Would it make sense for a person in a "privileged class" to move from a red state?

Trying to gauge if I’m going crazy or a little too much “online.”

I currently live in Texas, and moving has been on my mind a lot lately as the Republican party and Texas itself seems to be slowly moving toward fascism. I don’t know when the slide toward fascism will stop, and how much more authoritarian the state will get. I do not feel very good about my tax dollars going to support this state.

I am a middle-aged cishet white man; middle to upper middle class software engineer. I have leftist opinions (libsoc/ansoc), but I’m not an activist (I am very introverted, probably a little bit on the autism spectrum, and pretty much a hermit right now). I do seldom indulge in marijuana consumption, which is illegal here.

I really don’t have much tying me down here. I have no close friends, no family in the state, and no current romantic partners. Last year, I moved within the state for a job, but the company was bought out, and everyone was layed off. I have very high autonomy at my current job, and could probably work fully remote if I wanted. Moving would be expensive (I am in an upside-down mortgage), but I have enough savings to take the hit.

I am personally feeling very isolated here (Texas suburb), at this point in my life, and am thinking about moving into some sort of intentional community (eco-village, cohousing, or land trust; not a commune) in a blue state (or even in Canada if I could pull that off).

Also, the weather in the last 2 years has been absolutely oppressive, and I have a hard time keeping anything alive in my veggie garden :)

Am I being over dramatic? Should I just stick it out here, and try to rebuild my life in a state that doesn’t align with my beliefs?

Also, I’ve heard arguments that libs should stay or even move to red states, but I’m not convinced. The state rules with an iron fist, and pre-empts anything progressive Texas cities try to do. And the district I live in is already pretty solidly blue. Not to mention, red states put families that contain females or lbgt people in danger.

PostMalort,

I’m in a similar situation in Florida. Florida is where I’ve spent my whole life and the natural beauty of the state is incredible. However the government here is insane. They attack liberals at every chance, and are rewriting education to fit a disneyfied history. My wife and I are currently looking to get out. Change here seems hopeless between gerrymandering, and the massive influx of red voting retirees. Michigan sounds amazing to me except for the winters. We’ve discussed Colorado , but it’s pretty expensive, and the water management in the west is worrisome. We’re just on the lookout for what fits us. The only thing that’s certain is that we aren’t long for Florida. I am forced from my home by retirees and insane politicians.

solstice,

I just spent some time in savannah which was great. Reasonably priced and Georgia is a blueish purple state. Charleston SC is quite nice as well but more expensive. Something to consider.

AnaNg,

Yep. I’m middle aged and have lived in FL most of my life. While the nature is beautiful, they’re paving over more and more of it everyday. It’s hot and humid and buggy. But, the actual reason we’re leaving is my trans child. I don’t want to be in a state that actively hates my family. We’re looking at Illinois.

PostMalort,

It’s horrendous how the Florida government is treating trans people. I hope you and your family find happiness and can live comfortably away from these bigots. Maybe one day Florida will change, but currently it’s the absolute worst.

Also on a lighter note is your username a They Might Be Giants reference?

AnaNg,

Yes it is! First song I ever heard from them.

PostMalort,

Great band! We’re about to have our first child and I can’t wait to introduce her to they might be Giants.

AnaNg,

That’s great! I love their kid’s songs. When mine were babies I didn’t really know any lullabies so I sang She’s An Angel. Good luck with the baby!

PostMalort,

Thanks. She’s really the catalyst for us to leave Florida. I want her to get a good education and not be surrounded by a hateful shitty government.

rifugee,

Honestly, it seems to me that you have all but decided to move and the only thing holding you back is fear of change.

Man, if I were in your position, I’d downsize my belongings and become a digital nomad and I wouldn’t limit myself to the US. Spain, for example, has a newish digital nomad visa that you can get for a year, renewable for three (I think), and it’s not really any more expensive to live there than a typical Midwestern city. Even cheaper in some areas of the country. If I didn’t have a family, I would move there in a heartbeat, at least for awhile.

