The idea of California seceding from the U.S., known as “Calexit,” has gained prominence in social and political movements, especially during times of tension. Let’s explore the reasons behind this proposal!
Political and Cultural Differences:
California is predominantly progressive, often clashing with the conservative policies of the federal government, especially during the Trump administration. Issues such as immigration and climate change are points of conflict.
Disproportionate Economic Contribution:
As the largest economy in the U.S., California contributes significantly to federal taxes. Some argue that the state “supports” other regions without receiving proportional benefits in infrastructure or social programs.
Legislative Autonomy:
California already has strict laws in areas like the environment and labor rights. Independence would allow for greater freedom to implement progressive policies without federal government interference.
Unique Cultural Identity:
With its diversity and strong technology and entertainment economy, many Californians see the state as culturally distinct from the rest of the country. This unique identity reinforces the idea of secession.
Recent Events:
The tensions during the Trump administration and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the differences in public policy between California and the federal government, reigniting the debate over the possibility of secession.
The “progressive” independent country of California is still gonna use prison slave labor to put out the fires while our tech oligarchs’ treat machines drain the state’s water and power supply. Look, I live here and would love nothing more than to sever myself from Burgerland without the inconvenience of uprooting my whole life. But if that means pledging my allegiance to President Gavin Newsom, this place can get fucked.
I make California independence jokes a lot as a meme in my community and with my family but if I was being entirely serious, I think it’s an entirely impossible endeavor, especially at the moment.
The primary concern is water before anything else, and I’d say hat unless a Calexit platform aggressively and thoughtfully proposed a solution for the water issue, the concept is dead on arrival.
I’d also argue that it’s still settler colonial in nature, and without a commited anti-colonial and anti-imperialist line/faction within the movement it won’t really differ much from how the US operates.
Perhaps if the water issue was addressed along with strong west coast unity it would lead somewhere but I regard the concept as pretty silly at the moment.
Here’s the solution to your water issue:
California just needs to take Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona with them.
I usually make the joke that Arizona is just unclaimed California territory.
The US wouldn’t let cali go so easy, but the way things are unfolding I wouldn’t be surprised to see this gain traction in tandem with other exit movements across North America - like a new Cascadia movement (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California).
In a socialist world maybe these could be specialist economic zones for collaborative development. In reality, it’ll maybe be a fun video game setting.
In a socialist world you’d have these as socialist republics, based around a common identity
Hell yeah. I cannot believe it’s 2025 and I, a Canadian, still live in a monarchy. Clown world.
According to available information, around 15% of California’s water supply comes from the Colorado River, with the majority of this water being used in Southern California where it can account for over 60% of their water supply
I don’t see Calexit happening based on water law alone. They risk forfeiting their allocated paper water or having to renegotiate those treaties with a hostile US when the market price was set during a 19th century historical wet period.
It could be worked around with desalination if power infrastructure was brought online, but that same infrastructure would easily be bombed if there was a hot war between California and the US.
I don’t think there is an expectation of canceling water deals due to a calexit. Calexit folks aren’t planning on incurring further US hostilities since so much of the country already has a unique disdain for CA. They are anticipating a “fine good riddance enjoy your liberal hellhole you socialists” style reaction from enough of the country to avoid any intense sanctioning or violence with the rest of the US. No one with any pull is advocating taking up arms or anything wild like that. They liken the effort to being a constituent country as is Scotland in the UK. More independent than a US-style state less independent than a separate sovereign state like are the US and Canada. I haven’t any idea if they ought to be worried about water deals, I just think that’s the organization’s line so to speak.
The US isn’t going to let the world’s 4th largest economy go any time soon. For the foreseeable future, I think this project is folly.
I certainly don’t see any value in volunteering my time or resources to the cause. As far as I can tell as a midwestern transplant to the Bay Area, the differences between CA identity and the rest of the US is wildly overstated by dum dum politicians trying to score cheap points with their constituents in the red Midwest and deep south.
The only reason I could see CA becoming some kind of US territory is that for whatever reason, the kind of people outside CA who would be the happiest to see CA no longer being as large an influence in US politics just refuse to acknowledge that CA is the primary US economic engine.
Using the same logic, I’d be perfectly happy if the deep south seceded and drowned in their own hubris. They’re federal tax drains that ideologically conflict with basic human decency. I’d build the wall around those states myself if it paid a living wage. It isn’t my choice in a vacuum though. For every action there’s at least an equal and opposite reaction. The states that otherwise benefit from access to the Colorado River all need that water and have a more valid claim to it. I know those same Colorado reactionaries who think California is a liberal-socialist hellhole and they’d vote for anyone who wants to impose the strictest response to Californian sovereignty. Any reactionary politician in those purple/red states will immediately seize on it as the largest opportunity to enshrine themselves to every agribusiness/real estate donor in the region.
The cliche of the 21st century is that our grandchildren will die in the water wars. That’s what a water war looks like and California’s water access is split between its own north and south. They lack unity if 60%~ of the southern half of the state’s water supply has any kind of even hypothetical risk.
So we’ll have the NCR before nuclear holocaust?
Trump should sell California to China to pay off the national debt. Win-win-win.
I think it would be a shame, big political institutions are cool imo, i would much much rather see a revolution in amerikkka and having the whole thing become something like the ussr rather than see it break up, but hey it would probably be good for the world in general.
Either way it aint happening, it would mean civil war and i doubt california wins that.
