China Buys 80 Very High Speed Trains (236 mph) for $4 Billion • Hacker News Board

Re: China Buys 80 Very High Speed Trains (236 mph) for $4 Billion

#31

Post by jacquesm » Wed, Sep 30, 2009, 2:42 AM UTC

bliving wrote: post #30

jacquesm wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thereby giving the Chinese a great incentive to copy them, after all they're being ripped off. That's pretty much analogous to people copying music because they've been ripped off for so long.

Apologies for not being clearer. I believe that they agreed to this co-development project because they are getting a good deal; as in, no being charged 10x because they're chinese. They will have ample opportunity for the technology transfer required to do the next 800 on their own. And Bombardier will have their opportunity to compete on the next project. But the pessimist in me also believes that Bombardier will d…

Ah ok, I misread you completely. Too late to edit now, but thanks for the clarification.

Re: China Buys 80 Very High Speed Trains (236 mph) for $4 Billion

#32

Post by ivankirigin » Wed, Sep 30, 2009, 3:45 AM UTC

LostInTheWoods wrote: post #9

holdenc wrote: post #5

Totalitarianism has its efficiencies.

Totalitarianism is very efficient until the people realize material wealth without political freedom is hollow.

Boy would I like to believe that. What is the evidence from China that this is true? Perhaps their history of paternalism meshes well with tolerating the yoke.

We'll see what happens when there is a real hiccup in the system. They've enjoyed huge growth for so many years.

Note that I'm saying you're wrong, and people will tolerate political oppression while they have increasing material wealth. When things go bad, they might go really bad.

Re: China Buys 80 Very High Speed Trains (236 mph) for $4 Billion

#33

Post by bokonist » Wed, Sep 30, 2009, 4:37 AM UTC

LostInTheWoods wrote: post #9

holdenc wrote: post #5

Totalitarianism has its efficiencies.

Totalitarianism is very efficient until the people realize material wealth without political freedom is hollow.

China is not a totalitarian country (or at least not anymore so than post-New Deal U.S.). Authoritarian!=Totalitarian.

Re: China Buys 80 Very High Speed Trains (236 mph) for $4 Billion

#34

Post by borism » Fri, Oct 02, 2009, 11:05 PM UTC

jerf wrote: post #16

holdenc wrote: post #5

Totalitarianism has its efficiencies.

Let's get excited about the efficiencies when the product is delivered on schedule, on budget, and with good quality. Governments the world over announce wondrous things like this all the time, but none of them have a lock on going over budget, over schedule, and with distinctly less quality than was promised. (I'm not saying all government projects are failures; if you thought I said that, read more carefully please…

oh, private companies and individuals do this all the time just as well :)