General Discussion

It's a powerful connector of people, and a powerful metaphor.

Republicans and their billionaire funders have been trying to divide Americans for a long time. But people living in the same communities came together. Black, brown, gay, straight, trans - people who are neighbors and family keep trying to stay together, see our commonalities, be friends. That's why cities tend to be tolerant, vibrant places.

So now they're dividing us by states and regions. That's easier to do. It's easier to get people to believe a lot of lies about a distant place.

I didn't think it would be possible for the U.S. to divide up on red/blue lines but I've changed my mind. The digital age makes it possible for noncontiguous states to be united. I'm not saying it's a good idea, just possible.

The GDP of California alone is more than that of many nations. Way more than many red states put together. And there's always Canada. Imagine if CA, OR, and WA seceded to join Canada, joined by NY, NJ, MA, CT, RI, and VT. That's a lot of research institutions and corporations.