A few weeks ago, I dropped an editorial comparing Equestria to Earth, and showing how much it seemed to lack the makings of a Utopia as originally believed back during season one. Overall, it came off as a bit more negative than I would have liked.
Let's be realistic here, ponyland is awesome. I bet a lot of you would love to move over there and chill with the citizens in their everyday lives. So lets explore the other side! Time to delve into the positives that make this world so incredibly interesting.
Head on down below the break for round two of Equestria Vs. Earth!
Your Average Citizen is Adorable
As a human entering this place, it would probably be a bit of an overload. Do ponies realize how adorable they are? Or are they desensitized to it? You'd have to hold yourself back from d'awwing every time Fluttershy did something.
Look at that Lyra! The epitome of happy images. I bet when this fandom thing is scientifically analyzed in 10 years, they will find a direct correlation between the pony model and human happiness. Now imagine living in a place where you are surrounded by it 24/7. That's Equestria right there.
Equestria Appears to Lack Any Current Major Wars
One thing we just love doing here on Earth is fighting epic, long-term wars. We fight over religion, land, race, resources, and just about anything else our greedy little hearts desire. It's something we are known for, and don't seem to be growing out of anytime soon with militaries all over the world bulking up on even deadlier arsenals over time.
Pony nations (or tribes) aren't without conflict; Hearths Warming Eve showed us that. They didn't look to get violent about it though. Maybe the fact that each of the pony types "need" each other helps in the long run? While Unicorns seem to have evolved over time to do the earthy/pegasusy things, it's still way easier to cooperate and use each tribe's strengths for the benefit of the entire pony race.
But what of the non pony races? Equine isn't the only sapient creature in Equestria. But even with fierce griffons and towering dragons, there still doesn't seem to be any actual war. You might have a douchebag dragon camp out and smog up your city, but some quick diplomacy (or a Fluttershy) seems to work in that case. An Ursa Minor might rampage through Ponyville, but a single powerful unicorn can handle that no problem. The most devastating villains have all fallen to some form of ancient magic, so even when all bets are off, Equestria seems to have a lot of trump cards.
This may also simply be a matter of the incredible power that unicorns and pegasai possess. When your high-class flyer can summon a tornado, or your princess can blow a mountain up with a single spell, declaring war probably isn't the best option. Think of it as a USA Vs. China deal. Do we have a lot of conflicts of interest? Yes. Could we go to war? Yes. Would it be absolutely devastating for both of us? Probably. Easier to work together begrudgingly than attack each other in the long run.
It could also just be a case of a well-established world that has moved past the idea of war, and when conflicts between tribes do happen, it's a food fight.
Weather is Completely Predictable
Outside of a pegasus derping the intensity of a storm, weather in Equestria is completely controlled by it's inhabitants. Even living here in Arizona with 299 sunny days a year, weather can pop up and ruin everything. A society that has complete control over its natural functions can regulate just about anything.
There will never be fear of a drought, meaning Sweet Apple Acres and any other farm around the world will always have a steady supply of water. This stops many worries about a food shortage due to a bad rainy season, as an entire population that eats plants will always have something to munch on. Farms still have pests, but a bit of unicorn magic seems to handle that, assuming Twilight doesn't screw up the spell.
Natural disasters are another thing you wouldn't have to worry about. A tornado isn't going to pop up and wipe out your neighborhood Ponyville, and if there was one for some freak reason, your resident pegasus population could handle it.
So fear not, new Equestrian! Your picnic plans will always go perfectly.
A Seemingly Benevolent Ruler
Celestia is ancient. She has been running this little empire here for thousands of years. We still don't know the exact governmental systems in place in ponyland, but we can probably assume they aren't filled with corruption and special interests throwing billions of bits at bad ideas. Celestia probably couldn't care less about money.
Bloodline and single-ruler systems can go horribly wrong, but only if the ones up top are horrible leaders, and Celestia doesn't seem to have any of the attributes of someone who is bad at her job. She has had several millennia to perfect it.
Luna also gives us a glimpse of what things were like 1000 years earlier. If her first visit to Ponyville was any indication, Equestria has changed a LOT since her time ruling by Celestia's side. Instead of a hardcore dictator role, the princesses became relatable figureheads instead. This may have actually been the turning point. The comics revealed that Celestia did quite a bit of public relations once Moonbutt was locked away:
Regardless of how it used to be, Equestria now appears to be largely free. Ponies seem to go about their business with few regulations. Celestia and the princesses do step in every once in a while, but their rule is largely benevolent. Perhaps with Season 5 we will see a bit more of the intricacies that go on in the background?
Overall, Ponyland would be an amazing place to live. You may need to deal with a wandering giant star bear or changeling queen attempting another royal takeover every once in a while, but your best unicorn buddies could help you fend those off. For how many times we have seen Ponyville completely obliterated, it seems to rebuild and get back to normal incredibly fast. Ponies are a hardy and powerful race, with disaster recovery that would make any city on Earth jealous.
Obviously there are more points that could be made here, these are some of the major ones that have been brought up over the years
Now go hit up those comments! What else do you think would be awesome about living in ponyland?
