Ya’ll gotta understand that california doesn’t just hand over big bags of money once a year, the mechanisms of payment are numerous and vastly complex, often overseen directly by the IRS in concert with interstate banking groups which california has no authority over. Add to that, the federal budget is a budget. The feds already have payroll secured for the forseeable future, certainly long enough to roll in and arrest Newsom (et. al.) for sedition. The conservative hate machine has, as well, been painting “Commiefornia” as the enemy for years. Troops have been fantasizing about rolling tanks down sunset boulevard and pacifying those uppity libs for decades now, it’s not like that sentiment can’t or won’t be exploited by the trump admin.

There’s just no feasible scenario in which this would end well for california.

Maybe, maybe not. What you have to consider is that when you are in the military, the federal government owns you like livestock. They feed you, house you, and can send you to your death. You don’t necessarily need money, especially in the short term. Moreover, there are rules that prevent active duty military from being ejected from housing. You might not be happy about dollar devaluation, but the blame will be focused on the “bad” people of California and you’re there to make it right. It would take a lot for the U.S. military machine to grind to a halt, and a lot of damage can be done while it is happening.

Another common idea is that the good folks in the military aren’t going to shoot civilians, and would rebel if ordered to. While there might be some isolated rebellion, most people in the military are conditioned to follow orders, and will do so, even if such orders are illegal. People will do what they have to to keep the pressure off themselves.