When a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023, it was not by any means a new phenomenon. Rather, the reporting of such incidents became a new occurrence. In fact, the United States averages right around 1,000 train derailments per year, meaning that there are about three derailments each day. While many Americans have been concerned that these incidents are inside attacks, it is more sinister in nature than that. It is due to inside attacks but not in the way many presume. It is due to the outright negligence of the government itself. Because these derailments have been happening prior to Biden and Trump presidencies, it does not come down to left versus right, rather the rich versus everyone else. The true reason these derailments are occurring is simply because profits are valued over the very lives of human beings living in the United States. Trump can be partially to blame seeing he lifted certain restrictions that the previous Obama administration had enacted. On the other hand, Biden utilized executive power to stop the railroad strike in December of 2022. These horrific derailments that span across the entirety of the States display the negligence and greed that consumes the United States' corporations and governments.
By now, most of us should be familiar with the investing companies Blackrock and Vanguard. For those who do not know, Blackrock and Vanguard own Norfolk Southern. These investing companies also own most news outlets in the U.S. as well as owning a huge stake in the pharmaceutical industry. Both industries lobby the government and quite literally bribe their way out of any type of accountability. While the mainstream media has portrayed railroad workers out to be some type of "greedy workforce" by striking and asking for better working conditions, it is truly the corporations themselves who are the greedy workforce. It is a classic case of projection. That railroad strike I keep mentioning is important to acknowledge, because it has been known for quite some time that railroad workers are working with ghost crews making it virtually impossible to do all the safety checks that are required. Even if they could do all the safety checks, the railroad companies themselves tell their workers to bypass inspections because it will take longer for the freight to get to its destination, which would not maximize profits. Fines become an everyday cost of doing business, and corporations such as Norfolk Southern would rather neglect their responsibilities because it is cheaper for them to pay the fines rather than to invest back in the railroad itself. When fines are just a slap on the wrist, inevitably nothing will change. While the EPA did release a statement after the East Palestine derailment that would fine Norfolk Southern $70,000 a day, one needs to remember that Norfolk Southern is a multibillion-dollar company, and that Blackrock and Vanguard are multitrillion-dollar companies. Hefty fines and penal punishments are necessary for change to occur. Unfortunately, this is not the only chemical related derailment that Norfolk Southern has had this year, and this company has only displayed that there will be many more to come. This problem is not unique to Norfolk Southern, nor is it unique to the railroad industry. This is a plague of acquisitiveness, that spans across all walks of life in the U.S. People will die because of this, and there will be irreparable damage done. The U.S. government has not and will not step in to prevent more chemical disasters from happening simply because of the blatant bribery that Americans call "lobbyist/lobbying."
In the U.S. there is not capitalism, but rather a feudal system in place. Adam Smith is a well-known philosopher, as he is credited with founding capitalism. However, Smith's vision of capitalism varies a bit from capitalism in the U.S. Smith knew that it was a necessity to have strong governmental oversight in conjunction with a strong educated work force. Without these provisions in place, it becomes too easy for those with capital to manipulate the public and do as they please, much like how it is currently in the U.S.
Overall, this all comes down to the negligence of not only the railroad companies, but the U.S. government itself. The United States' government has been failing its people for years, especially when it comes to safety and security of its populace.
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