Is California’s economy leaving the middle class and the poor behind? It’s a question worth asking, especially when you see the gap between the wealthy and everyone else widening. Victor Davis Hanson, a prominent commentator, has a compelling take: the very people making the policies are often too rich and insulated to understand the real-world impact of their decisions. Let’s break down this argument and see what’s really going on.
Video summary generated by Artificial Intelligence.
The Disconnect in California’s Policy-Making
Hanson’s core argument is that California’s policies are crafted by individuals who don’t feel the pinch of those policies. He points to figures like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris, Jerry Brown, and Gavin Newsom, suggesting they come from such privileged backgrounds that they can’t truly grasp the struggles of average Californians.
“Their policy made sure that people where I live can’t buy a house because of the regulations.”
This quote encapsulates Hanson’s point: are the people in charge creating rules that make life harder for everyone else, without even realizing it?
How Insulated Policies Impact Everyday Californians
So, how do these “insulated” policies play out in the real world? Let’s look at some examples:
California’s housing market is notoriously tough. Regulations, zoning laws, and building codes all contribute to making it incredibly difficult for the average person to buy a home. You can dive deeper into California’s housing challenges on sites like the America First Report. Are these rules unintentionally pricing people out of the market?
Food and energy costs in California are also high. Policy decisions related to environmental regulations and energy production can drive up these costs. When natural gas is limited, and environmental standards are strict, it hits people’s wallets hard.
The crucial point is that these policies don’t affect everyone equally. Wealthy individuals are better equipped to absorb these costs. They can afford higher energy bills, more expensive food, and can often write off expenses or benefit from capital gains. The middle class and the poor, however, feel the full weight of these financial burdens.
Some might argue that events like the Los Angeles wildfires are a great leveler, forcing the wealthy to confront the same problems as everyone else. But are they really? Even when disaster strikes, the wealthy often have resources to fall back on that others don’t. They aren’t waiting for FEMA.
Conclusion
California’s economic challenges are complex, but Victor Davis Hanson’s perspective offers a valuable lens through which to view them. By acknowledging the potential disconnect between policymakers and the people they serve, we can begin to address the issues and work towards a more equitable and prosperous future for all Californians. It’s time to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that policies reflect the needs of all, not just the privileged few.
Independent Journalism Is Dying
Ever since President Trump’s miraculous victory, we’ve heard an incessant drumbeat about how legacy media is dying. This is true. The people have awakened to the reality that they’re being lied to by the self-proclaimed “Arbiters of Truth” for the sake of political expediency, corporate self-protection, and globalist ambitions.
But even as independent journalism rises to fill the void left by legacy media, there is still a huge challenge. Those at the top of independent media like Joe Rogan, Dan Bongino, and Tucker Carlson are thriving and rightly so. They have earned their audience and the financial rewards that come from it. They’ve taken risks and worked hard to get to where they are.
For “the rest of us,” legacy media and their proxies are making it exceptionally difficult to survive, let alone thrive. They still have a stranglehold over the “fact checkers” who have a dramatic impact on readership and viewership. YouTube, Facebook, and Google still stifle us. The freer speech platforms like Rumble and 𝕏 can only reward so many of their popular content creators. For independent journalists on the outside looking in, our only recourse is to rely on affiliates and sponsors.
But even as it seems nearly impossible to make a living, there are blessings that should not be disregarded. By highlighting strong sponsors who share our America First worldview, we have been able to make lifelong connections and even a bit of revenue to help us along. This is why we enjoy symbiotic relationships with companies like MyPillow, Jase Medical, and Promised Grounds. We help them with our recommendations and they reward us with money when our audience buys from them.
The same can be said about our preparedness sponsor, Prepper All-Naturals. Their long-term storage beef has a 25-year shelf life and is made with one ingredient: All-American Beef.
Even our faith-driven precious metals sponsor helps us tremendously while also helping Americans protect their life’s savings. We are blessed to work with them.
Independent media is the future. In many ways, that future is already here. While the phrase, “the more the merrier,” does not apply to this business because there are still some bad actors in the independent media field, there are many great ones that do not get nearly enough attention. We hope to change that one content creator at a time.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
