Why do I need to bookmark and share every single one of your posts as often as possible in as many spaces as possible? Can you please tell us a little bit about your background? Your political and psychological analyses of the current moment never miss the mark. How is that so? I don't know your qualifications but I know you're sharp as a tack. I hope you know I drop links plus your name and sometimes direct quotes all the time.
This really hit me… whether it hit as you planned I’m not sure but I am certain that it ended that way. It seemed that you wrote it so we could learn to talk to the Doom & Gloomers (I know.. not a word) without losing them as you said. I didn’t start off reading it that way. I was reading it with myself in mind. As I read each section I was feeling concerned that I might be one of those people but… in the end of every section I was eliminating that concern. Section after section… same result. So I flipped the script or in all honesty I think you led me down the path…. don’t get the big head now 🙄…. Ha! I started reading it as it seemed you intended. Talking to others about it. I appreciate that you gave clear suggestions here because I’m no psychologist and well… you are. This was a VERY helpful article… at least for me. So thank you for an actual action plan that can be used right away and for the duration… however the hell long that is! God, i’m exhausted!
NOW… I need another action plan either as a reply or maybe you could do an article if you feel so motivated. What do you say and do with a person who is seemingly in denial that anything this incredibly awful can really be happening. I know they see it. You can’t miss it… but when you talk about making plans for this or that possibility… not an absolute eventuality but something that could happen and planning would help mitigate the pain. Okay, to be clear… I’m living with this…. Literally! Just as an example, a while back you suggested stocking up on necessities. Food, water, meds, cash, etc. Yep, been doing it for a year now… almost 100% purchased on sale…and I could easily live for a year without need of much of anything unless we lost power which would kill our well pump. Big problem. I wouldn’t necessarily be comfortable but I could survive. I need a generator but anyway… that’s only one example but he acts like I’m being ridiculous. I depend heavily on SS so saving money and keeping some cash… I get “They can’t take our SS. We paid into that for all our working lives. It’s our money. That will NEVER happen.” You know it could… just like people thought health Insurance couldn’t become a luxury but here we are. Medicare isn’t what it used to be but it’s something. My daughter’s insurance is through the ACA and she can’t afford the new premiums. She’s young and healthy but still you need healthcare. Constantly I hear “He can’t do that. It’s against the law.” “That’s unconstitutional.” When I point out that laws, norms and the constitution haven’t stopped them… okay slowed them down occasionally but certainly not stopped them. Any suggestions because I’m getting nowhere and honestly I see signs of desensitization to the violence and death. I’m concerned. Excuse… “there’s nothing I can do about it so why worry about it?” I guess valid to a point but honestly, there are things to do but… not happening. Lost cause? This is hard..
Lord, Jack! This is teaching me to be my own therapist. I am one of the laziest people I know. I do not want to work so much for what ought to be our rights. I’m not physically able to be in the streets, but I have 100 postcards to write. And I will. I hate calling people, but I guess I will have to do it anyway. Thanks 👹
Thanks, Jack, I needed this. I was thinking of one of my favorite songs this time of year, "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day". I am sure you know it was written in response to the Civil War, and it's the next to the last 2 verses I always think of, "And in despair I bowed my head, there is no peace on earth I said, for hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth he sleep, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth goodwill to men."
Made me think of the Rights’s snarky “How’s that Hope & Change thing working out for you?” in 2010 as Obama’s policies were blocked at every opportunity.
As Gen Jones, we grew up with Happy Face 🙂 and mantras were on Peter Max posters or on Laugh In:
BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE
Change is inevitable-Growth is optional.
You are what you think.
And, my fave: Sock it to me! (lay it on me). Now, known as explain like I am five.
All the while Hugh Hefner was grooming the groomers to be You Dirty Old Man.
I am as a result, an eternal optimist always looking for the silver lining. Oh, there are times when my Pollyanna braids droop (an 82 year old friend turned her nose up at that because her version of Pollyanna = airhead) but-🎶I get knocked down, but I get up again🎵
So, instead of closing my Meta accounts (never was a Twit) I share educational content like Jack with a teaser intro in the HOPE that a seed lands in a field that has felt barren too long and begins to sprout.