There’s a lot to see and experience in the US too, though, so if you aren’t feeling adventurous enough to live outside the country, you might look at Minnesota. Duluth, just as an example, is about the same cost of living as Dallas and today’s high there is 69 (giggity) vs 106 in Dallas. I haven’t been to MN yet, but I’m planning a huge road trip for next summer and northern MN looks gorgeous.

The world is your oyster, my friend.

UnicornKitty,
@UnicornKitty@lemmy.world avatar

We are moving out of our red state by the end of the year. I do have a dog in this race. I’m a mother to a daughter. We only waited because of opportunity, but we’ve been planning it since RvW.

I will always encourage people to move out of red states if they can, especially Texas. Find a place that makes you happy.

Drivebyhaiku,

Honestly in all this it’s easy to forget about the simple things. Does living where you are make you happy? Florida is likely imploding at present as the draconian laws being dredged out are going to cause issues. Notible ones. Republicans are basically cutting off their own noses to spite their face to make their supposed utopia and the logistical problems are mounting meaning a greater degree of cognitive dissonance will be required to maintain enthusiasm.

There are people who are having to flee because they can’t be healthy there. You are not an exception to this. If you can’t be healthy where you are then being beholden to the gridlock of politics is affecting you in a way that is not ethical. Yes, we trans folks and people affected by abortion bans need allies. But we can’t fault people for their choices to leave because they are unhappy for the same reasons we are.

Epicurean ethics run the trans movement. At it’s core is this set of principles : you, like every other living thing are in the right to seek the circumstances under which you best flourish. Minimizing the pain experienced, your own and that of others is ethical. Avoiding pain is not an unethical choice.

Whether it’s denying their government tax revenue or staying so you can lend your voice to the movements you believe in it all might come out in the wash in the broader sense of politics - but you also deserve kindness.

Snapz,

Red state doesn’t necessarily matter, find a purple state or a purple district where you and a few like minded people can potentially flip a district. I moved to a perpetually 51/49 district, I did get involved a bit in local politics to help spread the word (mostly stopped during COVID). Within a few years, we flipped the district blue for the first time in like 15-20 years.

AlecSadler,

You sound like me. I’m diagnosed autistic (mildly), I’m a software engineer, I’m introverted, I’m definitely liberal leaning, and…I live in Oregon.

For now, I love it here (except Portland proper). So many great restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries, and a crap ton of trails and other parks and sights and sounds.

I live semi-rural and half the businesses here have pride flags and BLM signage. I’m non-white, but don’t feel unsafe walking around where I am at night. My tech contract jobs are remote and I make more than enough to live comfortably.

It rains a lot here… though less so these days it seems. It’s weird how many 100+ degree days we get now, but it’s still a lot less than other people I know.

I’m rambling. If you want to know more, just ask.

Rhynoplaz,

Try a Midwest swing state! I live in a backwoods town in PA, and although there’s not much of a chance of a Dem winning a local election, we have enough major cities to keep fascism out of the State law.

I might be very wrong, but I wouldn’t be against Texas and Florida leaving and starting their own countries. Let all the boot licking racists go live happily together far away from me.

31337,

Recreational marijuana is illegal in PA. I’ve kinda been using recreational marijuana laws as a litmus test on how authoritarian a state is. Also, I do sometimes use marijuana, and don’t want to go to jail. I’ve had a few close-calls here in Texas (once, the cops just stole my weed). Been looking at rural NY as a possibility. I may visit some intentional communities there soon.

Rhynoplaz,

Very true. There is a lot of talk about changing that in Harrisburg, so hopefully it won’t take long. Michigan and New York are close legal options.

bighatchester,

I never understood why anyone would want to live in Texas. Just seems like a bunch of insecure rednecks who is afraid of anything that isn’t a straight white family . I know not everyone one there is but it does seem like the people in power feel that way

peanut_boy,

Lol. Lmao even

31337,

As someone has mentioned before, it’s more of a rural/urban divide. Rural northern states are also full of rednecks. In my experience, rural Texan bigots are a lot more overt though. Stopped at a gas station in rural Texas once with my girlfriend (now ex), and the old women at the register refused to ring us up (because my girlfriend was black).

