The Dark Side of China's Tofu Dreg Mega Projects

Summary

This video script exposes the stark reality of China's 'tofu drag' construction practices, highlighting the severe consequences of substandard infrastructure. It showcases dramatic footage of flooding in Shanghai, where prestigious buildings and events like the 'Billy Billy World' Comic-Con are overwhelmed by poor drainage systems. The script delves into the dangers of cutting corners, from exploding manholes to collapsing roads, and criticizes the government's underreporting of disaster-related deaths. It emphasizes the urgency of prioritizing safety and quality over rapid, image-driven construction.

Takeaways

• 🏢 The script discusses the issue of 'tofu drag' construction in China, where infrastructure and buildings, despite their impressive appearance, fail at an unprecedented rate due to poor quality and lack of proper planning.
• 🌐 The contrast between Chinese propaganda showcasing advanced buildings like the Shanghai International Exhibition Center and the reality of infrastructure failures, such as flooding, is highlighted to criticize the focus on image over substance.
• 📺 The video transcript mentions the simultaneous occurrence of China's 'kamikan' event, similar to the San Diego Comic-Con, as an example of China's tendency to replicate Western concepts without proper execution.
• 💧 The flooding in Shanghai is used as a case study to illustrate the poor drainage systems, which lead to dangerous and unsanitary conditions, affecting everything from highways to exhibition centers.
• 🚗 The transcript describes incidents of roads and tunnels collapsing or flooding, endangering lives and causing significant property damage, as a direct result of substandard construction practices.
• 🔥 There is mention of safety issues with new electric vehicles, such as the BYD Han, where airbags failed to deploy in a crash, indicating a pattern of poor safety standards in various industries.
• 🛠️ The discussion points to the rapid construction in China without adequate surveys or inspections, leading to structures built on unstable ground that are prone to collapse or failure.
• 💨 The transcript criticizes the focus on speed over quality, suggesting that the lack of thorough processes and regulations results in豆腐 drag construction that is both dangerous and short-lived.
• 🌊 The catastrophic flooding in Henan is discussed, with the government's underreporting of the death toll, to underscore the severity of the situation and the systemic issues in China's approach to construction and crisis management.
• 🏞️ The environmental impact of China's construction boom is touched upon, with examples of abandoned quarantine capsules contributing to pollution and waste, reflecting a lack of long-term planning and sustainability.
• 🗑️ The script concludes by emphasizing the human cost of豆腐drag construction, moving beyond the meme culture to highlight the serious implications of these construction practices on the safety and well-being of the public.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script regarding tofu drag construction in China?

The main issue discussed is the poor quality of construction, often referred to as 'tofu drag,' which leads to infrastructure failure at an unprecedented rate, including buildings sinking and inadequate drainage systems causing severe flooding.

What is the significance of the Shanghai International Exhibition Center in the context of the video script?

The Shanghai International Exhibition Center is highlighted as an example of impressive buildings that are often used in Chinese propaganda to showcase the country's development, but it also represents the disparity between the flashy exterior and the underlying structural issues.

What is the term used to describe the Chinese version of Comic-Con mentioned in the script?

The term used is 'KamiCon,' which is a play on the original name and is being held concurrently with the San Diego Comic-Con.

How does the video script describe the impact of poor drainage systems in Shanghai during heavy rain?

The script describes the poor drainage systems as leading to severe flooding, with water levels reaching knee-deep for pedestrians and even causing cosplayers at an exhibition to be flooded with water from the sewers.

What is the term 'tofu drag' or 'tofu slag construction' referring to in the context of the script?

The term 'tofu drag' or 'tofu slag construction' refers to the use of substandard materials and poor construction practices that result in buildings and infrastructure that are not durable and can be dangerous.

What is the script's commentary on the speed of construction in China compared to safety and quality?

The script criticizes the fast-paced construction in China, suggesting that it often comes at the expense of safety and quality, leading to structurally unsound buildings and infrastructure that fail under stress.

What is the script's view on the Chinese government's handling of the 2021 Henan flood?

The script accuses the Chinese government of underreporting the death toll from the flood, suggesting a cover-up and a lack of transparency in the handling of the disaster.

What is the script's perspective on the flashy buildings and infrastructure projects in China?

The script suggests that these flashy projects are often more about propaganda and impressing the international community rather than serving the practical needs of the people or ensuring safety and longevity.

What is the script's stance on the importance of proper planning and safety inspections in construction?

The script emphasizes the importance of proper planning, safety inspections, and adherence to building standards to ensure the structural integrity and safety of constructions, as opposed to rushed construction with corners cut.

What examples does the script provide to illustrate the dangers of poor construction practices in China?

The script provides examples such as the flooding of the Shanghai International Exhibition Center, the collapse of roads, the explosion of manhole covers, and the tragic flooding of a tunnel in Henan, which resulted in a significant loss of life.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Tofu Drag Construction and Infrastructure Failures

The video script discusses the issues with 'tofu drag' construction in China, where infrastructure projects are failing at an alarming rate. The Shanghai International Exhibition Center is highlighted as an example of flashy buildings that are more about propaganda than functionality. The video also covers the flooding problems in Shanghai due to poor drainage systems, which has led to health and safety hazards, including raw sewage flooding streets and buildings.

05:02

🚗 Flashy Buildings and Dangerous Drainage

This paragraph delves into the contrast between the impressive appearance of Chinese buildings and the serious safety issues they can pose, such as the inability to handle rain properly leading to flooding. The discussion includes the dangers of raw sewer water mixing with floodwater, the risks of driving on flooded highways, and the structural integrity issues that arise from poor construction practices.

10:02

🌐 China's Propaganda vs. Reality

The script contrasts the propaganda portraying China's advanced infrastructure with the reality of poor construction quality and planning. It mentions the high-speed rail station and Juhai International Airport flooding, showcasing the drainage issues across China. The paragraph also touches on the 'tofu drag' or substandard construction materials used, leading to water leakage and sewage backup in residential and commercial buildings.

