Gavin Newsom Declares California a 'Nation-State'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- California this week declared its independence from the federal government’s feeble efforts to fight Covid-19 — and perhaps from a bit more. The consequences for the fight against the pandemic are almost certainly positive. The implications for the brewing civil war between Trumpism and America’s budding 21st-century majority, embodied by California’s multiracial liberal electorate, are less clear.

Speaking on MSNBC, Governor Gavin Newsom said that he would use the bulk purchasing power of California “as a nation-state” to acquire the hospital supplies that the federal government has failed to provide. If all goes according to plan, Newsom said, California might even “export some of those supplies to states in need.”

“Nation-state.” “Export.”

Newsom is accomplishing a few things here, with what can only be a deliberate lack of subtlety. First and foremost, he is trying to relieve the shortage of personal protective equipment — a crisis the White House has proved incapable of remedying. Details are a little fuzzy, but Newsom, according to news reports, has organized multiple suppliers to deliver roughly 200 million masks monthly.

https://news.yahoo.com/gavin-newsom-declares-california-nation-160012325.html

[Sanity Claws]

1. Let's see if Cuomo follows his lead.

[Blue_true]

15. Actually Cuomo should join efforts with California.

Imagine a buying collective of California, New York State, Oregon, Washington State, New Jersey, Delaware, DC? Hopefully what Newsome is doing brings in other Blue states to join Cali, and hopefully it sets the template for corporation in other issues like healthcare, workers rights and education.

[azureblue]

38. if these states banded together

they could end Trump's reign next week. Collectively they could bring the Trump regime to its knees and take over the country with their sheer economic power. They can so eff you to Trump, refuse to allow Trump's thugs into their states and there is nothing Trump could do about it. Trump wants to cut off supplies? Fine, then Trump doesn't get any of the states' money. Trump wants to sue them? The states could tie him up in court for decades. CA alone is the fifth largest economy in the worlds, larger than most European countries, and yes, it's true - CA is a nation state. It doesn't need the rest of the country to exist.

[kevink077]

46. They are..

CA, OR,WA, Il and NY seem to be working together...

[Meowmee]

52. 👏🏻👏🏻

[mr_lebowski]

2. Not exactly 'declaring it a nation-state' in my esteem ...

I would think such a move would require considerably more formality.

Still, I like the shot across the bow ... it'll be a tiny bit interesting to see how IQ45 reacts.

[Hortensis]

53. Lol, "considerable more formality." Yes, huge over-state-ment.

I also like the shot across the bow of the supposed states rights party, though.

[rzemanfl]

3. I'm betting the Theodore Roosevelt's crew wants to be the first ship in the California Navy. n/t

[ariadne0614]

56. I'm envisioning that scene in the movie version. n/t

[msongs]

4. let's see what happens if trump/fema try and steal the supplies nt

[IcyPeas]

5. here is the clip from Rachel's show the other night

where he talks about this:

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/newsom-california-has-deal-for-200-million-masks-per-month-81763397587

[gristy]

10. That is really something

“Nation-state.” “Export.”

Those words are really laying down a gauntlet. And chosen and used deliberately, no doubt.

[roamer65]

37. California Republic.

In 10 years, California will be an independent nation. Possibly in a confederation with Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

[IcyPeas]

42. Maybe we can join Canada.

[roamer65]

44. If the US breaks up, Canada will as well.

Alberta would be the first to leave Canada.

[Celerity]

45. United States of Canada v Jesusland (it is from 2004 so needs some tweaking)

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

57. Hockey and curling...

National sports! All channel coverage! Sign me up now. I live north of Canada now anyway.

[eleny]

6. I wonder if FEMA will try to grab those supplies

They just grabbed the 500 ventilators that our CO governor, Gov. Polis ordered. Then Trump announced that Colorado is getting the 100 ventilators requested by Sen. Cory Gardner.

..... .....

[drray23]

7. Thats exactly what will happen.

Gavin Newsome should have kept it under the radar until he had those supplies safely stored in a state warehouse.

[eleny]

9. Or he's looking for a showdown to try and stop the Fed from pulling their grabs

He sure threw down the gauntlet.

[Silver Gaia]

21. I'm sure he is well aware of that possibility,

and has a plan for how to deal with it. Our governor deliberately used those words for a reason. As noted below, he purposefully "threw down the gauntlet."

