The scale and intensity of the warp-speed modernisation programmes in so many Gulf states – their steel-and-glass citadels under baking hot suns, their labour camps full of imported labourers from Asia – are perhaps better chronicled by science fiction, video games and HD entertainment than by more traditional forms of journalism or sociology.
The government reacted by privatising them quickly and inviting in foreigners, thus speeding modernisation: some 40% of Hungary's banking capital is now in foreign hands, and the banking system is solid.
He claimed the new investment would speed up modernisation, but also offered to bring much of the pension liability onto the government's books.
It sped through modernisation projects financed by the European Union.
This was to speed up the process of modernisation and to serve as an economic stimulus.
The new high-speed rail link, HS2 – ruinous white elephant or essential modernisation?
It will also include modernisation of the Ukrainian gas transit system, speeding up the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan and technical assistance on a number of areas from constitutional to judicial reform and preparation of elections.
The ostensible purpose of the agreement is something loosely described as "modernisation": that is, the introduction of new technology to speed up processing.
India has flagged off its fastest-ever train as part of a big modernisation of the crumbling railway system, though its top speed is still only half of those in China and other countries.
Liu Zhijun, who had overseen a rapid modernisation of China's railways, including the building of its high-speed network, was accused of accepting bribes worth 64.6m yuan ($10.5m).A study by Chinese and Western researchers found that heavy air pollution in northern China has reduced people's average life expectancy by five years.
High-speed locomotives look jazzy, and offer yet more glittering evidence of the Communist party's modernisation of China.
