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Watching a Slow-Moving Train Wreck
I’m surrendering. Well, I’m pretty close to surrendering. We had a lively discussion on my most recent post; I worked very hard to point out not only how unjustly the Republicans have been accused of the problems in this country, but also how feckless the Republicans have been in responding to the lies. And I was hoping that all of us could identify not only the glimmers of hope that we are already seeing, but also what positive outcomes could unfold in the future. To your credit, you were honest and direct with me.
There’s little to no hope.
The train wreck has been in process for many years, and for the most part, people shrugged their shoulders: it’s been bad before; we’ve always turned it around; we’ll take care of the problems once we’re back in power; and other assurances.
But the future looks pretty dark right now.
Republicans are still wringing their hands. When we make progress in some areas, we’re still playing a game of whack-a-mole—ban one CRT program and another appears. The Progressives have no reluctance about lying, whether they are describing inflation, the border, or crime. And when they run out of lies, they can always blame Donald Trump and his MAGA constituents.
So, here I sit after clearing my head by cleaning out my refrigerator. (That’s how desperate I was.) After over 1,500 posts, what else do I have to say about the state of our culture and country? Yes, I know I have other subjects I enjoy writing about (religion, personal experience and reflections, even a few fun posts), but I feel compelled to do something to make my tiny contribution to help my country.
But am I doing anything helpful?
My problem is that I can’t imagine not doing or writing anything about our state of affairs. But what’s the point? How does that make a difference?
* * * *
I’m assuming that most of you are interested in current affairs, in particular, the state of our country and our politics. For myself, I read the WSJ, glance at the Orlando Sentinel and am not on any online platforms except this one.
How do you “hold” all the news in your mind and in your heart? Have you stopped reading newspapers? Do you discipline yourself to create a “news-free” zone in your head? Have you found a way to maintain a balance in your outlook and attitudes?
Or have you simply given up on our country? Can you tell me how you do that?
I have had my sad moments these eight years on Ricochet. But I’m just about at my lowest. The next two months seem like forever; the next two years seem like an eternity.
Can you offer suggestions for me, or others like me, for coping with the potential disaster ahead?
[photo courtesy of unsplash.com]
Published in Politics
History will tell us that we can’t tell when our efforts will “take hold”, but it does tell us that those who keep speaking and fighting with wisdom and passion will have an impact. Perhaps not in their own time but certainly later. As I have said before here, we have seen that when our prinicples are applied the results happen quickly as in the Trump years nationally, Rudy’s time in NYC and many more “local” examples. The key is defending and growing the culture which created the nation to begin with. That is hard, brutal and thankless but one never knows how much effect their fight will have. But not to is the sin because a large part of our role and calling should be to keep pushing that rock up the hill, a step at a time.
My husband will love for me to have the guns but the tattoos will have to go! Thanks, Ronin.
Honestly Susan, if Ricochet becomes a place where conservatives go to give up, then we truly are in trouble. I came here to work out issues with my fellow conservatives so that I could go and do battle elsewhere. Don’t be discouraged by the nay sayers and don’t ever give up hope. Politics is a battle, always will be. We are in a particularly nasty one right now. But the only time we truly lose is if we stop fighting. Completely agree with those who posted pictures of Winston Churchill and his famous words.
When I get totally depressed with where the country is headed, I turn away from Ricochet for a few days. There are a lot of very smart people here, but there are a lot of Eeyores as well. That’s certainly their prerogative, but it’s basically the same reason I don’t read the book of Job when I’m feeling bummed out.
Ah Doc, there you go again, showing that picture of the arrogant doofus and raising my blood pressure. On the morning after he was elected, I (and I suspect, many other Americans) hearkened back to the words of General Paul von Ludendorff on the election of Hitler:
“…you have handed over our Fatherland to one of the greatest demagogues of all time…Future generations will curse you in your grave for this action.”
Susan isn’t giving up. The OP is a clever line of attack. Pass the ammo.
I’ve been considering some tats. I have none. What is appropriate for an early-60’s nerdy outdoor type with classified memories and an antisocial attitude?