[eleny]

29. I hope he calls out the Guard to protect the supply from FEMA's sticky fingers if necessary

But I'm not sure if a governor can do that without Fed approval.

I jagree with you that he chose his words purposefully. I suspect that the Feds won't accept the challenge.

[azureblue]

39. yep

and there is no way Trump can assemble forces to steal the supplies, that would out number and outgun the forces CA can assemble. The CA NG is an army in itself, and the city pd,especially LAPD and the LA county sheriffs, would be delighted to defend the State from Trump. And no doubt there would be plenty of private citizens just aching to go toss Trump's thugs into the ocean. The gov has done a throw down, for sure. He is just daring Trump to try something. And Trump is stupid enough to take the bait

[Silver Gaia]

49. While Newsom could call up the National Guard, Trump could federalize them if he wanted, BUT

Trump has no control over state, county, or city law enforcement. The governor could certainly put state police to work guarding our shipments, and yes, I'm sure there would be plenty of others at the county and city level who would be happy to help out. They'd be up against FEMA. Who do you think would back down first? I'm not saying this is what will happen, but I am certain that Newsom has a plan, and he's about a hundred times smarter than the evil orange one.

[mitch96]

17. A new smugglers venue.... Vents!!! nt

[gldstwmn]

8. Not if FEMA keeps taking them.

[azureblue]

40. FEMA can't just take them

They don't have enough man power to do it. SO far they have relied on non resistance to get away with their theft, but it won't work in CA

[Girard442]

11. With this ongoing problem of the Feds seizing stuff purchased by the states...

...we may be closer to an armed confrontation between state and federal agents than anyone realizes.

[Blue_true]

16. Looks like Newsome set up a collective of companies that will ignore the

Feds on this issue. Newsome can use the CSP to protect shipments within California.

[gristy]

12. I've found that this isn't the first time Newsom has referred to CA as a "nation-state"

He did last February, 2019

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Gavin-Newsom-wants-California-to-be-its-own-13611747.php

SACRAMENTO — Just five weeks into the job, Gov. Gavin Newsom has crystallized his vision of what California will look like in the Trump era: It won’t just be the hub of the resistance against the president; it will be its own nation-state.

But before Newsom can create a country-within-a-country, he had to defuse two multibillion-dollar grenades that his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, left in his in-box: high-speed rail and the delta tunnels project. In proposing Tuesday to scale back both of Brown’s unpopular legacy projects, Newsom hopes he can preserve enough political capital to get his own legacy projects on the fast track.

[Baclava]

13. So, Athens vs Sparta? The Greek Golden Age ended after the Peloponnesian wars

[GusBob]

14. 50 State Anarchy.

Not the name of a RATM tour

[brush]

18. Let me look at a map. Are there contiguous blue states between NY and Cali...

for trucking convoys back and forth?

[Mr.Bill]

20. Sure. Just use Canada. n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. There are if you count Canada :)

[brush]

24. I'm guessing Canada would be a blue state ally. Quite a declaration by...

Newsom. Wondering if his thinking is if trump somehow cheats his way into another term that he might want to add a proposition for independence in the next California election after Jan. 20, 2021?

And what could the feds do about it if a state wants to leave the union peacefully?

[Mr.Bill]

25. It has to be approved by Congress

and I believe two thirds of the states. Never happen.

[eleny]

30. You can fit a lot of PPEs in a jet

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. California should join Canada. I've lived in both. Lots of affinities & alignments

Connected by ocean.

Heck take the whole west coast and join Canada.

New York state would be welcome to join us. The same steak is a Montreal steak in New York and a New York steak in Montreal.

[brush]

26. That would make the whole west coast contiguous with Canada, and NY borders...

Canada in the east. New Jersey might want to join also, maybe Penn. That would make a formidable pair of geographic earmuffs wrapped around red USA. And then other blue states and even some reds might want to get away from trump's dictatorship.

[fierywoman]

28. Free Cascadia.

[brush]

32. I like that name.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

61. I hope maryland

Joins this Exodus.

[Mr.Bill]

23. You know what would be great?

If the G8 leaders disinvited Trump and invited Newsom instead. He leads an economy larger than several of theirs.

