For years now, comparisons of the US to individual European states has troubled me. Primarily because in terms of GDP, population, and geographic size, the individual US states make for a more apples-to-apples comparison than the entirety of the union.
So, why in the midst of this global pandemic are we still comparing US as a whole against smaller countries?
The ‘a-ha’ I had this week that helps me better understand the lopsided comparison:
“the borders between US states wouldn’t close.”
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Turns out, like Australia, New Zealand is its own continent.
The continent of Zealandia.
I suppose, just cuz we can’t see land, doesn’t mean it’s not there, waiting for us to put it to use.
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Compared to Atlantropa‘s vision of literally bringing Europe and Africa closer together by draining the Mediterranean Sea thus creating new habitable land, this idea to run a 55-mile dam across the Bering Strait project seems almost minor in environmental impact and quaint in the implied US-Russia relations.
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Oh, apropos of nothing, the family designed and presented me with a flag for Father’s Day.
![](https://buttondown-attachments.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/d142aaca-60ce-4314-bfa6-c118293b2f20.jpeg)