George Rebane

David Skeel of the Weekly Standard picks up a notion frequently discussed in these pages – the federalization of California and the attendant national Great Divide (more here).  In his article ‘Give States a Way to Go Bankrupt’ he argues that "the states are the next frontier in “too big to fail.” In the topsy-turvy world we now inhabit, letting states file for bankruptcy to shed some of their obligations could save American taxpayers a great deal of money".

Given the divisive condition of the country and its irretrievable fiscal condition, it is clearly time to start doing more than just thinking about such contingencies.  Along the same vein Russ Steele on NCMW asks ‘Is this an idea worth pursuing?’, to the comment stream of which I added –

In a TBD shape and form California will be federalized. I do agree that in its present form the state is essentially ungovernable. To parse it into two or more states does not require that we transit through territorial status. There are other mechanisms available to bring this about.

A hopeful sign is that there may be enough leftwingers who believe it is they and their socialist ways that actually generate the country's wealth and pull the rest of us along. It is my heartfelt recommendation that whenever and wherever such views are encountered, that they should be strongly endorsed and their purveyors congratulated for their keen insight. If we work it right, maybe we can get them to kick us out.