15:03

🔥 Tofu Drag Construction's Deadly Consequences

This section of the script highlights the severe implications of substandard construction, including fires in government buildings and homes due to poor fire safety systems. It also discusses the dangers of infrastructure collapse, such as bridges and roads, which can endanger lives due to the rapid construction without proper oversight or quality control.

20:06

🚧 The True Cost of Rapid Construction

The paragraph criticizes the rapid construction in China, which often sacrifices safety and quality for speed. It points out that while China can construct infrastructure quickly, the result is often豆腐渣工程 (tofu drag construction) that is prone to failure. The discussion includes the collapse of roads and the environmental impact of demolishing and rebuilding these structures.

25:08

💥 The Pervasiveness of 'Tofu Drag' Culture

This section expands on the widespread impact of 'tofu drag' culture in China, affecting not only buildings but also electrical, gas, and water connections. The script provides personal anecdotes about electrical issues in newly constructed apartments and discusses the common occurrence of gas explosions in shops due to poor construction standards.

30:10

🛤️ The Aftermath of the Henan Floods

The script recounts the devastating floods in Henan that affected millions and led to significant loss of life. It criticizes the Chinese government's underreporting of the death toll and highlights the tragedy of a flooded tunnel where many people perished. The paragraph emphasizes the negligence and lack of preparedness that contributed to the catastrophe.

35:12

🏙️ Memorial and the CCP's Cover-Up

This paragraph focuses on the Chinese government's response to the Henan floods, particularly the memorialization of the victims and the official cover-up of the true death toll. It describes the public's mourning efforts and the government's attempts to hide the scale of the disaster, reflecting the lack of transparency and accountability.

40:13

🚨 The Dark Side of Tofu Drag Construction

The final paragraph emphasizes the gravity of 'tofu drag' construction, moving beyond the humor of substandard buildings to the serious impact on human lives. It calls for a focus on constructing safe and durable infrastructure rather than prioritizing image and speed over people's well-being.

Keywords

💡Tofu Drag Construction

Tofu drag construction refers to the practice of using substandard materials and cutting corners during the construction process, resulting in buildings and infrastructure that are unsafe and prone to failure. In the video, this term is used to describe the poor quality of buildings and infrastructure in China, which often leads to dangerous situations such as flooding and structural collapse, as seen in the examples of the Shanghai International Exhibition Center and the flooded highway.

💡Soft Power

Soft power is the ability to influence others through appeal and attraction rather than coercion or force. The video discusses how China uses soft power through propaganda showcasing impressive buildings and infrastructure to project an image of advancement and progress, despite the underlying issues of poor construction quality and safety concerns.

💡Drainage System

A drainage system is a network of pipes, channels, and other structures designed to manage and remove surface and ground water from urban areas to prevent flooding. The script highlights the inadequacy of drainage systems in Chinese cities, leading to severe flooding during heavy rains, as exemplified by the flooding at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center and other urban areas.

💡Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the basic physical and organizational structures needed for a society to function, such as roads, bridges, and buildings. The video emphasizes the failure of China's infrastructure due to poor construction practices, leading to widespread issues like flooding, road collapses, and even loss of life during natural disasters.

💡Propaganda

Propaganda is information, often biased or misleading, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. The script criticizes the use of propaganda by the Chinese government to present an image of rapid development and modernization, while in reality, the construction boom has led to numerous safety and quality issues.

💡Flooding

Flooding is an overflow of water that submerges land which is usually dry. The video discusses the severe flooding in China's cities due to inadequate drainage systems and poor urban planning, causing disruptions to major events like the 'Billy Billy World' and endangering public safety.

💡Sewage

Sewage refers to waste matter carried off by sewers, typically in a liquid state. The script mentions sewage as a significant problem in China, where poor construction and infrastructure failures have led to raw sewage flooding streets and buildings, posing health risks and illustrating the consequences of substandard construction practices.

💡Maglev Train

A maglev train, short for magnetic levitation train, is a form of train transport that uses magnetic levitation to propel the train without touching the track, reducing friction. The video humorously critiques China's claim to fame regarding the maglev train, pointing out the disparity between the high-tech image and the reality of poor operational infrastructure.

💡Safety Issues

Safety issues refer to the potential risks or dangers associated with a product, process, or structure that could result in harm or injury. The script raises safety issues related to China's construction practices, such as the lack of effective fire systems in buildings and the collapse of roads and tunnels, which have led to loss of life and property.

💡Underreported

Underreported means that the actual extent or number of something is less than what is officially stated or recognized. The video discusses how the Chinese government underreported the number of deaths during a major flood in Henan, highlighting a pattern of concealing the true scale of disasters to maintain a positive image.

💡Zero Covid Policy

The Zero Covid Policy refers to a strategy aimed at eliminating COVID-19 within a country by imposing strict measures to prevent its spread. The script mentions the abrupt end to China's Zero Covid Policy and the wasteful construction of quarantine capsules that were left unused, symbolizing the government's focus on image over practicality and the resulting environmental and financial costs.

Highlights

The discussion unveils the stark reality of 'tofu drag' construction in China, where infrastructure is failing at an alarming rate.

Chinese propaganda is contrasted with the reality of construction projects, such as the Shanghai International Exhibition Center, which despite appearances, suffer from basic functional issues.

The narrative criticizes the rapid construction in China without proper planning or safety measures, leading to buildings that sink and inadequate drainage systems.

The transcript highlights the irony of China's flashy buildings and mega projects being overshadowed by their inability to handle basic elements like rain.

The discussion of China's version of Comic-Con, 'KamiKan', occurring simultaneously with the San Diego Comic-Con, raises questions about originality and cultural copying.

Footage from a flooded exhibition center in Shanghai reveals the poor drainage system, causing cosplayers to wade through knee-deep water.

The transcript emphasizes the dangers of flooding from poor infrastructure, including the risk of infection and the collapse of roads and highways.

Examples of 'tofu drag construction' are given, where the cheapest materials are used, leading to severe structural issues like walls crumbling and water leakage.

The conversation touches on the issue of corruption in China's construction industry, which leads to shortcuts and compromised safety.

