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The thing I find most heartbreaking is that I'm 99% sure this will go the way of the Jeddah Tower (too much corruption/dictatorship for clever plans to be made
by rany_ 4y ago
The thing I find most heartbreaking is that I'm 99% sure this will go the way of the Jeddah Tower (too much corruption/dictatorship for clever plans to be made and the project gets cancelled).
It's also not the smartest project, a quick look at their website shows you genius ideas like this 170km long line they want to build in the middle of nowhere: https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline
Not to mention that Saudi Arabia doesn't even have any issues with population density. They are building these cities like they have some overpopulation issues, such a waste of money. A shame it's not being spent on things that would help Saudi Arabia in the long term.
- rany_ 4y agoNeom might just be the best argument against totalitarianism, such stupid ideas wouldn't even be up for consideration in a free(er) country. Just looking at the website makes me so sad, it legitimately feels like some passion project of a megalomaniac who doesn't care for the wellbeing of his people.
- humanistbot 4y agoI'm going to Godwin's Law this thread and say that the cases at the top of this list are probably the best arguments against totaliarianism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides_by_death_toll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides_by_death_tol...
- rany_ 4y agoWell, Hitler had his Germania megacity project to stoke his ego. They aren't too dissimilar;) I guess dictatorships and stupid planning/construction projects go pretty much hand in hand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_(city) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_(city)
- smegger001 4y agoon the other hand Alexander had Alexandria in Egypt. not all dictator inspired mega project are stupid.
- tablespoon 4y ago> Neom might just be the best argument against totalitarianism, such stupid ideas wouldn't even be up for consideration in a free(er) country. Just looking at the website makes me so sad, it legitimately feels like some passion project of a megalomaniac who doesn't care for the wellbeing of his people. On the other hand: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-rail-politics.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-...
- rany_ 4y agoAt least this is not a $500B mistake (pretty sure that's an underestimate too, some of this is too ambitious for $500B)...
- cameronfraser 4y agothe line looks like the citadel interior from mass effect
- dirtyid 4y agoIf Ryugyong got finished, so will Jeddah. It's not smart investment, but in general monuments aren't. Yet, humanity learns to appreciate them non the less, even fully appreciating the "folly".
- yostrovs 4y agoAccording to Wikipedia, Ryugyong hotel is not finished: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel
- dirtyid 4y ago"Exterior construction completed: 14 July 2011" It's "finished" as a wasteful potemkin monument - it's not an embarassing concrete shell anymore. It's not finished in the usefully occupied building sense, which would probably be even more wasteful. Operation costs will be stupid for little gain. IMO that's how Jeddah will eventually go, the prince will find the change to finish the tower. It'll look really cool while bleeding money.