BTW- we are worn down from the OUTRAGE factor. Why must so many alt media channels use National Inquirer type headlines…
Thanks, again, Jack for a brilliant read & action plan. I have just laid down a mixed metaphor challenge to the chat😝
Thank you, Jack. Very well said, and explains so much. We can't give up but we do need to pace ourselves. This is a marathon. Bursts of energetic activism followed by some rest is Okay.
A I finished Jack’s article for the third time, the first thing that came to mind was political campaigns. All parties use the same strategy. If the party is in power, “Things are not too bad”, “Stay the course and you’ll be fine”. A Jack points out, these give people permission to relax, and relaxation is the enemy of action. Interesting that the party in power wants you to get out and vote, but their tactics say “don’t worry about it”. Result, the largest voting block is the people who don’t vote.
The party wanting power uses a different strategy. They say things like, “The economy has never been worse”, “The US is the weakest it has ever been”, “Inflation is the worst in history.” “Illegal Immigrants are destroying America”, “Illegal drugs are destroying the nation”. As Jack pointed out, “Your darkest communication allows people to perform moral alignment…without being asked to do anything else.” The politicians conclusion, “All you have to do is vote for me and all of your problems will be solved, and on day one!”
So, the parties have created, by their messaging, a lazy voting public. No one researches anything, no one questions and hope for the future becomes a quick fix riding the winds of platitudes. The “Hopkins Rule for Hope” provides a skeleton for making hope hopeful again. Maybe we should make green hats with the letters MHHA (Make Hope Hopeful Again) embroidered on the front.
Why do I need to bookmark and share every single one of your posts as often as possible in as many spaces as possible? Can you please tell us a little bit about your background? Your political and psychological analyses of the current moment never miss the mark. How is that so? I don't know your qualifications but I know you're sharp as a tack. I hope you know I drop links plus your name and sometimes direct quotes all the time.
This really hit me… whether it hit as you planned I’m not sure but I am certain that it ended that way. It seemed that you wrote it so we could learn to talk to the Doom & Gloomers (I know.. not a word) without losing them as you said. I didn’t start off reading it that way. I was reading it with myself in mind. As I read each section I was feeling concerned that I might be one of those people but… in the end of every section I was eliminating that concern. Section after section… same result. So I flipped the script or in all honesty I think you led me down the path…. don’t get the big head now 🙄…. Ha! I started reading it as it seemed you intended. Talking to others about it. I appreciate that you gave clear suggestions here because I’m no psychologist and well… you are. This was a VERY helpful article… at least for me. So thank you for an actual action plan that can be used right away and for the duration… however the hell long that is! God, i’m exhausted!
NOW… I need another action plan either as a reply or maybe you could do an article if you feel so motivated. What do you say and do with a person who is seemingly in denial that anything this incredibly awful can really be happening. I know they see it. You can’t miss it… but when you talk about making plans for this or that possibility… not an absolute eventuality but something that could happen and planning would help mitigate the pain. Okay, to be clear… I’m living with this…. Literally! Just as an example, a while back you suggested stocking up on necessities. Food, water, meds, cash, etc. Yep, been doing it for a year now… almost 100% purchased on sale…and I could easily live for a year without need of much of anything unless we lost power which would kill our well pump. Big problem. I wouldn’t necessarily be comfortable but I could survive. I need a generator but anyway… that’s only one example but he acts like I’m being ridiculous. I depend heavily on SS so saving money and keeping some cash… I get “They can’t take our SS. We paid into that for all our working lives. It’s our money. That will NEVER happen.” You know it could… just like people thought health Insurance couldn’t become a luxury but here we are. Medicare isn’t what it used to be but it’s something. My daughter’s insurance is through the ACA and she can’t afford the new premiums. She’s young and healthy but still you need healthcare. Constantly I hear “He can’t do that. It’s against the law.” “That’s unconstitutional.” When I point out that laws, norms and the constitution haven’t stopped them… okay slowed them down occasionally but certainly not stopped them. Any suggestions because I’m getting nowhere and honestly I see signs of desensitization to the violence and death. I’m concerned. Excuse… “there’s nothing I can do about it so why worry about it?” I guess valid to a point but honestly, there are things to do but… not happening. Lost cause? This is hard..
