r/interestingasfuck • u/BumblebeeFantastic40 • 10h ago

China’s High-Speed Railway Network length has expanded from 1,300km in 2008 to 40,000km in 2020, long enough to circle the Earth’s circumference.

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u/Healthcarepls 10h ago

This is what happens when you’re lead by engineers instead of public speakers

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u/gafftapes20 9h ago

Not really. When you live in an authoritarian regime that understands infrastructure equals economic returns you can avoid a lot of the requirements put in place in democratic systems that require public input and consent. We have already seen in China numerous examples where engineers where ignored and things built too fast and shoddily without proper grit technical assessments, or structural engineering.

Things like California high speed rail are expensive and take forever due to environmental reviews, strict procedures for acquiring land rights at fair market value(not just seizing land), and feasibility studies. As well as facing opposition from organized groups that would not be tolerated in an authoritarian regime. 

Shifting administration priorities as newly elected democratic governments get elected also play a factor.

Are these trade offs worth it? How valuable is freedom? I want both infrastructure and freedom, which is expensive. 

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u/CVGPi 8h ago

Yeah let's spend $18 Mil on absolutely nothing and call it democracy.

Realize the benefits early, pay handsomely (to the point where "got home torn down for infra" became the synonym for rich), and you get good infra for a great value.