Exactly- California has to negotiate with every landowner, government agency, business, etc. to build a railroad. China doesn’t have to deal with that. If they want to tear down a building, they just do it without caring much about the person they are taking it from. Authoritarianism is really good at doing big things really fast.
No they don’t. They offer compensation and if the owner still refuses they build around them. That’s what leads to all those wacky photos of highways going around a single house.
Exactly- California has to negotiate with every landowner, government agency, business, etc. to build a railroad. China doesn’t have to deal with that. If they want to tear down a building, they just do it without caring much about the person they are taking it from. Authoritarianism is really good at doing big things really fast.
No they don’t. They offer compensation and if the owner still refuses they build around them. That’s what leads to all those wacky photos of highways going around a single house.
I’ve heard it mostly goes the other way (I mean even the US has eminent domain), do you have any examples of the wacky highways/railroads?
Google Chinese nail houses.
Thanks!
Those are a problem for business development not high speed rail.
What difference is there in telling someone “hey we need to demolish your house for a highway/railway please accept this compensation”
In China? A lot. It’s the difference between a national need and a local want.
It’s in how they’ve prioritized things. The owner will still get compensated but they can’t say no.
But they can say no. You’ve just made that up in your head.
tbf I’d rather have my landlord’s house eminent domain’d if it meant high-speed rail.