The transcript describes how flashy electric vehicles in China may have impressive appearances but suffer from significant safety issues.

The discussion points out the contrast between the impressive imagery used in Chinese propaganda and the reality of crumbling infrastructure and poor construction practices.

The transcript reveals the truth behind China's maglev train claims, highlighting the country's tendency to take credit for foreign innovations.

The narrative criticizes the lack of proper land surveying in China, which results in buildings and roads collapsing due to unstable ground conditions.

The discussion highlights the tragedy of the 2021 Henan floods, where the official death count was significantly underreported by the Chinese government.

The transcript recounts the horrifying experience of people trapped in a flooded tunnel, emphasizing the dire consequences of poor construction and lack of preparedness.

The conversation concludes with a call to focus on building things well and safely, rather than for propaganda purposes, to prevent further tragedies.

Transcripts

we are about to show you some absolute

craziness when it comes to tofu drag

construction and also when it comes to

the crazy sort of flooding that's going

on and it's actually all tied together

yeah um so yeah I want to Hype it a

little bit okay we found some epic crazy

footage of the tofu drag construction

but it's not just buildings we feel like

the buildings are overrepresented

because it's more importantly the

infrastructure that everyone has to use

all the time yes and that is it's

failing at an unprecedented rate yeah so

we're going to be covering that in depth

this is a typical example of soft power

and we're going to start out with this

look at this beautiful

flashy Shamrock of a building over here

yeah

yeah it's almost Irish it is quite Irish

any green though this is the yeah this

is the very impressive Shanghai

International Exhibition Center yeah and

Expo and exhibition

now this is where you see Chinese

propaganda versus reality like first

hand yeah okay because anyone who looks

at this would be like wow look at that

incredible building isn't that special

like it looks so Advanced and high-tech

and whatever and that's because why not

let's build something big on an

impressive scale because we've got the

the money to throw at it we've got the

Manpower we could do it do this all very

quickly let's do it that's what China

does they build big cities to build big

things they don't need to get approval

they don't really need to survey the

land properly or anything they just do

it dude I'll tell you yeah there are

some buildings that are absolutely

sinking in Shanghai yeah so um now right

now

as we speak is the Billy Billy World

here's another impressive photo of the

um you know again exhibition and this is

the kind of thing you see whenever you

see propaganda about China they show you

these flashy buildings they show you

these like Mega projects and stuff and

everyone's everyone suddenly gets taken

aback and says wow look at what China's

building and things in that pollution

and that but uh no they didn't

um anyway right now I for those of you

who don't know there's a thing called

Comic Con yeah okay anyone is into

Comics or anime or you know subculture

stuff will know that right now in

America in Southern California the the

San Diego Comic-Con is currently on I

think it starts or may have already

started but it's supposed to run like

this weekend right

well for some unknown bizarre reason

China's version of Comic-Con also is on

right now

what is it called it's called kamikan

oh that's actually pretty good oh that

wasn't scripted uh yeah so Comic-Con

also known as uh Billy Billy word sorry

Billy Billy world yeah

um

no I've seen people shout out as hashtag

a whole nother thing yeah anyway Billy

Billy world now Billy Billy obijan is

kind of like the YouTube of China in a

way yeah it's more complicated than that

but it's it's more focused on like um

anime animation you know sort of that

type of thing anyway so they have their

Billy Billy World which is their version

of Comic-Con which happens right now at

the same time the Comic-Con happens

because I guess you know one gold to

that one yeah I know but I guess you

know if you've got a copy stuff you may

as well copy it down to the T yeah even

the days you know

um and that's being held right now in

this big Expo so I mean it's impressive

I've seen some of the previous events

they set up big screens they bring K-pop

bands in and stuff to sing they make it

a big deal right yeah let's see what's

happening there right now foreign

do you think they have like a water

exhibit or something going on yeah it

must be just part of the asset you know

it's probably that Snapchat filter that

just makes everything underwater maybe

maybe let's take a look

hmm

okay so can you see now this footage

that we're showing you this is from that

exhibition right now because of the rain

in uh you see the the women walking

around you'll see some of them trying to

do cosplay there you see the cosplayers

and stuff they are knee-deep in water

because the drainage system is awful in

Shanghai and basically the sewers

backing up and the water's coming out

through the manholes and and whatnot so

this is kind of and you can see it's the

same you can see the logo if you look on

the what do you call those things like

the safety safety rope thing you can see

that's the banner of the Exhibition

Center on there so this fancy ass

however many billions of dollars cost to

build that fancy looking thing it rains

a little bit and it floods so again this

is the whole point of Chinese propaganda

it can look good it can look impressive

but it's not the most basic functions

like being able to not flood when it

rains

just you know are non-existent I'm gonna

just throw another caveat in there it

looks all fun like other people you know

people see flooding on TV like ah just

go out and have a swim you literally can

die from infection from what's in that

water I'm sure it's very dangerous well

it's coming up from the sewers yeah you

don't want to be in that water trust me

on this you absolutely do not want to be

in that water yeah so again it's like

most of these impressive looking things

that come out of China look at the

flashy EV cars and stuff that you see

like the latest models that come out

they look flashy they look really nice

but then they have massive safety issues

like I've I've covered recently like the

the flagship byd Han which is

um like a kind of a sports sedan type

thing I guess

um I've got footage of one that was in a

very bad impact front and rear and the

airbags didn't go off yeah you know this

is a similar type of thing you know they

catch fire and so on this is a fancy

very impressive looking building but

International yeah and the drainage

can't even handle a bit of rain no okay

raw sewer just popping through yeah I

know so this is perfect example of soft

power but look let's look Shanghai is

currently experiencing a lot of rain

we're like heart infection after that

yeah [ __ ] you do not want to be in that

yeah

so this is a big issue in China's the

drainage of the cities or Ferrari I know

isn't it just so it's like a half a

million dollar car underwater yeah this

is on the highway yeah okay so the

highways can't drain Shanghai we're like

Shanghai yeah exactly I mean can you

just everybody pay attention this is a

raised Highway yeah yeah okay so this is

a Highway that's above this is holding

