From Despair to Politics by Henry Mantel
The future looks pretty bleak right now, doesn't it? I know I'm not the only one who sees it. Follow the current trends of climate change, economic inequality, and right-wing extremism to their logical conclusion and the outcome is clear: we're fucked. Historically, each of these alone always precedes civil unrest at best, calamity at worst, but all three together? We're completely and utterly fucked. Anyone who can't see that is being willfully ignorant at this point. With the Internet, everyone can have a front-row seat to the sixth mass extinction event, the lives of billionaires, and live-streamed acts of terrorism. As a young person, it often feels like I was born just to bear witness to the end.
When faced with the realities of today, despair is inevitable. Despair is nothing new, of course, we all feel the cold flutter of the void against our souls, but this is different. This is not a personal fear of my own mortality, this is an unprecedented, peer-reviewed, planet-wide existential crisis. There's nowhere to escape to anymore. No matter how we try to ignore it, whether through laughter, prayer, sex, drugs, or music, we're all going to burn with this world.
Every time I think about this (a few times a day, usually), four of the five stages of grief roll through me like a Catherine wheel. Denial that the universe could be as infinite in its apathy as it is in its size. Anger at those who sold my hope for an SUV and myself for not doing enough to earn it back. Bargaining for a best case scenario where merely billions die yet humanity survives. Depressed by the weight of what has been and will be lost. Over and over these feelings cycle around my heart, giving it an emotional workout that just leaves me exhausted. I am so tired of bad news.
The final stage, acceptance, is a luxury I deny myself. Accept the end? Accept that I am powerless to avoid the inevitable? What? No, absolutely not, fuck that. I am going to tell the universe it's wrong, rage against the dying of the light, make a deal with the devil, and stare into the abyss until it stares back at me because I am a human being and I still have faith in us. Is it healthy or rational? Of course not, but it beats the hell out of cynical nihilism or suicide and peace of mind is for pacifists.
Faith is a funny thing. It is an almost perpetual state of disappointment, yet we cling to it desperately when we have it. To believe in something despite all evidence to the contrary takes effort. So, despite waking up most mornings only to have the hope of a new day die inside me the instant I glance at the headlines, I still believe in people. People have this incredible ability to change the world simply by believing they can.
So, where does my faith in people lead me? Why, into politics, of course!
Politics is everything. It is the past, present, and future. It is the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. When Lucifer rebelled against God, it was a political calculation. Every leader, activist, revolutionary, and monarch in history has fought (and likely died) in the political arena. Heroes are born and tyrants fall in the battles over the reins of power. The world is the way it is today, and on the path it is on, because of the political machinations of people who were still just people. I'm not going to lie, that blows my fucking mind. General Grant was just another functioning alcoholic. Harriet Tubman was just a woman who wanted to help people. Most of the Founding Fathers were just middle-aged men whining about taxes. Think you haven't accomplished enough in your life yet? Don't worry, you might still spark a revolution and create a nation.
This is why I love politics. Politics is how normal people make a difference. Politics is the ultimate instrument of positive and lasting change. Politics got us into this mess and politics can get us out.
One of the first things I learned in politics is that nothing is certain. No outcome, no matter how right or hard fought, is inevitable. But that works both ways, doesn't it? No matter how dark things seem, there is always the possibility of victory. So long as the possibility remains, there is something to fight for. The fact that we have made it this far is proof that we can go further still. With cooperation, sacrifice, and good faith, we can ensure a brighter future.
Every problem we face today has a solution. The only thing we lack is the political will to match the enormity of those problems. I don't know how to inspire such dedication, but I know it's possible. And so long as that possibility exists, I'm going to try and make it a reality. I am going to vote at every opportunity, speak up for what is right, stay informed about the issues that matter, and donate what I can to those that are already working on implementing solutions. I hope you will do the same.
If you've read this far, then here are a few things you can do, right now, to make the future just a little bit brighter.
Make sure you're registered to vote and make sure everyone you know is too.
Find your elected representatives and let them know how you feel about the issues.
Google "political groups near me" and pick a couple that you might want to get involved with.
If none of these appeal to you, check this list out for other suggestions.
When faced with the realities of today, despair is inevitable. Despair is nothing new, of course, we all feel the cold flutter of the void against our souls, but this is different. This is not a personal fear of my own mortality, this is an unprecedented, peer-reviewed, planet-wide existential crisis. There's nowhere to escape to anymore. No matter how we try to ignore it, whether through laughter, prayer, sex, drugs, or music, we're all going to burn with this world.
Every time I think about this (a few times a day, usually), four of the five stages of grief roll through me like a Catherine wheel. Denial that the universe could be as infinite in its apathy as it is in its size. Anger at those who sold my hope for an SUV and myself for not doing enough to earn it back. Bargaining for a best case scenario where merely billions die yet humanity survives. Depressed by the weight of what has been and will be lost. Over and over these feelings cycle around my heart, giving it an emotional workout that just leaves me exhausted. I am so tired of bad news.
The final stage, acceptance, is a luxury I deny myself. Accept the end? Accept that I am powerless to avoid the inevitable? What? No, absolutely not, fuck that. I am going to tell the universe it's wrong, rage against the dying of the light, make a deal with the devil, and stare into the abyss until it stares back at me because I am a human being and I still have faith in us. Is it healthy or rational? Of course not, but it beats the hell out of cynical nihilism or suicide and peace of mind is for pacifists.
Faith is a funny thing. It is an almost perpetual state of disappointment, yet we cling to it desperately when we have it. To believe in something despite all evidence to the contrary takes effort. So, despite waking up most mornings only to have the hope of a new day die inside me the instant I glance at the headlines, I still believe in people. People have this incredible ability to change the world simply by believing they can.
So, where does my faith in people lead me? Why, into politics, of course!
Politics is everything. It is the past, present, and future. It is the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. When Lucifer rebelled against God, it was a political calculation. Every leader, activist, revolutionary, and monarch in history has fought (and likely died) in the political arena. Heroes are born and tyrants fall in the battles over the reins of power. The world is the way it is today, and on the path it is on, because of the political machinations of people who were still just people. I'm not going to lie, that blows my fucking mind. General Grant was just another functioning alcoholic. Harriet Tubman was just a woman who wanted to help people. Most of the Founding Fathers were just middle-aged men whining about taxes. Think you haven't accomplished enough in your life yet? Don't worry, you might still spark a revolution and create a nation.
This is why I love politics. Politics is how normal people make a difference. Politics is the ultimate instrument of positive and lasting change. Politics got us into this mess and politics can get us out.
One of the first things I learned in politics is that nothing is certain. No outcome, no matter how right or hard fought, is inevitable. But that works both ways, doesn't it? No matter how dark things seem, there is always the possibility of victory. So long as the possibility remains, there is something to fight for. The fact that we have made it this far is proof that we can go further still. With cooperation, sacrifice, and good faith, we can ensure a brighter future.
Every problem we face today has a solution. The only thing we lack is the political will to match the enormity of those problems. I don't know how to inspire such dedication, but I know it's possible. And so long as that possibility exists, I'm going to try and make it a reality. I am going to vote at every opportunity, speak up for what is right, stay informed about the issues that matter, and donate what I can to those that are already working on implementing solutions. I hope you will do the same.
If you've read this far, then here are a few things you can do, right now, to make the future just a little bit brighter.
Make sure you're registered to vote and make sure everyone you know is too.
Find your elected representatives and let them know how you feel about the issues.
Google "political groups near me" and pick a couple that you might want to get involved with.
If none of these appeal to you, check this list out for other suggestions.
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