World's longest sea bridge opens in China

Throughout the 20th century, Americans boast of the Empire State Building, Hoover Dam, the rail road system, etc. as proud achievements of American ingenuity. But when China builds largest projects.... they're what? Building all to satisfy some deep seated insecurity? It perplexes me what motivates such perspective. Yet, in many ways, I already know the answer.

The American projects were examples of ingenuity, in the sense that many of them broke technological barriers. The Chinese projects are run-of-the-mill in the sense that all it takes to build them is money - the know-how was created many decades ago, in projects like the American ones.

The strangeness (and uneconomic nature) of Shanghai highways 60 feet in the air over agricultural land is obvious to all but a Chinese zealot like yourself. China is the third largest country in the world. If there's one thing that China lacks, it's not land. Much of Europe is more densely-populated than China, and it's not building monuments to political ego like China is. Bottom line is that China is building very expensive structures that are not justified by China's current level of development - structures that will require large amounts of money to maintain. This is why talk of penis envy continues to crop up. Gold-plating of this nature is not simply unnecessary, it detracts from other important infrastructural needs that will become apparent once you visit the average Chinese city.

Re: The American projects were examples of ingenuity, in the sense that many of them broke technological barriers.

Well said, but, [the breaking of this ingenuity/technological barrier] is by no means accomplished without the pain, the blood, the tear, and the most important common denominator — MONEY MONEY and MORE MONEY which comes attached and which makes all things tick in this world.

Facts: America came out of WWII the VICTOR and as the victor she makes the rules over the waves she rules. In other words, she had the leisure to lure brains of all makes and models from around the world and exploited the ingenuity these massive brain masses was gifted.

This brain mass included recruits such as Jews, Germans, Brits, Frenchman, Arabs, Indians, Japanese, even Chinese and from there — America’s massive [industrial-revolution-on-steroid] explodes make her the top economy in the world as the rest of the world is left with the task of picking up of the tabs (ruins) of WWII.

What I’m driving at here is this: if you have the bread and not having to worry about the butter that comes with it comes dinner time, you are bliss with the freedom and the leisure to play and play we in North America definitely have plenty time — AND MONEY — the two items which complements one another for the Wright Brothers to make it.

Example: When I was a kid back in the 70’s, I love model airplanes and made it a hobby. Ever since, the question [Why can’t we insert a tiny TV cameras, even weapons, in the belly of these mini aircrafts] and employ it as an actual military weapon keeps lingering in my mind. Those were the days of the TV series “Mission Impossible” and “Apollo moon missions” therefore the technology was definitely available.

Lo and behold, now, here in 2011, the technology, UAV, is all the rage. I of course did not have the money to turn my hobby into a devoted interest that some people did. But, if I had the bread and the leisure to turn my interest into the devoted bicycle shop that the Wright Brothers did, even if I couldn’t have come up with the Kitty Hawk, there definitely couldn’t have been any problem for me to go radio controlled P-51 Mustangs into an enterprise and made a killing bank account out of it.

What I’m tryin’ to say is this: The Chinese have come of age. They are now beyond their days of cheap toasters. The toasters they now make would put us in awe if we come face to face with it. Example: when I took a trip there in ‘04 just to please the Chinese girl friend, I was surprised to find that skyscrapper-wise and highway & byway-wise, that the PRC is not what we had all thought of it to be. When I visited, I thought I had been “beamed me up Scotty] 200 years into the future when compared to that of what we know here in North America

Facts: America came out of WWII the VICTOR and as the victor she makes the rules over the waves she rules. In other words, she had the leisure to lure brains of all makes and models from around the world and exploited the ingenuity these massive brain masses was gifted. This brain mass included recruits such as Jews, Germans, Brits, Frenchman, Arabs, Indians, Japanese, even Chinese and from there — America’s massive [industrial-revolution-on-steroid] explodes make her the top economy in the world as the rest of the world is left with the task of picking up of the tabs (ruins) of WWII.Actually, the US was the biggest economy in the world at the turn of the 20th century. This was how the US was able to both fund its allies and actively participate in WWI and build more war equipment than all of its allies and adversaries combined during WWII.

The Chinese had triple the US population during that entire period, have higher IQ's and presumably more intelligent people, at least in terms of passing exams. What they don't have is creativity - the ability to move beyond the test material. This is why a continental-scale country with several times Europe's population and land mass has consistently under-performed relative to Europe. (Note that the relevant comparison is not to individual European countries - it is to Europe as a whole, given that China itself was once like Europe - dozens of individual countries with distinct languages. In China, the distinct languages remain, but the writing system has been unified).

....human tricks and ingenuity when compared to God all mighty when he gets p*ssed? .

I didn't quite understand your overall comment (the relevance of 04).

But I do believe God wants man to rule over nature. Its clearly in the bible. And man can be successful by taming rivers, exploiting resources (wisely, that is), and using our gifts and abilities to protect ourselves from tsunami's and earthquakes.

I do believe it is God honoring when man uses the skills that he has given us, to work towards early earthquake, tornado, tsunami, etc. warnings. To understand the weather patterns, etc. And to build labs, perform research, etc. in building earthquake proof buildings that won't collapse.

We are at the mercy of God when we deny him. But when we acknowledge him, he gives us dominion over all of his creation, including the wrath of mother nature.

The American projects were examples of ingenuity, in the sense that many of them broke technological barriers.

Actually, there have been stories of contests in the area of skyscrapers in who has the tallest between American cities and projects. So, I doubt its intentions were so pure as to demonstrate technological barriers.

