Much has been written about the movement of Americans from blue cities and states into red ones. It’s been referred to as “the great sorting,” and states like Texas and Florida seem to be winning. One report stated that Florida is gaining $2.4 million of net taxable income each hour and 551 new residents each day, while New York loses $1.1 million per hour along with 115 residents per day. It is to be hoped that the residents fleeing blue cities and states leave their progressive ideologies at home.
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A similar sorting is happening on social media and in everyday interactions: People are becoming more closely aligned with their socio-political ideologies. Leftists are becoming more open in their criticism of conservatives (and Christians and Jews) in general and of Donald Trump in particular. Meanwhile, conservatives online seem more confident and well informed, often responding with facts and links. In other words, while leftists rely on ad hominem attacks and propaganda, conservatives are “bringing the receipts.” Sadly, evidence rarely persuades leftists to reconsider their views.
We’re seeing this dynamic in the news, especially in panel discussions with leftists and conservatives. The Five is one example, and Scott Jennings’s appearances on CNN are another. Despite being proven wrong, leftists will soon return and repeat the same nonsense. The pattern repeats on social media: A dubious story circulates, is quickly debunked, and then resurfaces.
Lately, news stories have become increasingly bizarre. Leftists are repeating narratives and proposing laws and policies that defy belief. Ideas that would have landed someone in a padded room not long ago are now stated openly and proudly. These ideas ignore observable outcomes, empirical evidence, and basic incentives.
Leftists are sorting themselves into four descriptive (not pejorative) categories, which often overlap. Some leftists subscribe to crazy ideas. They may believe that men can have babies, or that all cultures are equal. Other leftists may blindly ignore current events or consume only news that reinforces their worldview. Some leftists are simply uninformed yet feel compelled to lecture and harangue the rest of us, while still others pursue objectives and engage in behaviors that can only be described as evil.
Psychiatrists have even warned about the harmful effects of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” As one noted, “many have argued that some people have been seriously disturbed and distressed by the policies, speech, behavior, and tweets of President Trump … so much so that it has affected their cognitive, affective, and behavioral functioning. Such individuals may require mental‑health support.”
Whether they’re driven by a profound detachment from reality (crazy), deliberate sabotage (evil), willful ignorance (blindness), or incompetence (stupid), examples abound. Patterns of governance in blue cities and states — combined with media coverage, issues of electoral integrity, political violence, and corporate flight — suggest self-inflicted harm. These behaviors reflect a toxic mix of ideological rigidity and mismanagement, with outcomes that harm the very constituencies leftists claim to serve.
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Let’s take California as Exhibit A. Governor Gavin Newsom recently claimed California fire management practices are a “model for the globe.” Yet reservoirs lacked water during major fires, basic brush clearing and controlled burns are neglected, and homeless encampments are permitted in high-risk areas. He bragged about recovering $76 million in retail crime losses via a task force after spending $2 billion. This represents a tiny fraction of the estimated total losses, which range from $8 to 20 billion. The state’s soft-on-crime policies (Prop 47, resistance to Prop 36) just exacerbated the problem.
Many corporations have moved their headquarters from California and New York to Texas and Florida, drawn by lower taxes and fewer regulations. In New York, rent freezes, heavy regulation, and high taxes are pushing property sales to the government.
Elsewhere, left-leaning judges release criminals almost as fast as the police can arrest them. Many re-offend immediately — theft, assault, even murder. This suggests a blend of stupidity (ignoring incentives and data) and craziness (clinging to failed policies). One hopes these judges are not intentionally releasing criminals so they can re-offend (evil), but given current trends, it’s hard to dismiss the possibility.
We’re seeing the results in places like California, Washington, Oregon, and New York. President Trump has warned that blue states risk becoming “ghettos of the future” as wealthy residents and companies flee confiscatory taxes, crippling regulations, and rampant crime.
New Jersey recently disclosed that roughly 6,600 non-citizens were on voter rolls. Legacy media outlets (ABC, MSNOW, CNN) minimized these reports, blaming glitches or vendors. Rather than investigating and correcting the problem, they questioned the motives of those who reported the story. The so-called “Stop Nick Shirley Act” (California’s Assembly Bill 2624) even exposes reporters to legal liability just for exposing fraud and potential violations of law, while shielding taxpayer-funded organizations from accountability. These stories are indefensible.
The cumulative results of these blind, evil, crazy, and stupid actions are clear: Middle-class property-owners are being squeezed, public safety is eroded, economic vitality declines, and our republic is strained. Voters must prioritize competence and evidence over rhetoric. Without major course correction, blue state models are risking broader national damage.
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Image: Chris Dodds via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.