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)

e: added more sources and edited content to be more accurate

    • DessertStorms@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      And yet, op isn’t Henry Ford, so questioning why they would describe it as such is still perfectly fucking valid…

      • Zoidsberg
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        1 year ago

        It was Henry Fords vision. Hitler had a utopian vision for Germany, doesn’t mean it would have actually been a utopia.

        • DessertStorms@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          I don’t know how else I can say

          And yet, op isn’t Henry Ford Hitler, so questioning why they would describe it as such is still perfectly fucking valid…

          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… 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️