California’s state policies tragically are advancing our enemies’ interests, especially in two areas: pushing draconian green policies and debilitating the California National Guard.
Due to state policies, Californians especially will have to: 1. Pay the high cost of transitioning to green energy from draconian state mandates imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature. 2. Pay an even higher cost if China limits its exports, thereby raising the prices of similar green products sold here. It’s a double whammy.
Ms. Yellen insisted, “China is now simply too large for the rest of the world to absorb this enormous capacity. ... When the global market is flooded by artificially cheap Chinese products, the viability of American and other foreign firms is put into question.”
But although America can regulate the imports of subsidized, cheap Chinese products, it can do little to nothing about what is exported to the rest of the world. Indeed, when America limits imports, that just means more Chinese goods flow into the rest of the world, increasing the supply of such goods there, thus reducing prices. As an economist, Ms. Yellen has to know that.
California Guard’s DEI Nonsense
Add to California’s pointless enviro mandates all the PC, DEI, and ESG nonsense being foisted on the military. California boasts the country’s second largest Army National Guard and Air National Guard contingents, totaling 18,136, after Texas’s 22,007.“California Military Department Valuing diversity Inclusion, Belonging, Equity, Sustainably: Our vision is to cultivate a culture where all employees can bring their best selves to work while contributing to building a more equitable and inclusive workplace; where employees/servicemembers don’t just work here but feel and know they belong here.
“We do this by ensuring that we are always improving our efforts in recruiting, retaining, and promoting those who are representative of all communities across the diversity of California.
“We sustain our efforts by continually supporting our employees/servicemembers to practice cultural humility and become stronger IDEA Warriors.
“Our service is to all of California and anywhere we are called to serve, and so is our workplace.
“We are diverse.
“We are intersectional.
“We are inclusive.
California National Guard Turmoil
California’s National Guard also has suffered turmoil in recent years. For example, Air Force Times reported on Jan. 31, “A one-star general who was fired from the California National Guard last year has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former commander, alleging he was ousted for submitting a complaint about a pattern of antisemitism.“The removed Guard leader, retired Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Magram, filed the lawsuit Jan. 24 against the adjutant general of California, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, and Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Los Angeles court.
“Magram seeks at least $1.6 million in compensatory damages for back pay and other lost employment benefits.
“Magram alleges that, over a two-year period, Beevers created a hostile work environment through several antisemitic statements and ultimately pushed for his removal ‘because of Magram’s Jewish heritage and in retaliation for Magram’s complaints.’
“The California Military Department denied the allegations in a statement emailed to Military Times on Tuesday, calling Magram’s complaint a ‘retaliatory and baseless lawsuit.’”
Obvious Solutions
The obvious solutions for California and America would be, first, to ease off on the green mania mandates. California should stop its disdain of electricity generated from natural gas. Doing so would reduce the need to import Chinese-made solar panels. The state also should end its requirement by 2035 all new cars must not be run on gasoline or diesel—meaning almost all will be electric, with a few hydrogen or similar cars. That also would increase the demand for electricity.Second, we should start rebuilding our American industrial base. Its small size also has been revealed in America’s inability to deliver enough weapons, especially such basics as artillery shells, to Ukraine’s army. The Arsenal of Democracy from World War II, about which President Biden keeps boasting, is much smaller that he and others thought. Although some of us have been warning about this for a long time.
I believe America’s involvement in the Ukraine situation was a mistake and we should negotiate an immediate cease fire, as former President Donald Trump has proposed. But one good result is it has revealed the sorry state of American industrial power. The situation also has been made worse by the military infrastructure also having to ship weapons to Israel in its war against Hamas.
Conclusion: Time for California and America to Get Serious
Unfortunately, wars are a part of human existence. A way to get involved in a war, and to lose it, is to perpetrate the kind of nonsense advanced foremost in California.It’s clear California, and America in general, need to get serious about defending our country. The environmental delusions aiding China, combined with scandals and DEI and ESG, are no way to run a military in these perilous times.