Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Blue States’ Doom Loop
American Thinker ^ | 11 Feb, 2026 | J. Robert Smith

Posted on 02/12/2026 5:48:53 AM PST by MtnClimber

Annually and increasingly, tens of thousands of people are leaving blue states because of politics.

If you’re old enough, you’ll recall the 1961 Berlin crisis. I recall it subsequently, when schools taught real history. That crisis happened during the Cold War’s peak years. In brief, Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev wanted the U.S. out of West Berlin. There were multiple reasons, but, chiefly, access to West Berlin allowed East Germans to escape communist rule.

According to the National Archives, by 1961, as many as four million Germans had escaped East Germany using West Berlin. With tensions rising, and the hemorrhaging increasing, Khrushchev ordered the Soviets’ East German puppet government to string barbed wire and erect concrete barricades around West Berlin to stop the outflow. That was the beginning of the Berlin Wall, which stood as a testament to communism’s failure until 1989.

What does that have to do with America today? The point is that people vote with their feet when conditions become unacceptable. That’s no less true here. Since the nation’s inception -- in fact, long before the founding -- people came to the continent to escape troubles and moved west in search of better lives. East Germans fled primarily because of politics -- albeit, of a brutal, totalitarian stripe.

Annually and increasingly, tens of thousands of people are leaving blue states because of politics. High taxes and red tape, inflated costs, unchecked crime, failing schools, and unashamed race bias -- directed at whites -- are pushing people out. Soft political tyranny and cultural decay are drivers. Human nature is universal. People will endure until they cannot.

That’s bleak news for blue states. Regardless how many times Gavin Newsom shrugs, ongoing outmigration is having adverse consequences for California and its blue cousins. Red states are benefitting.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: corruption; democrats; democrattruth; doomloop; lawlessness; leftism; liberaltruth; libidiots; marxisttriumph
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 next last
To: DIRTYSECRET

“Trade California weather for those summers in Texas and Florida?”

In my youth, having a house in Florida as well as in New York was common among the older well-to-do folks.


21 posted on 02/12/2026 6:35:32 AM PST by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

“Soft political tyranny…”

Contradiction in terms. Whats so soft about it. It springs from the same place with the same purpose as any tyrannical impulse.


22 posted on 02/12/2026 6:36:26 AM PST by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4322961%2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

“Soft political tyranny…”

Contradiction in terms. Whats so soft about it. It springs from the same place with the same purpose as any tyrannical impulse.


23 posted on 02/12/2026 6:36:26 AM PST by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4322961%2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brian Griffin; DIRTYSECRET
In my youth, having a house in Florida as well as in New York was common among the older well-to-do folks.

"If I had a house in Texas and a house in Hell, I'd rent out my house in Texas and live in Hell." William T. Sherman (referring to the Texas summers).

24 posted on 02/12/2026 6:42:53 AM PST by BlueLancer (Orchides Forum Trahite - Cordes Et Mentes Veniant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: bert

“The City States”

I have suggested that they be allowed to become independent.

They could keep their invaders but they and their residents as of the date of separation would lose the ability to participate in the federal government.

Corporate taxation in the independent City States and the remains of the United States would be dedicated to existing federal debt service.


25 posted on 02/12/2026 6:44:58 AM PST by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: BlueLancer

Neet. All the more reason to stay in Ca. and fight.


26 posted on 02/12/2026 6:45:42 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: BlueLancer

Early March in Houston can be rather muggy.

I believe Austin is far less humid.

LBJ was never able to make it as a farmer west of Austin due to a lack of water.


27 posted on 02/12/2026 6:47:20 AM PST by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Brian Griffin

By declaring themselves as sanctuaries and abrogating Federal law, the City States have in effect resigned from the Union


28 posted on 02/12/2026 6:48:15 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: srmanuel

I read last night that Zuckerberg is leaving to move his primary residence to FLORIDA.

Meaning another BILLIONAIRE leaving California to more to Florida where he will greatly benefit from NO State INCOME TAX.

Obviously Zuck has many houses. Including the estate in Hawaii. Do these states try to capture some of his income based on the amount of time these Billionaires spend in each state? Similar to professional athletes who have to pay income in NY, NJ, CA, etc depending on where the game is being played?


29 posted on 02/12/2026 6:50:55 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

During Covid we moved close to the western border where Trump won 60/40. Farming/ranching area, island in the storm, good luck out there.


30 posted on 02/12/2026 6:56:00 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Annnd....I voted for this too!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: b4me

After seeing all of the blue state election fraud, I’m not so sure many people actually voted for blue state policy.

EC


31 posted on 02/12/2026 7:16:50 AM PST by Ex-Con777 ("Journalism is about covering important stories-with a pillow, until they stop moving." ~ David Burg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: b4me

After seeing all of the blue state election fraud, I’m not so sure many people actually voted for blue state policy.

EC


32 posted on 02/12/2026 7:16:50 AM PST by Ex-Con777 ("Journalism is about covering important stories-with a pillow, until they stop moving." ~ David Burg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber
The Biden administration oversaw and manipulated the 2020 Census data to make sure illegals were counted for political reasons.

We need a law that says illegals cannot be counted in the census. Get that passed, and the Democrat support for illegals here will fold like a cheap suit.

33 posted on 02/12/2026 7:25:58 AM PST by econjack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Right here in SC I had a disagreement with a fellow freeper about meddling in local politics. We’re both refugees from Ct. She backed a NJ transplant, retiree for mayor. I called him a carpetbagger and told her to leave the government to the natives and consider yourself a tourist passing through. Right there is the problem. When blue state refugees move to red states - even right wingers - they feel the need to supplant the natives to “make things better”.


34 posted on 02/12/2026 7:45:28 AM PST by DeplorablePaul
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeplorablePaul

Typical liberal philosophy: nothing is ever good enough and they have to constantly push to “make things better”.

“Making things better” COSTS MONEY. So everyone winds up being fleeced for more taxes and loses more freedom because some lib just can’t be satisfied.


35 posted on 02/12/2026 7:53:12 AM PST by Windcatcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

“ Will California put up a wall?”

Kind of. They put up all sorts of creative methods of exit taxes, so far with limited success.

CA, in particular, has played around with a huge tax on home sales with a massive rebate if you continue residency in CA for a period of time.


36 posted on 02/12/2026 8:07:49 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: woodbutcher1963

Each player on the Seattle Seahawks who just won the Super Bowl received a bonus of $178,000, Sam Darnold the QB of the Seahawks ended up losing money on the game, based on how California taxes professional athletes who play games in California. I think Darnold ended up owing over $200,000 after winning the Super Bowl.

Here is a link that explains the tax.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathangoldman/2026/02/10/sam-darnold-won-the-super-bowl-—but-lost-money-due-to-the-jock-tax/


37 posted on 02/12/2026 8:13:14 AM PST by srmanuel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

Taxes on home sales, but a rebate if you don’t move out of the state? That is sneaky.


38 posted on 02/12/2026 8:15:19 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

The Blue State model: Chase out taxpaying middle-class workers (and the $Rich) and replace them with low-skilled, poorly educated ‘migrants’ who, upon arriving, the first act of most is to [illegally] apply for taxpayer-funded freebies.


39 posted on 02/12/2026 8:37:44 AM PST by citizen (A transgender male competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

California was once a great place to live & could be again,but not with Gavin Newsom at the helm. When will he wake up to this fact,or more to the point, will he ever?


40 posted on 02/12/2026 10:31:46 AM PST by oldtech
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson