Quote:
Originally Posted by mrnyc
wait, yr comparing a hotel to the nasa apollo program? and calling it debateable?? 
ok so lets indulge you for a minute -- besides being a grand human achievement as well as a peaceful cold war battle victory, here are 4 pages of apollo program spinoff benefits:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/pdf...n_ApolloFS.pdf
nk has...a shiny skinned, poorly built hotel. |
Yes, if weighing the value of large national programs, the comparison can be useful. Every country spends money wisely and unwisely through the course of its history. Given the political strife between our nations, such comparisons can keep things in perspective.
In terms of return on investment relative to other possible projects, it is debatable if the Apollo project was an optimal expenditure of resources. If that money had been spent on civilian aerospace, medical research, or land based transit, etc, there could have been even more scientific advancement. It's tough to say.
For North Korea, think about what the alternatives were for getting more foreign cash into their country. Were exports an option? Telecom based service centers? When weighed against the options available, tourism and international travel accommodations were arguably a good investment at the time.
So why the comparison despite being completely different projects? It seems that national pride could have been a factor in both. Both nations wanted to prove themselves to the rest of the world. Both also wanted to foster high national moral. Once we get beyond that, there is good discussion to be had about if a landmark hotel was a reasonable investment for NK back when it was originally built. In my opinion, it may have been the best chance for NK to infuse foreign money into their economy.
It will be interesting to see if this building ever helps accomplish that goal. It may, but likely 5 decades later than intended.