Fun with maps

[gm]

I am very guilty of that. I simply do not fraternize with people of the opposite 'party' any more. It's just way too frustrating, even if politics doesn't come up. America is indeed fractured right now.

Your loss, I'm afraid. If you can't avoid politics in every conversation, I don't know what to tell you.

[thedoorknobbroke]

Interactive electoral vote map if you want to fool around with it: https://www.270towin.com/...you can clear the map and fill it in as you wish

[thedoorknobbroke]

I am very guilty of that. I simply do not fraternize with people of the opposite 'party' any more. It's just way too frustrating, even if politics doesn't come up. America is indeed fractured right now.

Neither do I...lol...and my life is much better for it.

[jeremyp]

https://eig.org/heartland-visa
All about the shrinking heartland. Plenty of graphs and maps.

[jeremyp]

I am very guilty of that. I simply do not fraternize with people of the opposite 'party' any more. It's just way too frustrating, even if politics doesn't come up. America is indeed fractured right now.

I would love to fraternize with fellow Democrats but in this area of Florida (SW) I can't find any, so I hang out with some guys I've known for 13+ years from my old condo. I am the token liberal and frequently respond to their conspiracy theory emails with corrections.
In the first few months of the year I am part of a foreign policy discussion group in Naples, FL., and it's replete with fellow liberals, but we don't socialize.

[gh]

enough

[El Toro]

https://eig.org/heartland-visa
All about the shrinking heartland. Plenty of graphs and maps.

Thanks for that link. The data presentation is very well done but I'm afraid that their proposed regional visas for immigrants solution to decline is unlikely to work.

Australia has similar long term decline in many regional areas and similar visa-based solutions have achieved, well, nothing. The same factors that drive locals away from a declining area will also eventually drive any new arrivals away to more dynamic locations.

[Halfmiler2]

I am very guilty of that. I simply do not fraternize with people of the opposite 'party' any more. It's just way too frustrating, even if politics doesn't come up. America is indeed fractured right now.

I have to disagree. Way back, I learned on my college campus that if I didn’t talk to people who disagreed with me politically, I’d be pretty lonely. That was back when someone learning I was at the Wharton School might remark that I was a Dirty Capitalist Pig. “Just kidding,” of course.

My approach is not to bring up politics or religion initially but to hear what they have to say, and then respectfully bringing up a counterpoint that does not attack them personally.

It usually does not convert them but at least gets them to recognize that there are different points of view. It sometimes leads to them asking me questions in the future simply because they are curious what I think. We need that on both sides.

[TN1965]

Thanks for that link. The data presentation is very well done but I'm afraid that their proposed regional visas for immigrants solution to decline is unlikely to work.

Australia has similar long term decline in many regional areas and similar visa-based solutions have achieved, well, nothing. The same factors that drive locals away from a declining area will also eventually drive any new arrivals away to more dynamic locations.

I would go even one step further and suggest that immigrants are even more likely to move out of declining areas at the first opportunity than native born people. They have far less emotional attachment to the land. If they are willing to move into a new country for better life, they are certainly more than willing to move to a new state. So you are likely to attract immigrants who are willing to take any opportunity to stay in the country, but once the "indenture" is over, many will leave for better places.

The other side is that many states and cities would be reluctant to "opt in" if the decision is up to them. Those declining places have more people who want to preserve their way of life at any cost. Two of the three "successful" examples in the article are home to Purdue and Auburn, and the third one includes a major city (Omaha). Those places are more of exceptions than the rule in Heartland. If "regional visas" require immigrants to live in Nebraska, almost everyone will choose either Omaha or Lincoln. What will happen to the rest of the state?

[gh]

this thread is not for socio-political musings.

as I said above: enough

[Atticus]

Click-bait, to be sure, but right down this thread's alley:

https://www.farandwide.com/s/amazing...Turner+U.S.%29

[lonewolf]

Now, that was interesting. Thanks

[gh]

states supporting the Dubs vs. the Raptors:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ors-nba-finals

[Conor Dary]

Surprised Nevada isn't on board....

Fascinating a team from Canada may win an NBA title while their hockey teams can't even get close...

[Halfmiler2]

The Vegas hockey team is still pretty good for an expansion team.

Ironically, St Louis (which has a chance of winning the finals) is the west team in the finals instead of Vegas. It was the original NHL expansion team in the finals in the 1960s.