Dallas: Capitol of America's Heartland?

[Dariusb]

https://www.city-journal.org/dallas-fort-worth
Warning: very long article.

[DCReid]

Originally Posted by Dariusb

https://www.city-journal.org/dallas-fort-worth
Warning: very long article.

I don't think it is not - Chicago still is. Reads like an business ad in Fortune magazine.

[Manitopiaaa]

For me:

• Atlanta is the Capital of the South and Black America
• Boston is the Capital of New England
• Chicago is the Capital of the Midwest
• Dallas is the Capital of the Great Plains
• Denver is the Capital of the Mountain Station
• Detroit is the Capital of Arab America
• Houston is the Capital of the Gulf Coast
• Los Angeles is the Capital of the West Coast and Hispanic America
• Miami is the Capital of the Caribbean
• New York is the Capital of the Northeast and Jewish America
• Phoenix is the Capital of the Southwest
• San Francisco is the Capital of Asian America and LGBT America
• Seattle is the Capital of the Pacific Northwest
• Washington is the Actual Capital

I consider the Heartland far more expansive than the Great Plains, so I don't agree with the article. I think Chicago is the Capital of the Heartland, in that the Midwest is far bigger than the Great Plains, and both are considered "Heartland" regions.

[iheartthed]

I don't really think of Dallas as being located in the heartland.

Also, lol @ "the Big D".

[Steely Dan]

Dallas is too far south and Chicago is too far north.

Would've been interesting if St. Louis had become the big interior juggernaut, as was once expected prior to the civil.war.

Kinda reminds of this parallelogram of the 4 major de facto capitals of the northeast, southeast, midwest and south central.



The only thing that really disrupts this is that Dallas has a true same size rival (Houston) only 200 miles to its south. The other three are all the unchallenged alphas of their respective zones.

[iheartthed]

^Chicago seems to be core heartland. Ohio tends to proclaim itself king of the heartland, but I can see an argument for Chicago.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

^Chicago seems to be core heartland. Ohio tends to proclaim itself king of the heartland, but I can see an argument for Chicago.

that's funny you say "i can see" and kind of kneejerk really because illinois is a one horse state, yet actually, by sight, ohio is obviously just that, being the literal shape of a heart, in the exact position of the heart on the body of the usa, and being as mixed politically and urban, suburban and rural a state as there could be.

[Dariusb]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

that's funny you say "i can see" and kind of kneejerk really because illinois is a one horse state, yet actually, by sight, ohio is obviously just that, being the literal shape of a heart, in the exact position of the heart on the body of the usa, and being as mixed politically and urban, suburban and rural a state as there could be.

Interesting description of the state of Ohio and a heart. I never thought of it that way.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

that's funny you say "i can see" and kind of kneejerk really because illinois is a one horse state, yet actually, by sight, ohio is obviously just that, being the literal shape of a heart, in the exact position of the heart on the body of the usa, and being as mixed politically and urban, suburban and rural a state as there could be.

Blame National Geographic.

The term originates from a geopolitical theory about landlocked continental areas mainly in Russia and Central Asia. (Which is why OH, IN, and MI were not considered Heartland)

Basically the British (being an island people) feared that the railroad would allow continental powers like Russia and Germany to overcome maritime powers by consolidating control over interior resources away from the coast. And that this ‘Heartland’ was an existential threat to their democracy and liberty.

In the 1950s, NG wanted a sentimental sounding term for the middle of America, and chose this random geopolitical phrase that meant the opposite of American values.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_...vot_of_History

Dallas would have probably been calling itself “Capital of the Cattlefolk”.

[liat91]

Originally Posted by Manitopiaaa

For me:

• Atlanta is the Capital of the South and Black America
• Boston is the Capital of New England
• Chicago is the Capital of the Midwest
• Dallas is the Capital of the Great Plains
• Denver is the Capital of the Mountain Station
• Detroit is the Capital of Arab America
• Houston is the Capital of the Gulf Coast
• Los Angeles is the Capital of the West Coast and Hispanic America
• Miami is the Capital of the Caribbean
• New York is the Capital of the Northeast and Jewish America
• Phoenix is the Capital of the Southwest
• San Francisco is the Capital of Asian America and LGBT America
• Seattle is the Capital of the Pacific Northwest
• Washington is the Actual Capital

I consider the Heartland far more expansive than the Great Plains, so I don't agree with the article. I think Chicago is the Capital of the Heartland, in that the Midwest is far bigger than the Great Plains, and both are considered "Heartland" regions.

