Recreational Poli Sci

What is the North? What is the South? Does it matter where we draw our fuzzy lines defining groups? Turns out, this is a common question. The Brits do it. The Americans have the post-carnage Civil War legacy that will continue to bedevil us, but it’s good to remember that the M/D line is too far north and not extrapolatable westward. Try Zelinsky instead. But the most recent and most amusing one is North Jersey v. South Jersey. Ben Franklin called Jersey a barrel tapped at both ends, and it’s a suburban zone divided by its NYC and Philly sides (media markets too). The Yankees / Phillies world series made this even more evident. Turns out that someone has made a documentary about where this fuzzy barrier is in the Garden State (here’s their blog) (trailer). Maybe I’ll pop in in my netflix queue.

Extra credit goes to knowers of which side Jay and Silent Bob are on.