I think all he was saying was, that according to the raw data from the current graphs, that is how he's analyzing the game. It's like the Sports section in the newspaper discussing league standings - a lot can change, but there's always something to talk about.
a lot of nations have good scales, and the PLAINS portion of the map is mostly PLAINS and hence good income.... also.... setting 140% tax leaves you with lower income in the long run than 100% does it not?