water yes and the water can't even drain

off of a raised Highway

if it was like down in the water table

or something yeah yeah yeah for sure but

this can't support that weight no it's

gonna be collapses like I agree died I

mean there are collapses there is a lot

of damage yeah yeah and um the

structural Integrity gets damaged too

yeah

it's not just this though like this is

just this has been coming out right now

but we've got a lot of stuff that's been

being affected it's very this is

happening right now yeah yeah this is

apocalyptic stuff going down yeah I mean

as in today yeah as in today yeah

you know these are the streets of

Shanghai

she had more like Shabba yeah

exactly yeah but exactly because

Shanghai means like on the seat yeah

she's like she has like under the sea

take a look here you can see the fancy

malls and the fancy everything that oh I

missed that and the Billy Billy world

the the joke at the bottom of that

doying clip yeah it said uh come to the

Billy Billy Billy world to see the oh

[ __ ] yes exactly it's got a very

romantic feeling yeah yeah

um yeah the drainage is a is appalling

always I've always said this the most

lightest Mist in the northern city I

lived in Bato

the whole streets of flood now this is

very relevant to what we're going to

talk about later on this is an

underground tunnel obviously the guy

stopped I would not go into that no if I

were him I'd be trying to find a way to

back out of there this water park looks

sick yeah it is yeah anyway uh so yeah

so here's the maglev train yeah moving

on this is also in Shanghai yes this is

uh it's just that's kind of funny

because it's one of those things like we

have maglev at home yeah jokes because

maglev trains of course were popularized

in China especially in Shanghai right

yeah but we're not originally from there

they claim that they are invented in

China no do they yeah absolutely the

first maglev train is is always quoted

to be the Shanghai maglev train no yes

that's what China China always says are

you kidding me oh I just wasn't aware of

yeah so anyway

um they're a famous maglev train there

was a photo that was leaked of what the

cockpit looks like yeah so so where the

actual um you know operators yeah yeah

the operator sits in the front the the

cockpit I suppose you could call it so

what does it look like let's see just

take a wild guess

wow what's what are some eye spy details

here okay the standing fan that you've

got up there yeah

the uh power strip that runs the

instruments and so I mean look at that

just over there

a regular household you know like

extension cord and the fact that the the

chair over here is just a freestanding

oh by the way sorry I'm I'm aware that

it's invented in first used in Germany

I'm saying what China claims yeah yeah

obviously

um but take a look at how it you know

when I first saw this I thought it was

like a simulator so did I you know it's

like hey this is where we train The

Operators how to use it but no that is

the actual couple there's another photo

after this yeah and you can see the

number two up there

um and yeah it it looks looks like a

utility closet I really love the power

outlet thing on the ground yeah like the

extension here's what the actual

operator in it see and this is train

three see the three at the top so it

shows you it's a different one same deal

a standing fan connected to a freaking

like wall socket extension yeah

um what on Earth is going on here China

this is Shanghai remember and it's

important because Shanghai comes up

quite a lot in this episode yeah okay

yeah this is China's most sophisticated

City Shanghai

this is however not Shanghai okay but

this is a high speed rail station that's

also flooded this is just a hammer home

the fact that drainage is a huge problem

in China always this is thousands of

kilometers away yeah now this is in

southern China I used to go here all the

time this is the juhai International

Airport yeah and um

you know it's like a water park yeah

yeah it really does look like a water

park yeah I mean imagine you go to show

up for your plane and that's what you're

greeted with you know yeah and you get

flooded out now listen I actually

experienced this so did you in Shenzhen

when it was uh summertime and it would

rain heavily it would just the streets

would literally just flood I'd sometimes

be stuck on buses and the buses would

have to stop because it actually went

too high and we'd have to like Wade out

of them and stuff you know it's crazy

yeah I know my mom was shocked when she

was visiting because she was like what's

going on because it wasn't that much

rain and the whole streets were just up

to here and I always say this but there

was this rat shivering on an eBay yeah

like

her memories

yeah drainage is a huge issue in Chinese

cities

um because they're not properly planned

no

and they're just kind of you know they

throw a bunch of concrete on top of the

ground you know speaking of concrete

is this what you want to see when you're

in a basement car park and this is a

supporting pillar of the entire building

is probably 30 floors up this is what

you want to see

this is again what's called tofu drag or

tofu slag construction we're just the

cheapest material is used and we've seen

this in real life yeah

uh I thought we'd uh on the water this

this is actually unrelated to Shanghai

or anything this this is a different

clip from a different city completely

somewhere else but imagine you came into

your apartment after work and you're

just like hey what's going on there's a

little bit of water going on here let's

try and uh see what's going on you know

hmm

where is this coming from

oh just just the elevator oh it's

pouring out of the elevator just pouring

out of the elevator yeah

that's I wonder if my apartment's okay

yeah exactly

I wonder if my dog's doing fine he must

have missed me all day yeah

uh this obviously is a burst water pipe

yeah um and this also is all part of

tofu Drake construction you know it's

like the the fit the fittings aren't

very good they're not properly installed

these are new buildings yeah these are

brand new usually happens in new stuff

which is the craziest thing yeah here uh

where's the sujo like a three million

dollar apartment yeah three million

dollar apartment yeah and uh well hey

you get your own water park inside

that's pretty sick I mean that's rich

living yeah imagine what kind of stuff a

three million dollar apartment owner has

in their apartment I mean they'll have

like artifacts and [ __ ] yeah exactly

they'll have like million dollar

paintings yeah well let's downgrade a

bit to 2 million US dollar apartment

okay over here this is in Beijing and uh

the worst part about this is that this

isn't water

it's sewage this is raw ass poop water

yeah yeah so I mean picture this you you

paid 2 million US dollars for your

apartment in polluted city yeah this is

like one uh you know one of the very

well-known very good real estate

so-called um you know companies in China

you buy this you move in you're a rich

dude yeah and by the way that 2 million

US Dollars only gets you a 70-year lease

um you don't actually own the property

you're just leasing it from the

government for two million dollars yeah

for two million dollars yeah U.S dollars

yeah and then raw sewage just pours all

over your possessions in your entire

house

tofu drinks it says they initially

thought it was water but then it smelled

it yeah exactly yeah

that is disgusting two million dollars

