India's Road To The Future

Paul 03244 writes "Historians, economists and technologists agree that movement of ideas, goods and services are fundamental to trade & advancement of the human condition. Today's online version of the NYT has a rather lengthy but fascinating article on the construction of a modern highway system in India that details some of the social & cultural changes being brought about by this highway project." Interesting to look at the parallels between the spread of tech and services in India and the same process in the U.S.

Comments

Smog

[MacFury]

Good thing they will have those new highways. Now they'll have a quick way to get their kids to the hospital when the smog induced asthma attacks happen!

Re:I hear the Indians are upset

[PlayfullyClever]

I realize the parent poster was trying to be funny but it doesn't change the fact that (IMO) most Americans think our economy is completely built around serving them and that all Indians are tech support people for Dell. Not only is this incorrect but it is insulting and I just took advantage of this topic to let off steam.

P.S. - Maybe some day you'll develop the ability to realize when someone is trying to make a point and you'll listen instead of criticizing.

Re:Fairly good article

[onyxruby]

Consumerism? Did I say anything about goods or markets? Nope. Did I say anything about politics or government? Nope. I was talking about economic prosperity. Your talking about an area of the world so poor that people are stealing /wet concrete/ to cover the dirt floor of the one room house they live in. You did read the article, right?

Please, do tell me how bringing some economic prosperity to what is one of the poorest regions on the planet is harmful? Please, I want to see your insitefulness on the benefit of living in absolute desperation for generation upon generation. I want to know the benefits of the absolute conservatism that decries progress for the rest of the world.

Re:You are a fake.

[audi100quattro]

I agree...

trains are for freight

[r00t]

Use a train for hauling coal, gravel, sand, logs, ore, scrap metal, liquified ammonia, sulferic acid, plastic resin pellets, pesticide, clay, and so on. Europeans typically use the roads (I'd say trucks, but that word means train cars over there!) for this.

Use cars for people. Oddly, the Europeans use trains for this.

Trains that carry people always end up smelling like the people who ride them. :-( The seats get sticky too. Eeeeew. Not that Europeans mind I guess, and nothing wrong with that eh?