I Have Now Visited Another Country Without Leaving My House

[JayhawkCO]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/politics/new-us-diplomatic-relations/index.html

Looks like the U.S. has just recognized Niue and the Cook Islands as independent countries. I visited the Cook Islands back in 2012, so now up to 74.

[7/8]

In before Rothman says you need to revisit the country for it to count.

[hotdogPi]

Just because the US recognizes it doesn't mean it's actually a new country. (I'm serious about this one, unlike 7/8's post regarding Rothman.)

[Rothman]

How can you say you've visited a country that didn't exist when you allegedly did?

[JayhawkCO]

How can you say you've visited a country that didn't exist when you allegedly did?

By typing "click, clack, click" on my keyboard. I can say it out loud to no one in particular right now as well.

[kphoger]

Question:  Did Juan Ponce de León visit Brevard County in 1513?

[JayhawkCO]

Question:  Did Juan Ponce de León visit Brevard County in 1513?

He visited what is now Brevard County in 1513. Not particularly a related analogy though.

Nothing has changed with the Cook Islands since I visited other than recognition. They have been an independent nation in free association with New Zealand since 1965. The only thing that has changed now is that the U.S. government recognizes them as independent, so, therefore, do I. It's not like they just declared independence.

[Rothman]

Question:  Did Juan Ponce de León visit Brevard County in 1513?

He visited what is now Brevard County in 1513. Not particularly a related analogy though.

Nothing has changed with the Cook Islands since I visited other than recognition. They have been an independent nation in free association with New Zealand since 1965. The only thing that has changed now is that the U.S. government recognizes them as independent, so, therefore, do I. It's not like they just declared independence.

If independence is reliant upon U.S. recognition (as you say, "so do I"), then they weren't independent prior to that recognition.

[kphoger]

Nothing has changed with the Cook Islands since I visited other than recognition. They have been an independent nation in free association with New Zealand since 1965. The only thing that has changed now is that the U.S. government recognizes them as independent, so, therefore, do I. It's not like they just declared independence.

So really, from our perspective, all that happened is that you changed your mind about including it in the list.  I mean, you're the one who decided to use the same list as the US government to begin with.

[hotdogPi]

The "correct" list of countries is UN + Kosovo + Taiwan.

[JayhawkCO]

Well, I could just be completely willy nilly about a list of what is or isn't a country, or I could go by some generally accepted list. Otherwise there are many other autonomous regions, etc. that I could include: Scotland, Svalbard, Madeira, Aland, etc.

[Rothman]

The correct list is using Sporcle's world capital quiz

[JayhawkCO]

The "correct" list of countries is UN + Kosovo + Taiwan.

So you can pick and choose what to add or subtract from a recognized list?

[kphoger]

If independence is reliant upon U.S. recognition (as you say, "so do I"), then they weren't independent prior to that recognition.

No, no, you're missing it.  He says it was an independent country in reality while he was there, but that it wasn't an independent country on his list while he was there.

[JayhawkCO]

If independence is reliant upon U.S. recognition (as you say, "so do I"), then they weren't independent prior to that recognition.

No, no, you're missing it.  He says it was an independent country in reality while he was there, but that it wasn't an independent country on his list while he was there.

Correct.

[Rothman]

Well, I could just be completely willy nilly about a list of what is or isn't a country, or I could go by some generally accepted list. Otherwise there are many other autonomous regions, etc. that I could include: Scotland, Svalbard, Madeira, Aland, etc.

That's just crazytalk.

[kphoger]

I wonder if your list of visited countries should change whenever you cross an international boundary, to match that country's official list.

[JayhawkCO]

I wonder if your list of visited countries should change whenever you cross an international boundary, to match that country's official list.

Eh, I've been to some countries that recognize some stranger "countries". For instance, Nicaragua recognizes Abkhazia, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and South Ossetia. I have less of an issue with "Western Sahara" than I do for the other two.

[JayhawkCO]

The "correct" list of countries is UN + Kosovo + Taiwan.

Also, no Vatican City?

[kphoger]

I wonder if your list of visited countries should change whenever you cross an international boundary, to match that country's official list.

Eh, I've been to some countries that recognize some stranger "countries". For instance, Nicaragua recognizes Abkhazia, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and South Ossetia. I have less of an issue with "Western Sahara" than I do for the other two.

Of particular interest may be the fact that New Zealand does not recognize the Cook Islands as an independent country.

[hotdogPi]

The "correct" list of countries is UN + Kosovo + Taiwan.

Also, no Vatican City?

Somehow I didn't realize that the UN didn't recognize Vatican City.

[Rothman]

I wonder if your list of visited countries should change whenever you cross an international boundary, to match that country's official list.

Eh, I've been to some countries that recognize some stranger "countries". For instance, Nicaragua recognizes Abkhazia, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and South Ossetia. I have less of an issue with "Western Sahara" than I do for the other two.

Of particular interest may be the fact that New Zealand does not recognize the Cook Islands as an independent country.

Eh, doesn't matter since we do now.  U-S-A!  U-S-A!

[JayhawkCO]

The "correct" list of countries is UN + Kosovo + Taiwan.

Also, no Vatican City?

Somehow I didn't realize that the UN didn't recognize Vatican City.

Also, if you include Kosovo, then there wouldn't be a whole lot of reason to exclude Cook Islands and Niue. The three have basically the same status within the UN, with the latter two actually having more recognition.

[Scott5114]

Minus ten points for not saying you've visited a Niue country.

[JayhawkCO]

Minus ten points for not saying you've visited a Niue country.

Had only I visited Niue instead, then maybe I could have pulled this off.

Cook Islands was well worth the long ass flight.