Lots of people are feeling hopeless and upset right now, and for good reason. It’s normal to feel like no matter what you do, things are going to get much worse for a lot of people. Blame, despair and anger are natural reactions, but as the shock of the situation dulls, what’s your plan going forward?
Call me naive, but seeing hate have a resurgence makes me want to do more to help the people that are going to suffer the most. I’m going to make a plan to volunteer more of my time and resources to help organizations that need it. I’m going to see if my friends can organize with me to sponsor a migrant family. I may not be able to do much, but my personal way of coping with shitty situations is to try to make the world a little less shitty.
I’m going to try to be kinder and more forgiving with people, and be a better role model for my kids. And I’m going to resist and fight back against hate when I see it.
Lastly, I’m going to be a more supportive friend to the people in my life. And to anyone reading this that feels like this world’s gone insane, and you’re all alone: you’re not. We’re still in this together, and I appreciate everything you’re doing.
No longer letting my family member rants about [insert today’s Russian propaganda] go unchallenged.
- Crime is going up. Oh no, can you show me a chart with a source? Can’t be just something you find on the internet (they’re always ranting that you can’t trust the internet).
- You can’t trust the weather reports. They’re just using the internet to make all that stuff up. Explain how the internet allows for a 100 fold increase in sensors that can report back to a centralized meteorology facility for number crunching
- Ukraine shot first Explain a timeline of the Ukraine war
- Moon landing was faked. (I actually like this argument the best because it’s been so thoroughly debunked)
On the weather front (lol) one of project 2025s goals is to break up the NOAA. They want to do it specifically to hamper the ability for anyone to show the ongoing effects of climate change. If anyone thinks this is a conspiracy theory, it’s an actual conspiracy, and here is the direct quote from project 2025.
Together, these form a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity. This industry’s mission emphasis on prediction and management seems designed around the fatal conceit of planning for the unplannable. That is not to say NOAA is useless, but its current organization corrupts its useful func- tions. It should be broken up and downsized.
OpenStreetMap editing.
I ride my bike/take public transit in my car-centric city
My toddler and I have been bringing a trash bag to the park and cleaning the place up. It’s always a mess and it makes me sad to see because it’s my sons favorite park.
I keep extinct in the wild and critically endangered species of fish in my aquariums and am a member of a couple of fish focused associations who work with universities for the goal of preservation of species. been considering getting into red listed frogs and cactus, but the communities are smaller (so less access to species) and space is a premium when living in an apartment.
i wish there was more exposure of this hobby because it’s such an affordable, easy and “low effort” thing to do, but a lot of people who care about the environment and animals basically get offended when you keep animals “locked up” in an aquarium. in my opinion, serious aquarists (not the pet store furniture mentality) are invaluable, as a lot of species has been saved from extinction through aquarist efforts and university collaboration to reintroduce them to their native ranges after restoration work is completed (at least Lenoardo DiCaprio made a little bit of social media impact for one of the associations in 2022).
I should add, overfishing is not the leading cause for extinction in freshwater fish, it’s pollution from agriculture, as the vast majority of fish threatened with extinction have no utility to us (or bright enough colors to benefit the commercial pet trade - brightly colored species are generally not even found in the wild, and have their colors from decades of selective breeding by dedicated aquarists).
My current activities : -Finding caring doctors for an elderly woman
-Counsel colleagues at my work about mental health and/or unionization
-Help two refugees friends for their paperwork for citizenship.
I wish I could do more, but on top of work, I’m already exhausted.
Real small relative to the other comments but if a loose cart is nearby in the grocery parking lot, I’ll go out of my way to return it. I know I hate seeing an “empty space” and there being a cart in the way and in that case it’ll likely never get moved.
Every little thing helps.
It all adds up.
I know that this might present a feeling of trolling or annoyance, but I take my hat off to Cart Narcs for taking it even further, to call out these people.
Thank you on behalf of someone else who gets super annoyed with loose carts and lazy people!
I try to get people to read Marxist theory, and correct common misconceptions. Part of why people feel despair right now is because they don’t see a way out of this, because they don’t have a background in leftist theory. I keep a basic beginners reading list I can link, if anyone wants it, I’ll spare the copypasta.
It also includes a section at the end with my own personal practical suggestions for how to conduct yourself in your daily life to remain effective and optimistic.
I also try to combat problems like queerphobia, racism, and misogyny when I see them.
I would be interested in your list if you don’t mind sharing :)
Here it is, Cowbee’s “Read Theory, Darn It!” beginner reading list. All except one work has an audiobook alternative linked, otherwise there are text links directly to said works. It starts off with foundations, then builds on said foundations, ending with some practical advice on how to conduct yourself as a Leftist in general. I also include intersectional theory regarding trans and enby liberation, gay rights and history, and decolonialism.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!
