yep, honestly i'd prefer to handle the issue of America not being where it needs in a more...direct way (like having cocktails on the boss's lawn), however, the people are not there yet and we need to continue to organize and open people's understanding of how they are being played. Thrown that out as a suggestion as something that might work as of right now. Though I will say, it is nice to be reminded that there are people I can be a little bit more open to the whole "our political system is illegitimate" (and that's the nicest way anyone can put it). Been organizing in a local issue and have to walk around big scary words like "fascism" and "socialism" like i'm playing minesweeper, that i forget that some spaces it's not necessary.
We need a whole host of public transit options that are best suited for each circumstance of a given area. I want public transit so smooth that even if you tried getting lost you end up where you wanted to go with no clue on how it happened. (last bit is an over exaggeration since i don't know how feasible that actually is lol)
Np! And I'm going to say something controversial to my fellow vegetarians and vegans. Giving up meat can be very very hard depending on your personal circumstances. I grew up 30 minutes away from any groceries in cow country. I'm also autistic with mild food issues. It's taken me a long time, work, and circumstances changes (i live in a nice vegetarian friendly city now) to get where i am now. I think the "do or you are a utter failure" that is rampant in anti meat spheres is honestly to its harm. Instead of encouraging everyone to do their best while we fight for better systematic changes, there is scorn and fingerwagging if someone isn't perfect.
My changing climate has a very good video on this just last week actually that goes over everything including the shortcomings of veganism and the actual nuance in it. ( I say this as a vegetarian, but let me tell you, growing up in cow country SE Oklahoma, an hour from a walmart with groceries, I know it's not as simple as some people claim it is. but i'm getting off-topic)
Oh don't worry, voting to me is something that you do and then get back to the real work. You need to organize with people around you and fight everything and anything in your area. If it feels like you can't do that in your area, then if you can, try moving to an area you think you might be able to find your community. (it doesn't have to be far, it can literally be a town over, or even down the street). No one can fight climate change alone. It will take many people working together to make the change we need to see. Also you may be able to radicalize people in your area for even more direct action. Get people to feed into their anger, and channel it at the people in charge who refuse to change anything.
This can start out as small issues but you can wake people up that they DO have power. If we build up a coalition of power from the ground up, it will get easier and faster to do. Many hands make light work and all that, and eventually people will be willing to make people in power fear them again. Cause i'm going to be honest with you, I believe power corrupts absolutely, so anyone in power is so removed from the rest of our realities, that I do not think you can reason with most of them. The only thing you can do against power, is make it fear you. Ironically to all the "just vote UwU" people, voting means nothing if there is no consequences for going against the will of the people. Which we see time and time again. I have finally been able to be more active as of late, despite my disabilities and it gives me a way forward that I wouldn't of had otherwise.
oh, even more things you can do. While I can go on and on about the complications of social media and the internet at large, and while direct action in person is the most effective, there are things you can do if you just can't work in person for a variety of reasons. Before I got my boots on the ground, I was able to help out with community work with social media management. With the internet and our ability to connect long distances, you have options from home in regards to helping build community, and if you do this it may give you connections to help you get out of your situation so that you can be more physically involved in the future.
I know this is a lot, but there is just not a quick easy answer to "what should I do?" Our individualism has warped our reality to how things work, and trust me I battle with it every day too. There is no big savior coming to help us, and there isn't some big magic fix. It will take a lot of tiny things that will build up to big changes. That's how it has always worked, but it's easier to conceptualize when we break it down into big chunks for history. Let alone the hegemony of the Great Man Theory of history
It's hard to tell you what YOU can do, because I don't know you. What CAN you do? Use the skills you have to help out a group or org in your area, if there isn't one, then try making one if that is something you can do, or help online. Our changing climate talked about dual vision when dealing with climate change. It's the idea of looking at what is possible in both a good and bad way and trying to walk that line. I don't know if my organizing and work will make a difference, but all I can do is my best and constantly work for something better. The people in power have taken much from all of us, I refuse to let them take my one life without a fight, and without me finding happiness in the dark times. We don't get to choose the times we live in, but we can help fight and build something better so those in the future will have something better. That's just how I live and it's what works for me.
This is a trying time, and sorry I did not mean for this to turn into a novel. Like i said it's hard to answer the question "what do I do?" simply without coming off as uncaring or hand-wavy. TL;DR shit fucking sucks
I wish you luck in your journey and as much peace as anyone of us can have with our climate anxiety.
TL:DR kinda defeats the purpose but, Shit fucking sucks, and it's hard. But we gotta try, organizing and direct action to the point of making those in power fear us is our best option.
as my friend says "Despair is a commodity, don't buy into it"
get organized with people and bring fear to the people who won't change policies. YOU cannot do anything, but WE can. No one can fight climate change alone.
sounds like giving up to me
Yep, exactly what i was getting at
speaking honestly here, good for you! That can be a hard thing to pull yourself out of. I'm glad you were able to do it.
- fascism. 2. gerrymandering, and constant attacks to peoples voting rights.
Athena5898
joined 1 year ago
Ngl, i'm just going to assume you are a neo-lib who is going to back away from those other symbols as soon as you see a homeless person just walking down the street. As an ND Queer who grew up in OK and now lives in a liberal area, it's all the same shit. I've seen plenty of American flags being waved next to pride flags and shit but these same people will call the cops cause someone looks "fishy" in their neighborhood (and the fishy is being Black, but hey why do any introspective about your role in the racist system). I've never seen anyone who flies the American flag that didn't come from someplace of privilege that will say "BLM!" or "Love is Love!" and then turn around and say "Maybe some conservatives have a point" or whatever.
Just letting you know, if you fly an American flag regardless of whatever else, a lot of different marginalized people are going to side-eye you and not trust you. You can't "take back" something that is embedded in the very fabric of the creation of this country (hate, bigotry, fascism) without societal changes to the basic foundations of this country.