on the drain yeah exactly

get a polluted ass City yeah

um speaking of tofu drag construction

yeah well I mean sometimes as it's being

constructed you can actually see how

things just don't work out it's better

than after but to be fair like this kind

of shows you the child like lazy

[ __ ] cost cutting methods used yeah

when building things in China

yeah you see the problem is Corners are

always cut and this is something that

inevitably comes to bite people in the

ass like we've seen the buildings can

look really nice and flashy okay

but then because Corners are cut things

like sewage pipes break okay yeah look

at that Shanghai exhibition Hall if it

was properly built the drainage would

have been built properly too yeah we

wouldn't be flooding all the cosplayers

with like sewer water no you know what I

mean yeah

let's just throw in a fire as well

because you know what we've that looks

like a government building it certainly

does sort of thing I think it's a China

Telecom it's yeah look it's China

Telecom yeah see it's trying to Telecom

building catching on fire and that's

another problem with tofu drag

construction is that the fire systems

don't work very well as I spoke about a

couple of episodes ago yeah

um and speaking of drainage okay what we

have here can you see over there's a

bridge that's going to be a highway up

there and there's a drainage pipe yeah

okay

but even they just don't work this

particular drainage pipe fell off into

someone's car almost impaled them

luckily they survived but I mean isn't

that scary yes you actually did not get

impaled yeah imagine you're driving yeah

he's having a conversation with a cop

saying like Hey listen yeah you know all

right my sunroof just is shattered and

this thing is probably safe and sticking

through my leg but whatever

um here's the thing though

um that's scary yeah he could have died

and this this is where it starts to take

a bit of a darker turn because you know

we can have a good laugh at like sure

you know water flooding in or sewage or

whatever uh you know but when people's

lives are at risk and it's completely

beyond your control I mean you could be

the safest driver in the world you could

be going like three miles an hour and

suddenly a drainage pipe Falls in

through your sunroof you've got no

control over there no that's where it

becomes dangerous yes not that long ago

I think it was last a few weeks ago a

huge piece of the highway in guay Joe

Province a new piece of highway just

collapsed in into the ground yeah and

that's the thing is that these like

spaghetti highways and these high-speed

rails and all these infrastructure

things we're showing you these flashy

things that end up in propaganda are

being built at such an alarming rate to

fulfill video roles yes to fulfill

propaganda to be put on Tick Tock for

you to see oh yeah as a person of the

world to say wow look at China's so far

ahead that stuff doesn't work and is

breaking at a more alarming rate than

the old stuff even from like the 80s and

90s that's the crazy thing and I often

have these stupid waste of time Twitter

debates with Chinese propagandists

because they'll post those intricate you

know intersection looks like a Spaghetti

Junction thing and they'll be like look

how far ahead China is while the West is

like rotting and you know stagnating and

all that look at this and I'm thinking

to myself what's the point of showing a

Spaghetti Junction in the middle of

nowhere that no one's going to use it

doesn't really help the farmer that

lives next door to wherever it is this

is impedes and sunlight

all it is is something that's been

thrown up quickly that isn't going to

last yes and like you said the stuff

that China built in the 80s and 90s

lasts longer than this stuff and that's

bad quality already yeah yeah it's weird

it's the only country in the world where

I'd say the new stuff is worse than

stuff 10 years ago yeah it's like crazy

I'm not talking about yeah like back in

World War II is stronger so I understand

that sure but I'm talking about new

construction versus 10 20 years ago the

new stuff is infinitely worse yeah it is

because they're just pumping it out

anyway the roads yeah take a look the

roads just kind of collapse at the same

time you probably shouldn't be carrying

like 20 I mean that's an overloaded

metric tons of coal or whatever on a

pedestrian Road these trucks I used to

live in a cold town so like these trucks

what they'll do is they'll bribe the

weight officials yes because you're

supposed to pull into these things and

they'll actually just pay them in

cigarette cartons yeah um usually

cigarette cartons what I said they would

literally hand some cigarette cartons

out the window then the cops would wave

them on and I was like what country am I

living in yeah exactly because this is

what happens but they don't plan the

road so you'll have these fresh New

Roads they're like damn I wish you know

he I shouldn't say you know it's too bad

but like there's some pothole rolls here

in PA and when we go over them we're

like you know this kind of sucks but

yeah like where's my tax money yeah but

in China you'll have this freshly new

paved Road and it's built on Hollow

ground yes they don't do take a look

here I like the fact that this thing is

a self-fulfilling prophecy it's

literally it's just fulfill it yeah it

like falls through the ground but then

it fills it up with its payload let's go

back to that particular one because it's

kind of funny I love that one because it

literally is giving back to the Earth

yeah exactly like what have you taken

from me I'll give back

here's here's something I see a lot of

um discussion about is the people

satisfied yeah exactly it's very

satisfying when people talk up try to

compare China and the West one of the

big things that says China can get

things done fast yes they don't need to

worry about passing all these

regulations and bills and stuff they can

just do it they can do it yeah well I

mean they're they there's a lot to

criticize about the way things happen in

the west okay there are things that need

to change it's not perfect there's a lot

of rubbish going on but there's a reason

why things take so many processes you

need safety inspections okay you need to

get someone to come and sign off on that

surveyors yeah the surveyor has to do it

then the safety inspector whatever then

they get the contracting company and

they put out tenders someone wins

somebody does it blah blah there's a lot

of geologists involved to make sure

Bedrock is solid yeah you know there's a

lot that goes into it so yeah it'll take

like say 10 years to build a new road or

fix a new road and China can do it in a

year but this is the result it's because

you don't have all those steps so many

corners are cut you technically do yeah

but they just drive it away brought into

the court corruption at every level yeah

corruption is how China Works yeah I

mean that's good maybe I should uh get

us out of there so people can see this

yeah you got to see that manhole yeah

I'll get us out of here so you can see

the uh imagine you're driving down the

road and all of a sudden a sewage

explodes and your car

I think that'd be quite the surprise

wouldn't you it would

in China sometimes the roads eat you and

then sometimes they spit you out yeah

exactly oh man they've had too much and

that manhole cover would have to have to

land on the guy's poor

Carson yeah that's true but you know

what it's like when you got a nice new

