I say this as a California native who left for a litany of reasons, last of them being the politics.
Frankly, I blame the venture capitalists. They have turned what was once a vibrant region I loved into a soulless husk of itself though money. Our local politics have become unbearaable. Anything that would slightly impact a VC donor is immediately shot down.
Where will you go? Wakanda?
The bay is actually not very progressive. Economically I'd say it's purely neoliberal. We simply refuse to inconvenience the rich to fix things.
In all seriousness, if the parent commenter is expecting modern US woke-inspired progressive policies to be driving decision-making anywhere in Europe, they will be disappointed. (I don't like throwing the word "woke" around but have no better way to summarize the difference between the modern progressive movement and the original progressive movement in the US).
The US doesn’t have a real “left” movement. It has a center movement at most.
Most posters here are talking about economics - which have little to do with “woke” anything.
And it's funny you recognize the usage of "woke" as problematic, but you still use it. Actual liberal politics means schools, roads, health care, climate, etc. It means a social safety net and labour protections. All of that are universal in Europe while most of it is completely lacking, as I said in even the most "liberal" parts of the US.
Confusing policy (what matters) with social media arguments about what a woman is defined as is a distraction. It's meant to divide people that otherwise agree. Don't play into that game.
If you haven't noticed, I am talking about modern-day progressives, not liberal policies. The term "woke" describes best the difference between liberals/the original progressives and the modern type of progressives obsessed with race, sex, gender, and such.
In my experience, left wingers want civil rights for all the above, but are far from "obsessed" with those groups. Right wingers on the other hand..
Progressive politics in the US sadly transformed from mostly socially and economically-oriented (Wilson, Roosevelt) to an amalgamation of Marxism (Boudin), capitalism, wokeism and social impotency that satisfies no one.
> Progressive politics in the US sadly transformed from mostly socially and economically-oriented (Wilson, Roosevelt) to an amalgamation of Marxism (Boudin), capitalism, wokeism and social impotency that satisfies no one.
This sentence is incomprehensible. Progressive politics has turned into Marxism and capitalism?
This is funny indeed. But for a different reason than you think. Bay Area progressives like yourself became so embedded into capitalist thinking that they discarded everything else from a working social system. Everything is solved with money (i.e. capital). Homelessness - money. Mental illness - money. Drug addiction - money. Racism - money. Crime - money.
It's no surprise that you did not understand my last statement - you are the prime example of it. Marxist because it's a class war, we just need to get rid of the rich and everything will be great. Capitalist because we can solve _everything_ with more money (ignore social responsibilities, opportunities, community, fairness). Wokeist because all inequality is caused by racism, sexism and other -isms. It's an amalgamation so intoxicating that even when you read the description, you don't realise it's about you.
All inequality is caused by... all examples of inequalities? As a class reductionist I dislike wokeism as much as the next guy but this statement is meaningless.
its impossible to actually respond to any of the arguments you're making because Marxism = class war and capitalism = more money displays a complete lack of understanding of basic economics. Its not even clear what you're arguing against.
The fact that you both reject the idea that class war is central to Marxism and call yourself a "class reductionist" in the same sentence only further demonstrates your lack of introspection.
Careful, I have said the same and many assumed it meant I'm far right. The extent of my conservative beliefs are wanting very small government, being anti-war, and wanting a balanced budget. I'm pretty egalitarian otherwise but I don't think that's enough to appease those who invest their lives in identity politics.
This is the weird one for me - I'm not sure how it took over the left to where younger people are confused that my father was a serious leftist/communist before identity/racial politics took over, and since he totally rejected identity politics they assume he was some sort of right-winger, which is bonkers if you knew him.
Democrats are a center party - at best. They’re neoliberal at their core.
What’s the best way to get people advocating for left oriented reforms? Break them up. How? Identity politics. Get them to fight each other.
Congrats - you’ve managed to keep power between two neoliberal parties that agree on most everything. (And everything they don’t agree on - it’s mostly for show because money is the number one thing they’re both most concerned about!)
> The Public Policy Institute of California reported that between 2015 and 2021, 413,000 adults cited housing as a primary reason they moved out of state; a majority of those leaving were middle- or low-income people. The institute’s state survey found that 64% of adults in California say housing affordability is “a big problem” where they live. The out-migration may be partly attributable to work-from-home policies instituted during the pandemic
Please comment on the article, not your personal biases.
Also, Do smart people really think the nation’s richest collection of businesses owners, VCs and executives are a bunch of lefties?
You mean a portion of the 1% ?
Arnold was (with Steve Poizner as Insurance Commissioner) one of the last two Republicans to win in California statewide 16 years ago. Its been 25 years since Republicans held a majority in either House of the legislature, in the past 21 years, 17 years have had Democratic trifectas (control of the Governor’s office and both houses of the Legislature). Its been 26 years since the Republicans had control of either house of the legislature. Voter registration in California is 46.77% D, 23.93% R, 6.08 Other Party, 23.23% Independent.
It is... not competitive.