APassenger, (edited )

I moved from Texas to California.

While I wish I’d done it with better financial timing, it worked out and I’m glad I’m here. Hell, it sounds like your skills are a good fit for certain places, too.

If it suits you, find a place where outdoors is a place you can enjoy almost every day of the year. They aren’t as rare as Texas makes it seem.

Edit: food -> good

JackbyDev,

There’s plenty of things going on in Texas that affect everyone. The biggest one in my opinion is the horrible electric grid and refusal to connect to the rest of the nation.

31337,

True, I was without electricity, heat, and water for about a week a few years ago.

Coolkicks,

I’m in the same boat in Texas right now. Want to move to a more liberal state, and have several friends who already have.

The reason I stay is every person like me who leaves makes Texas more red. And often times, a liberal Texan is a conservative Californian/Coloradan/Canadian, so moving to one of those place will also move them to the right, so both places shift red.

Case in point. I have a friend who moved from NYC to Dallas because NY was too liberal and their conservative votes didn’t count there. They lasted 6 months before deciding to vote democrat in Texas, because red here is further right than they are comfortable with, so their move made NYC and Dallas more liberal.

31337,

I’m left of the DNC (a socialist), so wouldn’t be a problem. Only things “right” about me are I like target shooting, and dislike restrictive zoning laws.

geogle,
@geogle@lemmy.world avatar

The states are not liberal or conservative, it’s the fraction of rural/suburban to urban areas. It’s extremely rare to find a left leaning rural population and similarly difficult to find a very right urban one. Find a place that suites you, but keep in mind your hood’s politics will largely be controlled by population density engaging-data.com/election-population-density/

31337,

Yeah, I know. I grew up in a very rural area, and now live in a major metro area. It’s not so much the people in my area that I have a problem with, it’s the state government. I’ve met plenty of like-minded people in my area, and most have been contemplating moving out of state as well, lol. I’m trying to figure out where I want to set down roots at, and right now it seems like a gamble that Texas won’t become more authoritarian in ways that negatively affect me as time goes on. Even current legislation could negatively affect me if my life circumstances change.

HootinNHollerin,
@HootinNHollerin@sh.itjust.works avatar

I was born and raised in Texas and left over a decade ago for all the reasons you mentioned. I do think Texas will eventually turn purple. The Republicans are going more fascist because they know this too and are having to get even more aggressive to try and stop it.

I simply refuse to live in a red state. Only negative is a higher cost of living esp housing where I landed and further from family. But I feel more at home even tho I’m not where I was born.

Today,

Texas population is purple, we just need more people to vote. My work and social circle are 85% blue and 15% moderate red. You’re going to find people who agree and disagree with you in any situation and that’s how it should be. You have to do what’s right for you, but wherever you are, vote and encourage people around you to vote. That’s the only way anything gets better.

pjhenry1216,

"people who [...] disagree with you and that's how it should be" I mean... except for human rights. Like there's a ton of crap that no decent human should agree with going on in states like Texas, Florida, and more. Some of that is inexcusable, even if the person is uneducated and easier that way. Plenty of knowledge freely available on the internet. Many of the social positions of conservatives simply cannot be excused, even as a "we need differing opinions"

solstice,

Therein lies the question. Stay and fight the good fight, get out while the getting is good, or ignore the sensational headlines because overall most of these people are actually pretty nice besides their hard coded habit to vote R.

pjhenry1216,

I don't care if you're hard coded to vote against human rights. That's an automatic bad person. Period. All Republicans Are Bastards. They let the worst of them rise to power and they pass horrendous laws in their states. It's just inexcusable at this point. Like, the only people I feel that want to have "the conversation" are folks who want to keep voting Republican for whatever reason. I've failed to ever hear a good argument, even a fiscally conservative one at this point. The financial imbalance alone is the root of most economic downturn at this point. And honestly, the fiscal argument doesn't outweigh basic human rights. No "good" person votes republican at this point. They just can't accept theyre the bad guys and instead of switching sides, just declaring "nah, let's ruin more lives instead. They're the problem." Many of their tentpole issues are rooted in hating someone else. Republicans are just not good people. Period. I just don't buy it. You can't justify voting against human rights.

solstice,

Think Hank Hill, not Tucker. I don’t disagree with you and have a very hard time reconciling the fact that these otherwise kind decent folks continue to vote R. I think a ton of them are just disengaged voting by muscle memory, misled by faux news, and figure it is politics as usual.