Sorry for the lengthy response..
I’ll appreciate any suggestions you might have.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
Lord, Jack! This is teaching me to be my own therapist. I am one of the laziest people I know. I do not want to work so much for what ought to be our rights. I’m not physically able to be in the streets, but I have 100 postcards to write. And I will. I hate calling people, but I guess I will have to do it anyway. Thanks 👹
Well, I must say I’ve never thought of it in quite that way.
Focused more clearly due to your systematic, logical, psychologically and emotionally valid viewpoint/approach.
Damn, man, you’re GOOD.
#HoldFast
📎🖇️
IDK, Jack. I think Warren Zevon put it best:
Get a good running start and hurl myself at the wall
Going to hurl myself against the wall
'Cause I'd rather feel bad than feel nothing at all
And it ain't that pretty at all
Ain't that pretty at all
Thanks, Jack, I needed this. I was thinking of one of my favorite songs this time of year, "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day". I am sure you know it was written in response to the Civil War, and it's the next to the last 2 verses I always think of, "And in despair I bowed my head, there is no peace on earth I said, for hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth he sleep, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth goodwill to men."
“People don’t resist hope because they don’t care.
They resist hope…because hope asks more of them than despair ever did.”
Award-winning wording, Jack, thank you.
Made me think of the Rights’s snarky “How’s that Hope & Change thing working out for you?” in 2010 as Obama’s policies were blocked at every opportunity.
As Gen Jones, we grew up with Happy Face 🙂 and mantras were on Peter Max posters or on Laugh In:
BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE
Change is inevitable-Growth is optional.
You are what you think.
And, my fave: Sock it to me! (lay it on me). Now, known as explain like I am five.
All the while Hugh Hefner was grooming the groomers to be You Dirty Old Man.
I am as a result, an eternal optimist always looking for the silver lining. Oh, there are times when my Pollyanna braids droop (an 82 year old friend turned her nose up at that because her version of Pollyanna = airhead) but-🎶I get knocked down, but I get up again🎵
So, instead of closing my Meta accounts (never was a Twit) I share educational content like Jack with a teaser intro in the HOPE that a seed lands in a field that has felt barren too long and begins to sprout.
BTW- we are worn down from the OUTRAGE factor. Why must so many alt media channels use National Inquirer type headlines…
Thanks, again, Jack for a brilliant read & action plan. I have just laid down a mixed metaphor challenge to the chat😝
Thank you, Jack. Very well said, and explains so much. We can't give up but we do need to pace ourselves. This is a marathon. Bursts of energetic activism followed by some rest is Okay.
A I finished Jack’s article for the third time, the first thing that came to mind was political campaigns. All parties use the same strategy. If the party is in power, “Things are not too bad”, “Stay the course and you’ll be fine”. A Jack points out, these give people permission to relax, and relaxation is the enemy of action. Interesting that the party in power wants you to get out and vote, but their tactics say “don’t worry about it”. Result, the largest voting block is the people who don’t vote.
The party wanting power uses a different strategy. They say things like, “The economy has never been worse”, “The US is the weakest it has ever been”, “Inflation is the worst in history.” “Illegal Immigrants are destroying America”, “Illegal drugs are destroying the nation”. As Jack pointed out, “Your darkest communication allows people to perform moral alignment…without being asked to do anything else.” The politicians conclusion, “All you have to do is vote for me and all of your problems will be solved, and on day one!”
So, the parties have created, by their messaging, a lazy voting public. No one researches anything, no one questions and hope for the future becomes a quick fix riding the winds of platitudes. The “Hopkins Rule for Hope” provides a skeleton for making hope hopeful again. Maybe we should make green hats with the letters MHHA (Make Hope Hopeful Again) embroidered on the front.