Great article but I think it will take more than a standard recession to reset government policies in California. It will take a much harsher shock to the system. And then there’s the problem of the Democrats’ lock on California state government. There is no effective opposition that I can see. Perhaps Mr. Kotkin can write an article about the chances of the Dems ever losing power in California.
Increasingly I believe the US has passed a point of no return with respect to progressive politics. Something has fundamentally changed in America’s self-image and, as always, California leads the way. Maybe a 1930s-style depression will shake us out of our collective fantasy, but Heaven help us if that’s the solution.
I’m optimistic for the US. Let’s see if the Republicans can flush the toilets in 2023 or if they are too corrupt.
California, Washington, New York, Illinois are likely too far gone and will have to find rock bottom.
Nothing quote like home growing your own twisted Neo/Post Marxism to screw up the best thing the world has ever designed….
Agreed. It’s hard to quantify yet. On paper both the USA and CA look great (as Peter B below points out), but there has been a distinct qualitative shift in the last 15 years here in CA.
In truth, I’m not even sure a depression would do it. Look at how compliant everyone was during COVID. God is passe. Patriotism is racist. Capitalism is oppressive. Socialism has failed. Leaders are incompetent. Postmodernism and decadence have taken away everything we believed in. To make things better, you must have a “better” (something beyond yourself) to believe in. We don’t.
It turns out that a society built on nothing but “do what thou wilt” ends in hedonism and decadence and futility. Considering the source of that philosophy (20th century Satanist leader Aleister Crowley), the outcome is not surprising.
Bruce Mendrikis
1 year ago
California needs to fail for the same reason the Soviet Union needed to fail: so the world can see the undeniable catastrophe that their policies created.
Which catastrophe has California created ? And for who ? And why is it as bad as the Soviet Union ?
I’m just not seeing it.
Advanced technology from California (mainly Silicon Valley) has improved freedom, education and health for billions of people around the world. People live far better, longer and healthier as a result.
You wouldn’t be able to post on this comment section without Californian technology.
Now show me anything even remotely equivalent that the Soviet Union brought to the world.
The truth surely is that California’s contribution to the world has been something like 70% positive to 30% negative – but still a strong net positive. It is hard to argue that the Soviet Union ever made a net positive contribution. Of course, critics will always cherry pick the US/Californian failures and highlight these. But that’s missing the big picture.
The happenstance of Silicon Valley was from the California of old, nothing in the valley besides pleasant cheap farmland ti attract. Hollywood had the sun and mild weather but those are abundant elsewhere. Now the beaches and mountains are really nice. But as the one party state evolved it’s inequality is killing the real wealth creators – the middle class.
AC Harper
1 year ago
From Wikipedia:
Two swindlers arrive at the capital city of an emperor who spends lavishly on clothing at the expense of state matters. Posing as weavers, they offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are stupid or incompetent. The emperor hires them, and they set up looms and go to work. A succession of officials, and then the emperor himself, visit them to check their progress. Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought a fool. Finally, the weavers report that the emperor’s suit is finished. They mime dressing him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city. The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all. The people then realize that everyone has been fooled. Although startled, the emperor continues the procession, walking more proudly than ever.
The key point is that the emperor continues the procession. It’s going to take an awful shock for the emperor to acknowledge his foolishness.
After the little boy told the obvious truth and the onlookers started to laugh and mock their ruler, the emperor stopped and screamed, “You’re hurting my feelings! If you don’t stop assaulting me I’m going to kill myself!”
Chastened, the crowd went back to watching the procession respectfully and in silence.
The little boy was cancelled.
Last edited 1 year ago by William Hickey
R K
1 year ago
Joel: Residents of the “Golden State” for over six decades, my wife and I made a sober and measured decision to depart for saner pastures in 2020.
CA is an oligarchy of delusional miscreants. The brash narcissism of the Governor and sickening fealty of the elite overlords leaves no room for the rest of you to survive there long term.
Ongoing and ever-increasing taxation will ultimately ruin many. Homes will be lost; families will be broken; crime will increase; despair will simmer into a dangerous cauldron of anger.
RK, as a CA resident who has not yet fled, I must ask, where did you go?
Richard Parker
1 year ago
Quite so: it may be the necessary medicine, but it’d be awful. I worry for family and friends in the States, none more so than my Californian in-laws and nephews.
It does look as if an advanced case of executive capture by a cadre of progressive ideologues is well underway. That may be a mistaken outsider’s view, but I do wonder. After all, the Dead Kennedys were singing about similar concerns in “California Uber Alles”, back in 1979. The Antichrist has been with us a long time and he evidently means business…
No challenges in a one party state. Absolute power corrupts. Sadly many will need to be badly hurt first before demanding change.
R Wright
1 year ago
A recession is not enough. California now is a 24/7 repeat of the movie Falling Down. It’d need to become Escape from LA before the locals got convinced it needed reform.
