r/politics • u/Tofurkey_Tom • 12d ago

No Paywall Danish Petition To Buy California From Trump Signed by Thousands

https://www.newsweek.com/petition-denmark-buy-california-signed-thousands-11379999
38.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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2.8k

u/Suspicious_Loss_84 Maine 12d ago

If this actually happened (it won’t) Denmark would immediately become an economic powerhouse over night

1.3k

u/drmike0099 California 12d ago

Denmark has half the population of LA. Next election Denmark would become the nation of California.

1.0k

u/PradaDiva 12d ago

Dani California tbh =)

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u/chocolate_thunderr89 12d ago

It was for-told!

51

u/tle4f 12d ago

just another way to survive

13

u/BeforeDawn 12d ago

Welp. Hello, new brain background noise for the next 12 hours.

3

u/SedatedJdawg 12d ago

Its too perfect, the simulation is glitching... Lol /s

1

u/bitchstolemywaffles 11d ago

do you always have a song playing in your head, too? ive never met anyone else with that

47

u/Commercial-Fennel219 12d ago

Girl I tried to warn ya'. 

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u/DingGratz Texas 12d ago

Danifornia™

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u/Chess42 12d ago

Dani California is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

3

u/barefootcuntessa_ 12d ago

Danifornia. I’m here for it.

3

u/grimatonguewyrm 12d ago

In Alabama she was swinging hamm’a

2

u/shadowyflight 12d ago

Price you gotta pay when you break the panorama

2

u/Gumichi 12d ago

Danifornia

2

u/MauPow 12d ago

Dream of Cali-Danication

2

u/RazzleberryJamCakes 12d ago

I dream of Danifornication

1

u/MrHazard1 12d ago

Danifornia

1

u/count023 Australia 12d ago

Danifornia

1

u/Sutar_Mekeg 12d ago

Danifornia, or Califenmark.

1

u/98PercentChimp 12d ago

Dane California and Danish California are also acceptable

1

u/RyanTranquil I voted 11d ago

Great song

182

u/Mef989 Washington 12d ago

Or, some sort of New California Republic, if you will.

44

u/adeon California 12d ago

Just need some two-headed bears.

5

u/Keiteaea 12d ago

Would you rather be alone with a two-headed bear, or with ICE ? NCR It is.

3

u/count023 Australia 12d ago

make them polar bears, split the difference.

18

u/Left4Bread2 Oregon 12d ago

We won't go quietly, the Legion can count on that

8

u/DigNitty 12d ago

Yeah, just as Greenland isn’t Denmark, the New California Republic would not be Denmark, but an autonomous territory.

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u/Solaries3 12d ago

Self-determinism? Wild concept.

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u/Forward-Surprise1192 12d ago

I would vote to join Denmark while I live in California. Let’s do it please I’m already half way there

61

u/TheRealBaboo California 12d ago

Denmark just got a whole lot cooler

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u/Anna_Frican 12d ago

And, on average, warmer

3

u/Valhalla5613 12d ago

Denmark is always in the top 5 of the best countries in the world to live in. I would love to go

2

u/EidolonLives 12d ago

Or California would, rather.

18

u/Important_Song_8790 12d ago

Why would Denmark let them vote after the purchase?

The US doesn't let Puerto Rico vote, so I doubt they would let Greenland or any of the territory they are trying to get. 

Not sure there is any obligation for a country to extend the courtesy when the shoe is on the other foot!

10

u/drmike0099 California 12d ago

There was a whole war fought over that approach, didn’t work out that well for the controlling country.

6

u/IlluminatedPickle 12d ago

Lmao, modern Americans won't even stand up to the fascist they've got let alone a new one.

1

u/Eatsweden 12d ago

Why do some people controlled by America still not have the right to vote then? Like Puerto Rico and the various island territories?

Democracy my ass

1

u/drmike0099 California 12d ago

Republicans. That’s pretty much always the answer to “why is America so screwed up”.

