[FRIAM] The World Turned Upside Down (and what to do about it)

[gⅼеɳ ☣]

Well, Republicans aren't so bad.  It's the conservative wing of their party that's bad.  Similarly, Democrats aren't as bad as the Bernie-bros make them out.  It's the conservative wing of the Democrats that's bad.  So, to be clear, I like the majority of the Republicans I know.  And I like the majority of the Democrats I know.  Fortunately, my personality is such that thin-skinned people don't spend much time around me.  And most conservatives are very thin-skinned.

But I'm not merely talking about technology, though I think you're wrong about its influence.  Even if you're right, we still have plenty to be hopeful about: Obamacare, more experiments in UBI, people are living longer, murder is dropping, more people are recognizing their own implicit racism, our country's people are becoming a beautiful taupe color, I can go to pretty much any pub in Portland and listen to music with African or Middle Eastern influences, etc etc on and on.

The only thing you have to fear is fear, itself.


On 09/14/2017 12:57 PM, Russ Abbott wrote:
> Glen goes, "Other than Trump and the last dying gasps of the traits that got him elected, the rest of us believe the country was (and kinda still is) on a very good track!"
> 
> I wish I could be that optimistic. The Republicans have managed to get control of the majority of state governments, which let them gerrymander the districts in 2010. If they keep that control, they will continue with the gerrymandering.  Between gerrymandering and the electoral college, it will be tough to get them out of power.  Unfortunately, technology will not solve global warming and the increased pollution Trump has unleashed. It won't solve healthcare. It won't solve voter suppression. It won't solve troglodyte courts.  It won't solve increasing inequality. No matter how good our technology gets, we can't ignore the damage government can do when controlled by the sort of people who have grabbed power -- and are doing their best to arrange things so that they keep it.  I wish I could be more optimistic about the future of the country, but I'm not.
> 
> I'll tell you one other thing I'm not proud of in myself. I've been so angry at Republicans that I have had no sympathy for the people in Florida and Texas. I even know that most of the people who are hurt the most are probably Democrats. Still I can't seem to find any empathy for those states as such.


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