Henry Ford dreamed of establishing Fordlândia, a rubber plantation city in Brazil, to ensure a steady supply of rubber for his automobiles. He invested millions to build the city from scratch, and included luxuries for the workers such as an 18-hole golf course and a dance hall.
However, poor management led to pest infestations in the tightly planted trees. Workers also revolted as they were only paid a fraction of what Ford had promised and forced to abandon their local customs. As conditions deteriorated further during World War 2, Ford was forced to sell the failing operations for just $250,000 in 1945, despite having invested over $20 million (equivalent to $325 million in 2022).
Fordlândia remains completely abandoned today, serving as an example of a grand vision brought down by cultural clashes and economic mismanagement.
Aerial View of Fordlândia, Brazil, 1934 (source)
What remains of Fordlândia Hospital (source)
- Wikipedia: Fordlândia
- The Guardian
- Album on Flickr
- mysteries of the world (in Portuguese, Google Translated version)
e: added more sources and edited content to be more accurate
Yes one would assume that it was Henry Ford’s utopian vision. Since it was his project.
And yet, op isn’t Henry Ford, so questioning why they would describe it as such is still perfectly fucking valid…
It was Henry Fords vision. Hitler had a utopian vision for Germany, doesn’t mean it would have actually been a utopia.
I don’t know how else I can say
They aren’t quoting any other person or source, they weren’t using anyone else’s words or views, they gave their opinion on the matter, and they called it utopic, no one else, jfc… 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
He… He is using Ford’s views.