One of my favourite videos. Graphic visualisation of complex processes at its purest. Similarly to the world stock markets map from an earlier post it presents an abstract geography which is still rooted to physical territory. The flight patterns even unmask socio-political climates. I find the absence of air traffic between the USA and Cuba particularly interesting.
A point sprang to mind whilst reading the following article, again from the Guardian.
If the election were to be held today, polls suggest Obama would win by a landslide, but the gap could still narrow. A poll published yesterday gave Obama an 8% lead over McCain in Florida, which was pivotal for the Republicans in 2000 and held by them again in 2004.How important are exiled Cubans to the American election? It seems the swing towards Obama is likely to come at least partly from them. They are rightist in attitude yet represent an ethnic minority that could be drawn towards Obama's image. How important does that make the situation in Cuba to American government? Not just in terms of a proximate political opposite, but also in terms of a socio-geographic reaction. Florida is a key state to the presedential election, Cubans represent a key demographic in the Florida electorate; could it be said that Cuban socialism has in fact played in to the hands of the American right (up until now), by gifting them support? If so, then what reverse effect will a gradual relaxation of Cuban economics have on the political future of the US?
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