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Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

independent.co.uk

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Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#51

Post by presentation »

ajmurmann wrote: post #43
presentation wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rightists are scared of energy sources beyond coal and oil; leftists are scared of information technology that could replace human workers; homeowners are scared to make any physical changes to their neighborhoods and cities because it would "change the neighborhood character"; legislators are scared/incapable of making any fundamental changes to governance because it would be difficult, and can't agree on anything;…

I wonder if two things are massive factors in this: a) The US is already prosperous. When you have much too lose, your mental trade-offs between gaining something and losing what you have become different. b) US politics has been dominated by the massive post-war generation. It seems like we drastically stopped building when the boomers had bought their first homes. Both of these also work for other Western countries…

I think a major cause is how dependent the United States is on the courts to decide the law. China is a technocracy with strong central state control so they can sidestep that; Japan, on the other hand, has a strong bureaucracy that given a set of rules and processes, can execute them efficiently. On the other hand anything you do in the USA starts off in a gray zone and really is decided once you’ve gone to court, limiting risk taking to only those who are well capitalized and have a lot of time to burn.

Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#52

Post by leptons »

jmyeet wrote: post #34
leptons wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And no, it's not just one party that does this There's some very heavy lifting you have to do to make the parties look at all close. If the Democrats had a supermajority for long enough, you would see some real change for the better, because we can actually protest Democrats to get them to do things, while the Republicans will just silence any dissent using US military against its citizens. Unfortunately a Democrat…

Yeah, that's just not true. The Democratic Party is absolutely complicit in everything going on. The term used is "controlled opposition". With the current government shutdown, I think it's taken the Republicans by surprise that the Democrats have (thus far) actually stood up for something and they really don't know what to do because it so rarely happens. Like why wasn't this happening with the last debt ceiling inc…

>The Democratic Party is absolutely complicit in everything going on.

The Democrats simply have no power to stop anything going on. If you think they do, then you don't understand how the government works at all.

Every single thing you mention Democrats doing wrong, is because they have tried to compromise. If one side dictates what everyone else should do, you don't get a functioning country, you get a lot of dissent, and you know what - fucking forget it, you're just too lost to explain any of this to.

Have a nice day.

Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#54

Post by cosmic_cheese »

presentation wrote: post #24
Freedom2 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any reason why you believe the US isn't that country?

Rightists are scared of energy sources beyond coal and oil; leftists are scared of information technology that could replace human workers; homeowners are scared to make any physical changes to their neighborhoods and cities because it would "change the neighborhood character"; legislators are scared/incapable of making any fundamental changes to governance because it would be difficult, and can't agree on anything;…

Everything is stuck in gridlock in attempt to prevent change, but of course that's futile. There will still be change, it'll just be rust and dryrot and all that ensues. Many would rather see it all crumble than allow progress and risk loss of power and station.

Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#56

Post by Hnrobert42 »

epolanski wrote: post #27
screye wrote: post #15

Very impressive. The economic angle is a bit confusing. Wonder why China thought this was a worthy investment. Guizhou is a poor part of China, without much international tourism or trade. Wikipedia indicates it is meant to increase tourism, but even China's most attractive regions (Beijing, Shanghai, Great Wall, Chengdu, Chongqing) are under-visited. I can't imagine that Guizhou will be on foreign tourist's agenda f…

> The economic angle is a bit confusing. We don't need an economic angle to build great things that help people. It's a bridge, it's meant to be a shortcut from point A to B. We aren't just cogwheels in an economic system, there's more to life and progress as humans.

There is an opportunity cost.

Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#57

Post by Hnrobert42 »

intalentive wrote: post #42
cadamsdotcom wrote: post #22

Chinese bridge, designed by Chinese engineers, built by Chinese workers, captured with (we assume) a Chinese drone. What a spectacular scene. I am proud on behalf of all the people who worked together to achieve this.

A confident, unified people under competent leadership can accomplish great things. I wish the Chinese continued success and hope their example eventually spurs the development of a new ruling class in the West.

Especially when dissent is ruthlessly crushed and any record of it is erased.

Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#58

Post by Hnrobert42 »

potato3732842 wrote: post #13

Takes 3yr to replace a 50ft I beam bridge across a small river where I live, mostly because of unnecessary permitting and process. When you add up all the months here and there for every sign off from every party at each stage it adds up fast.

Unnecessary until it's removed and a bridge collapses. Then it's the incompetent government.

Re: Highest bridge unveiled at more than 2,000ft above ground

#60

Post by ajmurmann »

presentation wrote: post #51
ajmurmann wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if two things are massive factors in this: a) The US is already prosperous. When you have much too lose, your mental trade-offs between gaining something and losing what you have become different. b) US politics has been dominated by the massive post-war generation. It seems like we drastically stopped building when the boomers had bought their first homes. Both of these also work for other Western countries…

I think a major cause is how dependent the United States is on the courts to decide the law. China is a technocracy with strong central state control so they can sidestep that; Japan, on the other hand, has a strong bureaucracy that given a set of rules and processes, can execute them efficiently. On the other hand anything you do in the USA starts off in a gray zone and really is decided once you’ve gone to court, l…

This is definitely true. I'd also add community input to that.

However, while these are all issues, I think the root cause is a deeper cultural issue. I don't think Western, European countries have the same legal issues but they too stopped building.

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