CALIFORNIA
THE LIBERTARIAN WOLF IN LIBERAL CLOTHING
Ah, California. The land of sun-kissed beaches, avocado toast, and a reputation so blue it might as well be a denim jacket from the '90s. “Liberal California,” they call it, with a tone that ranges from admiration to disdain, depending on which side of the political aisle you’re sitting on. But let’s set the record straight once and for all: California isn’t liberal. Nope, not even close. It’s libertarian, dammit. And no, I’m not talking about the quirky, “live free or die” kind of libertarianism that involves backyard chicken farms and Bitcoin investments. I’m talking about the billionaire-backed, profit-over-people variety that has quietly turned the Golden State into its personal Monopoly board.
The Meme That Sparked the Fire
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Let me set the stage for you. Earlier today, I posted a meme on Facebook. A harmless little nugget of idealism that read:
*"All public schools should be funded to ensure teachers earn at least $70k, students receive free lunch and breakfast, and that books and technology are fully stocked and up to date. I would gladly sacrifice tax breaks for the ultra-rich to make it happen."*
Innocent enough, right? Wrong. Within minutes, the comments section lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. “Commie!” someone shouted from their digital soapbox. “Typical liberal Californian nonsense,” another keyboard warrior declared. Well, dear internet trolls, buckle up, because I’ve got news for you: California isn’t liberal—it’s a billionaire’s playground masquerading as one.
The Libertarian Takeover: A Brief History
Let’s rewind a few decades. Once upon a time, California was a beacon of progressivism. Its public education system was the envy of the nation, its infrastructure gleamed like a freshly polished Tesla (back when they were not bursting into flames), and its middle class thrived. But then came the libertarian billionaires with their three-step playbook: **Defund, Demonize, and Privatize.**
Step one: **Defund.** Proposition 13 in 1978 was the opening salvo in this war on public goods. Sold to voters as a way to keep property taxes low (who doesn’t love low taxes?), it gutted funding for schools and local governments. Suddenly, the state that once led the nation in per-student spending was scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Step two: **Demonize.** Enter the corporate-owned media machine. Public schools? Inefficient and bloated, they said. Teachers? Overpaid union thugs who only care about tenure, they claimed. Never mind that teachers were—and still are—buying classroom supplies out of their own pockets while juggling overcrowded classrooms and shrinking budgets.
Step three: **Privatize.** Charter schools and vouchers became the billionaire-backed darlings of “education reform.” The Gates Foundation, the Broad Foundation, and other libertarian heavyweights poured millions into campaigns to promote these alternatives to public education. Never mind that these initiatives siphon funds away from public schools and often fail to deliver better outcomes for students. The goal wasn’t better education; it was control.
The Billionaire Puppet Masters
California is home to more billionaires than any other state in the union. These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill rich folks; these are the titans of tech, real estate, and finance who have turned wealth hoarding into an Olympic sport. And while they’re busy building their third vacation home in Malibu or launching vanity rockets into space, they’re also pulling the strings of California’s political machine.
Here’s the thing about libertarians: they hate government—except when it’s working for them. They despise regulations—unless those regulations protect their monopolies. And they loathe taxes—unless those taxes are being funneled into subsidies for their pet projects. In California, this ideology has seeped into every level of governance, from Sacramento to your local school board.
Take campaign financing laws—or rather, the lack thereof—thanks to Supreme Court rulings like *Citizens United.* Billionaires can now pour unlimited amounts of money into elections, effectively buying politicians who will do their bidding. Want to run for school board? Better have a few million lying around or a billionaire benefactor in your corner.
Education: From First to Worst
Nowhere is California’s libertarian makeover more evident than in its education system—or what’s left of it. Once ranked number one in the nation, California’s public schools have plummeted to near the bottom in terms of funding per student. And no, this isn’t because Californians don’t pay enough taxes; it’s because those taxes have been systematically redirected—or outright blocked—by libertarian policies designed to starve public institutions.
Programs like No Child Left Behind (Bush-era) and Race to the Top (Obama-era) only made things worse by tying funding to standardized test scores—a metric that measures poverty more accurately than it measures learning outcomes. Schools in affluent areas thrive while those in low-income communities are punished for circumstances beyond their control. Teachers in these underfunded districts are labeled failures and replaced by cheaper, less experienced staff—or worse, by for-profit charter schools with zero accountability.
And let’s not forget Common Core—a well-intentioned but poorly executed initiative bankrolled by—you guessed it—billionaires. It alienated parents, frustrated teachers, and did little to address the root problems plaguing our education system: inequality and chronic underfunding.
The Libertarian Endgame
So where does this leave us? In a state where billionaires call the shots and everyone else is left fighting over scraps. Public education? Privatized or defunded into oblivion. Affordable housing? A pipe dream in a state where tech billionaires drive up property values while opposing zoning reforms that might make housing more accessible. Infrastructure? Crumbling under the weight of decades of neglect because funding public goods isn’t profitable enough for our libertarian overlords.
And yet, California still wears its “liberal” label like a badge of honor, fooling outsiders—and even some insiders—into thinking it’s a progressive utopia. But scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find a state that prioritizes profits over people at every turn.
So Quit Calling California Liberal
The next time someone calls California a liberal state, do me a favor: laugh in their face (politely, of course) and send them this article. California isn’t liberal; it’s libertarian with a capital “L.” It’s a state where billionaires have rigged the system to serve their interests while throwing just enough crumbs to keep the masses from revolting.
Sure, we’ve got legal weed and gay marriage—but we’ve also got skyrocketing income inequality, an affordable housing crisis, and an education system that’s been hollowed out by decades of libertarian meddling. So let’s stop pretending California is some progressive paradise and start calling it what it really is: a cautionary tale about what happens when billionaires run the show.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another meme to post—and probably another round of trolls to fend off.
