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Talk about believing propaganda. You're falling for Chinese propaganda hook, line, and sinker. Broad Sustainable Building Group is basically one giant propagand

by learc83 10y ago

Talk about believing propaganda. You're falling for Chinese propaganda hook, line, and sinker. Broad Sustainable Building Group is basically one giant propaganda machine propped up by government loans. They've been talking about building the world's tallest building in only 90 days for years, but they recently dropped the idea because it was never a serious proposal. Buildings of this height need rigidity from huge amounts of steel and concrete. That much concrete that can't cure in the time frames they're talking about, and hooking modular sections together they way they're doing it isn't rigid enough. The technology is so far away from doing what they said they would that it's laughable. But prefab building technology on the scale they are actually building, as opposed to what they say in they're press releases, isn't "mystifying." A US company could also raise a prefab 50 story building in 2 weeks. If the government loaned them hundreds of millions of dollars, allowed them to ignore worker safety and environmental laws, and they ignored any long term maintenance considerations. It wouldn't be profitable, just like it's not profitable China. And it wouldn't last 40 years, just like the buildings in China won't last 40 years. Not to mention that almost everyone believes they are fudging the numbers on the total prep time. Ever been to a hackathon where teams technically built a product in 2 days but spent a month rehearsing what they were going to do once the clock started? There's plenty of speculation that's exactly what Broad Sustainable Building Group is doing. Not that the state run media is ever going to allow any of their critics to talk openly. I'll leave you with a word from the company themselves. "Sustainable Building Group's prefab technology is] the most profound innovation in human history." Really? You're buying this?

narrator 10y ago
>They've been talking about building the world's tallest building for years in only 90 days, I didn't say they built the tallest building in the world. They built a 54 story buildings and five story buildings are certainly realistic. >A US company could also put up a 40 story building in 2 weeks. If the government loaned them hundreds of millions of dollars, allowed them to ignore worker safety and environmental laws, and they ignored any long term maintenance considerations The whole "they cheat" meme is part of every criticism of China. China actually makes stuff though. The funny part about IKEA and other western retailers opening in China is that they had a very hard time competing because the locals just copied theit designs and sold them cheaper down the street. Unlike other markets they operate in, the locals can make things at a competitive cost. If you don't actually make anything you can demand all this abstract perfection. Most of the products that Americans buy in stores are made in China, including the cell phone or computer you are reading this on. >It wouldn't be profitable, just like it's not profitable China. And it wouldn't last 40 years, just like the buildings in China won't last 40 years. Sure the government gives out lots of money, but that's communist central planning in action. Seems to be working better than the McMansion bubble. The Chinese are not an inherently superior civilization to the Americans, thus the Americans could do the same thing if they got their act together. We rely on dumb wall street money to allocate capital that chases whatever bubble is hip at the moment. China allocates capital via giving banks very specific lending instructions. Different systems, and they seem to have some advantages.
- learc83 10y ago
  >Different systems, and they seem to have some advantages. Of course there are advantages to planned economies. In the 60s, the US was absolutely terrified that the Russian command economy gave them overwhelming advantages that we couldn't compete with. And If you went to school in the early 90s you'll remember that there was a real fear that we'd have to start going to school on Saturdays to keep up with the Japanese. I can almost guarantee that in about 30 years, we'll have a panic about India. >I didn't say they built the tallest building in the world. They built a 54 story buildings and five story buildings are certainly realistic. Never said you did. My argument is that the company is essentially a propaganda machine, as evidenced by their repeated claims (and failed attempts) that they are going to build the world's tallest building. >The whole "they cheat" meme is part of every criticism of China. I'm not making a moral argument about China. I'm telling you the reason that they can accomplish many of the things that they are accomplishing is because they aren't restricted by the same rules. They can have cheap factories because they don't have strong labor laws, and they don't have strict emissions controls. The thing is though, all of that will end as their standard of living increases. It's already happening. People are tired of living in smog, so they are introducing stricter emission controls. People aren't living like rural peasants anymore so they are demanding higher wages. As these things happen, growth will slow. Sure they're GDP will eclipse ours one day, so will India's most likely, but it's going to take a lot longer than naive extrapolation predicts it will.
mikerichards 10y ago
he's not falling for Chinese propaganda, he's part of the Chinese propaganda
dilemma 10y ago
BSB is a subsidiary of China's largest manufacturer of industrial air conditioners, boilers, and related products, and that's where their financing comes from. They are able to finish onsite construction quickly because their buildings are modularized and 90% of the work is done in the factory.

by learc83 10y ago

narrator 10y ago

>They've been talking about building the world's tallest building for years in only 90 days, I didn't say they built the tallest building in the world. They built a 54 story buildings and five story buildings are certainly realistic. >A US company could also put up a 40 story building in 2 weeks. If the government loaned them hundreds of millions of dollars, allowed them to ignore worker safety and environmental laws, and they ignored any long term maintenance considerations The whole "they cheat" meme is part of every criticism of China. China actually makes stuff though. The funny part about IKEA and other western retailers opening in China is that they had a very hard time competing because the locals just copied theit designs and sold them cheaper down the street. Unlike other markets they operate in, the locals can make things at a competitive cost. If you don't actually make anything you can demand all this abstract perfection. Most of the products that Americans buy in stores are made in China, including the cell phone or computer you are reading this on. >It wouldn't be profitable, just like it's not profitable China. And it wouldn't last 40 years, just like the buildings in China won't last 40 years. Sure the government gives out lots of money, but that's communist central planning in action. Seems to be working better than the McMansion bubble. The Chinese are not an inherently superior civilization to the Americans, thus the Americans could do the same thing if they got their act together. We rely on dumb wall street money to allocate capital that chases whatever bubble is hip at the moment. China allocates capital via giving banks very specific lending instructions. Different systems, and they seem to have some advantages.

learc83 10y ago
>Different systems, and they seem to have some advantages. Of course there are advantages to planned economies. In the 60s, the US was absolutely terrified that the Russian command economy gave them overwhelming advantages that we couldn't compete with. And If you went to school in the early 90s you'll remember that there was a real fear that we'd have to start going to school on Saturdays to keep up with the Japanese. I can almost guarantee that in about 30 years, we'll have a panic about India. >I didn't say they built the tallest building in the world. They built a 54 story buildings and five story buildings are certainly realistic. Never said you did. My argument is that the company is essentially a propaganda machine, as evidenced by their repeated claims (and failed attempts) that they are going to build the world's tallest building. >The whole "they cheat" meme is part of every criticism of China. I'm not making a moral argument about China. I'm telling you the reason that they can accomplish many of the things that they are accomplishing is because they aren't restricted by the same rules. They can have cheap factories because they don't have strong labor laws, and they don't have strict emissions controls. The thing is though, all of that will end as their standard of living increases. It's already happening. People are tired of living in smog, so they are introducing stricter emission controls. People aren't living like rural peasants anymore so they are demanding higher wages. As these things happen, growth will slow. Sure they're GDP will eclipse ours one day, so will India's most likely, but it's going to take a lot longer than naive extrapolation predicts it will.

mikerichards 10y ago

he's not falling for Chinese propaganda, he's part of the Chinese propaganda

dilemma 10y ago

BSB is a subsidiary of China's largest manufacturer of industrial air conditioners, boilers, and related products, and that's where their financing comes from. They are able to finish onsite construction quickly because their buildings are modularized and 90% of the work is done in the factory.