China is also a deeply corrupt authoritarian klepto-state. These things are good for infrastructure output, perhaps not so healthy for morale and morality.
That doesn't really follow. Too much corruption and you can't get things done, because resources for getting things done tend to get siphoned into personal accounts, or just pissed away wholesale. Corruption and incompetence are the reason infrastructure projects fail in the US, while China seems to be able to get them done in spite of it.
I mean, whatever the reason, the US can't get this shit right. Make all the excuses you want, whinge about freedom until you're blue in the face, it won't change the fact of it. If the US is supposed to be the example of what a liberal democracy can do, then liberal democracy is in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, the US is a really poor example of what a liberal democracy is capable of, if it is really a liberal democracy anymore, in the first place.
>China is also a deeply corrupt authoritarian klepto-state.
Kind of like the US in that respect. Part of the reason for the enormously high cost of HSR in America is the corruption tax. There are a lot of entities on the take in an undertaking this large.
