Hoo boy, Silicon Valley sure is pissed off about the election results. And rightfully so, it’s gonna be a grim four years with Trump at the helm, that’s for sure.
The innovation capital of America is, in fact, so pissed off, they want the entire state of California to secede from the rest of the country. It sounds fucking crazy, but consider this: California is the largest contributor to the US economy and the 6th largest in the world and in the context of Brexit, who’s to say it couldn’t happen?
Let’s be realistic – it probably won’t, but it sure as heck won’t stop the internet from giving it a red hot bloody crack. In the spirit of giving everything a stupid abbreviated name in 2016, the secession has been given a few labels, including Calexit, Caleavefornia and Califrexit.
Plenty of high profile tech players, such as Uber investor and Hyperloop co-founder, Shervin Pishevar, have thrown their weight behind the movement.
Angel investor Jason Calacanis has also jumped on the wagon. The one heading away from the rest of the country.
Even a serving Democrat, Evan Low is serious about the call.
These murmurs of an independent California aren’t a direct result of the election, but the horror of a Trump-lead USA has certainly stoked the flame. Started in 2015, the Yes California campaign is hoping to hold a referendum on the issue in 2019.
While the west coast of America are certainly more politically progressive than the rest of the country, there are genuine fears that Trump is doing to take a huge, steaming shit over the entire innovation movement. For starters, he has called for Apple to stop making their phones in China, a move that would certainly see the company struggle to survive.
He also criticised Mark Zuckerberg‘s push for specialist immigration, stating it would decrease opportunities for minorities and women.
In this terrifying new world that even the “experts” can no longer correctly predict, who knows how this is gonna turn out? Get enough people behind something and chances are it’ll become a reality.
Photo: Silicon Valley.