car and it's true you know you're just

driving down the road in a sewage

manhole coverage I know I literally hate

when that happens to me all the time and

it's always like landing on what happens

to me yeah horrible don't those weigh

like a hundred pounds they're incredibly

heavy yeah so there's gonna be a lot of

damage there what yeah so what's what's

sewage geyser yeah exactly there's a lot

of it's Old Faithful but except Chinese

version sequels massive problem in China

we've covered this before but what but

the thing is they don't survey the land

properly so they'll build things over

unstable grounds yes right and this is

what happens like you will get eaten by

roads in China yeah it's terrifying

because if you're driving over that your

uh vehicle just disappears into that

this is brand this is just last month

this is a whole new bill air area yeah

brand new bill area that China's showing

off all the time on these propaganda ads

they I feel like they have dumped

billions of dollars into the promotion

of Chongqing turn on just on Twitter and

Instagram and all you will see is

Chongqing this Chongqing they build us

this on top of a building oh look at

this gas station on top of a building

Chongqing Mega City Chongqing is the

future Chongqing is the this is 3 000

years ahead of China this is chunching I

mean three thousand years ahead of the

West yeah I mean this it's it's

crumbling like the new infrastructure in

these places that are built for

promotion that are built for eyes to see

yeah are crumbling yeah this we showed

before this is like just a throwback

like just a day after they had opened up

that undersea tunnel

um and look it was leaking and that's

not what you want to see no tunnels and

water in China are a very bad

combination as you'll find out later

because we've got some something to

follow up on unfortunately yeah but it's

it's kind of crazy

so yeah I just wouldn't be driving in

there if I were them that's under the

sea yeah little mermaid stuff yeah

exactly

um come on come on let's get through

this come on good thing they did get

through this

yeah I would have just gotten the hell

out of it this is in your hometown oh

yeah good old Shenzhen it's actually not

far from where you lived

um that is just another explode

exploding sewer manhole covers yeah I

mean look I uh I I had situations where

I would be going through this kind of

thing on bikes and so on it's kind of

crazy and uh why on Earth do you have a

rat on this Subway because you know what

pause that it the subway is

infrastructure right yes and of course

you might get rats because there's a lot

of rats in China dude oh and they get

massive that's a tiny one but yeah you I

just wanted to have a little bit of

humor before it gets mad dark okay

because this guy's a legend he just he's

just like okay gotcha and he's just

chilling on his phone he doesn't care

yeah that guy's a chat yeah he is

okay anyway yeah this gets pretty dark

so this not this particular but this

just happened a couple days ago well you

can see the date down there right 2023

07 19 so we're literally talking about

two days ago yeah yeah okay

um one thing about the tofu drag

kind of uh what can we call it culture

in China is that it spreads everywhere

okay so not only our shortcuts taken

when buildings are built okay because

look we could show you all the the

cladding falling off buildings and we've

shown you a bit of the concrete and

stuff uh but it it permeates everything

electrical connection yes gas

connections water connections such as

construction yeah no it's bad yeah uh I

can give a perfect example because my

wife owns an apartment in China and when

it was newly finished the guy came in

the electrician who's basically just the

hardware shop shufu or whatever when he

comes up there

yeah they're comfortable yeah yeah yeah

all right okay don't know why that's in

my mind for some reason

anyway so um let's get back to that so

the guy comes up and he does the you

know puts in the the breaker box and all

that kind of stuff and you know what

have you

and I happen to be there because she

just taken ownership of the apartment

okay so we're just checking it out we're

staying there for the first like weekend

or whatever and there's this like smell

coming out of the breaker box open it up

in some fire yeah

and I called the guy up and I'm like

what the hell's going on here and he'd

use like very low rating very cheap

absolute garbage Breakers which is not

meant for that amount of amperage you

know and they caught fire and if I

wasn't in the building at that time

happened to be in there where I could go

in there and like in a emergency smack

everything off turn off the power

um you know it could have been a massive

fire and that's just how it goes like

all these shortcuts that are taken so

remember we went up in the building of

where I was living and it already burned

out yeah it was completely burned out we

like looked at we're like What is what

is this yeah exactly so this also goes

for like gas connections as we're gonna

see here because take a look behind this

this is a row of shops now you get this

pretty much every Residential Building

area you'll see behind there are all the

buildings this is a very trying to see

yeah and then you get the shops over

here right you always have the garbage

in front of the shops yep

oh yeah

it just gas explosion yeah again

super lucky that no one was in there at

the time this happens a lot these

kerosene gas explosions hugely common in

China yeah but I mean look

look at the buildings across the way

they're they're Windows all shattered

and uh if you look at some of the

destruction here of the cars that were

nearby you know again just lucky that

people weren't like standing there and

it happened like early in the morning

obviously someone's you know dash cam

called that but imagine if it was during

the day and you had kids running around

yeah I do people over there it's like

it's absolutely

terrifying you know like being away from

China for a few years please

you don't forget this stuff but it takes

you have to jog your memory like wait a

minute that that is how it was yeah it

is crazy

yeah you know the thing is with a a lack

of building standards I mean they have

them on paper like you said but the the

enforcement is so you know corrupt and

lacks that yeah this kind of thing

happens a lot it's unfortunate you know

you know the thing is like I I want to

throw these in here do you remember this

during zero covet they were bragging to

the rest of the world about how they

built hundreds of thousands of these

quarantine capsules right yes and they

built them in an unprecedented array and

then all of a sudden they pull the plug

on their zero covet policy yeah because

they're like wait a minute The Whole

World's kind of over this thing yeah and

these things are just left to rot yes

these capsules is hundreds of thousands

of capsules that they lined highways

with that they built cities out of yeah

were never put into use and they bragged

about how much you know how much uh

capacity they had to basically lock

people up when they got covered

we're talking about how much CO2 was

emitted oh yeah how much waste materials

look at the crap that this stuff is

built out of is like whatever some kind

of plastic composite stuff so you would

have had a lot of pig iron you know yeah

there have been a ton of chemical waste

and um you know like uh pollution

created yeah just putting the [ __ ]

