Some perspective

Its not uncommon that folks will talk about Texas and things happening here. During these conversations, its also not uncommon to hear someone say something like, "Well, if you are in Texas you can go have a look and report back to us".

That just doesn't work. Some perspective for you:

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If you have never been here before....its currently snowing in the northernmost part of the state, and in the 70's in the southern most part of the state. In our state we have desert (a lot of it, actually....more desert, in square miles, than Belgium and Netherlands combined), forests (a lot of it, actually. More acreage of forest than Germany has land).

I live in West Texas. To get to the most western part of the state, i have a 6 hour drive across desert. To get to the coast, i have a 10 hour drive to Kima Boardwalk. Ill drive 6-7 hours before I make it to the Texas-Louisiana border. And to get to the Oklahoma/New Mexico tristate border is about 4 hours.

Standing in Dalhart, TX you are closer to the capital of 4 states other than your own.

This is a big, very big, place. As you can see in the above image, you are talking about half of Europe.

Great representation of the great state of Texas...suggest to learn to fly.
Cheers.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
Almost half of Europe?
Texas:268,820 mi²
Europe:3.931 million mi²

With all due respect Europe is not just the UK, France and Germany Still very interesting thread and indeed a rather large state that I hope to visit one day.

originally posted by: Tiamat384
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
Almost half of Europe?
Texas:268,820 mi²
Europe:3.931 million mi²

With all due respect Europe is not just the UK, France and Germany

Still very interesting thread and indeed a rather large state that I hope to visit one day.

I guess you're right on that.

I grew up in the cold war. Eastern Europe just doesn't register with me.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
You forgot Spain and Portugal and Italy(it seems). I understand though. I lived for a few years at the beginning of my life in Poland so shame on you!

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Woah, that is massive. It's quite good to get that perspective, you forget how vast bits of the USA are. For comparison (not a very good one, but it's all I could find )



And for reference there, it's about an hour from Glasgow to Edinburgh if the road's busy.

It makes me wonder how you can function effectively without a more local government structure. One president and one party for such a massive country, (let alone one state) seems like an almost impossible task to meet everyone's needs. They can't possibly be an effective representative for such a vast population.

Here ya go, figured someone did the heavy lifting




www.reddit.com...

originally posted by: JaMeDoIt
Great representation of the great state of Texas...suggest to learn to fly.
Cheers.

Are you kidding? a couple of hours flying and your arms'll be killing you!

originally posted by: beansidhe

It makes me wonder how you can function effectively without a more local government structure. One president and one party for such a massive country, (let alone one state) seems like an almost impossible task to meet everyone's needs. They can't possibly be an effective representative for such a vast population.

Astute point.

A lot of folks from Europe don't "get" US politics. Lets ignore the Trumps and Clintons for a moment and focus on the everyday Joe in America:

80% of our population lives in Urban areas. If that wasn't bad enough for the 20% of us not living in the city, the majority of US law derives from things that happen in NYC, Philly, DC, and Chicago. Partially because media focuses on the easy stories: that which is local.

Our nation has a population clammoring for libertarianism. Its a system that allows for more local governance, with taxation being more heavily assessed the closer to municipal government that you get.

But you are right: it is impossible to make laws that:

- can be seen as "like the rest of the developed world" (a common insult thrown at the US for some of its laws, like healthcare and guns)
- don't screw one segment of the population badly
- are actually enforceable


This last one is particular to this part of the world. Its hard to enforce a lot of laws here just because its remote, and city folk would rather die than come out here.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan

This last one is particular to this part of the world. Its hard to enforce a lot of laws here just because its remote, and city folk would rather die than come out here.

Don't you mean if they did come out, they probably would die!

I must say though, your road signs are lovely and clean, not a bullet hole in sight, unlike an Oregonian one I saw defying physics it was so full of holes.

I guess from the OP, size matters



Nice to get some perspective

originally posted by: errorcode
I guess from the OP, size matters



Nice to get some perspective

Yes. As per the OP, size matters (when you suggest someone just drive on over to see something that happened in Texas, anyway).

When I say I live in Texas, i am still an entire nation (in distance) away from Dallas. 2 nations away from Houston.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Without the the over laid map I would never have considered it. Im in UK and it would be unlikely that I would drive across a county let alone an area that size