History.

No really looking at all the crazy stuff that happened in the past, you realize these aren’t unprecedented times, at least as far as tragedy goes, but the truly unprecedented part is how much less shitty things are in comparison. Not even with technology but with social progress.

It doesn’t feel like it but when you think that within the lifetime of people alive we had segregated bathrooms and pools and that seems insane now, that’s at least some hope.

One day trump will be dead.

I have a beautiful girlfriend which I plan to marry. Whatever happens I know atleast she will be with me.

My kids absolutely love life and are majorly excited about everything.

For me, it’s the simple fact that almost every person you interact with is good. Yeah, in groups we can be horrible, but individuals will almost always help other people regardless of who they are. It’s only when you make someone an anonymous “other” that they are cruel.

This maybe isn’t super optimistic, because of how easy it is to create that “other”, but it’s something.

Every day, more normal people are beginning to understand that conservatism is the single greatest threat to all life on earth. I am hopeful the normal people will be able to dramatically reduce the number of conservatives on earth before the conservatives kill us all.

Solving the problem of conservatism existing also solves nearly every other problem on earth. Without conservatives, the normal people would be able to address climate change, wealth inequality, affordable healthcare, housing shortages, artificially low wages, food scarcity, overt bigotry and numerous other issues that are caused exclusively by conservatives existing.

Without conservatives, billionaires become powerless. It becomes possible to charge the wealth class with crimes, force them to pay fair taxes and pay proper wages. Labor unions become possible without conservatives around to break them or outlaw them.

Every genocide in human history has been led by conservatives. Stopping conservatives is the only thing that stops genocides.

The world would be dramatically healthier, happier and safer without conservatives in it. I think the normal people are beginning to see conservatives as the existential threat they are. As conservatives escalate their violence around the world, hopefully the normal people will become willing to completely eliminate the threat. The world will be a much better place for it.

There are so many good things that are happening.

I realise that humanity seems to be on the brink of some truly terrible changes. But you have to cast a wider view than what is broadcast.

Most of the good things are happening all the time in so many places, but simple good works don’t generate clicks and engagement.

A huge part of the good in the world is coming through kids; we are teaching them to care for each other and the planet. It is working, there is pushback in some sections of society, there is serious backsliding in some countries. But overall we are moving forward toward a fairer and cleaner world.

I’m a techno-optimist, I think humanity has the capability to solve any challenge before us. It would be nice if we didn’t need a crisis to spur the change we need; but we solve problems…that is what we do.

The old ways die slowly; the victories are hard won sometimes, but they are won. Even Trump, as much as I hate all the terrible things he is doing; seems to be the last gasp of a failed philosophy. They won’t let go without a fight, but there are far more of us than there are of them.

The knowledge that I will outlive at least some of these old miserable fucks

About 100 years ago, the situation was similar to how it is today. The rich were rich and only getting richer and the workers were being exploited mercilessly. The people were fed up and so there was an unprecedented general strike. This caused Parliament to introduce a max 48h work week, social security for old people among many other things. This was followed by a period of general prosperity for working people.

Now the pendulum is swinging the other way again, the way of the rich and powerful, but it will swing back in our favour in due time, further than it ever has. As long as we are living in a democracy, the government is ultimately beholden to the people and at some point the people will get fed up and the times will change again. Be a part of that!

the pendulum swings this way and that way

I believe AI will finally drive a good percentage of people back to true art and human expression.

The kids are burning down Paris again. I think we will be good.

All of this push for global fascism and tightening of chains across the world is actually an extinction burst that’s happening precisely because the world is waking up. The oligarchs see one last chance to hold onto power before the common people flip the board.

Sometimes it’s just enough to be kind myself and get a genuine smile in reaction.

Being kind to cashiers, giving up my seat to the elderly, holding the door for someone or having a trans person seem relieved and sit next to me on the train because the see the flag on my jacket.

It’s the little things that keep our society together.

I think Gen X and younger are, overall, better at dealing with emotional issues than their parents and grandparents. Granted, there’s definitely still room for improvement.

But it’s no longer considered socially acceptable (much less preferable) to use your kids as a piñata to vent your anger on instead of seeking therapy. It’s also far more common for parents to show physical and verbal affection toward their kids. Something my (boomer) parents virtually never did. Probably because that’s the dynamic they were taught.

I dont have any firm evidence to back this claim up, but conversations with parents that are relatively close to me in age has shown that I’m not the only one who has observed this trend.