Exactly. The only thing that all of us can do is our absolute best, as Americans, so we can say at the end:
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Reality still wins in the end. Oppressors can oppressor the people but Reality can’t be oppressed. Try commanding the tide not to come in sometime.
I was in Rome last week and was immersed in beauty and history for 5 days. It was almost overwhelming at times. To say that that lifts the spirits is an understatement. I’m not saying you need to go to Rome Susan (although if you can do!) but I second those who say to switch off the politics for a while and instead enjoy what wonders our ancestors have given us. They must have lived through some dark and desperate times too but they knew everything in this world passes.
None. None tats. “Be the first on your block not to have a tattoo.”
In 2022, not having a tattoo is punk rock.
The Chinese word for soup.
I wish I were that devious, Barfly! But I’ll still take the ammo!
Is the leadership of Ricochet leading anywhere?
Indeed, Marjorie. We were taking little excursions around Florida mostly before COVID. We’re over due for a trip!
I think you’re safe enough without the tats, given all your attributes!
They really don’t need to lead anywhere as long as they are a place we can vent, and get encouragement, etc…
?? Will it pass the CoC?
I don’t look for anyone to lead us, Drew. They’ve given us the basics to work from, and now we are free to proceed as we wish. Works for me.
Give up? For what? I quite think not.
It’s the cure for most things. I’m off again this weekend to Poland
I don’t think we should descend into pessimism. In about 7 weeks we will be able to participate in elections for governors, senators and members of the US House of Representatives, not to mention state legislators and also mayors and members of the city council.
As President Gerald Ford said when he became president after Nixon resigned, “Here, the people rule.”
Now, maybe you think that many of “the people” are misinformed and are therefore likely to vote for the wrong politicians. Yes. Human beings are fallible and that’s why we can expect human beings to make some bad choices when it comes to candidates for public office.
But look at what happened in San Francisco recently. A very far left constituency voted out their District Attorney because he wasn’t prosecuting criminals. And earlier they booted out the school board for being more focused on renaming high schools than educating children.
Also, just this year the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, something I had at one time thought was impossible.
They say that in the darkest night there is a light beyond. I think that is correct.
Do you need someone to carry your bags??
Right, but what I’m sayin’ is that if Ricochet is where conservatives go to give up . . . why might that be? And if TPTB would like it to be a place where conservatives can optimistically plan and work to make America great again, what might they do to cultivate that?
Put Bill Barr on the Podcast again?
Heheh a European Ricochet meet-up would be something else
You wanted Biden to win. Maybe step off.
I’m in Augsburg, still and I think Dave Deeble is here in Germany again, too, in Herne.
@susanquinn
I don’t create a “news free” zone in my head, but I do try to make clear distinctions between those things I can influence and those things I can’t.
And I caution myself against negativity bias.
I accept that my impact may not be global or national but I can do something in my sphere that matters. I cannot fix the world but I can love my neighbor. I can create something that is beautiful and true. (e.g. this past Saturday my wife and I spent most of the day cooking and preparing fajitas and fixings. On Sunday, 50 people came to our home for a fajita lunch and many lingered late into the late afternoon, talking and laughing and being surprised by how a leisurely meal in a welcoming home had affected them.)
Perhaps more important than anything else, I can tell the truth. “One word of truth”, a wise man once said, “outweighs the world.”
Do not allow the high-velocity rush of demoralizing stories to overwhelm your defenses. They are a demonic psyops exercise, and we should not believe a lot of what we are constantly being hectored about. Things are bad, but they are not wholly bad.
The internet itself is, IMO, inhumane. People worry and write about the possibility of artificial intelligence escaping the control of its creators. Well, I submit that the internet long ago escaped the control of its creators, and it has become at least as detrimental as beneficial.
The internet increasingly seems a lot like a palantír, while we ourselves are surprisingly similar to Hobbits. Here are some thoughts I wrote along these lines a year or so ago. We might be wise to learn from Tolkien in the heat of our current conflict.