Americans see it coming and welcome it

Americans see the split of the country coming and might even welcome it. The enormity of the United States could facilitate this economic and social split.^[1] For example, California on its own two feet has the fifth largest economy in the world, proving that it could certainly survive on its own. In fact, California has taken steps to do just that already. After Trump withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, Governor Jerry Brown of California — who has claimed “we are a separate nation in our own minds” — crossed the Pacific to negotiate a bilateral carbon-emissions pact with Chinese president Xi Jinping. “It’s true I didn’t come to Washington, I came to Beijing,” said Brown, who is often treated like a head of state when he travels abroad.^[2] Already, a fellow international superpower like China recognizes the autonomy of a state like California. Californians, who may identify more so with the East coast than the country that divides them, may welcome this expression of individuality. Other heavy hitting states, for instance New York, Florida, and Texas, may be inclined to follow a similar model.^[3]