An architect friend of mine, who retired a few days before his 75th
birthday this year, just got back from a three week visit to China. He
described the visit as one of the most memorable experiences of his
lifetime. One of the events that most impressed him was a ride on the high
speed train.
A few minutes ago I sent you a private post of Chinese shipping
featuring products destined for Wal-Mart. China is also a major power in
development in space.
At the current rate of growth (I believe it's 9% per annum) the rule
of 72 indicates that China's economy will double every 8 years. If it could
keep that up for the rest of the century it would double 11 more times. It
would become 2048 times as big as it is now!! Kind of suggests that the
rest of us need to pull up our sox and get working, doesn't it??
Regards,
H. Daryl Richardson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Kester" <akester74@gmail.com>
To: <seaint@seaint.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 3:46 PM
Subject: re: china high speed rail
> NON-structural engineering post warning:
>
> Now, I am a big proponent of mass transit and high speed rail, and
> personally love train travel. The technological aspects of it are
> exciting and interesting, and I support the initiative conceptually.
> It works well in areas of Europe and Japan, and hopefully one day we
> can get a few lines going here. But something about this does not sit
> right with me, probably because it is China.
>
> The whole thing, especially the press release, reaks of communist
> posturing, just like the entire Beijing Olympics. It also seems
> familiar: North Korea's rocket and nuclear program, Pakistan and India
> having nuclear weapons, and Iran's whole nuclear deal. These are poor
> countries with huge social problems that are putting their carts
> before their horses in an attempt to launch themselves into the 21st
> century. Meanwhile, the vast majority of people in these countries
> live on a few bucks a day in abject poverty.
>
> High speed rail seems like an anti-communism move, almost hypocritical
> from a socialist perspective. It can be extremely expensive and likely
> only affordable by the rich and tourists. I have to think that a
> country with China's population and huge social, economic, and
> environmental issues would be better off for the whole to solve more
> common problems than cutting edge high speed rail technology. Why not
> just drive around the countryside of China in a Porsche with the top
> down with a big china flag on the hood, flipping the bird to all of
> the sustenance farmers in the rice paddies... Let them eat cake?
>
> (Yes, the US has lots of problems which I am aware of, but the article
> was about China. Not picking on China, just their government's
> decision making... Which ours needs picking on too!)
>
> Andrew Kester, PE
> Florida
>
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