Progressive policies in California have alarmingly transformed the state into a “medieval society,” drawing stark parallels with historical feudal systems.
Story Snapshot
- Victor Davis Hanson criticizes California’s progressive policies for creating extreme wealth inequality.
- Hanson draws comparisons with medieval Europe and the antebellum South.
- Critics argue California’s policies have driven middle-class residents out.
- California’s economic and social divides have been exacerbated post-2020.
California’s Transformation Under Progressive Policies
Historian Victor Davis Hanson argues that California’s progressive policies have led to the creation of a “medieval society,” characterized by a significant wealth gap and a dwindling middle class. The state’s political shift to the left, with policies on taxation, regulation, and immigration, has contributed to a landscape where a small elite thrives while the majority struggles.
Hanson’s critique has been developing over the past decade, highlighting how these policies purportedly aimed at promoting equality have instead entrenched a new form of feudalism. Progressive tax policies and environmental regulations have, according to critics, driven both businesses and middle-class residents out of California, exacerbating the economic divide.
The Impact of Economic Policies on Residents
The economic growth in California’s tech and entertainment sectors has been explosive, concentrating wealth among a small elite, particularly in Silicon Valley. While this growth has created immense wealth, it has also resulted in rising living costs and a severe housing crisis, driving many middle-class families to leave the state in search of better opportunities.
Furthermore, the expansion of social welfare programs and sanctuary policies has increased the state’s low-income and undocumented populations, contributing to a growing underclass. This has led to a surge in homelessness and a stark contrast between the affluent coastal cities and impoverished interior regions.
Responses to the Growing Divide
Victor Davis Hanson continues to warn against the unintended consequences of California’s progressive policies, using historical analogies to emphasize the regressive outcomes of these supposedly progressive measures. State officials, however, defend these policies as necessary steps toward equity and sustainability, despite facing mounting criticism over their effectiveness.
As California remains economically powerful yet deeply divided, the middle class continues to shrink, and the gap between the rich and poor widens. The ongoing debate over tax policies, business regulations, and social welfare expansion highlights the challenges facing the state in addressing these critical issues.
Sources:
Victor Davis Hanson: How California Progressives Created a Medieval Society
Victor Davis Hanson Diagnoses the Dying Citizen
Victor Davis Hanson at The Daily Signal
How California’s Paradise Became Our Purgatory