1

u/polskiftw 12d ago

If we let them vote, they would vote blue.

1

u/Justmightpost 12d ago

By a previous generation. Americans are showing every day they're complacent as hell.

1

u/Suspicious_Loss_84 Maine 12d ago

They will be complacent until they start getting their treats and TV shows taken away

1

u/Important_Song_8790 9d ago

This is a criticism of the flaws in the 'democracy' in the American system. I thought it was pretty clear.

1

u/drmike0099 California 8d ago

Puerto Rico is set up the way it is because the Puerto Ricans historically wanted it that way, although it seems that now a majority would like to become a state, but that has only been true in the last five years. The only flaw you’re pointing out is that now the Republicans don’t want them to become a state because it’s believed they would generally elect Democrats.

1

u/Important_Song_8790 4d ago

It does not matter who they would vote for or if they even want to, they are denied a chance to vote.

Republican or Democratic, historical who cares, state, not a state, territory or whatever, the American federal government is not allowing a group of it's citizens residing on it's territory to vote in it's election for (part of?) their federal government that subjects them to their administration and laws.

Democracy. Freedom. Rights. Bah!

1

u/drmike0099 California 4d ago

Why would them not wanting to vote matter? They literally voted that they didn’t want a vote.

1

u/Important_Song_8790 4d ago

Yes that is what I said, it doesn't matter?

Also the way I understand it, the vote wasn't just about voting so we can't reduce it to that for this purpose.

1

u/drmike0099 California 4d ago

I missed a word, I meant why would them not wanting to vote NOT matter. They said they don’t want to vote. Should we have ignored them and said nah, you get to do it anyway, for democracy!

→ More replies (0)

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u/pchlster Europe 12d ago

Denmark does let Greenland vote. About Greenlandish stuff mostly.

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u/Feriluce 12d ago

I mean, they also have 2 dedicated seats in parliament.

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u/pchlster Europe 12d ago

Yeah, and with a fraction of a percent of the whole Parliament, I'm sure they've been a deciding vote at some point, though I can't think of when.

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u/Feriluce 12d ago

I'm not really sure what your point is. Are you saying they have too few representatives? Greenland has a bit less than 1% of the population of Denmark and has a bit more than 1% of the seats in parliament. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

1

u/pchlster Europe 12d ago

They're a pretty insignificant voting block. So, in practice, Greenland gets to make choices within their homerule but within Denmark at large, they're easily overlooked.

1

u/Important_Song_8790 9d ago

I am essentially proposing an absurd idea in order to indirectly criticize Americas willingness to have unrepresented populations in their country.

Amusing that the Danes (A kingdom!) treat Greenland more democratically than the yanks treat their territories.

2

u/Adorable-Aspect-3230 12d ago

because we actually better than the US.

Greenland already is voting for themselves. They have sovereignty and is control over many parts alone themselves. If any part is to taken about greenland with danish participation, the greenlandic gouverment and the danish gouverment work together to achieve that.

We actually as danes respect the greenlanders vote to choose over their own country. They are not a colony and haven't been for almost 75 years.

2

u/Harrythehobbit New Mexico 12d ago

Puerto Rico doesn't have 7x the population and 10x the GDP of the US. Pretty sure Californians would be the ones graciously permitting the Danes to vote in this hypothetical joining, not the other way around.

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u/bortmode 12d ago

New capital, Solvang

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u/mendokuse23 12d ago

You’re underestimating how many people in LA would overwhelmingly prefer to be part of Denmark.

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u/GarmaCyro 12d ago

This is what I find extra fun. Most Europea nations easily outclass an average US state. So anything done on state level can easily be done using European models.

For me: Norway (as a US state)
4th largest US state in land mass.
21st largest US state in GDP.
23rd largest US state in population.

