There is an old saying that has been routinely quipped throughout the United States for many years that has recently held more weight than usual. That saying is that people “speak with their wallets”. Indeed, in the hyper-capitalist, consumerist society of the United States, how an individual spends their money can be the ultimate expression of their priorities in life, their character and their values. For nearly a decade, America has been engulfed in a cold cultural war as progressive Democratic activists and politicians have increasingly attempted to redefine the cultural values and identity of the country. These policies and ideological sentiments began as seemingly harmless, relatively mainstream statements, and have since moved further and further to the left.
In 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, many Democrat politicians adopted positions that reduced criminal penalties for “low level” crimes and called for the defunding and the limitation of the powers of law enforcement officials. In classrooms in many progressive states, radical curriculums have been implemented, in some states promoting transgenderism and sex-ed lessons to children as young as the kindergarten level. Lastly, coming full circle, in many progressive states that have promoted insane social and judicial policies, taxes are also high, as Democrats continue to call for the wealthy to “pay their fair share”, incentivizing corporations and affluent people to leave their states, crushing business and hurting the working class by chasing away prime economic opportunities.
Many citizens have simply had enough of these policies, and trends in migration mirror these sentiments. Of the top 5 states in which residents were fleeing, the high-tax progressive Democratic havens of New York, Illinois, and California all were among the top places for outmigration. Only Alaska and Wyoming, two very rural areas with limited opportunities, were Republican or Republican-leaning. Both California and New York boast the highest costs of living in the nation, and among the strictest business regulations and highest taxes.
