Questions for our American friends

[keefriff]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Thanks for the answers.
The reason I was asking was due to the overwhelming infuence London has on the all the rest of the UK
If you look at a map of the UK you'd think that the capital would be in Birmingham, or perhaps North towards Manchester.
Looking at a map of the US, you always look to the centre and then slide your eyes right (East) towards Washington to find the capital.
I was wondering if there were any signs of strain/tension/resentment towards Washington being the capital?
In the UK, London is big, historical and important enough to "drag" the capital towards the South-East.
Does Washington exert the same sort of influence on the US?

As a Midwesterner I would say that both coasts have too much influence. I don't think there is any real issues with Washington as the capital for most Americans. DC was essentially created to be the capital and when it was built I would guess that 80% of the non-Native population were living along the Eastern seaboard or within 200-300 miles of the East Coast. So It made sense at the time to have it there. It is also important to realize the power and respect that Virginia politicians had at that time. Jefferson, Washington, Madison were all from Virginia and oddly enough that is where DC ended up being built. The thing is about Washington is that New York is the States' real capital in nearly all other respects apart from government. New York is the financial, media and cultural heart of the country IMO and exerts far more influence on the States than DC. New York also was the capital at one one point as well as Philadelphia and few other places. Philadelphia might be angry that Washington DC is the capital as that city was a very important political center when the country was founded. Of course Philly is angry about everything. Sorry my City of Brotherly Love compadres but you are. Hell, you guys booed Santa Claus. So for this American, there is no hate for Washington as the capital. I'm just glad the federal government isn't based where I live. I couldn't deal with all the hot air emanating from their mouths

[2cheap]

Originally Posted by Estreeter

Umm, Why is every state in the union referred too as "The Great State Of........" ?

Can't at least one be labeled average or mediocre, like California for example ?

BTW. IMO, New Jersey is "The Greatest State"

In the case of California, we refer to it as the PRK or People's Republik of Kalifornia.
Maybe the "Great Communist State" would work as well.

[2cheap]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Another question for our esteemed members across The Pond.
If you exclude Alaska and Hawaii, where do Americans consider the centre of the USA is?
Missouri or Kansas perhaps?
Has any town or city laid claim to the title of being the "Heart" of America?
Are they pushing to become the new capital?
Cheers.

I would love to make the capital move to America's midsection.
Even better, make it move every 20 years to the next state in line.
That way, all the hangers-on have to move too.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Another question for our esteemed members across The Pond.
If you exclude Alaska and Hawaii, where do Americans consider the centre of the USA is?
Missouri or Kansas perhaps?
Has any town or city laid claim to the title of being the "Heart" of America?
Are they pushing to become the new capital?
Cheers.

The thing is that the center of the United States has been "hollowing out" for a century. At the St Louis Exhibition of 1904 (to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase of 1804), St. Louis could reasonably claim to be "the center" of the United States -- stained glass panels by Tiffany in St Louis train station claimed that distinction, inserting St Louis into a trinity of San Francisco, St Louis, and New York . . . but today St. Louis doesn't have anything like the stature of New York or SF.

A big reason for the decline of the middle is that whereas the Mississippi River once was a critical transport route, today its of relatively little importance. Most important American cities are, today, located on the periphery of the nation (eg Boston, New York, Washington, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle)

Inland cities like Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix, Las Vegas certainly have grown, but the bias to the periphery is really dramatic. Old inland cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Bimingham, Memphis have declined dramatically -- only Chicago remains with some remaining prominence.

The rather derisive term for "the middle" as seen by folks from the East and West coast is "the fly over states" -- eg what you see from the plane as you fly from New York to LA.

[Warren G]

Originally Posted by blueballsdc

And I have lived in New Jersey. It is a great state for shopping malls and toxic waste dumps and not much else.

Ohhh!...

http://youtu.be/zFON1IE13Lg

[jagturan]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Another question for our esteemed members across The Pond.
If you exclude Alaska and Hawaii, where do Americans consider the centre of the USA is?
Missouri or Kansas perhaps?
Has any town or city laid claim to the title of being the "Heart" of America?
Are they pushing to become the new capital?
Cheers.

Some folks in Nebraska think that they are worthy for the center of attention:

[haroldeye]

I spent the longest two years of my life one night in Great Falls Montana. I couldn't believe that there was somewhere more boring than Red Deer Alberta.

[bombermouse]

Originally Posted by haroldeye

I spent the longest two years of my life one night in Great Falls Montana. I couldn't believe that there was somewhere more boring than Red Deer Alberta.

I spent the night in Great Falls last month and must admit, it's not a hotbed of entertainment.

[blueballsdc]

Originally Posted by haroldeye

I spent the longest two years of my life one night in Great Falls Montana. I couldn't believe that there was somewhere more boring than Red Deer Alberta.

I have been to Great Falls Montana several times. It isn't that bad a place. There are golf course, bars, nightclubs, and hookers. What more could a growing boy want?

Plus there is lots of fishing nearby when you get tired of golf, drinking, and hookers.

[palo5]

I have read that Minnesota is good, as long as you don't visit Minneapolis

But I don't know if it's true. Is it?