Let them 'rot': Former Marine's solution to fixing California is about as anti-establishment as it gets

California used to be a land of promise that produced fine Americans who mocked D.C. elites, a former U.S. Marine officer says.In the face of failed state and federal leadership in the Democratic Party, an ex-soldier has a message for inland communities.The coastal cities and elites are supported by the inland residents, says security expert and veteran Adam Castillo.'I'm tired of being the butt of jokes for MAGA.'In an interview with Blaze News, Castillo explained that he found opportunity in Myanmar after being left as an unemployed veteran as part of that massive sequestering period by the Obama administration around 2013.Promises from the Barack Obama administration of finding jobs for veterans turned into nothing more than a check-box item for hiring managers, Castillo claimed, who would then say, Hey, we we interviewed a veteran, and move on.Castillo ran a security company during Myanmar's 2021 coup d'état, which taught him a valuable lesson: things can be done properly with the right leadership, even under the harshest conditions.It is that experience that brought Castillo to believe the inland communities of California should be the focus for Republicans while the rest of the state crumbles around them.To be frank, who do you think supports these coastal cities? The inland desert communities, right? We're the ones commuting to the cities to make sure they're run, to make sure that the sanitation infrastructure is run [and] the electricity is run, Castillo declared.RELATED: Self-driving trucks are about controlling the roads — not making them safer George Rose/Getty Images Republicans and conservatives should start with town councils, school boards, and the like before splintering outward into state legislatures, Castillo suggested.When you start going inland, specifically into the deserts, this is where it gets really conservative. ... They are the power of California.What we need to concentrate on in terms of organization at the community level is the inland communities, not the coastal cities, he went on.School board, city council, mayor, state legislator, then congressman, then senator, Castillo said.For the coastal elites, Castillo says the voters need to deal with the consequences of their elections for a bit longer.I think we just let the liberal coastal cities rot, the former officer bluntly stated. Honestly. They're already rotting. So let them continue to rot. They do not represent us. They don't even have that many representatives. RELATED: The left spots fake reality only when Hollywood gets hurt Your browser does not support the video tag. While Castillo's remarks could be seen as divisive or jarring by some, he remained confident that a Republican governor in 2026 and beyond would set an amazing precedent in smaller communities and provide much-needed inspiration.In the end, his belief that Californians can still recapture their glory years serves as his ongoing motivation.I'm tired of being the butt of jokes for other states. I'm tired of being the butt of jokes for MAGA, he concluded. We're Californians. We were better than you people, he said of D.C. elites. We were born better than you people. It's about time we reclaim our seat at that power.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!