together that's that's what I the reason

I want to throw that in there is that's

where China's focus is is to build a lot

of [ __ ] very fast yes in just to you

know whatever it might perceive as

impressive it's to impress people that's

the only reason and it's not practical

all of that stuff's gone to waste I've

seen footage of a lot of them just run

down overgrown with plants now and just

because they're not being used and of

course they dismantled a whole bunch of

them but then now you're creating more

CO2 emissions by coming in and bringing

the bulldozers trashing everything then

all that waste where does all that [ __ ]

go you know it ends up in the ocean or

in the in the atmosphere it's just

ridiculous look at the background up

there and you can just kind of see I

mean that's what that's making that the

construction of that makes that air

quality yeah so now we've got to bring

you back to some something that happened

two years ago yes okay now we covered

this on the show but uh in Hernan there

was that

awful awful flooding this is not a recap

this is new news it's new news this is

probably the most important thing in

this episode so we had this mat maybe

you can explain that the area that this

this flood itself look at this look at

this sheet the map it shows you how big

this flood was right this flood in 2021

affected about 14 million people okay

and the the area that it covered it was

in Hanan so think of provinces Chinese

provinces like states in America right

it covered a state or a province of it

went into Shandong all the way in the

Northeast it went into Hubei right it

went into hube yeah this whole area went

into parts of shanxi this flood it's

like covered States incredible yeah yeah

it was absolutely incredible it was so

catastrophic and it was so heartbreaking

for a lot of people because so many

lives were lost

what is the official

that by the way the the government

admitted that they lied about the deaths

right so yeah so so okay what were they

claiming you look at a you look at a

flood like this right

and 1.4 million people had to be

evacuated so if you think about just

percentage-wise there's gonna be there's

gonna be a lot of dead people right 14

million people totally affected right

yeah the government

finally came out and said because of the

faults of the local government wait wait

what was their initial what I'm trying

to say okay because of the faults of the

local governments

that initially reported that 139 people

died they need to apologize so people

need to go you know get okay are they

going to be honest now they're going to

give us a real real number okay what's

this real number so after an

investigation from the CCP yes from the

Chinese government

uh you expect that number to jump quite

a bit because of the sheer

catastrophe yes yes the total death

count was up to from 139 to 398.

