Project Pushback

When relations were reestablished with the Other Side/USA and when citizens of FatLand were allowed freely into the OtherSide/USA and vice versa, the FatLand Senate met to discuss a new project, entitled Project Pushback.

For years, the OtherSide/USA had published articles in their media denouncing and mocking FatLand, even and especially when studies revealed that FatLand had lower all around mortality rates than the OtherSide/USA. But with the repeal of the Pro-Health and Diet Laws, OtherSiders began to become more interested in FatLand and what it had to offer. Ironically. now that the terror of the Pro-Health administration was no more, FatLand was more interested than even in drawing visitors and emigrants from the OtherSide/USA. The FatLand Senate especially felt that FatLand would be able to acquire a larger population (in numbers, that is) and thus more land if it attracted more people who would become residents.

At first, some FatLanders were in favor of writing nasty articles about the OtherSide, and they could have easily done so, given the history of relations/non-relations with -and threats from- the OtherSide. But soon cooler thoughts prevailed, and sneakier heads inclined toward writing articles of praise for places on the OtherSide that were kind and just to fat people. Their reasoning was that people from the OtherSide would be more attracted to FatLand if FatLand media praised the efforts of the OtherSide to free themselves from the legacy of the hate enabled by the Pro-Health and Diet Laws, and talked about places most welcoming to fat people in the OtherSide/USA. Reverse psychology, as it were.

And it worked. The number of residents in FatLand almost doubled in a year and a half's time.

Now the FatLand Senate could with some justice claim that FatLand needed more land.