Trump would lose his mind.

[densan]

35. The California Republic

Yes indeed!

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

41. +1000

[Tiger8]

27. I don't know what Newsom has planned, but....

But Gavin Newsom is a visionary. He understands Trump may get re-elected, and if so, California will need to take action to counter a rogue and immoral Trumpist federal government.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

31. Newsom, Pritzker, Cuomo and more - Thank God for Democratic Governors.

Sad that our governors are having to do the job of the federal government, but I am so glad that they have stepped forward to do the job The Dumpster won't. May they all stay healthy and safe. Please put them all in your holiday prayers of thanks.

[Cha]

33. Bravo!!!

[DSandra]

34. California and other blue states should secede from the Union

We all should be tired of having no future and perpetual fear and terror under Fascist Republican rule.

[BComplex]

47. That's how I feel, DSandra. I live in perpetual fear and terror of fascist republican rule,

and I'm in a newly-purple state, but in an extremely red, confederate flag-flying area. I have to listen to target practice all around my property daily.

It gives me hope that California might rebel.

[Chainfire]

55. My ancestors tried that to get out from under Republican rule

it didn't work out as planned......

[LSFL]

36. I was born in El Monte Ca..

I now live in southern Kentucky. My mom moved us here when we were young.. Will the Cali Republic accept involuntary expatriates?

Because if they do.....I am fu kin outta this goddamn Republican shit show.

[Baked Potato]

43. Both coasts could flank the middle and put the squeeze on real good.

[BComplex]

48. True that! I'd love to see it. The red states live off the taxes that the blue states pay.

If trump wants everyone to go back to work in the middle of a pandemic so his economy won't tank so bad, I'd like Newsom to show him what tanking could really be like.

If Washington State joins him, with all the tech companies they have as well, humph! Let trump suck air.

[Baked Potato]

60. I really like Governor Newsom. Plain ole governing is what the GOP fails at.

[ck4829]

50. K&R

[ecstatic]

51. Another Sylvia Browne prediction coming true?

“By about 2020 we’ll see the end of the one-man presidency and the costly, seemingly perpetual cycle of presidential campaigns and elections” (p. 135).

[BComplex]

65. really? What book is that from?

I hope we are done with the one-man presidency. Actually, I wouldn't mind a two-WOMAN presidency.

[DinahMoeHum]

54. Possible scenario of what the blue states could do. . .

. . .to put the squeeze on the GOoPers in the red states. . .

As aforementioned, CA alone would be the 5th-6th largest world economy. Plus all that tech.

But let's also remember that NYC is a global financial center.

And the NY-NJ-CT area is a global corporate center.

If Trump and the GOP get any more cute with us in the blue states, I wouldn't be surprised to see corporate leaders of the region turn around and take their pound of flesh from the rest of the country.

You need pharmaceuticals in Alabama? South Carolina? There will be a surcharge.

All that construction in Nashville? Birmingham? Spartanburg? Your local banking system doesn't have the capacity to sustain it, so we'll continue lending to you...at 10% or more.

Those farms in Nebraska? Iowa? Missouri? We now own them, and you have one week to GTFO.

In short, Trump and the GOP had fucking better well come to their senses, 'cause this is an extremely dangerous game they're playing with us; and it's not wise to attack someone unilaterally when they we have the power to ruin you, financially and otherwise.

I don't blame Newsom for what he's doing. As aforementioned, this is a shot across the bow.

Just my 2 cents.





#newrostrong

[TrishaJ]

58. And so it begins...

the breakup of the United States of America. We've been in a cold "civil war;" and now to survive the religious fascist minority takeover and destruction of federal institutions due to the criminal GOP, States whose majorities don't buy in will be forced to opt out.

[mercuryblues]

59. I believe this was directed more towards

companies that supply PPE than trump. Putting them on notice that they are buying more than the federal government and if you let them seize our orders, we are done with you. You need us. With the purchasing power of other states added to CA, these companies are going to hurt. Let's face it. The federal government would not be buying this equipment if those states hadn't purchased them 1st.

[Demovictory9]

62. yay. California.

[wiggs]

63. 6th or 7th largest economy in the world, depending on year. nt

[Sugarcoated]

64. Kick

[kpete]

66. Born here, still here