"So, as someone that lived in New York for 6 years and California for 6 years, stories like this are incredibly depressing."
"If California was a country"
You (US) are now segueing into the introspective phase of Empire - that's when you learn a few lessons. When you realise that deploying more (aircraft)carriers than everyone else combined is simply a thing or spending way more on cough defence than anyone else is a thing as well, and it isn't as important as some other things.
Anyway, I hope your journey from Irvine to Los Angeles was at least comfortable.
"If California was a country"
You (US) are now segueing into the introspective phase of Empire - that's when you learn a few lessons. When you realise that deploying more (aircraft)carriers than everyone else combined is simply a thing or spending way more on cough defence than anyone else is a thing as well, and it isn't as important as some other things.
Anyway, I hope your journey from Irvine to Los Angeles was at least comfortable.
The world turns ...