[KoRn]

"cut loose of America’s economic engine, deep water ports, centers of hi-tech research, and premier universities."

So these things only exist in liberal welfare states? Can they not exist elsewhere? Since when was California our economic engine? The state is bankrupt, and in more ways than financially. I'm not even going to get into what you refer to as "premier universities". lol

[durasell]

If California was its own country, it would be the 7th largest economy in the world.

Premier universities = MIT, CalTech, Columbia, Stanford, etc. etc. It is where the next generation of technology is being created.

And oh yes, don’t forget the headquarters of America’s largest corporations.

[seatrout]

—So these things only exist in liberal welfare states? Can they not exist elsewhere? Since when was California our economic engine? The state is bankrupt, and in more ways than financially. I’m not even going to get into what you refer to as “premier universities”. lol —

Exactly. The American South is not the war-ravaged backwater of generations ago. There are plenty of ports from the Carolians through Florida, LA and Texas, and some world class universities. It’s also the home of America’s THRIVING automobile industry, and aerospace. I’d put Duke, Emory, University of Texas (for example) against the best universities in the Northeast.