California overtakes Japan to become the world's fourth largest economy

Political representation & malapportionment

• Many comments argue California’s outsized economic and population weight is not matched by federal power, citing the Senate’s extreme per‑capita imbalance (e.g., CA vs. Wyoming) and the Electoral College.
• Others defend the Senate/EC as core to the U.S. “social contract,” protecting smaller states from domination by large population centers and preventing “tyranny of the majority.”
• Comparisons are made to the EU and other systems where small units (e.g., Malta) have far more representation per capita than large ones (e.g., Germany), framed as necessary to keep smaller members loyal.

California’s internal issues & population

• Several commenters argue “80% of California’s problems are self‑inflicted”: NIMBYism, crime policy in San Francisco, decline of non‑coastal cities, and bungled infrastructure (e.g., high-speed rail).
• Others counter these issues aren’t unique to California and note that population decline was temporary during the pandemic and has since reversed.
• Some point out per‑capita GDP: other U.S. states (Washington, Massachusetts, New York) outperform California, so raw GDP shouldn’t imply superiority.

Economic size, composition, and nukes jokes

• People note California’s GDP is roughly twice Russia’s, leading to sarcastic comments about needing nuclear weapons or kompromat to gain federal attention.
• One thread mockingly claims California “only makes software,” which others refute by highlighting manufacturing, Hollywood, and agriculture; there’s disagreement over how economically significant agriculture and Hollywood now are.

Secession, federalism, and state power

• There’s debate over whether powerful states like California could or should secede; most see it as unrealistic.
• More serious discussion focuses on strengthening state power and reducing federal centralization, with claims that overpowered presidents make elections existentially high-stakes.
• Others warn that fragmentation raises hard issues like water rights and shared borders, though examples like the EU are cited as evidence such coordination is possible.

Japan’s position, FX, and demographics

• Several commenters say California “overtaking” Japan is more about Japan’s stagnation, shrinking population, and especially currency movements affecting nominal GDP.
• Some note that Germany and soon India have also passed Japan, and that yen–dollar swings alone can move Japan several ranks.
• Discussion branches into aging societies, low birth rates, and whether immigration can sustainably offset demographic decline, with skepticism that immigration is a free lunch for wages and housing.

GDP comparisons & regional groupings

• Commenters question mixing entities like California, countries (Japan), and blocs (EU) in one ranking.
• There’s interest in comparing large regions globally (e.g., Guangdong, Jiangsu, England, U.S. states) rather than just nation-states, and some note the EU’s awkward position: economically integrated yet politically fragmented.