r/politics • u/sweatycat New York • 1d ago

California to Negotiate Trade With Other Countries to Bypass Trump Tariffs

https://www.newsweek.com/california-newsom-trade-trump-tariffs-2055414
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u/airemy_lin 1d ago

The stepping stones for American balkanization.

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u/kittenTakeover 1d ago

American balkanization is horrible idea for American's FYI.

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u/Guilty-Shoulder-9214 1d ago

For many, yes. Because California and the east coast bankroll them. However, for the east coast and California, it’s likely a smart move. I’d totally vote to go along with California if it were offered to the western and rocky states minus Utah.

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u/kittenTakeover 1d ago

It's not a smart move for California and the East Coast. Division and isolation is trap that always makes you weaker.

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u/-GoBills- 1d ago

They would immediately align their interests with Canada, the EU, and the rest of the sane world.

Republicans are hell bent on division and isolation, let them have it in their garbage red states.

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u/kittenTakeover 1d ago

Don't fall for the trap. One of the reasons that Republican politicians are so dangerous is that they push division. Division is not a solution. It's a threat. Don't fall into the same trap as Republicans.

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u/-GoBills- 1d ago

That's about as useful as saying "Being cut is bad so it's better to let the cancer spread than have surgery".

Republican politicians are so dangerous is that they push division

They're dangerous because a huge voter base comprised of proudly ignorant, racist, and morally bankrupt individuals let them do anything they want without any scrutiny or self-reflection.

You can try and reach across the aisle all you want, it doesn't work with fascists and theocrats who think they have divine permission from god to be horrible human beings. Maybe if they had the capacity to be ashamed we wouldn't be in this mess, but we've been far too tolerant for far too long.

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u/EitherSpite4545 1d ago

These people are never going to learn to behave like civilized people, there is nothing to come together with them. It's time to cut the cancer off.

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u/Malaix 1d ago

They push division between groups of people within the country. They want us bitter but trapped and in this corpse nation while they loot us. Other nations have good qualities of life without being a continent spanning empire.

I’d rather have the north east free to pursue that better life than constantly being pulled by and dragged down by the regressive south and Midwest.

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u/kittenTakeover 1d ago

Other nations have largely been at the whim of the US lately. Integration makes societies wealthy and safe through reduced conflict and increased cooperation. Individualist/isolationist mentalities breed more conflict.

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u/Malaix 1d ago

Which is why I support secession to join in closer bonds with NATO, Canada, the EU, the UN, the ICC, the WHO, and others. The red states all want to isolate from that like s bunch of bitter hermits and live under a dictator who says enslaving women and eliminating brown and LGBTQ people is the future.

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u/MissionCreeper 1d ago

If someone in the backseat tells my passenger to grab the wheel and drive us off a cliff, I dont care if thats the fault of the backseat guy- Im kicking the passenger out of the moving car to save myself.

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u/WookieMonsta 1d ago

Well our country is already so divided, at this point it might not be a horrible idea for the coasts to be “weaker” but also able to engage in free trade, cut ties with Trump, and save face in the global theater. Like right now the US is broadly implementing isolationist policies which will make its whole weaker and bring an end to US hegemony, so it could be viewed as a matter of figuring who to align with and whether they want to go down with the ship.

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u/LeagueOfLegendsAcc 1d ago

It could be the start of the fracturing of America. If this actually happens the West Coast alliance will have to have a governing body for trade and commercial purposes. That could transform into a general governing body that could eventually challenge the fascist part of the US.

Better start planning your move to Cali.

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u/kittenTakeover 1d ago

People need to wake up and realize that part of the reason things look bleak is increased division. Pushing further into division will not make our situation brighter. That's only something that adversaries like Russia and China would benefit from.

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u/Zanhana California 1d ago

that's a 2012 ass "look at this bad political polarization" take. sorry but I fucking want to be divided from the theocrats and fascists

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u/LeagueOfLegendsAcc 1d ago

I don't think it will benefit them if the economic part of America shuns fascism in favor of forming a new alliance. That's because this new alliance could replace the US in world trade, California has enough economic power to keep the US dollar stable by itself. The world wouldn't feel pressured to change to some other currency, just pressured to not trade with the old America. Russia and China might gain the short term but if it all worked out the West Coast alliance would be a world powerhouse as well. Imagine every military base in the world having to choose sides between the USF and WCA, what a massive shit show. Now that I'm thinking about it there's a huge potential for war over this.

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u/dlpheonix 1d ago

No potential imo. Just guarenteed civil war. Again. For similar reasons to the first honestly.

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u/EitherSpite4545 1d ago

Then tell red states to behave and not go full fascist.

Fuck this "Shouldn't have worn revealing clothing"-esque victim blaming.

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u/confirmedshill123 1d ago

They are already isolated and we're already divided.

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u/kittenTakeover 1d ago

It can get much worse. Right now we're more weakened than divided. People need to wake up and realize that part of the reason things look bleak is increased division. Pushing further into division will not make our situation brighter. That's only something that adversaries like Russia and China would benefit from.

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u/MasterChildhood437 1d ago

I imagine Canada, California, and the East Coast would be allied. Rather than divided, we'd have them surrounded!

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u/SCViper 1d ago

There's a lot of military in California and the East Coast. A lot more than people think. Plus, we provide most of the money. It would make us a lot stronger, honestly. California and the NE can easily, and successfully, defend themselves if it really came down to it...plus, we provide most of the Federal Budget.

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u/YusukeKomiya 1d ago

The assumption that military based in California and the East Coast would go along with secession is foolish at best. The average voting pattern of the military definitely skews right. Any military base will just see themselves as surrounded by a bunch of rebels. The Civil War more or less laid it out that secession will not be accepted. Considering how the average citizen of either of those places aren't really into guns, you won't really have a home grown basis for resistance.