Yes, California is neoliberal hell. Yes, California is part of the United States and the US is evil, so by extension so is California. The state was built on stolen land and genocide, just like the other 49.
But I've been in the weird position of defending California on this site not because it's "good", but just because I think for those of us who have no choice but to live in the US, it's the least bad option.
I think the issues around homelessness are a good microcosm to look at. Yeah, CA is really shitty towards our homeless population, no doubt. But at the same time there are quite a few people here who actually want solutions that help homeless people and there are programs at the state and local level - feeble as they may be - that try to do this. Meanwhile, since I'm a transplant I can compare CA to my native Midwestern state. Back there, they are only a couple steps below "just fucking shoot homeless people we don't care". Literally every person I know back home sees homelessness as a "problem" that just needs to go away. If I was homeless I would never even consider going back to where I grew up, I'd stay here.
So yeah, I would sorta defend CA here. And now I feel like over the last year you've seen how absolutely christofascist the red states are going w/r/t abortion, trans issues, even gay marriage, you all are starting to see just how awful most of the US can be for anyone who isn't a well-off cishet white guy.
Fun CA fact: if you can land a job in CA state or local govt (including in the massive UC system), your health insurance is required by law to cover all gender affirming care, including expensive surgeries.
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that place goes under the minute balkanization happens, because it's dependent on water being diverted to it from the colorado river.
There's actually plenty of water for the people in California, and even enough for ag if it's properly managed to be water efficient (say, with central planning...). But because water laws are so screwed up you have capitalist farmers wasting water on crops like alfalfa and almonds that use up insane amounts of water.
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Only 15% of CA's water comes from the Colorado river and that can easily be made up for by (a) desalination plants across the coast, or (b) just not having (currently) 80% of our water use on agriculture just to ship almond milk across the country to fitness goober PMCs. Colorado can shut off access to the river and then they (along with the rest of the country) can say goodbye to vegetables in the winter and live off hot dish.
desalinization is horrible for the environment, so if you wanna genocide ocean life on the west coast that's a great way to do it. And that water is growing 30% of all agriculture in the US. I think the hoover dam should be destroyed, but suggesting americans switch to a less nutritious diet overnight is not exactly a stellar plan.
Desalination isn't inherently horrible for the environment and can be developed environmentally responsible - especially under a socialist or cooperative management. That would also be a Plan Z as waste water / brackish water would come before that. And as I noted, before any of those water usage would come first as 80% of our water in CA is used for agricultural purposes for the rest of the country i.e. (Colorado river growing 30% of all agriculture in the US, majority from CA).
Also, this is all just shit talking about balkanization but saying that "that place goes under the minute balkanization happens, because it’s dependent on water being diverted to it from the colorado river" - is false. Because not only is it not dependent on the Colorado river - the only reason CA has any water issues in the first place is precisely because we produce 70% of the countries fruits, nuts, and vegetables and other produce. If we Balkanize - California isn't producing that for everyone and our water savings would be even easier to attain.
So, cut off the Colorado river all you want post-Balkanization, but say goodbye to tomatoes and garlic.
I guess I should just shut up at this point because the particular breakdown of balkanization would need to be known to understand the relationship between water, produce, and california in that world.