You might think the North Pole is the most magical place on earth. But behind the magic, our deep dive into the history of Christmas movies reveals that there's more to it than that.
A few common themes from movies such as "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "The Santa Claus," "Elf" and "The Polar Express" reveal the North Pole to be a centrally-planned "company town."
Company towns were a common feature of America's industrial era - entire cities devoted to one single factory or coal mine, for example. The towns were efficient, but were also harsh and inorganic.
The North Pole also shares a lot in common with real world "special cities" like Washington, DC, Mecca, or Vatican City. Such special cities can be awe-inspiring, much like the North Pole. But would you really want to live up there year round?
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Pacific Legal Foundation is a nonprofit legal organization that defends Americans’ liberties when threatened by government overreach and abuse. We sue the government when it violates Americans’ constitutional rights—and win!
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About Nolan Gray:
Nolan Gray is a professional city planner and an Affiliated Scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Follow him on Twitter: @mnolangray
