World News

22093 readers

108 users here now

Breaking news from around the world.

News that is American but has an international facet may also be posted here.

Guidelines for submissions:

Where possible, post the original source of information.
- If there is a paywall, you can use alternative sources or provide an archive.today, 12ft.io, etc. link in the body.
Do not editorialize titles. Preserve the original title when possible; edits for clarity are fine.
Do not post ragebait or shock stories. These will be removed.
Do not post tabloid or blogspam stories. These will be removed.
Social media should be a source of last resort.

These guidelines will be enforced on a know-it-when-I-see-it basis.

For US News, see the US News community.

This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

A crumbling rail system in Ethiopia reveals failed promise of China’s Billions in African infrastructure (martinplaut.com)

submitted 8 months ago by tardigrada@beehaw.org to c/news@beehaw.org

12 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Today it sits as a daily reminder of the broken promises of China-funded infrastructure investments that swept Africa in recent years. Frequent breakdowns, inadequate maintenance funding and operational constraints mean barely one-third of its 41 trains are operational, ferrying 55,000 passengers a day, a fraction of initial projections.

Once bustling and vibrant train stations now exude an air of desolation and neglect, contrasting sharply with the city’s urgent transportation needs for its almost 4 million residents. Inoperable trains are regularly parked at the railway’s garage, awaiting maintenance.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Everyone complains about their trains. Whether it's NYC or Paris or Tokyo

[–] AndrasKrigare@beehaw.org 20 points 8 months ago

Interesting, interesting, so by that logic it's fundamentally impossible for a country to have inadequate rail service and all rails are of equal quality? I'll be sure to let everyone know they can cut all funding because none of it matters.

[–] randompasta 18 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Everyone also complains about their roads, so what's your point?

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 5 points 8 months ago (5 children)

My point is this is propaganda

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 27 points 8 months ago

Yeah, no. Your point is whataboutism in order to deflect from an obvious failure. It's the old hypernormalization approach that dictatorships and their defenders love to use. "If everything's bad, then the countless problems of this autocracy can't be that bad, right?"

[–] livus@kbin.social 26 points 8 months ago

The problems with Ethiopia's rail system and financing are well-known though, you can find articles about it right accross the political spectrum.

Disagreeing with this article's conclusions about it would be valid, but there's no point trying to pretend the facts listed are not facts.

[–] GammaGames@beehaw.org 22 points 8 months ago

And you think this because other people complain about trains?

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 11 points 8 months ago

Not a very valid point.

Every nation complains about its leaders. Some are still bigger shit heads then others.

Simple fact is human beings are more likely to comment on issues then note boring reliability. It still in no way effects the cross nation comparison.

The best of nations in anything has a right and even need to look for better. That is afterall how progress works.

But you need clear comparisons and data to accusse those complaints of properganda.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Everything is propaganda.

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

And freedom is slavery.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 8 months ago

Hello, I'm your child and I'm reporting you for talking in your sleep. You are an un-person now.