You’ve lost hope, I have not. Perhaps because I’m much older and lived through fascism before as a child in Mississippi and the assassinations of the 1960s and then Nixon and Vietnam as a young man. He’s getting closer to death or disability, maybe quickly, and the MAGAs are splintered and he has only 1/3 approval. The cult unravels. Gen Z have flipped hard. There is very little he can do to stop the elections in the fall and then the unraveling begins. Dig deeper and get back on board. Nil desperandum. To lose hope is to throw Eros away.
Despite the sorry state of the world, I see an awakening happening.
I'm from Hungary and it very much looks like we will throw out the Trumpian despot that has led us for the last 16 years and return to European Democracy this weekend.
Die-hard Maga supporters are abandoning Trump. Israel is a pariah state, despised by everyone. Even Melania is distancing herself from Trump and the axis of Epstein.
People all over the world are realising that they have been lied to all their lives and are waking up to this fact. Not a majority yet, but enough in numbers to make a wave. The US empire is crumbling and being associated with it and Israel in any way is now toxic. Even far-right European politicians are turning away.
I believe we had to see the true depths of these people to wake up from our slumber. The lies no longer work.
Complexity, rapid change, and dependence on global events are eroding our sense of control over our lives. The underlying essence, the same lack of control that fuels “road rage,” has infected everyday life for many. The natural response is to lash out at the systems and groups we perceive as responsible for our impotence. In the US, that has meant replacing leadership with a wrecking ball. Those who felt overlooked can now take solace in having used their power to sign off on a demolition contract. Perhaps, on the rebuild, we can do a better job of creating systems that avoid the causes fueling our present problems.
I'm not losing hope; I'm no longer trying to hold onto the old ways. Perhaps it's time for the phoenix to rise from the fire so we can build a better society ahead, one more like Eudaimonia. Time to rebuild the foundation instead of patching the rot. (Yes, it's a cliche - I mentioned before that I'm not a writer.)
Meanwhile, one more from Earthseed: The books of the Living -
Purpose
Unifies us:
It focuses our dreams,
Guides our plans,
Strengthens our efforts.
Purpose
Defines us,
Shapes us,
And offers us
Greatness.
- from Parable of the Talents, Octavia E. Butler, copyright 1998
So, it seems many of us have lost our purpose. Understandable. But to quote another great woman (my Mom), "What are you going to do about it?" It was never said unkindly, or meanly, but just a matter-of-fact practical question. What are you going to do about it? Maybe you need to stop for your mental health (Umair, I'm looking at you) or maybe you can get out and become a leader. Maybe your talents like in the arts or in organizing behind the scenes or maybe you just show up to wave a sign or give someone a kind word. Whatever. The resistance is growing. Maybe it's more apparent in the US than overseas, but it's growing. I just hope it will be enough to bring the changes quickly enough to limit the damage being done to the rest of the world.
Question: do you think Umair actually reads these comments? I'm sure his time is limited, so perhaps that has been turned over to someone else? No judgement either way from me, but I do hope he is hearing these voices of encouragement and taking them to heart.
You’ve lost hope, I have not. Perhaps because I’m much older and lived through fascism before as a child in Mississippi and the assassinations of the 1960s and then Nixon and Vietnam as a young man. He’s getting closer to death or disability, maybe quickly, and the MAGAs are splintered and he has only 1/3 approval. The cult unravels. Gen Z have flipped hard. There is very little he can do to stop the elections in the fall and then the unraveling begins. Dig deeper and get back on board. Nil desperandum. To lose hope is to throw Eros away.
I believe Umairs point is that this death drive runs deeper than Trump or his followers. It is modern industrial civilization itself.
Yes and I agree with that. Still no reason to give up.
Despite the sorry state of the world, I see an awakening happening.
I'm from Hungary and it very much looks like we will throw out the Trumpian despot that has led us for the last 16 years and return to European Democracy this weekend.
Die-hard Maga supporters are abandoning Trump. Israel is a pariah state, despised by everyone. Even Melania is distancing herself from Trump and the axis of Epstein.
People all over the world are realising that they have been lied to all their lives and are waking up to this fact. Not a majority yet, but enough in numbers to make a wave. The US empire is crumbling and being associated with it and Israel in any way is now toxic. Even far-right European politicians are turning away.
I believe we had to see the true depths of these people to wake up from our slumber. The lies no longer work.
Complexity, rapid change, and dependence on global events are eroding our sense of control over our lives. The underlying essence, the same lack of control that fuels “road rage,” has infected everyday life for many. The natural response is to lash out at the systems and groups we perceive as responsible for our impotence. In the US, that has meant replacing leadership with a wrecking ball. Those who felt overlooked can now take solace in having used their power to sign off on a demolition contract. Perhaps, on the rebuild, we can do a better job of creating systems that avoid the causes fueling our present problems.
I'm not losing hope; I'm no longer trying to hold onto the old ways. Perhaps it's time for the phoenix to rise from the fire so we can build a better society ahead, one more like Eudaimonia. Time to rebuild the foundation instead of patching the rot. (Yes, it's a cliche - I mentioned before that I'm not a writer.)
Meanwhile, one more from Earthseed: The books of the Living -
Purpose
Unifies us:
It focuses our dreams,
Guides our plans,
Strengthens our efforts.
Purpose
Defines us,
Shapes us,
And offers us
Greatness.
- from Parable of the Talents, Octavia E. Butler, copyright 1998
So, it seems many of us have lost our purpose. Understandable. But to quote another great woman (my Mom), "What are you going to do about it?" It was never said unkindly, or meanly, but just a matter-of-fact practical question. What are you going to do about it? Maybe you need to stop for your mental health (Umair, I'm looking at you) or maybe you can get out and become a leader. Maybe your talents like in the arts or in organizing behind the scenes or maybe you just show up to wave a sign or give someone a kind word. Whatever. The resistance is growing. Maybe it's more apparent in the US than overseas, but it's growing. I just hope it will be enough to bring the changes quickly enough to limit the damage being done to the rest of the world.
Question: do you think Umair actually reads these comments? I'm sure his time is limited, so perhaps that has been turned over to someone else? No judgement either way from me, but I do hope he is hearing these voices of encouragement and taking them to heart.
yup.
"We are embedded in a civilization that practices death as a way of life. ~ Jon Warren Lentz"
a truly epic battle between good and evil. . . . if evil wins, I quit! 🤨