Honestly, I just don't really understand your point. This post probably doesn't make much sense, and that's because the whole concept you are stating is confusing... it's not how we think of things! The idea that
one person's location within a state determines cultural identity and geographic labels to that degree is just ludicrous.
And it's definitely not weird. Only that comic is, and that comic makes absolutely no sense. "When we talk about east and west politically we should use definitions based on where I in specific am standing"? That's got to be somewhere on the list of the stupidest things I have ever heard...
As I said before, "The East" and "The West" are historical and cultural constructs much more than they are geographical ones. They were defined long before anyone went around the world sailing west from Europe... China and India were east of Europe, so they were "The East". Europe was in the western part of the known continent based on the way Europeans drew maps, so they were "The West" (note that the Chinese likely had different definitions, given that they historically drew maps with south on the top instead of north; they simply considered themselves the center of the world, though, not a side of it.). Once defined definitions don't change... and when you look at a standard map, which draws the line down the middle of the Pacific, it still looks that way. That's probably why he used that odd "dividing it in the middle of Asia" style for that map, to show that Asia is also to our west...
But speaking from the east coast, China is on the other side of the world. There is a twelve hour time distance from here to there...
Quote:You're looking at that, and you aren't getting it? If I look west and see "the east", it suddenly seems a little weird to me.
I guess I can sort of see what you mean, but it's such a stupid point and is a completely weird way to look at things...
And besides, since the world is round, we are both east and west of every point on it. But it's history, culture, and nationality that determines this, not location. See: Australia and New Zealand, again. Western nations in the South Pacific.
There is one grain of truth to that image -- the closer you are to another culture, the more likely you are to be affected by it. That is, since Asia is a lot closer to the US West Coast than the East Coast, the west coast likely has a stronger Asian influence, and it's likely even stronger in Australia, for example. It's a Western nation, but in the Pacific... that has to mean things would be different than if it were in Europe. So sure, proximity can mean something. And America definitely believes it isn't quite like Europe -- we are also Western, but we aren't the same as Europe... and this developed because of our distance from them. So of course distance and location matter. But on the scale of "The West" and "The East", such things are relatively minor points.
Also, as Americans, we believe that these things are not absolutes... that is, that if you go to another place and try to change your identity to the identity of that place you can do it. Many cultures don't believe that... they believe an even more absolute version, that what you are at birth defines you forever. At least America has a much more generous definition, as is evidenced by our very open immigration laws.
Quote:I hit the east coast, but we're talking in relative terms, and what's closer and further from your own position.
Europe was "The West". Anywhere settled by Europeans thus became part of "The West" -- the Americas, Australia, New Zealand... Asia was "The East" (this particularly means East and Southeast Asia; the Middle East has always been in between). it really is as simple as that.
Quote:I don't see a problem with people calling europe "the east", because it objectively IS east of us.
What... huh? That'd be absurd...
Quote:I suppose I could meet you halfway and add in an awkward "the east, as relative to the Americas".
Only if you completely redefined the definitions of Western versus Eastern cultures and identities, which, somehow, I don't think you can do. :)