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Welcome to California: land of plunder and hypocrisy | Mark Arax

Published 14 June 2026 · us

From gold to water, California’s wealth was built on extraction. The AI boom is reviving an old question: who pays the price? I was a

From gold to water, California’s wealth was built on extraction. The AI boom is reviving an old question: who pays the price? I was a fourth-grader in the public schools of California when I first learned about the Gold Rush.

I remember our teacher, Mrs Dyer, passing down the story in the manner of lore. On the morning of 24 January 1848, James Marshall, a New Jersey boy come west, stumbled upon four shiny nuggets alongside the American River.

He tried to keep his discovery a secret, but the shout of “eureka” from the dirt streets of San Francisco rang out across the shore. It unleashed a force that could not be contained.

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Welcome to California: land of plunder and hypocrisy | Mark Arax

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Published: June 14, 2026 • 6:30 PM IST · Updated: June 14, 2026 • 7:08 PM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team

Welcome to California: land of plunder and hypocrisy | Mark Arax

Key points

  • From gold to water, California’s wealth was built on extraction.
  • The AI boom is reviving an old question: who pays the price?
  • I was a fourth-grader in the public schools of California when I first learned about the Gold Rush.
  • I remember our teacher, Mrs Dyer, passing down the story in the manner of lore.
  • On the morning of 24 January 1848, James Marshall, a New Jersey boy come west, stumbled upon four shiny nuggets alongside the American River.

Published June 14, 2026.


📌 Source: The Guardian

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