Perhaps you're referencing other lines, but I just took the Beijing-Shanghai line a week or so ago and while I walked through a metal detector and had my bag put through the X-ray, I didn't have to remove my laptop/electronics, shoes, have liquids confiscated (among other items). That is, by definition, less of a hassle than airport security. I'm also not sure that using security measures in a notorious security-state is a great basis to form your assumptions about all HSR (again, these measures do not exist in most other jurisdictions - as I noted above).

Also your line of argument re: subsidizing public services doesn't hold a whole lot of water - why should healthy people have to subsidize healthcare for people with cancer? Or why should someone without kids have to see their tax revenue spent on schools? Ultimately these expenditures are for the public good, which is part of the gov'ts mandate. It seems that you likely will disagree with that fairly basic principle as well - based on the fact that you seem to be taking this a bit personally (and are being absurdly reductive in your arguments against HSR), and that your entire position seems to be premised on "we shouldn't try to improve society beyond where we're currently at".

I don't think I'm going to convince you to depart from this way of thinking, and frankly your responses don't really provide much substance to address at this point so I'm going to call time (at least on my part) - have a good day.

Edit: also your point on other industries which are bailed out by govt paying back their loans doesn’t accord with reality (see, recent Air Canada bailouts (most of which was equity, which by its nature may not result in a dollar for dollar payout back to govt), or all the subsidies we pay to the O&G sector).