why? I do think there is a historical case, but what about freedom of expression makes it harder to build bridges, and is there a way to build bridges anyway?
Just look at the political back and forth about new terminals at Heathrow. The public inquiries, consultations and local election battles have been going on for decades. Hardly an infrastructure project goes by without it being challenged in court by environmental and local interest groups. Democratic governments also have to publish detailed budgets and face electoral pressure on spending priorities. More infrastructure equals fewer hospital beds is a powerful political argument, it might be answerable but at least it has to be addressed.
The Three Gorges Dam wiped out 13 cities, 140 towns and 1350 villages and dislocated 1.24 million residents. There were probably protests, but how would you know and what do you think happened to the protesters? Here in Britain we're having a permanent crisis building one more airport terminal.
Autocratic regimes are completely opaque in their finances and budgetary priorities and care more about publicly visible results, of which flagship infrastructure projects are a prominent part.
I'm not sure freedom of expression is the main component; freedom from being rounded up into re-education camps or having everything you possess taken from you for the greater good if I say frog and you don't jump fast enough.
When you have such a complete monopoly on force and authority, you can tell people to build bridges or else; hell, you can chase crackpot economic development ideas that starve tens of millions of your own people to death if you want.
simonh|7 years ago
The Three Gorges Dam wiped out 13 cities, 140 towns and 1350 villages and dislocated 1.24 million residents. There were probably protests, but how would you know and what do you think happened to the protesters? Here in Britain we're having a permanent crisis building one more airport terminal.
Autocratic regimes are completely opaque in their finances and budgetary priorities and care more about publicly visible results, of which flagship infrastructure projects are a prominent part.
thrower123|7 years ago
When you have such a complete monopoly on force and authority, you can tell people to build bridges or else; hell, you can chase crackpot economic development ideas that starve tens of millions of your own people to death if you want.
pesmhey|7 years ago