And some of that competition has merely shifted towards Asia like China or the Middle East like Dubai. And its healthy competition. Except, there will be some in the West that will see this shift with contempt. Had it stayed completely in the West, they would have beamed with pride.

The Chinese projects are run-of-the-mill in the sense that all it takes to build them is money - the know-how was created many decades ago, in projects like the American ones.

Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. Do a little research on architectural firms in the West and their work in China. The Chinese government, for many projects, have given them a blank check to try all sorts of new things. One only has to look at the Olympic structures that were built. They were more than run of the mill.

The strangeness (and uneconomic nature) of Shanghai highways 60 feet in the air over agricultural land is obvious to all but a Chinese zealot like yourself.

Actually, I'm not a zealot. People like yourselves are the zealots. I'm not saying that just to throw it back in your lap for arguement's sake. My position has always been, China has the right to industrialize. And many of her mistakes are no different than past mistakes made in the West. I call people like yourselves the zealots because you demonize everything China does as she moves forward. I'm not the one with a hidden agenda, really. You are. I don't say that argumentively, but that is how I see.

China is the third largest country in the world. If there's one thing that China lacks, it's not land. Much of Europe is more densely-populated than China, and it's not building monuments to political ego like China is.

And here is a good example of what I am talking about. Critical of China's building and using the population density of Europe as a reason. And yet, you realize, that if the population density of China is lower than Europe, America's is even lower. As an example, the Empire State Building was built at a time when the US population was only 125 million, less than half of what it is today. Why the need for such a tall structure when the US population density is so low in 1933? Even today, it is 1/4 of China.

Bottom line is that China is building very expensive structures that are not justified by China's current level of development - structures that will require large amounts of money to maintain.

China used 1.8 billion tons of cement last year while the rest of the world used only 1.6 billion tons (combined). They will have some misses. But most of what she builds with all that concrete, she will need.

This is why talk of penis envy continues to crop up.

I don't say this lightly, nor do I believe I am being partial, but it is a strong opinion on my part, that many of the judgements against China stems from nothing more by some (key word is 'some', not all, but 'some') in the West who simply resents a non-Western nation, and one that is larger than the combined Europe and North America, to build an industrialized and developed nation. I firmly believe this is the root of the resentment, pure and simple. And I have read some of your postings now and then. And that is the only conclusion I can come to. The penis envy comes from the Western side of the pond. And it is because China is upsetting an economic balance that many Westerners had grown up with.

Gold-plating of this nature is not simply unnecessary, it detracts from other important infrastructural needs that will become apparent once you visit the average Chinese city.

Most of China's large projects serves a purpose. Ocassionaly, they will build something with a dual purpose that will include some grandeur. Beijing's airport terminal is one example. However, as large as it is, will be at capacity before the end of the decade. That's why Beijing is building a 2nd airport. Most of what she builds, will be used. Even this new high speed rail system, which is already the largest in the world and soon to be larger than the rest of the world combind, will be fully utilized.

You can’t float ON a sinkhole...(g)

Actually, I’m ashamed of what we’ve become.

Three times a week I drive a section of I-10 under repair. They block off a lane for 6 miles, and then? Well, in 3 months of driving by, I have yet to see someone work with a tool I couldn’t pick up in my arms. And I have never seen more than 2 people working, and it usually is just one.

6 miles, and one person will be using a pick on a pothole. Usually with 4 guys watching...but still, you do NOT repair 6 miles of highway with hand tools!

At least, not in the America I grew up in...

“I firmly believe this is the root of the resentment, pure and simple.”

OR it could be because China is really not our friend. They have don’t care about quality or safety. They don’t honor intellectual property rights.

They have a horrendous record on human rights. Then there is the pollution they are adding to the world. Dumping toxic chemicals at every turn so they can keep manufacturing costs artificially low.

Yes, seems like more and more jobs, especially in government, involve people who aren't actually building something, yet overseeing the guy who is working :) Though, lately, with austerity measures, we will see less of that.

The Interstate system itself is a reminder of a time when things did get built quickly. The interstate system started in the 1950s and finalized by the 1990's. Over 40,000 miles of freeway.

They have don’t care about quality or safety. They don’t honor intellectual property rights.

China is improving on quality and safety. And while at a snails pace, are strengthening intellectual property rights. However, once again, these issues have come up with other countries in the past.

They have a horrendous record on human rights. Then there is the pollution they are adding to the world. Dumping toxic chemicals at every turn so they can keep manufacturing costs artificially low.

China isn't a Western democracy, but neither are they a brutal dictatorship. And they are a very large Oligarch (communist party membership is over 70 million vs the Royal family in many Middle Eastern countries). And China isn't the first country to have environmental disasters as they industrialize. All countries went through that period, including the US.

So, while there are issues that crop up with China, they certainly aren't the first nor the worst. However, they are the largest. And more importantly, they are moving up the value chain. And alterting economic balance.

So, I still stand by my original comment, that there is a deep seated resentment against this glaring potential of altering the economic balance of the world. Even if China developed into a Western style democracy with all the intellectual and environmental concerns addressed, some in the West will still resent her rise.

Yes there is a deep seated resentment. I don’t like seeing enemies doing well.

China isn't an American enemy. But they are another country in this one planet that we all live on.

And they have a right to industrialize.

I'm a firm believer, that someday, China will not only be a democracy, but a close US ally. But there will be some in the US, that will resent that too and will see close relations with China as nothing more than a "politically correct" policy.