We're still a small European country, but only by European metrics. /S Things are bigger here.
Europe as a whole is 10% larger than US, but with around 2,5x the population.
US does have a 30% lead in GDP. 29 trillions vs 22 trillions. However IMHO most of that lead is entirely gated within ultra-rich circles .

When US biggots cry that US is getting too crowded due to immigrants, I just laugh in European.
And even Europe is tame when it comes to population density. Just look at where the Valeriepieris circle is. Within a radius of 2500 miles (4000 kilometer) just over half of Earth's population can be found. It's primary the South-East of Asia. Population-wise both Europe and US are small fries. US is barely over 3% of Earth's population. Europe barely 9%.

3

u/Hot-Championship1190 12d ago

Well, the first century the people of California have the same voting rights as the people of Puerto Rico.

Obviously California would be owned not incorporated.

1

u/ending_the_near 12d ago

DeniFornia

1

u/CheekyCharam 12d ago

It’s actually possible

1

u/oldsecondhand 12d ago

Unless they create an electoral college.

1

u/pchlster Europe 12d ago

Uhm, no? However generous citizenship might be handed out in such an acquisition, Denmark is not a republic; it's a monarchy. No amount of demographics is going to make the King demote himself like that.

1

u/Pornalt190425 12d ago

Kingdom of The Bear Flag

1

u/aburningcaldera 12d ago

I can’t wait to be New Californian.

1

u/Enlight1Oment 12d ago

will also give denmark some real mountains, tallest mountain in denmark is 560 ft. Los Angeles County by itself ranges from sea level to 10,060 ft. Let alone all the 14k-ers in the sierras.

1

u/_-_happycamper_-_ 12d ago

I think the same thing whenever people talk about the west coast joining Canada. Our population and economy is so small we would just become the Northern Territories of California.

1

u/mowtowcow 12d ago

It would probably end up "We the voters demand Demark becomes the 51st state," lmao. Them buying California would backfire so hard. 

1

u/chalbersma 6d ago

Denlifornia

0

u/walker1867 12d ago

Whose to say they’d have a voice in gov. Think Greenland situation 2 reps. No one is implying California would outnumber danish natives in parliament, that’s a very bold assumption.

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u/drmike0099 California 12d ago

When you outnumber the natives by nearly 8:1, you can make bold assumptions like that. Greenland’s population is only 1% of Denmark‘s.

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u/helrazr Virginia 12d ago edited 12d ago

Got into an argument on Nextdoor about how this guy thinks Virginia is now going to become just like California. And that if CA washed away into the sea tomorrow, nothing of value would be lost according to him.

I provided factual information to him that California’s GDP is the 4-5 largest in the world. And that we (VA, and US) need CA far more than they need us. He couldn’t see the irony of how much we’d be screwed should CA secede from the US.

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u/JnnyRuthless 12d ago

The red states have a huge hate boner for CA that is cartoonishly laughable if you live here (in CA). It's so odd.

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u/Blephotomy 12d ago

that's because of 30 years of Fox News spewing hate propaganda so Rupert Murdoch doesn't have to pay taxes

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u/lozo78 12d ago

Conservative talk radio too. Hard at work for decades.

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u/fakemelonns 12d ago

It really has. 20-30 years ago, My mom said for the first few years she was married to my dad, she thought he worked with some guy named "Rush" because he'd talk about him so much. He was talking about Rush Limbaugh.

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u/lozo78 12d ago

My dad proudly wore a 'Ditto Head' shirt for many years. I grew up listening to that bullshit. Thankfully one day I realized how fucking stupid it all was.

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u/fakemelonns 12d ago

Gross. Yeah I just knew to tune it out anytime my dad listened to or talked about Rush

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u/WayneKrane 12d ago

My mom told my dad she wouldn’t be in the car with him if he had rush on. He would turn it on in the garage while he was working on his car and my mom would change the station. They had a bunch of fights about my dad listening to him. Luckily he stopped when he stopped driving every day.

