Infrastructure: It ain't sexy, but back to FDR and before, it's been the first trick leaders reach for when they need to create jobs and build capital. However, the global downturn of the last few years has seriously hampered national infrastructure projects. The initial stimulus packages passed by the United States and European countries have been followed by years of austerity measures; fear of increasing debt burdens has made legislatures from D.C. to London and beyond shy of taking on new projects. And yet, as Justin Yifu Lin argues in a new piece for Foreign Policy, infrastructure is exactly what the world needs most right now, most of all in the developing world, where 1.4 billion people have no access to electricity and 2.6 billion live without basic sanitation. Investments in developing world infrastructure are not charity, Lin points out: "It will also create jobs and generate growth in advanced economies. Most of the capital goods required to build electricity, sewage plants, and roads are produced in the United States and Europe."
For now, the only country taking infrastructure seriously, both at home and overseas, may be China, with its railroads across Africa; a state-of-the-art sports center in Tanzania; or the Hainan power grid, which will link the island of Hainan to mainland China. The World Bank has estimated that Chinese income is now 6 percent higher than it would have been without the construction of a huge-scale national highway system. It's another reminder that infrastructure works, whether you build bridges in your backyard or halfway across the world.
Above, workers at a construction site in Shanghai on Nov. 21, 2008.
China Photos/Getty Images
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BLAUHMAN
8:32 AM ET
September 2, 2011
Chinese infrastructure
Way too many Chinese live in subhuman conditions. The cause for this are mostly land constraints and poverty. Today's China is beyond any American's comprehension, especially for those who have never been there. That country has an unlivable zone the size of America’s eastern seaboard yet 5 times the population.
It is very common for families of 3-6 people to live in 360 square foot homes; the average house in America is 2,340 square feet according to the National Association of Home Builders. Many workers live eight people to a room. Workers are moving to urban areas in search of better pay. This year, for the first time, more than 50% of the country lives in urban areas, up from 30% just a decade ago. As the country continues to urbanize and incomes rise, people need more comfortable living conditions.
XTIANGODLOKI
11:15 AM ET
September 2, 2011
3-6 people living in 360 sq. foot home is subhuman?
3 people living in 2340 sq home owning two cars would be considered a luxury even in Europe. Roughly half of the world have lower levels of living standards than the Chinese.
I can only hope that most Americans visit 3rd world nations and see what it is like to be real poor. Maybe it will help them to waste less.
FP2011
5:08 PM ET
September 26, 2011
We all shold go abroad more often
I have not been in China for over 10 years. I have not seen the industrial China as this pictures depict. I wonder how much of this is for show and how much is for real. Have things actually change for people, specially women. When I was in that country, women were treated poorly. Nobody cared about women health care and well being. It was more like they were slaves.
But, been there, helped me open my eyes to other cultures. To other livings and ideas. And I think all of us in the USA, should take time to visit other countries and really get to see how other people live. We would all learn from that experience. Here we worry about silly things like is my nose too big, can I enhance this or that, how to get a six pack
, or how to get the latest IPad or IPod, or the latest toy for our kids. Is Jenn upset with Brad.. Honestly, who cares! The truth is that we are so focused on ourselves and the rest of trivial things on television, that we do not see what really is going on in the rest of the world. And if China is making way to progress itself, we should learn a little bit from them. And if we have a change let' go out to other countries and explore!
SAMBOBO
7:28 AM ET
September 3, 2011
The road to prosperity
There are so many asian countries which are still poor and have bad infrastructure. The road to prosperity is nowhere for them.
Sam from What to make for dinner
NMSRJAGMH
3:43 AM ET
September 5, 2011
The irony..
The US owes too much money to other countries and trying to figure out the best way to get the taxpayers to help pay a portion. They won't have time to do home and decor. The rich are too busy with their beach home to help the government and the average people are busy building their baby and kid furniture themselves because their purchasing ability has been crippled thanks to the dollars decline and superb government policy! Maybe the officials got their policies from on line books auctions!
NMSRJAGMH
3:57 AM ET
September 5, 2011
The irony 2
Let me just add..baby and kid furniture made in US are better coz it's safer and has less toxic material! LOL! But seriously, the US has got to sort their fiscal policies out..many Americans are gutted with the falling value of the dollar. Even the itdatarecovery sector is now headquartered in Asia. Other than the mighty military, what else can the US brag about? Maybe they should set up a market centered on babies and sleep. That should help boost the economy!
ALEXWORK
4:18 AM ET
September 16, 2011
FDR was right
It definently isn't sexy, but infrastructure and manufacturing is our ticket out of this. We cannot continue to rely on finance to be our bread and butter in this country.
Goal Setting Leadership Skills
STACEY
3:34 AM ET
September 22, 2011
To achieve the above, draw on
To achieve the above, draw on the full complement of human energy in cities. This means wider recognition of the role of women and full government collaboration with the private and voluntary organisations.
Community contracts are specifically helpful as it can assist in achieving active involvement of the community in the planning and implementation of construction
activities and will clarify the role they could play.
CRUNCHBERRY21
6:10 PM ET
September 22, 2011
The Road is Paved with Making Good Choices
Growing up I saw two diligent parents work on exactly the same company for 28 and 27 years respectively. My parents didn't complain even though their employers were racist and prejudice towards them.
My parents didn't provide a damn about racism or prejudice simply because they had nine children to boost plus they made it happen. Despite the fact that we was without lots of money we'd some thing important than money, i was taught steps to make something from nothing as well as in order to do this you have to think differently, make good choices and take decisive action.
Something from there is nothing called determination to achieve success irregardless from the obstacles life throws to you. Quite simply, nobody ever said life would be simple, you have got to possess a intend to cope with the pitfalls.
FP2011
6:41 PM ET
September 28, 2011
You are right crunchberry...
It is all above making good choices. I have worked with people like your parents, working at the same company for 25 years or more. I am not sure if I am for staying at a company for that long, at the end the companies did not care how long you worked in the company. It was as easy for them to lay you off. One thing is that, as you say, making the right choices and taking decisive action is key for everything. I do not matter if your are talking about starting a new exercise program like P90X or starting a new career in a different country. You must evaluate your choices, make the right decision, and take decisive action. If you think about it too long, your life will pass in front of you. If you took the wrong decision and do not learn from it, life will pass in front of you too! Progress is about making decisions and taking decisive action.
TAYFA34
11:09 AM ET
September 27, 2011
Flowers Israel
And Palestinian land will shrink, suicide bombers will respond, rockets will be launched and Israelis killed. Now Hezbollah and Sunnis have started up again in Lebanon. And Iran is powering up its nuclear capacity. Israel may feel impelled to react at some point if it calculates either Lebanon or Iran needs to be nipped in the bud. Add Syria to the toxic mix in Lebanon; and if things boil over there then Palestine will be left to sit and stew on the perennial international back burner. Hope, at this point, is not even a diamond in the rough. porno porno porno porno web tasarım
GWHH
9:50 PM ET
September 28, 2011
question? How will the POOR
question? How will the POOR people pay for that Infrastructure. It pretty darn expenisve to build and USE!!
SINIBALDI
10:41 AM ET
October 3, 2011
Comme oiseau dans la neige.
Dans la chaleur
des émotions,
dans la neige
qui revient
en donnant un
poème et un
souffle de soleil.
Francesco Sinibaldi