"Given all the disintegration happening in the world I would say that optimism verges on psychosis. There is simply no justification for it."
Let's say this is true. What's the sanest, healthiest response to this? What would you have said to MLK in 1955, say? Emmett Till had just been lynched, black people were murdered with impunity, oft…
"Given all the disintegration happening in the world I would say that optimism verges on psychosis. There is simply no justification for it."
Let's say this is true. What's the sanest, healthiest response to this? What would you have said to MLK in 1955, say? Emmett Till had just been lynched, black people were murdered with impunity, often by the police themselves, George Wallace had just become governor of Alabama on a platform of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."
Surely, and with far more justification, optimism would be described as psychosis. MLK's dream would have been (and was) more correctly described as a pipe dream. Yet 13 years later the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act were all the law of the land.
And I'll go a step further. Even if none of that had happened. Even if the Civil Rights movement had achieved nothing notable at all, I'd *still* argue that their response to their circumstances was the only sane one. Because what's the alternative? Apathy and cynicism and impotent rage? To grumble about one's circumstances but do nothing about them? To tell oneself that the "bad guys" are just too smart and it's hopeless to oppose them? We can look at certain quarters of the black community and see how self-defeating this is.
Oh, I am not counseling despair and inaction, I'm saying that there are no circumstances right now that justify Smile. Everything is falling apart at once and there are very few things getting better. Yes we absolutely should do all we can to mitigate calamity where we can't stop it and those of us who don't regard cruelty as entertainment should strive to be nice to each other, but optimism? No.
I guess I’d say optimism is a prerequisite for productive action, no? Or at least that you’re more likely to do your best work if you believe that work will succeed.
Looking at the successes of the past is a constant source of encouragement when it comes to social issues. Environmental issues I find it a little more difficult to be chipper about😅
All the social progress since serfdom won't matter a bit if the environment continues on its current path.
Frankly I am glad to be nearing the end of my life because I don't want to live to see what's coming. Yes I do everything I can to prevent it; any money I have left after I shuffle off the coil goes to Loro Parque Fundación and all the donations I make are to wildlife causes. I recycle as much as I can, I'm almost vegetarian, but I think our extinction is going to come from wars of food plunder that get out of hand.
I disagree that optimism is prerequisite for activism. Look at the religious right; they worked for generations toward a world they knew they would not live to see, but which has now arrived. They were determined, We can be too.
"Given all the disintegration happening in the world I would say that optimism verges on psychosis. There is simply no justification for it."
Let's say this is true. What's the sanest, healthiest response to this? What would you have said to MLK in 1955, say? Emmett Till had just been lynched, black people were murdered with impunity, often by the police themselves, George Wallace had just become governor of Alabama on a platform of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."
Surely, and with far more justification, optimism would be described as psychosis. MLK's dream would have been (and was) more correctly described as a pipe dream. Yet 13 years later the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act were all the law of the land.
And I'll go a step further. Even if none of that had happened. Even if the Civil Rights movement had achieved nothing notable at all, I'd *still* argue that their response to their circumstances was the only sane one. Because what's the alternative? Apathy and cynicism and impotent rage? To grumble about one's circumstances but do nothing about them? To tell oneself that the "bad guys" are just too smart and it's hopeless to oppose them? We can look at certain quarters of the black community and see how self-defeating this is.
Oh, I am not counseling despair and inaction, I'm saying that there are no circumstances right now that justify Smile. Everything is falling apart at once and there are very few things getting better. Yes we absolutely should do all we can to mitigate calamity where we can't stop it and those of us who don't regard cruelty as entertainment should strive to be nice to each other, but optimism? No.
I guess I’d say optimism is a prerequisite for productive action, no? Or at least that you’re more likely to do your best work if you believe that work will succeed.
Looking at the successes of the past is a constant source of encouragement when it comes to social issues. Environmental issues I find it a little more difficult to be chipper about😅
All the social progress since serfdom won't matter a bit if the environment continues on its current path.
Frankly I am glad to be nearing the end of my life because I don't want to live to see what's coming. Yes I do everything I can to prevent it; any money I have left after I shuffle off the coil goes to Loro Parque Fundación and all the donations I make are to wildlife causes. I recycle as much as I can, I'm almost vegetarian, but I think our extinction is going to come from wars of food plunder that get out of hand.
I disagree that optimism is prerequisite for activism. Look at the religious right; they worked for generations toward a world they knew they would not live to see, but which has now arrived. They were determined, We can be too.
Life has put me into the hope for the best, but plan for the worst camp. That does not preclude working for the best.