and are you ready to see why this is so

so insulting and so evil yeah let's have

a look

all right so we covered this quite

extensively this tunnel this episode one

tunnel now this tunnel filled up in five

minutes okay now you can see it it's a

six Lane okay there's three lanes One

Way three lanes the other way okay

there's six Lanes going there four

kilometers long when it filled up the

exit Point had been blocked on the other

side so the cars backed up bumper to

bumper so you've got four kilometers

worth of cars all standing so it was

full yes we showed you video footage of

remember someone was running to the

people that were waiting to get into the

tunnel and just at the entrance of the

tunnel because it was Bumper to Bumper

the whole way somebody running and

knocking on their car doors and windows

saying get out don't it's not your car's

not worth your life remember that yes so

that's proof that it was bumper to

bumper from the beginning to the end at

least in the one side the other side we

don't know how many were in there so

that's four kilometers of three lanes

Bumper to Bumper okay and every single

person in that tunnel would have died

yes because it filled up within five

minutes right so first of all people

were reluctant to get out of their cars

even the ones who were at the entrance

remember the guys trying to get them out

nobody wanted to leave their cars even

if you did try to get out of your car if

you were just I don't know 100 meters in

first of all when there's water

surrounding your car it's difficult to

open uh the doors okay we all know that

it's terrible

um it creates like a pressure

differential and you can't open the

doors it's too difficult you have to

climb out the windows but if it gets to

the windows you're kind of screwed you

know so

first of all getting out of your car is

almost impossible but if you're in the

middle of that tunnel yeah you there's

no way that you can run or walk two

kilometers either way in five minutes

because it filled up to the roof in

other words you're walking in water yeah

to the roof in other words completely

filled up within five minutes so nobody

had any warning they're in the tunnel

they're sitting there and like bumper to

bumper traffic four kilometers long

waiting for it to open on the other side

and it's suddenly just within five

minutes is filled to the top

thousands of cars so we did that with

some math this is the most ridiculous

you want to just for this part okay all

right just from this idea alone yeah

if you do the math let's pretend like

it's not six Lanes like you said there's

only let's just say there's only three

lanes okay only so we'll go like the

bare minimum because we know three lanes

were full absolutely if you look at the

footage

um of the guy trying to get people out

of their car they were going into the

tunnel and they were backed out of the

tunnel because it was Bumper to Bumper

the whole way in China doesn't want you

to see how many cars were inside there

but we'll yeah well we have a little bit

of insight yeah if you look on the other

side of the highway here right yeah

let's just pretend for some God forsaken

reason that no one was on the other side

of that time yeah I mean this is days

later that already cleared away a bunch

of cards let's just pretend okay it's

just so we're like the most conservative

customer ever right right so if three

lanes were fully just some math

if you look at this right

you would have had

uh four kilometers of cars yes an

average cars how how long like it's like

14 basically 14.7 feet 15 feet there and

about okay

that means there was 874 cars on average

in each lane okay each lane right so

there's three lanes we're because we're

not even counting six even though there

were definitely people on the other side

we're just being conservative three uh

three times that right

so at a Fantastical minimum yes there

was 2 622 cars and many of these cars

are going to have more than one person

absolutely let's just be very very

conservative and say the average car had

two people in it okay that's the lowest

minimum week yeah some of these are Vans

with eight people in them yeah of course

taxis you see taxis there obviously

you're gonna have like three passengers

in the back two passengers in the back

yes at a Fantastical minimum yes just

this tunnel accident yes would be a

minimum 5 244 people dead the minimum

the bare minimum yet the Chinese

government after an investigation says

the entire flood including all those

different provinces and States all of

those hundreds of kilometers that were

underwater

almost 2 million people evacuated yeah

there was only 398 people died in the

entire in the whole flood not just the

tunnel yeah because the tunnel itself is

thousands of people absolutely

guaranteed and you know how we can tell

this is a little Memorial of people who

lost their loved ones in that tunnel and

in the city coming to put down their

flowers this is a two-year anniversary

yeah look good well this is outside the

subway yes how many uh bouquets of

flowers do you see there not 398 if you

were to count the and keep in mind not

everyone's gonna go memorialize yeah and

you know what guess what they keep

getting rid of these and hiding this

thing barriers yeah they don't want

people to see yeah people are putting

bouquets of flowers for their dead loved

ones now um here's some footage

um allegedly of the cars that they

pulled out of the tunnel this is where

it gets screwed because you know they

obviously had to pull all the cars off

out of the tunnel and go stick them in a

field somewhere okay

hmm and um just from these pictures

which you cannot see all of them uh how

much should we work out not want you to

see this no way no this is forbidden if

you go back to that first picture yeah

I'll go back to the first this one has

the most like the most real estate that

we can see this one yeah yeah so we did

some very basic commands yeah we kind of

did a kind of a basic count of because

yeah because look there are so many

probably so many rows of cars that are

not even in this shot so we only covered

what is in this shot sure technically

if you do a very rudimentary calculation

right it looks like there's about 11

divisible rows of cars right there

average two people per car right uh if

you do the math here

you have 11 visible rows two people per

car right that checks out to be about

5720 people at the very least by the way

with that wildly conservative estimate

is very similar to the number we came up

with just based on the math of the

tunnel yeah right that's just in one

picture yeah from one tunnel accident

many things flooded like you said the

Subway's flooded people like

underground's flooded countless people

died in the Subways because we've got

all those live streams of people running

out of air yes um and being stuck in the

subway so scary terrible

um so we know that there was a lot of

death in the subways

so

bringing this back at the most bare

minimum just this one tunnel had at

least 5 000 people die at the I mean we

let's let's be honest if we we're not we

don't have to uh pretend no it's

probably closer to over ten thousand

people in this one accident yeah right

and just in that in the city think about

the Subways were flooded

um the the roads were flooded anyone

that was in a vulnerable place or you

know maybe uh just walking on the

streets and you know happened to be in

an area where it suddenly filled out

with water down in a mall area or

something there was a lot of deaths yes

it's crazy how many people in this one

city in this one city so so listen to go

back to this the CCP is claiming that

398 people died of the entire atrocity

the entire flood and now we're looking

at the reality of this situation from

these leaked images yeah of cars that

are being pulled in at the most

disgustingly bare wild minimum we're

talking about 5 000 people in this one

accident yes never mind the whole

province never mind the whole Province

right never mind the whole city of

jiangzhou that was underwater well again

this is how China does it look at the

kova deaths yeah uncountable people died

of covet yeah with the cremate the

cremations alone the data coming out of

the crematoriums was outlandish like out

of this world they had to stop it yeah

they've actually stopped their data now

but just needed it how does it all of a

sudden like here's an average amount of

cremations and then the next stage 24 7

like so many hundreds of thousands of

people being cremated all the time and

then they said like oh the whole the

whole of covert only like 5 000 people

died or whatever that stupid number yeah

and for the longest time they were

claiming a couple hundred or something I

don't know the uh the People's Republic

of China the the country that everyone

keeps using to say look at they really

care about their people the country that

sensors flowers yep and then under

reports by a magnitude of at least 10.

yes if not a hundred when atrocities

happen yeah

they don't care about their people

people are statistics and ants to the

Chinese government yeah they are

absolutely meaningless in fact they are

a burden and a hindrance because you

know what happened here they initially

blamed the zhengeo government yep and

they said oh you guys underreported

after investigation we found it was

actually 398. and then they threw some

officials under the bus yep because the

CCP is never wrong and why do you think

the jungjo officials in this city where

this happened why do you think they

underreported it's because if they

actually reported honestly they would

lose their jobs because they told the

truth yes that's how the Chinese

government works unfortunately you want

to invest in this country you want this

country to be part of your Global sphere

and a global leader then be my guest but

this is how they treat their own thing

and they actively impeded any

information about the the victims any

information about the emergency what was

going on they you know they really stood

in the way they really stopped their

lives could have been saved if they

weren't trying to save their face yep

you know I mean yeah pretty discussing

and so this is this is the Dark Side of

tofu Drake because guys it's good and

fun to laugh at the stupid little

buildings falling down and the bits and

pieces of you know like oh look that

Wall's made out of sandpaper or whatever

it is or made out of sand I should say

or styrofoam which they do sometimes

yeah wait for some yeah exactly in real

life like don't forget we lived there we

did this we went and we saw we touched

we filmed yes okay

but when it actually comes to affecting

people's lives like this that's when it

stops being funny and that's when it

starts to become serious and that's when

when you see these people putting out

these like oh look at China how

impressive and all the mega structures

come out it's kind of it kind of makes

you angry yeah how about focusing on

building things well

at a reasonable pace so that the people

don't suffer nobody needs a fancy

building no it's not going to help the

the local people no you know all it is

is for international image you think you

need a billion LED lights who's that

helping yeah no one do you think you

need a flood of four kilometers of cars

that everyone dies and then you lie

about it no you don't need that you

don't need any you don't need any of

this [ __ ] no ridiculous anyway that is

about all we got to say about the tofu

drag main section of the show so I hope

you guys can walk away from that and

understand a little bit more about why

this tofu direct thing is not just a

meme it's it's life and death yeah

[Music]

I mean no way look at that

look at this power slide over here

assistant's incredible like let's tear

them apart okay you tear me apart Lisa

alrighty some kung fu

h

she shot bullet yes yeah look at that

great CGI isn't that amazing

[Laughter]

[Music]

when I take your breath you fill up my

lungs

[Music]

for a minute