Please start with California. You can keep it, we're fine. In fact, I suggest we trade you California for Alberta.
Discussion
What's wrong with California? There is lots of resources there and there is lots of good farm land.
There will be no trading. It's all mine. Both places have lots of resources that I need to build and expand my empire.
Will this empire have blackjack and hookers? If so, I'm in. Do you need anyone with no discernible skills besides being a decent programmer and writing shitty economics articles?
California's great. It's the people that are the problem. All the decent ones have run away or are trying to. The selection bias for "I have chosen that staying in California under the current leadership" selects heavily for people you wouldn't want in a country.
Yes. My empire has hookers and blackjack. My empire doesn't care what adults do with their bodies. You can even have a duel between consenting adults and people can watch and have fun and place bets on who will die first.
Well when you annex a country the people usually move away when the bombs start dropping but the ones that stay can be used for useful things.
From what you tell me. It sounds to me like the people of California could be used to pick my soliders foods from the farms. That will toughen them up.
I think life is too easy down in the USA in the California area. My annexation will turn them hard working individuals and if they don't listen we will beat them.
I've always thought Americans were a bit soft from the fiat system down there so a little beating will toughen them up.
You sound like you have good skills. Programmers are always useful. They are quite intelligent already and can be easily hired to do important things to expand the empire.. Writing articles is also needed as the farm workers will need to be educated on how the new economic system of the empire works.
Life will be good under my empire.