentioned notion of China invading - might as well start learning Chinese now. We've, or rather; those money grubbing, power mongering, greedy politicians and the corporations they serve; have already sold America's soul to the highest bidder. And have already squandered it all! So when we thus inevitably fail to pay up as (they) promised, the leg breakers will come. In hoards!


So long live, "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people"; as it Ain't Been So for quite some time now. In America today, the governors and the governed are definitely NOT the same people anymore.