Not so friendly reminder that musk specifically came up with, and pushed, for hyperloop knowing that it would never be made, as an effort to stop the development of highspeed rail in America and shift all political discussions of it because “something better is around the corner”:

As I’ve written in my book, Musk admitted to his biographer Ashlee Vance that Hyperloop was all about trying to get legislators to cancel plans for high-speed rail in California—even though he had no plans to build it. Several years ago, Musk said that public transit was “a pain in the ass” where you were surrounded by strangers, including possible serial killers, to justify his opposition.

source: new york times

Also: 2024 update, the total length of China’s high-speed rail tracks has now reached well over 45,000 km, or 28,000 miles, by the end of 2023.

They are additionally five years ahead of schedule and expect to double the total number within ten years. And, before someone inevitably complains about “how expensive it is”, they are turning over a net-profit of over $600M USD a year.

Via

  • @UnderpantsWeevilEnglish
    2•4 months ago

    I explicitly stated that public works projects don’t need to be profitable

    If I save 10 minutes on my daily commute, I claim a profit in relative time. If I can get between home and work for $5 less a day, that profits me monetarily. You can - and plenty of papers do - demonstrate the financial benefits of a high speed transit system.

    The difference between the East Asian rapid transit model and the American model is that those profits accrue primarily to the individual rather than the corporation. Claiming that Chinese/Japanese/Korean residents don’t profit from an HSR requires you to treat their time and money as valueless.

    If you choose to willingly believe everything the CCP is stating

    You need more on the table than “Don’t believe Chinese people, they’re all lying to you”. Hell, I’m not even sure what I’m not supposed to believe. You haven’t cited a source much less challenged one.

    I once again wish to express appreciation to you for making my point for me.

    Don’t trust the Chinese, because Iowa corn farmers are being sold out to the American O&G industry?

    it is more expensive to undertake major infrastructure projects in the US than it is in China.

    Why do you think that is?

    • @Dead_or_AliveEnglish
      1•4 months ago

      If I save 10 minutes on my daily commute, I claim a profit in relative time. If I can get between home and work for $5 less a day, that profits me monetarily. You can - and plenty of papers do - demonstrate the financial benefits of a high speed transit system.

      The difference between the East Asian rapid transit model and the American model is that those profits accrue primarily to the individual rather than the corporation. Claiming that Chinese/Japanese/Korean residents don’t profit from an HSR requires you to treat their time and money as valueless.

      Weirder and weirder…you seem intent on misquoting me and taking my statements out of context. You left off the first part of my original statement:

      Projects intended for the public good don’t need to be profitable.

      Once again thank you for agreeing with me (even if you didn’t realize it) and finding common ground.

      If you choose to willingly believe everything the CCP is stating

      You need more on the table than “Don’t believe Chinese people, they’re all lying to you”. Hell, I’m not even sure what I’m not supposed to believe. You haven’t cited a source much less challenged one.

      Yet again you seem intent on taking my statements out of context. Even with my exact words listed above… Are you just trying to invent straw man arguments?

      No where in my sentence about the CCP did I say “Don’t believe Chinese people”, THAT IS YOUR OWN QUOTE. Quite frankly its very racist.

      You can’t even cite or interpret my own text properly, why would I bother providing you with more advanced citations.

      Don’t trust the Chinese, because Iowa corn farmers are being sold out to the American O&G industry?

      I’m not even sure where to go with this racist rhetorical question. Once again I would advise not trusting the CCP, I have no qualms with the Chinese people. I’ve done direct business with Chinese business owners and in all my personal dealings they were honest and forthright.

      Why do you think that is?

      My original post covers why it is more expensive to build HSR in the US, I suggest going back and re-reading it.

      • @UnderpantsWeevilEnglish
        1•4 months ago

        Once again I would advise not trusting the CCP

        Is there any actual reason for this?

        Other than the obvious, of course.