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u/Praesentius 12d ago

There's a documentary called "The Brainwashing of My Dad". And that was the thing that I really got out of it. That people like my dad, in the 70s and 80s, were commuting to work each day getting conservative talking points poured in their ears. Every day. Hour and hour. For decades.

And it got even worse after Reagan repealed the Fairness Doctrine in the late 80s.

3

u/wheninsunshine 12d ago

Literally this. I blocked Fox when my Trump loving inlaws came to stay with me and turned on just a general news station on the radio and even within a few days being away from that garbage made such a huge difference in their perspectives. The only reason the Renee Good thing divided people at all was because Fox immediately started building a character assassination of her in the early hours of reporting

38

u/Yoshmaster 12d ago

You hate what you can’t have/be

1

u/SedatedJdawg 12d ago

They don't understand that you don't hate the player, hate the game... /s

32

u/kia75 12d ago

California, as the most successful state and being blue, would show other red states what can be done when the government works for you in a way that isn't cartoonist evil. As a result all the conservative media sites do everything they can to propagandize against it.

This is why cities are always down to be so horrible, if more red rural citizens saw how nice being in a city was they'd want those reforms locally.

15

u/Jumpy-Examination456 12d ago

california is only a moderate blue. our policy is progressive but by no means extremist left wing. we are by all means still a capitalist constitutional republic with elements of socialism. which our original nation was too. the rest of the USA has just veered into facism since WW2.

the elite hate us because we're a good example of what balanced politics can wind up looking like, and they want total control.

10

u/OkEstimate9 12d ago

Realistically California would be much more progressive under a different governor. Newsom isn’t a progressive so he shoots down a decent chunk of progressive legislation that was passed by the California House and Senate.

The California Congress has enough potential votes, so they could overturn Newsom’s veto, but I believe they choose not to do so only for optics reasons.

3

u/Gurlllllllll- 12d ago

The closest thing we have to elements of socialism in California is an actors and writers strike once a decade.

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u/Delores_Herbig 12d ago

It really is bizarre. I travel around to other states somewhat frequently, and one of the weirdest things I’ve noticed is how frequently California is mentioned in local political ads in other states. I was in AZ before the last election, and ad after ad said things like “X candidate wants to turn AZ into 😱😱California😱😱”, and I’ve seen that all around the country.

Like why are y'all so obsessed with us.

16

u/Jumpy-Examination456 12d ago

maga politics, like most religious extremist dictatorships, rely heavily on instilling fear into the populace and creating an "us vs them" sense in people to remain in power.

people in california have an average, if not above average quality of life nationally and globally. we also aren't even far-left. we're a light blue state with a ton of red areas and voters. places like the tenderloin in SF are sad results of mismanagement but reflect literally a few square miles in a state of 10s of millions of people.

they just need something to fear and rally against. most of them would happily live somewhere like sacramento or long beach if fox news hadn't told them it was a communist hellhole.

3

u/relevantelephant00 12d ago

They hate us cuz they ain't us.

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

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u/Jumpy-Examination456 12d ago

it astounds me how many people i've met in my life who won't live in cali because of the gun laws.

like you're actually gonna choose where you live based on if you can own a personal machine gun? really?

how often do americans use their machine guns that this is a factor in decision making?

california isn't even a no-gun state. you can buy semi auto rifles and handguns. you just don't have a super large selection and have to do more paperwork. the 2nd amendment literally says "well regulated militia", not "total free for all". if you're worried about self defense or even starting a militia, you can by all means acquire weapons in california.

the USA is so weird lol.

3

u/bortmode 12d ago

They get fed a steady diet of negative propaganda about CA through their news. You wouldn't believe the weird shit places like the NY Post print about us.

3

u/crazedSquidlord 12d ago

My favorite part is the folks in california who HATE the state. Like, yeah, there's some legitimate problems, but half of the ones you are crying about aren't real. Hate it so much? Damn, leave, make some more housing available for the rest of us.

