Time for another Sanity Check

Four years ago, I posted this "political map" entitled "The World According to the United States of America."

I think it’s time I posted it again.

If you are an American, this map may serve as an interesting test of how secure you are in your beliefs and in your self-esteem. If you are a citizen of another country, this map may show something else entirely.

Please click on the image and read the enlarged version of the map.  What are your emotional responses to the captions it contains?

I’ve discovered that readers have a wide range of reactions to this map. I have been thinking that this map shows points of interest, rather than mere space. In a quirky way, it is analogous to the Internet where content is more important than the source.

About thirty percent took this map seriously as an example of unwarranted America bashing.

Another forty percent took this map seriously as a summation of America’s efforts at world domination.

About ten percent, including my old alma mater, the University of Massachusetts, treated this map as a subject deserving of study.

The remaining 20 percent, which included people from all countries, saw this as a subject for laughter.

In my opinion, this satirical view of the way the US views the world is both humorous and, unfortunately for our national self-esteem, is not too far off the mark.

If you feel that this map unfairly categorizes Americans as parochial retards, I’m sorry for you. It’s only a cartoon map and if you can even begin to consider that this clever scrawl can invalidate the accomplishments of millions of hard-working Americans, you have a serious self-image problem.

Lighten up, people. You will live longer!

When we can’t laugh at our national propensity for viewing the world from a homeboy viewpoint, we are in serious danger of losing it altogether.

Most Americans I have met, including myself, have much less geographical knowledge than the the few people I have met from other countries. It probably stems from the fact that we can drive for 10,000 miles and barely trace our borders. On other continents, you can cross several countries in a day.

If you think the author of this map was way off base, I suggest the following. Try and add additional national products to those which are humorously depicted on this map.