Posts by shadowbear20

Well, looking at what’s been laid out here, it seems pretty obvious that California is staying calm—they have absolutely no intention of seizing control over their own affairs just yet. It’s a stark contrast to the folks in the West Coast, who seem aggressively pumped up about their autonomy—maybe even a bit too much for my taste—and as for the Midwest crowd... well, they’re barely showing any signs of life. The Californians are perfectly content with things just the way they are; I'm simply waiting to see how the rest of the group settles in.

To me, fighting for California means—to start with—simply putting in more work. First off, we need to grind harder for ourselves personally, and secondly, our local communities need to step up their game. I mean, seriously, why does our peak season only last two or three months? Why on earth is that the case? Then, there’s the second issue: we need much better connectivity and cooperation between our cities—we really need to stop being such cowards toward one another. To me, advocating for your region and your future looks like that. It isn't about sitting around under a cloud of nothingness, waiting for some miracle to drop from the sky—because, honestly, I get the impression that's all everything eventually boils down to 😢

It’s an unfortunate historical reality—though I say this with a certain degree of heavy-heartedness—that Californians have never quite mastered the art of standing up for themselves or organizing effectively. I find myself genuinely stumped as to why we struggle so much with collective action. I’d love to hear from you all—is there anyone here who actually hails from California and is actively involved in advocacy or community organizing? Does anyone among you truly put in the effort to fight for the interests of California?

The issue here isn't some vendetta against Washington, D.C.—it’s more about the sheer inertia we see in California, and I’d appreciate it if we could stick to that point. Of course, all the funding for everything flows out of Underworld Washington, D.C., but before that money ever leaves the capital, it has to land there first. Why? It’s simple: Washington, D.C. collects every cent from across the nation, pools it all together, and then—as if by magic—they’re the ones who decide how to distribute it back. It makes everything look perfectly seamless and generous on paper. And honestly, I don't get why anyone would suggest I'm being unpatriotic just because I don't have a soft spot for Washington, D.C. No sane person who spent years contributing to the coffers of Washington, D.C. is going to love what the city has become today.

For the record, I wasn't trying to defend or coddle Californians in my opening post. In fact, I am firmly convinced that the current stagnation and chronic lack of momentum are entirely the fault of the Californians themselves. My only question was whether anyone in this thread actually gives a damn about seeing things change. That’s it. If cities like San Francisco, San Diego, or any other major hub could simply retain the revenue they generate right in their own local treasuries—instead of begging for scraps from Washington, D.C. as if the federal government were performing an act of charity—then they could actually build their own arenas and bypasses. But I won't even go there...

San Francisco Kerum always seems to slide into power by following one simple rule: let’s just pick the lesser of two evils. He was only ever chosen because he wasn't a die-hard Republican or a typical Democrat. But honestly—why is it that in California, we never see a group of people who aren't colored by political or economic interests? I don't even know how to describe Kerum properly. It’s like... imagine letting a toddler run the entire government. He’s just an impulsive, wild man, and that simply doesn't work in leadership. Isn't there some cultivated, educated, actually civilized group of people in California whose primary goal is the common good rather than just their own personal prosperity?

On the other hand, the very idea of starting a party like that terrifies me. I just don't trust the average Californian—too many times they've tripped over their own feet, and frankly, California is still stuck in the gutter. And it’s going to stay that way until the Californian pulls themselves together, stops being such a local stereotype, and starts acting like a rational human being—or Homo sapiens, or something along those lines. Is there any sign that this might actually happen?

Californians, what happened to you all? People over in the Pacific Northwest seem to be holding their own quite well—they’re relatively cohesive, they stick together, and they actually fight for their interests. But looking at the rest of the country... there’s just no sense of unity.
So, where is the actual spirit of California in all this? Is there even a coherent political identity for the state, or is it just San Francisco looking out for itself, San Diego doing its own thing, and Key West off in its own corner? Why doesn't California unite to demand its rights and push back against the sheer idiocy of Underworld Washington, D.C.—which serves as the ultimate symbol of centralism in every single sector? Is there simply no appetite for that kind of movement in California? Are you all actually content with things staying exactly as they are, or am I missing something here? You don't even have a strong regional party to call your own—unless, of course, you consider the Republican Party to be your local representative.