There's some truth to this, but in my opinion especially the line about not respecting their citizens rights is a cop out. In China there are plenty of silly si

There's some truth to this, but in my opinion especially the line about not respecting their citizens rights is a cop out. In China there are plenty of silly situations like building a highway around a house, because the person didn't want to sell. The difference is that they then just build around it, instead of incessantly discussing back and forth for decades on different approaches. Many western countries have in effect neutered their ability to move through a) lack of long-term accountability in public administration and b) a motivated minority having greater influence than the silent majority. For politicians it is usually prudent to just kick controversial stuff down the road a couple of years for the next person to pick up. While something the Elizabeth line is greatly beneficial to London as a whole, it is annoying for neighbors, at least while being built, and for the majority EL isn't a deciding factor for election, for those neighbors it might be.