Good Sheet: "Who's Going Where?"

Another interesting graphic from Good Magazine, this one on global mobility.

"People are moving around the world constantly—either toward opportunity or away from misfortune and fear. This is where people are going, and where they are coming from." (click image to enlarge)

One commenter also linked to another interesting map, this one on the time it takes to travel to major cities.

Our "Present" Economy

The winter holidays: a time to join with family and friends, give thanks, celebrate, and get out the plastic and cash. We are a nation of consumers and we consume the most in November and December—in those two months, the retail profits come rolling in. Fueled by cards, presents, and food, the holidays form their own annual economic boom...

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The Three Trillion Dollar War (It's Cost in Ten Steps)

In 2003, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld estimated that a war with Iraq would cost $60 billion. Five years later, the cost of Iraq War operations is more than 10 times that figure. By the time the United States leaves Iraq, the estimated total cost of war will be more than $3 trillion.
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Good Sheet: National Service

President Kennedy famously declared during his inauguration speech that we should ask ourselves what we can do for our country. National service takes many forms—from Americans deployed overseas to senior citizens teaching a new generation how to read. Now that the election is over, let’s continue the spirit of civic engagement. Find out what you can do for your country...
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Good Sheet: "Love It, or Fix It: McCain v. Obama"

Everything you need to know, this is your election review sheet...
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Save Our Cities!

Responding to Sarah Palin's recent claims that small town America is the "real America," Good Magazine writer, Cliff Kuang, has written an interesting article passionately arguing for a strong urban policy in the next government. He asks,

Is pitting small town against city just another ploy devised to hide distortions on taxes and foreign policy with a grotesque quilt of resentments? And what if that pastoral vision is blatantly false?

Hoopla aside, with the economy sowing so much worry, the town vs. city-issue should be a reminder of an important fact: Towns have not kept our country’s economy vital, no matter what Eleanor Fudd [Sarah Paln] says. Cities have; and they present our best prospects for creating the jobs and prosperity that will pull us out of the economic hole we’re in.

Most Americans simply don’t understand the role that cities play in their own economic well-being...

Kuang goes on to explain the central role of cities as the engines of economic innovation and productivity in the U.S. (cities account for 76 percent of knowledge-economy jobs, 78 percent of all patents, 75 percent of graduate degree holders, 81 percent of R&D employment, and 94 percent all venture funding!) Statistics also make clear that the wealth generated in cities strongly benefits rural America through a federal tax system that redistributes state monies disproportionately to smaller states. So, in fact, our cities are under-served, under-funded, under-appreciated, scorned and too often on the political Right, attacked and condemned as the engine for all that is bad in our society. Kuang concludes that despite the continuing economic struggles of rural Americans, "in the long run, we’ll all suffer if we don’t double down on the places that promise the most return: Cities."

Amen.

Good Sheet: CO2 World

Here's the deal with CO2, the most prevalent greenhouse gas (click image to enlarge):
Thanks to the good people at Good Magazine for another interesting graphic...

Good Sheet: Does Your Vote Matter?

The folks at Good Magazine want to make sure you understand how important your vote is...
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Good Sheet: Education Reform

Here is another interestinggraphic from the folks at Good Magazine. This one focuses on education reform, and in particular No Child Left Behind (click image to enlarge):

Pass it along to all of your friends and family in the education world.

Any thoughts/reactions?

Coming to America

I really dig Good Magazine. They do these cool graphic pieces on important issues. Here is a recent one on immigration to the United States (click to enlarge):

What do you think? Does this graphic reveal anything about immigration that challenges the dominant narrative of the issue in the mainstream media today? Or, does it confirm the basic narrative?