Potemkin Infrastructure Theater

Governments increasingly convert failed or stalled megaprojects into theatrical evidence of progress by staging partial, low‑value on‑site activity (fences, signage, a few contracts/payments) and then amplifying that as success in public messaging. The tactic mixes small real expenditures and visible props to turn earlier lies into plausibly deniable 'progress' while core scope, connectivity, and funding remain unresolved. — This reframes how citizens and watchdogs should assess megaproject claims: look for scope continuity, contract substance, and endpoint connectivity — not just site photos or surface activity.