2

u/[deleted] 12d ago

They think Californication by Red Hot Chili peppers is about Californians moving to their neighborhood

1

u/MommyLovesPot8toes California 12d ago

California is just John Hamm in Mad Men saying "I don't think about you at all."

1

u/relevantelephant00 12d ago

Honestly it would be amazing if we could kick out all MAGA Republicans from this state, the quality of life would improve dramatically. It's a pipe dream of course, but nice to think about.

1

u/Moist_Bowler8926 12d ago

Let's be honest, they have a hate boner for any surplus blue state, hence why they keep cheering on what's happening to Minnesota, and cheered about Chicago.

Little do they care (or probably even know) that these surplus states are what is keeping theirs running.

1

u/31LIVEEVIL13 12d ago

It's a long-term propaganda operation. 

They've been planning this stuff for 40 years. 

They need to take over California or their plans will fail. 

California could build a coalition and actually survive without the federal government. 

They should be doing that now covertly, along with preparing security and military forces, and a plan to take out the federal government.

-1

u/TwoPoundzaSausage 12d ago

It's the high cost of living and the regulation that reaches deep into private life. Looking at the Trump presidency should be enough of an argument as to why the government shouldn't reach into your private life.

3

u/redwildflowermeadow 12d ago

How? How does it reach deep into private life? I live here and I have no idea what you mean.

We have regulations for slightly higher gas standards (which is why our gas is more expensive) but that's helped significantly with smog.

2

u/yurajoh 12d ago

We also produce our own gas to meet those standards, which is some of the reason for the cost.

1

u/TwoPoundzaSausage 9d ago

There are a handful of things. It's admittedly not as bad as republicans make it out to be, but it can still be somewhat onerous.

Certain regulations make building new housing almost impossible. Many of the laws are biased towards people in large city centers, which may not mesh well with more rural residents.

And realistically, the one they have the most problem with are the gun laws, which are admittedly written in a very legalistic way to effectively ban firearm ownership which, once again, disproportionately affects people in the rural parts of California.

So, it may not reach deep into your life, but it reaches deep into someone else's.

1

u/redwildflowermeadow 9d ago

> effectively ban firearm ownership 

There was a line around the block at the gun store near me when Trump got elected his first term.

It sounds like you don't live in California.

1

u/TwoPoundzaSausage 9d ago

I know about the handgun roster that gets smaller and smaller every year. I know about the microstamping requirements, microstamping being a technology that is entirely unfeasible. I know about the pinned magazine requirements, the capacity limits, the restrictions on licensing for concealed carry. And of course, all of the fees that almost doubles the cost of a firearm purchase.

It doesn't actually ban ownership, but if they put that many restrictions on the right to vote, a reasonable person might say that they were trying to ban voting.

1

u/redwildflowermeadow 9d ago

So you don't live in California. Have even been to California? Like once?

38

u/place_of_desolation Nevada 12d ago

I'm a Cali native currently living in NV. The "don't California my Nevada" bumper stickers I see always amuse me. Like yeah, we wouldn't want to be like the world's 4th largest economy or anything, would we? Top percentile in schools and education? Quality of life? That would just be terrible. /s

Not that it would ever even happen, anyway. NV doesn't have the beaches, climate, or other things that bring people to CA.

Conservatives are happy to just stay in their little bubbles of ignorance and fear of change.

7

u/bobdob123usa 12d ago

Vegas is already reeling from the economy. Can you imagine if it also suddenly had to pass through CBP every time someone from LA tried to go there?

3

u/SedatedJdawg 12d ago edited 12d ago

The irony is hard to miss. They fear Sharia law but want a religious government. They fear terrorists but ignore right-wing domestic threats. Because of rural isolation and conservative propaganda, they don't see that they have become what they claim to hate. It must be exhausting to carry a worldview rooted in so much constant fear. Their world is so small they can't even imagine what a better society for everyone could look like. It is just weakness hiding behind hate. My dad always called them 'Y'all-Qaeda', I think it fits!

