The west is over regulated and our infrastructure takes forever to build and maintain. What infrastructure that does get built, however, lasts. China builds more faster, but it’s often ill thought out and falls apart quickly.
The west can and should improve how we handle infrastructure. China is a bad model. We should look to how we were able to create solid infrastructure more quickly in the past.
> When they have a housing problem, they build more housing
Often forcing residents to sell their land (which for many is their livelihood) at cut throat rates, and sending gangsters in to 'persuade' them when they refuse. Several have resorted to self-immolation in protest over the years.[1]
> When they have an energy problem, they build hydroelectric dams
Which devastates the local environment and that of neighbouring countries, and increases the chance of earthquakes.[2]
[1] https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2013/10/23/239270737/...
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/04/china-da...
That, I agree with wholeheartedly. We suffer from a "we don't have that kind of problem here, thank god" complex that's the size of Mt everest.
With regards to faith in centrally planned interventions: China also had an overpopulation "problem," and they "acted" and now the population of women of child-bearing age is set to diminish by 20% over the next decade.
Outside of the largest megacities, urban populations are shrinking as birthrates have plummeted. China has enough empty housing to house 40 million people and yet real estate prices remain too high -- real estate was relied upon to fuel growth and so there has been massive speculation.
There aren't enough new families being formed to fill the housing.
As far as energy is concerned, China's problem is that the price of coal is going up, mainly because Europe requires more coal as they have reduced domestic capacity at the same time that Russia is reducing NG exports. China runs on coal, mainly.
I feel lucky that we didn't have so much "action" because it's only going to get uglier from here on out for China.
The problem with interventionism is it assumes that brutal, large scale political and economical decisions are the correct ones and that all foreseeable consequences are taken into account.
As witness by countless examples (eg the one child policy), their track record is far from exemplary.
Also: history shows time and again that banning something that is in high actual demand usually only results in the market going underground.
When they have an ethnic or religious group they don’t want as part of their society, they put them in concentration camps.
It’s super effective!
If the US could just disappear all the people that suffer under capitalism their system would probably look exceptional also.
This is where I really respect China, they actually act. When they have a housing problem, they build more housing. When they have an energy problem, they build hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants. When they have an electricity demand problem, they ban cryptocurrencies.
It seems the West has just lost the ability to carry out effective action and invest in infrastructure.