You should review the thread title and re read the OP’s question. If you get off the internet and go outside and talk to people you see it’s actually quite nice out there for the most part. So should you uproot your life to get while the getting is good, stick around and tough it out, or what? It’s nowhere near as simple as you make it seem.

pjhenry1216,

I just said do whatever is best for their mental health. And don't get me wrong, what's going on is great for some people. But it's hell for others. Glossing over that might make you feel ok or whatever, but ignoring it and the fact Republicans likely have passed bills that have no social benefit but will likely cause people to die, whether by their own hand or shitty medical practices, is 100% not possible.

Don't downplay the hardships others face because it doesn't specifically affect you. It's kind of gross and not at all as enlightened as you're trying to sound.

solstice,

Whatever

scytale,

Yup it’s getting harder and harder to have that conversation. Like the video posted yesterday of the guy who went to a Trump rally, had civilized conversations with some of the people there, and found out they mostly had the same thoughts the the left had (i.e. the rich shouldn’t be as rich as they are, we’re living in an oligarchy, everything shouldn’t be owned by 6 big corporations, etc.). That’s nice and all, but at the end of the day, who are these people voting?

dunning_cougar,

Don’t let politics rule your life’, friend. I have far right wing opinions and live in what I consider to be a redistributionist socialist utopia, totally hostile to personal economic development. But more likely, like you alluded to, we both probably just spend too much time online getting politically polarized. Nowhere is perfect, and geographical political isolation is bad for the country. I advocate for localization, building the world you want where you are, and socializing even more online. My online friendships are more persistent and convenient, and sometimes deeper and more human than real life.

pjhenry1216,

I'm afraid to ask and be totally disappointed, but where do you live that is a supposed socialist utopia? Cause I don't know if any that exist in this world so I'm afraid I'm just going to be disappointed by exaggerated rhetoric. Especially since I've never known any socialist concept to be hostile to personal economic development. Especially since it kind of requires success on a personal level to even be possible. But I'm hopeful you might know of some utopia I'm unaware of.

weew,

Norway?

dunning_cougar,

It’s a great place to live, even though I’m unemployed. My perspective is limited due to personal circumstance though. I’m just saying you can be happy and fulfilled even if you live in a society that doesnt perfectly match your values.

Magister,
@Magister@lemmy.world avatar

Unemployed, so how do you pay your rent, eat, etc?. Oh you’re in a socialist country, so others people are paying for you? But you’re far-right? It does not make sense…

dunning_cougar,

If there wasn’t so much environmental religious lunacy, I could get a job in a factory more easily.

pjhenry1216,

You're still ignoring the question which I'm assuming implies you don't think your stance would hold up to scrutiny. I'm not asking for your street address. I'm fine with just the country. Either you don't think your beliefs hold up to scrutiny or you're simply trolling.

Edit: and are you suggesting you believe you should be on the street instead of supported by the socialist programs? Seriously, I feel like you have to be trolling because nothing makes sense. Name the country and put your beliefs where your mouth is or admit to trolling.

dunning_cougar,

OP doesn’t like the state government and has trouble relating to the local community. I have a similar experience and cope by adjusting my lifestyle and not insisting society bend to suit my Mercurial political mood, that’s all.

pjhenry1216,

You're trying too hard. Why don't you say more empty statements and avoid saying anything with meaning again.

the_q,

I can’t wrap my head around someone being purposely “far right wing”. Like, you’re proud of fucking things up for everyone?

dunning_cougar,

I am a very low impact person. I doubt I’ve ever fucked anything important up because of right wing beliefs.

the_q,

Oh so you don’t vote?

dunning_cougar,

Of course not

bradorsomething,

They pax taxes in a red state. They spend most of their time in better places.

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