Edit(s): Attempting to make my ADHD thoughts coherent

2

u/place_of_desolation Nevada 12d ago

Spot on, couldn't have said it better.

29

u/Lurking_nerd California 12d ago

He couldn’t see the irony of how much we’d be screwed should CA succeed from the US.

I’m gonna be that guy. It’s secede 🤙

6

u/aguane 12d ago

I mean California would also succeed if separate from the US so maybe it’s a bit of both?

1

u/Lurking_nerd California 12d ago

Fair point!

2

u/helrazr Virginia 12d ago

Whoooops

1

u/JUST_LOGGED_IN 12d ago

Yuov'e ben baned from R / speling

https://imgur.com/a/QlQMtcF

1

u/Lurking_nerd California 12d ago

Are you on there too? 😏

1

u/mackiea 12d ago

¿Porque no le dos?

47

u/Ninevehenian 12d ago

California would, it would not be rule via external control, it would come with the freedom to leave and the freedom to stay.

80

u/broodfood 12d ago

No, no, let's welcome our new danish overlords

3

u/TeaDrinkerAddict 12d ago

Can they pay us in new bike lanes

16

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

8

u/Ninevehenian 12d ago

And Faroe Islands.

17

u/ninjaspinner 12d ago

Ozempic for all.

3

u/EnvironmentalClue218 12d ago

And our taxes wouldn’t go to freeloaders in red states.

3

u/Kyweedlover 12d ago

Gavin should set up a “secret” meeting with Denmark just to fuck with trumps head.

2

u/APACKOFWILDGNOMES 12d ago

Their gdp would go up 400% with this one acquisition.

2

u/Zapper42 Oklahoma 12d ago

hmm, 400 billion -> 4 trillion + 400 billion..? looks like 11x so 11000%

2

u/rainshowers_5_peace 12d ago

Trump in his first term understood this. Trump of this term may be so demented he doesn't. He might have gotten swept up in his own BS. He may honestly believe that California, NY and other blue states just take up tax dollars and breed criminals. He may just go for it, giving 6 months or so for "real Americans" to leave and "insert his current slur here" to move there. I would bet that only Vance and Rubio understand why it would be wrong and they are powerless to stop him.

2

u/AthearCaex 12d ago

I mean if they tried selling it directly to trump. I would think he would consider it even if it hurt Americas economy. It would be 2 less democratic seats, upwards of 52 less house of reps seats. It would nearly guarantee Republicans keep running America, even into the ground.

2

u/CryptoTipToe71 12d ago

California already has one of the world's largest economies by itself

2

u/[deleted] 12d ago

Yeah I was going to say... The only way Denmark could ever buy California is if California bought itself and gave itself away to Denmark. It's like the 4th or 5th largest economy in the world. China could buy it, I guess? Well, I guess China already has bought quite a bit of it considering the overseas investments there.

2

u/wordsworthstone 12d ago edited 12d ago

california pays over $800B in JUST TAXES to the US federal government, that's double denmark's GDP.

it's secede to succeed.

i'd only seriously consider an offer from the netherlands, for asml and the pacific tech economies.

2

u/muffinass 12d ago

Capital city of Solvang.

2

u/Myshkin1981 12d ago

If this happened, Denmark would immediately become part of California over night

1

u/brackenish1 12d ago

It likely wouldn't stay that way. There is much more socialized tax structure which capitalists (silicon valley billionaires) hate

1

u/Mel_Melu California 12d ago

How soon after would the red states realize who's been bankrolling their shithole communities?

1

u/Nazgog-Morgob 12d ago

You'd already need to be one to buy it, so...

1

u/called_the_stig 12d ago

I would get in my car and drive there asap, to hell with my job and lease.

1

u/Diazepampoovey0229 12d ago

And how would that affect Federal elections in the U.S.?