DNY 0
1 year ago
I’m afraid California needs more than a recession. Maybe a combination of earthquake and tsunami that depopulates one or more of the urban centers of “progressive” lunacy.
Jacquie Watson
1 year ago
I’m from Sydney Australia. Recession appears now to be a global problem making it harder to solve. However, bad politics is ALWAYS a problem. We pretty much suffer from the two part problem, periodically disturbed by some Independents who don’t appear to have any particular long term plans, just one or two planks. Unfortunately I believe no matter which party is in power, they are not in power. The power lies with the money, and it doesn’t need to corrupt politicians, because it corrupts absolutely, and nearly everyone. It corrupts so thoroughly that it brings down even the good ideas, the fair ideas, and especially the ideas that move it from the hands of the few to the hands of everyone. How can that be changed? Increasing taxes to take it off those with lots of it, and then let the political parties spend it badly. Where is the accountability? Same thing applies to the rich who call themselves philanthropists? How do they choose where to put their money and does it really help the whole community in the long run? I despair as I write this because it will take another round of pain for some of us (certainly not the rich) and even then I doubt the problem will be solved. We’ve been through this so many times now. When can we get off the merry go round?
Fafa Fafa
1 year ago
Just a little correction: California’s two biggest cities are Los Angeles and San Diego.
Mark Rackham
1 year ago
Peter B, the wider tech advances might apply to the Western bubble, but you need to live in any the 100 plus developing countries. Take away their UN funded political elite and many of those nations are twenty plus years behind the West, not for them the latest smart phone, cashless transaction and eco fad, it’s a roof, food and healthcare. Robots and AI are cancelling millions of jobs globally, replaced humans are searching for reinventions in saturated markets and the World population is growing. The West gave away its production to China and others without understanding the wider risk and tech has highlighted the flawed planning. Are we heading towards “The Island” scenario? Seems like it, and the WEF cohorts are steering us that way.
Peter Mateja
1 year ago
Californian here… while I agree that there are issues, I don’t believe that the problems here are necessarily due to progressive policies. Rather, the bigger problem seems to be one of effectively one party rule, combined with the typical “do as I say, not as I do” nature of wealthy progressives. Looking around at the usual alternatives seems to trade one set of problems for another. e.g. Texas… yes, lots of Californians have migrated to Texas for a variety of reasons. However, while Texas may be business friendly and has high job growth, it has a raft of problems related to essentially also being run by a single party. The GOP in Texas has shown a willingness to interfere in issues of privacy and personal freedom, has prioritized the adherence to moral codes for a specific religion (evangelical Christianity), and essentially ignored any reaction to increasing gun violence (except to further encourage universal gun carrying, so we can all live in a wild west town).
Great article but I think it will take more than a standard recession to reset government policies in California. It will take a much harsher shock to the system. And then there’s the problem of the Democrats’ lock on California state government. There is no effective opposition that I can see. Perhaps Mr. Kotkin can write an article about the chances of the Dems ever losing power in California.
Increasingly I believe the US has passed a point of no return with respect to progressive politics. Something has fundamentally changed in America’s self-image and, as always, California leads the way. Maybe a 1930s-style depression will shake us out of our collective fantasy, but Heaven help us if that’s the solution.
I’m optimistic for the US. Let’s see if the Republicans can flush the toilets in 2023 or if they are too corrupt.
California, Washington, New York, Illinois are likely too far gone and will have to find rock bottom.
Nothing quote like home growing your own twisted Neo/Post Marxism to screw up the best thing the world has ever designed….
Agreed. It’s hard to quantify yet. On paper both the USA and CA look great (as Peter B below points out), but there has been a distinct qualitative shift in the last 15 years here in CA.
In truth, I’m not even sure a depression would do it. Look at how compliant everyone was during COVID. God is passe. Patriotism is racist. Capitalism is oppressive. Socialism has failed. Leaders are incompetent. Postmodernism and decadence have taken away everything we believed in. To make things better, you must have a “better” (something beyond yourself) to believe in. We don’t.
It turns out that a society built on nothing but “do what thou wilt” ends in hedonism and decadence and futility. Considering the source of that philosophy (20th century Satanist leader Aleister Crowley), the outcome is not surprising.
California needs to fail for the same reason the Soviet Union needed to fail: so the world can see the undeniable catastrophe that their policies created.
Which catastrophe has California created ? And for who ? And why is it as bad as the Soviet Union ?
I’m just not seeing it.
Advanced technology from California (mainly Silicon Valley) has improved freedom, education and health for billions of people around the world. People live far better, longer and healthier as a result.
You wouldn’t be able to post on this comment section without Californian technology.
Now show me anything even remotely equivalent that the Soviet Union brought to the world.
