--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think California is playing a game of…" description: "\"I think California is playing a game of brinkmanship that's very dangerous. Why is it 50 or 60 years ago we had the capacity to lay down the physical, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/kevin-starr-33465_california_i-think-california-is-playing-a-game-of_2153804.jpg" --- # I think California is playing a game of brinkmanship… ![“I think California is playing a game of brinkmanship that's very dangerous. Why is it 50 or 60 years ago we had the capacity to lay down the physical, psychological, cultural, public infrastructure of a global mega-state, and today we are on the verge of being Honduras?” quote by Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/kevin-starr-33465_california_i-think-california-is-playing-a-game-of_2153804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/kevin-starr-33465_california_i-think-california-is-playing-a-game-of_2153804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/kevin-starr-33465_california_i-think-california-is-playing-a-game-of_2153804.jpg) > “I think California is playing a game of brinkmanship that's very dangerous. Why is it 50 or 60 years ago we had the capacity to lay down the physical, psychological, cultural, public infrastructure of a global mega-state, and today we are on the verge of being Honduras?” [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author warns that California's current political and economic instability mirrors past crises, suggesting a decline from a once powerful global state. **In simple terms:** California may be falling from its former greatness. Key Takeaway Address systemic issues before they worsen. Themes politics economics environment history Mood concerned reflective Type analytical political When to use this quote - state governance - climate policy - urban planning - public health Key Concepts decline sustainability policy globalization Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reverse this trend? - How can citizens influence change? A Different Perspective Complex problems need multifaceted solutions, not simple blame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brinkmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brinkmanship-2397367/) [Brinkmanship Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brinkmanship-dangerous-4539529/) [California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) [California Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california-playing-4539530/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Honduras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honduras/) [Infrastructure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infrastructure/) [Lays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lays/) [Mega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mega/) [Mega State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mega-state-4539531/) [Psychological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Think California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-california-1740058/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Verge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verge/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [Shutdown politics are nothing more than petty brinkmanship and serve only to take us backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-allred/shutdown-politics-are-nothing-more-than-petty-brinkmanship-and-serve/) [Colin Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-allred/) > [ \[John Foster Dulles\] invented Brinkmanship, the most popular game since Monopoly. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armour/john-foster-dulles-invented-brinkmanship-the-most-popular-game-since/) [Richard Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armour/) > [Even though it was January, in Los Angeles it was beautiful and sunny and the blue skies were out and it was hot everyday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hoppus/even-though-it-was-january-in-los-angeles-it-was-beautiful-and-sunny/) [Mark Hoppus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hoppus/) > [California to me as a concept or as an idea always seems like endless optimism and endless opportunity - when people think of California…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hoppus/california-to-me-as-a-concept-or-as-an-idea-always-seems-like-endless/) [Mark Hoppus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hoppus/) > [I'm really nostalgic for Malibu area because I've spent so much time there. People don't think of California as having a history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/i-m-really-nostalgic-for-malibu-area-because-i-ve-spent-so-much-time/) [Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/) > [I think of myself as California modern, and I'm hugely inspired by nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/i-think-of-myself-as-california-modern-and-i-m-hugely-inspired-by/) [Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/) > [I think California has some very good looking women... I know Stephanie Seymour is from San Diego, and I know Josie Maran - who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-miller/i-think-california-has-some-very-good-looking-women-i-know-stephanie/) [Marisa Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-miller/) > [I think the California mentality is laid-back, and I definitely embody that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urijah-faber/i-think-the-california-mentality-is-laid-back-and-i-definitely-embody/) [Urijah Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urijah-faber/) > [A large part of California is a sensual state. It has a huge range of geographical features and in addition to the deserts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mcmillen/a-large-part-of-california-is-a-sensual-state-it-has-a-huge-range-of/) [Michael C. McMillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-mcmillen/) > [ \[There was\] an openness not found on the East Coast and a generosity of spirit. New York was always formulating the correct ways to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-antin/there-was-an-openness-not-found-on-the-east-coast-and-a-generosity-of/) [Eleanor Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-antin/) > [I think California has the best energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/i-think-california-has-the-best-energy/) [Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/) > [Well, I think that California has had a history of always spending more money than it takes in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/well-i-think-that-california-has-had-a-history-of-always-spending/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [“ contiguous , adj . I felt silly for even mentioning it, but once I did, I knew I had to explain. "When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/contiguous-adj-i-felt-silly-for-even-mentioning-it-but-once-i-did-i/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I think when people think about California, they think about straight Hollywood, that Hollywood glamour, whole bunch of flashes, so much paparazzi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rendon/i-think-when-people-think-about-california-they-think-about-straight/) [Anthony Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rendon/) > [Honduras is strongly anti-Communist, maintains no diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, and has provided vital support for United States-backed rebels fighting to overthrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/honduras-is-strongly-anti-communist-maintains-no-diplomatic-relations/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) ## More by Kevin Starr > [I've always tried to write California history as American history. The paradox is that New England history is by definition national history, Mid-Atlantic history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/i-ve-always-tried-to-write-california-history-as-american-history-the/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [I don't reverberate to victimhood, probably because of my own life. I refused to become a victim myself, so it's not one of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/i-don-t-reverberate-to-victimhood-probably-because-of-my-own-life-i/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [“Wilde stepped off the train in Oakland wearing a Spanish sombrero, a velvet suit, a puce cravat, yellow gloves, and buckled shoes, and wended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/wilde-stepped-off-the-train-in-oakland-wearing-a-spanish-sombrero-a/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [I always thought the women of my age group got short shrift because the women's liberation movement came slightly after. You look at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/i-always-thought-the-women-of-my-age-group-got-short-shrift-because/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [The Irish didn't read and write for a couple of thousand years, and I think we developed good memories and recall. