What makes me feel better is local action and results. In my community we’ve made a difference in elections and other issues that are making positive contributions to people’s lives. What’s interesting is that if you get involved there is a constant churn of activism available to participate in. You can dive in deep or just do what you can. It’s up to you really.
Edit: You should have heard the cheers when a group of trumpers were driven out of an auditorium after being denied ridding schools of undocumented children. Delicious.
And now that I am back to a proper keyboard…
Local station Fox news is a completely different animal from the 24x7 cable station monster so that is probably not an indicator.
And as far as the topic goes.
Depressed? I dunno. I usually am a pretty hopeful guy but jeezus with the Nazi’s marching and the president giving them a wink and a nod then add in the day to day shit show of this administration. Bush Jr was awful but at least reasonably competent and nothing we couldn’t dig our way out of, but this I just don’t know anymore. Some days I find it hard to not say fuck it the house is worth enough that the family can get resettled away from the crazy.
That right here. “Bush Jr was reasonably competent”. We all felt quite the opposite at the time. We thought he was a moron and buffoon. Little did we know how wrong we were.
Now, that’s Citizenship versus immigration, but if you can jump that first hurdle, the second just became easier (unless you are serving a conditional sentence).
Ì don’t know how relevant it is, but it’s really noticeable among my American friends and acquaintances here in Ireland. I don’t think I can over stress this: they have all been like they are being hit full on every day and crushed. It’s heartbreaking.
Obviously expats from the US skew certain ways (either actual imperial military… operatives shall we say or sensitive people with cultural interests.) and I think we get lots of the cool ones who add greatly to the cultural and intellectual life of the countries they move to. It really, really, hurts them. It’s heartbreaking in truth.
Please don’t buckle under. Please don’t succumb to nihilistic anger. Some of what is happening now is not amenable to reason. What happens in the US happens everywhere else. But the reality is that most people, everywhere, are decent.
No, not everyone else is depressed. Some are revelling in the joy of mocking the financial and familial disruptions some victims of the administration’s legislation are facing. Schadenfreude in wisecracks against people without any social or government safety nets. At least, that’s what I’ve seen online.
Ugh THIS. I can’t tell if my continual shortness of breath is an actual medical problem (which is a possibility considering that I have a heart condition) or just constant anxiety.
Not depressed. In fact, the other thing. After 7 months unemployment I got a job offer and the High Holidays always lift my spirits!
I used the time off from work to be more present with my wife, write a short book and help out around the neighborhood so all in all things are pretty good.
Sometimes I wonder whether our society has not evolve into a giant Skinner box, one of these cages for lab rats with levers, stimulus and electric shocks. The media and the internet sure sometimes feel like it.
If you think about it, the whole advertising industry and the whole of politics official purpose is to condition people. For doing so, as in the Skinner box, they need rewards and punishment. Basically, if you do not exhibit the right behavior, you will be punished. Rats become depressed and apathetic when continuously punished and so do humans.
I was in really bad shape for about six months after the election.
What helped:
Greatly reducing Twitter.
Putting Anxiety Porn (“37 SIGNS OF LOOMING AUTOCRACY!!!”) in perspective.
Getting out and walking. A lot.
Going on marches.
Joining an Indivisible group and helping organize a march.
Volunteering for the county Democratic Party.
Realizing that the vast majority of people in this country realize that Trump is a fucking numbskull, his worst followers are easily cowed by counter-protests, and the rumored scandals and conspiracies have turned out to be taken pretty fucking seriously, and there’s an excellent chance that Trump and/or his family and aides will go to jail.
Things going crazy at work, and eventually getting laid off, which puts things in perspective.
'Grats on reentering employment. The economy globally has been fucked - was out of work for over six months and nearly went mad from the resulting financial pileup. Having hobbies and a healthy support network helps. Shooting Nazis in Wolfenstein helped too.
