While reading that the US National Debt now exceeds it’s entire Gross Domestic Product (translation: We owe more than our hard work and manufactured products are worth), and wondering if the European Union will ever afford to buy stuff from us again, I’m reminded of an unusual United States map I saw awhile back on the website Big Think:

"United States of Renamerica"

Fortunately, it only considers a state’s GDP (or, “GSP”, for “Gross State Product”), and not a particular state’s ratio of total debt to it’s GDP – available here if you’re curious.

Connecticut renamed “Greece“? Kentucky renamed “Portugal“? California renamed “France“? Oh my! (On the bright side, Democrats have finally balanced the budget: Debt now equals GDP )

Obviously, labeling a state with the name of a foreign-country does not automatically endow it with that country’s economic problems: States are more than capable of creating their own economic problems.

However, the map’s thought-provoking: Do you believe economic conditions have improved in your state during the last four years? How about during just the last year? If not, how will you change it?

Thanks for reading!