The truth surely is that California’s contribution to the world has been something like 70% positive to 30% negative – but still a strong net positive. It is hard to argue that the Soviet Union ever made a net positive contribution. Of course, critics will always cherry pick the US/Californian failures and highlight these. But that’s missing the big picture.
The happenstance of Silicon Valley was from the California of old, nothing in the valley besides pleasant cheap farmland ti attract. Hollywood had the sun and mild weather but those are abundant elsewhere. Now the beaches and mountains are really nice. But as the one party state evolved it’s inequality is killing the real wealth creators – the middle class.
From Wikipedia:
The key point is that the emperor continues the procession. It’s going to take an awful shock for the emperor to acknowledge his foolishness.
You left out the postmodern twist to the story.
After the little boy told the obvious truth and the onlookers started to laugh and mock their ruler, the emperor stopped and screamed, “You’re hurting my feelings! If you don’t stop assaulting me I’m going to kill myself!”
Chastened, the crowd went back to watching the procession respectfully and in silence.
The little boy was cancelled.
Joel: Residents of the “Golden State” for over six decades, my wife and I made a sober and measured decision to depart for saner pastures in 2020.
CA is an oligarchy of delusional miscreants. The brash narcissism of the Governor and sickening fealty of the elite overlords leaves no room for the rest of you to survive there long term.
Ongoing and ever-increasing taxation will ultimately ruin many. Homes will be lost; families will be broken; crime will increase; despair will simmer into a dangerous cauldron of anger.
And nothing at all good will come of this.
RK, as a CA resident who has not yet fled, I must ask, where did you go?
Quite so: it may be the necessary medicine, but it’d be awful. I worry for family and friends in the States, none more so than my Californian in-laws and nephews.
It does look as if an advanced case of executive capture by a cadre of progressive ideologues is well underway. That may be a mistaken outsider’s view, but I do wonder. After all, the Dead Kennedys were singing about similar concerns in “California Uber Alles”, back in 1979. The Antichrist has been with us a long time and he evidently means business…
No, Outsider, you are not mistaken.
No challenges in a one party state. Absolute power corrupts. Sadly many will need to be badly hurt first before demanding change.
A recession is not enough. California now is a 24/7 repeat of the movie Falling Down. It’d need to become Escape from LA before the locals got convinced it needed reform.
I’m afraid California needs more than a recession. Maybe a combination of earthquake and tsunami that depopulates one or more of the urban centers of “progressive” lunacy.
I’m from Sydney Australia. Recession appears now to be a global problem making it harder to solve. However, bad politics is ALWAYS a problem. We pretty much suffer from the two part problem, periodically disturbed by some Independents who don’t appear to have any particular long term plans, just one or two planks. Unfortunately I believe no matter which party is in power, they are not in power. The power lies with the money, and it doesn’t need to corrupt politicians, because it corrupts absolutely, and nearly everyone. It corrupts so thoroughly that it brings down even the good ideas, the fair ideas, and especially the ideas that move it from the hands of the few to the hands of everyone. How can that be changed? Increasing taxes to take it off those with lots of it, and then let the political parties spend it badly. Where is the accountability? Same thing applies to the rich who call themselves philanthropists? How do they choose where to put their money and does it really help the whole community in the long run? I despair as I write this because it will take another round of pain for some of us (certainly not the rich) and even then I doubt the problem will be solved. We’ve been through this so many times now. When can we get off the merry go round?
Just a little correction: California’s two biggest cities are Los Angeles and San Diego.
Peter B, the wider tech advances might apply to the Western bubble, but you need to live in any the 100 plus developing countries. Take away their UN funded political elite and many of those nations are twenty plus years behind the West, not for them the latest smart phone, cashless transaction and eco fad, it’s a roof, food and healthcare. Robots and AI are cancelling millions of jobs globally, replaced humans are searching for reinventions in saturated markets and the World population is growing. The West gave away its production to China and others without understanding the wider risk and tech has highlighted the flawed planning. Are we heading towards “The Island” scenario? Seems like it, and the WEF cohorts are steering us that way.
Californian here… while I agree that there are issues, I don’t believe that the problems here are necessarily due to progressive policies. Rather, the bigger problem seems to be one of effectively one party rule, combined with the typical “do as I say, not as I do” nature of wealthy progressives. Looking around at the usual alternatives seems to trade one set of problems for another. e.g. Texas… yes, lots of Californians have migrated to Texas for a variety of reasons. However, while Texas may be business friendly and has high job growth, it has a raft of problems related to essentially also being run by a single party. The GOP in Texas has shown a willingness to interfere in issues of privacy and personal freedom, has prioritized the adherence to moral codes for a specific religion (evangelical Christianity), and essentially ignored any reaction to increasing gun violence (except to further encourage universal gun carrying, so we can all live in a wild west town).