        No where in my sentence about the CCP did I say “Don’t believe Chinese people”

        Do you know what the C in CCP stands for?

        • @Dead_or_AliveEnglish
          1•4 months ago

          Is there any actual reason for this?

          Other than the obvious, of course.

          Feel free to educate yourself.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Uyghurs_in_China

          https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/19/break-their-lineage-break-their-roots/chinas-crimes-against-humanity-targeting

          https://time.com/6302515/china-philippines-south-china-sea-aggression/

          https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-new-map-anger-india-south-china-sea-border-disputes-rcna102921

          Do you know what the C in CCP stands for?

          Yes, do you know how a names and acronyms work? Do you also know what the CP in the CCP stands for?

          • @UnderpantsWeevilEnglish
            0•4 months ago

            Feel free to educate yourself.

            All of these have been debunked.

            Do you also know what the CP in the CCP stands for?

            The the largest political party on earth. Might as well say “I don’t hate Americans, just all the Republicans plus all the Democrats”

            • @Dead_or_AliveEnglish
              1•4 months ago

              All of these have been debunked.

              LMAO, now you’ve moved on from internet troll to delusional.

              The the largest political party on earth. Might as well say “I don’t hate Americans, just all the Republicans plus all the Democrats”

              Not true at all, I never used any hate speech that has been your M.O. I stated don’t don’t believe the CCP. You are the one engaging in hate speech and straw man arguments.

              • @UnderpantsWeevilEnglish
                0•4 months ago

                now you’ve moved on from internet troll to delusional

                Americans are the most propagandized people on earth.

                You believed the Vietnamese attacked you at the Gulf of Tonkin. You believed Saddam did 9/11. You believed vaccines cause autism and illegal immigrants gave your country COVID.

                You’re getting an eyeful of genocide in Gaza as we speak and yet you still think you need to defend the people perpetuating it, because Time Magazine says you should.

                Now you’re gearing up to throw away a generation of young men on some Pacific Island so that you can wage war on the folks who build your iPhones.

                Enjoy yourself.

                • @Dead_or_AliveEnglish
                  1•4 months ago

                  Are you still going on with the straw man arguments? I never stated my position on any of the incidents you spewed. You state made up arguments and positions that I’ve never made just to pat yourself on the back when you win the imaginary argument I never engaged in.

                  You are delusional.

                  • @UnderpantsWeevilEnglish
                    -2•4 months ago

                    https://www.qiaocollective.com/education/xinjiang#unsubstantiated

                    Photos and videos fallaciously used to prove, show, or insinuate either concentration camps or slave labor of Xinjiang people include:

                    An April 14, 2017 de-radicalization public talk at Luopu County Reform & Correction Centre (explanatory Twitter thread).

An August 12, 2017 arrest of pyramid fraudsters in Bijie, Guizhou (explanatory Twitter thread)

A video uploaded on September 17, 2019 appearing to show a routine prisoner transfer in what looks to be Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, with vests printed “Kashgar Detention House (喀什看守所).” (see Global Times, 2020-7-22, in response to the re-emergence of the video in summer 2020 and BBC’s confrontation of Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming using the video on 2020-7-19) Detention Houses are otherwise normal infrastructure in today’s China. (see this Zhihu answer for one person’s experience staying 37 days in a Detention House, and this post about the work of a police personnel tasked to a Detention House) [Chinese language]

A December 21, 2019 transportation of suspected fraud criminals from Shanghai to Taiyuan by Taiyuan police (explanatory Twitter thread).

A stock photo of a Chilean shoe factory from 2010 (Reddit post)

Satellite imagery of assorted buildings in China, some of which are normal prisons and at least one of which is a 5-star apartment complex.

In some extreme cases, videos from other countries entirely (video was from Indonesia - part of what is being said is “ampun, pak, gak lagi” - have mercy, I won’t do it again), videos from a Taiwanese BDSM club, or edited and pixelated photos to try to push the narrative.