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/the-irish-didn-t-read-and-write-for-a-couple-of-thousand-years-and-i/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [I like narrative, and I ultimately am in love with the men and women I write about, most of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/i-like-narrative-and-i-ultimately-am-in-love-with-the-men-and-women-i/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [If the Pilgrims had landed in Santa Monica Bay rather than Boston, we'd have six states out here!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/if-the-pilgrims-had-landed-in-santa-monica-bay-rather-than-boston-we/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [“And that question is, is San Francisco just a boutique city? A theme park? Or do creative forces still coalesce there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/and-that-question-is-is-san-francisco-just-a-boutique-city-a-theme/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [I believe that's a form of dangerous stereotyping, to ascribe permanent victimhood to any group. Groups have suffered powerful injustice, and yet when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/i-believe-that-s-a-form-of-dangerous-stereotyping-to-ascribe/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [It's highly competitive to be here. People don't come to California to drop out anymore. It's a very striving place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/it-s-highly-competitive-to-be-here-people-don-t-come-to-california-to/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [In our public life, California is on the verge of being a failed state, and no state has failed in the history of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/in-our-public-life-california-is-on-the-verge-of-being-a-failed-state/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [A city where everyone seemed to live in a bungalow on a broad avenue lined with palm, pepper or eucalyptus trees, where there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/a-city-where-everyone-seemed-to-live-in-a-bungalow-on-a-broad-avenue/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [In the luxuriance of a bowl of grapes set out in ritual display, in a bottle of wine, the soil and sunshine of California…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/in-the-luxuriance-of-a-bowl-of-grapes-set-out-in-ritual-display-in-a/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) > [“Most dramatically, the Bridge served as an agonizing or exhilarating psychological symbol for the more than 1.2 million servicemen and women who sailed beneath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-starr/most-dramatically-the-bridge-served-as-an-agonizing-or-exhilarating/) [Kevin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) [Explore all 15 Kevin Starr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-starr/) ## More California quotes > [Everyone in California is from somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wright-morris/everyone-in-california-is-from-somewhere-else/) [Wright Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wright-morris/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [The Urban Literate Southern California Sub-Group of the Early Atomic Period has not yet produced a distinct body of folk music of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hinton/the-urban-literate-southern-california-sub-group-of-the-early-atomic/) [Sam Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hinton/) > [California is a place in which a boom mentality and a sense of Chekhovian loss meet in uneasy suspension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/california-is-a-place-in-which-a-boom-mentality-and-a-sense-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Many militarists would like to see California's votes vanish from the national electoral system, which would then become more Republican.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-swanson/many-militarists-would-like-to-see-california-s-votes-vanish-from-the/) [David Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-swanson/) > [When I started in California, people would say, 'Enterprise who?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-nicholson/when-i-started-in-california-people-would-say-enterprise-who/) [Pamela Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-nicholson/) > [Take one round-trip flight between New York and California, and you've generated about 20 percent of the greenhouse gases that your car emits over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/take-one-round-trip-flight-between-new-york-and-california-and-you-ve/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [These French-style caramels are handmade in California. It's always hard to give them away!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/these-french-style-caramels-are-handmade-in-california-it-s-always/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The D.C. playbook is obsolete. It's time for the people of California to bring the agenda to Washington, not the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/the-d-c-playbook-is-obsolete-it-s-time-for-the-people-of-california/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [While there is an attempt by the Trump people to say that California isn't really America. California certainly seems like America to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/while-there-is-an-attempt-by-the-trump-people-to-say-that-california/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [I'm from California, but my father, who passed away when I was young, was from Newark. When I was kid, we would go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-daly/i-m-from-california-but-my-father-who-passed-away-when-i-was-young/) [Carson Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-daly/) > [“God will break California from the surface of the continent like someone breaking off a piece of chocolate. It will become its own floating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ruby/god-will-break-california-from-the-surface-of-the-continent-like/) [Laura Ruby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ruby/) > [You could have a hit in California that no one had heard of in Oklahoma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-jackson/you-could-have-a-hit-in-california-that-no-one-had-heard-of-in/) [Wanda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-jackson/) > [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/) [David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/) [Browse all 2,036 California quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think California is playing a game of brinkmanship that's very dangerous. 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