Good descriptions, though I might put Miami is the king of not just the Caribbean but all of Latin America(hispanic+).

[dktshb]

When I think of America's heartland I think Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska South Dakota and North Dakota and maybe Iowa. As far as TX certainly the panhandle and maybe the northern parts just north of Dallas. Eastern parts of New Mexico Colorado, Wyoming and Montana too. I would probably think of Kansas City to sort of be the the Capitol of America's heartland?

[ue]

Originally Posted by liat91

Good descriptions, though I might put Miami is the king of not just the Caribbean but all of Latin America(hispanic+).

That's a very US-centric way of looking at a region that is not at all part of the US. You do realize Mexico City, Havana, Panama City, Bogota, Sao Paolo, Santiago, and Buenos Aires exist, right? This is like saying Buffalo is the capital of Canada because lots of Ontarians shop there, hockey is popular, and Tim Hortons is everywhere.

Also why is it so hard for people to realize "capitol" is not the same as capital?

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by ue

That's a very US-centric way of looking at a region that is not at all part of the US. You do realize Mexico City, Havana, Panama City, Bogota, Sao Paolo, Santiago, and Buenos Aires exist, right? This is like saying Buffalo is the capital of Canada because lots of Ontarians shop there, hockey is popular, and Tim Hortons is everywhere.

Also why is it so hard for people to realize "capitol" is not the same as capital?

Buffalo is definitely America's Gateway to Canada
"Hey Stan, you want a Molsons or Labatts?"
"Pick me up a Large double-double!"

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Buffalo is definitely America's Gateway to Canada
"Hey Stan, you want a Molsons or Labatts?"
"Pick me up a Large double-double!"

I’d say that honour goes to Detroit actually, as it sits further into the American heartland than Buffalo.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by ue

That's a very US-centric way of looking at a region that is not at all part of the US. You do realize Mexico City, Havana, Panama City, Bogota, Sao Paolo, Santiago, and Buenos Aires exist, right? This is like saying Buffalo is the capital of Canada because lots of Ontarians shop there, hockey is popular, and Tim Hortons is everywhere.

Also why is it so hard for people to realize "capitol" is not the same as capital?

Exactly. We know SSP is virtually 100% US, but it's weird to see people ignoring the whole world outside.

The US is big, but it's 25% of world economy and 4% of population (and shrinking its share in both fronts). Sure it's the single most important country, but there is a whole massive world outside its borders.

Miami, for instance, houses 2 million Latin Americans or so? Latin America itself houses 600 million of them, including 6 megacities.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Miami, for instance, houses 2 million Latin Americans or so? Latin America itself houses 600 million of them, including 6 megacities.

Also, the most populous and important Spanish speaking country in Latin America has barely any presence in Miami.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Exactly. We know SSP is virtually 100% US, but it's weird to see people ignoring the whole world outside.

The US is big, but it's 25% of world economy and 4% of population (and shrinking its share in both fronts). Sure it's the single most important country, but there is a whole massive world outside its borders.

Miami, for instance, houses 2 million Latin Americans or so? Latin America itself houses 600 million of them, including 6 megacities.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Exactly. We know SSP is virtually 100% US, but it's weird to see people ignoring the whole world outside.

err, many of us here are Canadian, and the site is run by Canadians. Just sayin'.

lumping Canadians in with Americans is like lumping Kiwis in with Aussies. Or Argentinians with Brazilians.

[Manitopiaaa]

Originally Posted by ue

That's a very US-centric way of looking at a region that is not at all part of the US. You do realize Mexico City, Havana, Panama City, Bogota, Sao Paolo, Santiago, and Buenos Aires exist, right? This is like saying Buffalo is the capital of Canada because lots of Ontarians shop there, hockey is popular, and Tim Hortons is everywhere.

Also why is it so hard for people to realize "capitol" is not the same as capital?

Yeah, this is why I limited Miami to 'Capital of the Caribbean', which I feel is fairly uncontroversial as neither Havana, Panama City, San Juan, or Santo Domingo have anywhere close to the same economic/social/cultural pull across the region. Maybe Caracas could have made a good claim in another timeline, as it's very big and one mountain hop away from the Caribbean coast. But we all know how that experiment turned out.

[iheartthed]

If we're being honest, New York is the capital of the Caribbean and it's not even close. But I can see how people would make the argument for Miami as a runner-up.