Hi everyone, Jake ‘Frackadactyl’ Palermo here. With all of the political tension in the US, people have been asking questions. Should they hold onto hope for a better future with compromise and middle grounds? Or they should get out of a game they feel is rigged for the ones in power? After the 2016 election showing the United States of America at its and most divided, states like Texas and California talk of seceding from the US to become their own separate countries. Calexit in particular has two series in dedication to it. With these mind, which of these scenarios is the more likely.
The Calexit Scenarios
Two comics from alternative publishers Image and Black Mask bring the question of California’s separation to its most extreme outcomes. Once California secedes after a conflict with the states… even more political tension rises up.
This Means War
In well… Calexit, California (through another election) breaks off from the United States before the president elect comes into power. But by the time the fascist sits in the oval office, things take a turn for the worst. For one immigration of any kind becomes illegal, even adoption in California is considered being a refugee.
Because of the colliding ideals and economic destabilizing regimes, California itself became divided. The rebels controlling the coasts stand against the US aligned coalition. But since the coasts hold most of the resources, they are a major threat to the coalition. The coalition can’t even get certain medication legally lest they be considered traitors. By that point, marginalized people are on a losing side whether they align with California or not.
Guns or Checks?
In The New World, after a second Civil War’s nuclear fallout, California and some of its neighbors has formed a new state. California’s vibrant diversity is something to celebrate but it clashes with the grimy new United States. Because violence has become the vital norm in desperate survival and entertainment.
The two main characters embody this new world. Kirby Miyazaki is a vegan hipster anarchist making a living by messing with the state. Stella Maris on the other hand is a burned out bounty hunter/law enforcer on a reality show. Stella hates her job due to the mob mentality on who lives or dies. Kirby’s backers meanwhile have become more concerned about selling rebellion than actually rebelling. The only reason they stay around is to drown themselves in hedonistic activities. Eventually they clash in a Romeo/Juliet fashion, finding common ground. Realizing they wasted their lives for marketed political agendas, Kirby and Stella run off from their former employers.
Time for Calexit Politics
Now Califonia is a state where much of the US gets its money and resources. As a coastal state, it has access to imports and trade centers. It is actually the fifth highest economy in the world, even more so than the UK. So it looks like the people behind the Calexit comic know their stuff. The scenario presented there while extreme is very much how people would react.
Trade
While California holds a significant portion of the United States’ wealth and population, only a very slim part of it has the land necessary to keep it running. The rest of California is composed mostly of mountain ranges and forests. This isn’t good in terms of logistic sustainability; can you imagine how hard agriculture is in these conditions. Also due to the status of Calexit’s New California allowing any marginalized groups in, an influx of uncontrolled mass immigration could cause a significant downward spiral in infrastructure. Between that and the need to stave off the coalition, California doesn’t have the resources to support them. Add that to a high poverty rate and California could experience a lot of economic downturns. And with potentially new enemies in the form of the US, trade (a major part of California’s economy) would be cut off significantly.
Company Takeovers
And that’s just the numeric side of this change. The New World presents how it’s not about who will take the position to create stability but how to market it. California, one of the most entertainment rich parts of the US would do just about anything to keep its market going. And much like biased news sources, using figures like Kirby and Stella to embody the radical ideologies are a means not to keep morale up but to sell brands. Rather than the fight for freedom, it’s just about keeping on the fight to make some money.
Concluding Suggestion for Calexit
People will always be afraid of what their home will spiral into once an undesirable comes into power. But it looks like California might have to consider holding off from cutting themselves off from the US. Unlike the UK’s Brexit to get away from the bureaucracy of the EU; nothing made by the White House has caused a significant departure to cause a shift away from the states. Not to mention if California breaks away, both parties lose significant means of sustaining themselves. But even then it looks like California is losing its high status, both to Texas and India.
Thanks for coming to the end. Like, share, comment if you’d like; and remember to look between the panels.