Texas is America Inc's new centre of gravity

Corporate law and “business-friendly” environment

• Texas is pushing to rival Delaware via a new Business Court with specialist judges.
• Recent measures limit rights of small shareholders to sue or submit proxy proposals, seen by some as disenfranchising retail investors.
• Commenters note trends toward “court shopping,” business courts, and even private judges, seen as tools to tilt disputes toward corporations.
• Some view this as attractive simplification; others see it as undermining accountability and individual rights.

Industry mix and economic strategy

• Texas is perceived as attracting low-margin, commoditized sectors (oil, construction, Bitcoin mining), partly because it minimizes costs and regulation.
• High-margin, innovation-heavy activities (R&D in EVs, batteries, solar, crypto platforms) are noted as remaining concentrated in California.
• Apollo’s Austin “second HQ” is highlighted; some see it as signaling a growing finance cluster, others as leverage in negotiations with NYC.

Politics, rights, and gerrymandering

• Strong disagreement over whether Texas is “purple” or effectively deep red.
• Urban areas are described as heavily Democratic but constrained by gerrymandering and state preemption of local policies.
• Abortion bans and their medical consequences (maternal mortality, sepsis, delays in lifesaving care, “bounty” lawsuits) are repeatedly cited as evidence women have fewer rights.
• LGBTQ+ and parents of girls report feeling unsafe and unwilling to move; others argue big cities are diverse and relatively welcoming.

Quality of life and livability

• Life expectancy comparisons put Texas mid-pack; some cite higher figures in NY/CA/FL.
• Major concerns include extreme heat, suburban sprawl, traffic, an unreliable power grid (e.g., 2021 freeze), and environmental risks (PFAS, pollution, fracking water).
• Supporters emphasize lower housing costs, higher attainability of homeownership, property taxes as a de facto wealth tax, and vibrant cultures in cities like Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Houston.

Texas vs. California (and others)

• Texas is framed as affordable but politically and climatically harsh; California as rights-protective but unaffordable and structurally hostile to non-wealthy residents.
• Some would prefer poverty/homelessness in California’s climate and legal regime; others argue Texas offers a more realistic path to building wealth for most people.
• Concerns are raised about Texas’s “war on education” undermining future talent pipelines.