The love of leftists for trains is so common it’s a trope—they seem like inoffensive pre globalized but still connective industry. Yet the railroad supported the modern state & secured the colonial frontier the world over

In every place track was laid, it occurred through state expropriation &/or capitalist extortion of peasantry or thru enclosure the commons—tho these same land users & commons were themselves often expropriated from indigenous peoples first

Charles S Maier has a chapter & an extensive bibliography on the role of railroads in territory & statehood in his book ‘Once Within Borders’ for the interested nerds

The response to this tweet has been interesting because people seem to be taking me for making an argument but I’m just making an observation in light of a good book I just finished lol. who cares what your hobbies & interests are ? I certainly don’t lol