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China builds ghost cities and also tears down cities and combines them into new ones. They also have built bridges 26.4 miles long miles long over water (Jiaoz
by gscott 8y ago
China builds ghost cities and also tears down cities and combines them into new ones. They also have built bridges 26.4 miles long miles long over water (Jiaozhou Bay). Just the materials alone must cost a great deal even at the reduced prices the Government pays and the low wages for employees. Not to mention the huge Government security surveillance and incarceration system. China chides the USA for it's foreign wars but China is at war with it's population to control them, the cost must be similar or higher.
- morsch 8y agoChina's incarceration rate, including people in detention centers and at least if you believe the numbers cited by Wikipedia, is less than a quarter of the USA's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarcera...
- gscott 8y agoI would include re-education camps as prisons... since you can't leave voluntarily. They have a lot of people they are "re-educating" right now.
- igravious 8y agoSource for "a lot".
- gscott 8y agohttp://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/08/china-muslims-camps-uighur-communist-party-islam-mental-illness.html http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/08/china-muslims-camps-u... https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-re-education-camps-1535497220 https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-re-education-camps-15354... http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2018/02/10/How-the-Chinese-are-re-educating-the-entire-Muslim-Uyghur-population.html http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2018/... https://www.weeklystandard.com/the-editors/chinas-crackdown-on-uighur-muslims-should-elicit-world-condemnation https://www.weeklystandard.com/the-editors/chinas-crackdown-... https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/02/chinas-re-education-through-labor-system-the-view-from-within/272913/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/02/ch... https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/only-in-china-prisoners-used-in-online-gaming-ring/ https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/only-in-china-prisoners... https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2015/08/13/this-is-how-they-will-cure-your-gaming-addiction-in-china/ https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2015/08/13/this-is-how-the...
- igravious 8y agoPutting "gamer addiction" re-education claims to one side – these are all about mass Muslim internment based on a UNHCR report, the same UNHCR that the US has quit calling it a, "cesspool of political bias"[0]. I mean, if the US doesn't consider it a credible organization, and if your sources are the Saudi owned AlArabiya, the Murdoch owned WSJ, and Bill Kristol's Weekly Standard then why shouldn't I believe what I read in the Irish Times?[1] "" China blames anti-China forces for the criticism and says Xinjiang is under threat from Islamist militants. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the UN experts remarks were “without factual basis” and said that Chinese people’s satisfaction with Xinjiang’s security and stability had risen dramatically. “The policies and measures in Xinjiang are aimed at preserving stability, promoting development and unity, and improving livelihood,” Ms Hua said. In a letter to The Irish Times on August 27th, a Chinese embassy spokesman said measures taken by the local government of Xinjiang, “are in fact continuous actions supported and embraced by all the people in China fighting against terrorism”. "" and "" There have been terror attacks by Uighur separatists in China, including an attack in 2014 where a group of Uighurs attacked Kunming train station with knives and killed 31 people. Beijing says there are links between Uighur separatists and fundamentalist Islamist groups. Uighurs have fought with Islamic State and the al-Qaeda affiliate group Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria. "" You don't oppose a government's efforts to counter radical Islam, do you? [0] https://www.bbc.com/news/44537372 https://www.bbc.com/news/44537372 [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/china-rejects-un-charges-about-xinjiang-re-education-camps-1.3614075 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/china-rej...
- MagnumOpus 8y ago> You don't oppose a government's efforts to counter radical Islam The government found a final solution to the Muslim question! Why would anyone oppose it?
- igravious 8y agoWell done on the Godwin. It may have been a bit subtle but I was implying that if one opposes the Chinese government's method of dealing with Radical Islam then one ought to oppose the US solution in the Global War on Terror which is boots on the ground and bombs from the air – in what?, 15 countries with combat troops and 7 countries with air & drone strikes at the moment. If, however, one supports US intervention in these places then one ought to support the Chinese in their methods. To support one and not the other is jingoism and misplaced patriotism. [0] http://www.tomdispatch.com/images/managed/costofwar_projectmap_large1.jpg http://www.tomdispatch.com/images/managed/costofwar_projectm...
- azurezyq 8y agoPlease do not treat all infrastructure projects as money blackholes. I'll just contribute a little bit about the Jiaozhou Bay bridge. My grandparents live near there. It actually makes much sense if you take a look at the map below: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.070127,120.2319581,82460m/data=!3m1!1e3 https://www.google.com/maps/@36.070127,120.2319581,82460m/da... Basically, Qingdao is already a mega city with over 6M population in urban area. But it just cannot expand because it is located on a peninsula (similar to San Francisco) with its back facing a big mountain. So it's kind of natural to expand on the other side for more and cheaper land. So to reach the other land, options are: 1. Connect the tip of the peninsula to the other side. This is shorter but you're connecting city centers together (Brooklyn-alike), which doesn't work well for cargo traffics (Qingdao is also a major seaport). Actually this tunnel is already built and many people use it for commuting. 2. Connect the seaport area inside the bay to the other side. This is what you mentioned. With that, cargo can reach factories on the other side in a faster fashion without crossing the city center. 3. Improve the highways around the bay to handle increased demand. First it's a lot longer, which is something you cannot change. Second it's not cheap either given you need to get more land and might need more time. And 2's price tag is not that high (roughly the same cost as San Francisco - Oakland bay bridge). If you were the decision maker, would you want to build it? BTW, with 1 & 2's open, the other side already officially became part of Qingdao metropolitan area and cross-bay subway will open this year.
- gscott 8y agoFor the bridge I am saying it is a big infrastructure project and must have cost a lot of money. I am fascinated by the Chinese ability to just point and create amazing things but... I am not sure where are the money comes from and I am afraid if everything comes crashing down for China they will go the military route and turn their economy into a military economy then take the whole 9-dash line area by force (as a keep people busy jobs project). I feel the 9-dash line thing is fake and designed to be able to stop shipping like we can stop oil coming out through the middle-east closing by closing shipping lanes.
- thelasthuman 8y ago> but China is at war with it's population to control them Did you forget about the drug war here in the USA?
- seppin 8y agoLittle bit different than fighting a civil war for political control against your own citizens.