Open Thread for Personal Stuff, 12/16 Edition

@ Karalora: I’m in much the same boat, actually. (Trans + queer + non-religious = persona non grata in Trump’s America.) The notion that the bigots might not only win but hang on to that victory for the long haul actually makes me more determined. (“Don’t let the bastards win!”) As for whether or not said bigots would destroy everyone who doesn’t agree with them…well, I don’t see that happening unless nuclear bombs start flying, and that’d jeopardize the entire human race (bigots and non-bigots alike).

I don’t believe that the global far-right/fascist movement we’re facing is going to keep its power forever. I look at (what I understand of) recent history for this. Russia had a Soviet Union for roughly seventy years, Germany had the Nazis for not even fifteen years, and even the former East Germany hung on for roughly forty-five years (from 1945 to about 1990 or so–I’m fuzzy on that part). Then I think of various overthrown, murdered, or otherwise-now-dead dictators in the last several decades whose regimes at least seemed to go when they did. Mussolini, Franco, Milosevic, Gadhaffi, and possibly even Mubarak come to mind. Overall, I figure every regime, dynasty, empire, or movement has its time and ends eventually. It’s cold comfort, but I’ll take it if I can. Your mileage may vary, though.

I also don’t see it so much as one abstract force attempting to wipe out its opposite, as some powerful people scrambling for what they can get their hands on for all-too-human reasons. Do they have way too much power and money and too little connection to (or empathy for) the rest of humanity? I’d say yes. I’d also say, however, that their endless lust for money, power, and status makes them as pathetic and flawed as anyone else we typically mock on this site. For all their brutality, they’ll never rise above being human–something I find helpful to keep in mind.
I have mixed feelings about violent versus non-violent attempts to overthrow–for example–our President-elect. I don’t support violence myself, but other people might, and I don’t feel I have the right to tell other people what to do. On the other hand, I have a lot of skin in the game (as I mentioned above) and I may end up in a situation where I have to survive any way I can. Overthrowing a leader, however? I’d say that’s above my pay grade.

Maybe all this could give you some comfort, hope, or even grim determination to get through a day at a time. My brand of cold comfort, however, might not be helpful for you. I just figured you’d had enough of bland clichés and platitudes.
I’m still working things out for myself, though. I don’t have all the answers–far from it–and I’m at least as terrified as anyone else.

However many
demagogue haters may win
middle finger them.

Hello all,
I’m still here, buried under a stack of marking for one of the courses I’ve been teaching. I have to get it all done by next week since I am headed back to America. I handed in my final thesis yesterday, so I am officially done with my degree, which means I can’t stay here unless I find a job. I’ve been putting in applications, but no luck yet.

Thanks, Hippielady.

And, congratulations! I’m going to college to hopefully end up with the same thing.

I got a new tattoo last Saturday. It’s entering the itchy phase of healing.
I have one more exam: tomorrow.

If anyone knows how to get UPS to release a package that’s sitting in their warehouse… I’d like my package.

@RosieLa
Mine is about a week old now and it’s just starting to peel. I just have to keep reminding myself not to pick at it.

I am so heartened to hear of the positive changes going on in many lives here on this thread. New jobs, positive reviews, raises, persevering in a challenging field of study, simply refraining from actively wishing harm on others (sometimes that’s the best we can manage) – it’s a pretty optimistic thread for the depths of the cold dark winter here in the northern hemisphere.

@Kalalora – I’m with rogue angel. I get pretty down, too, but after the first week or two I no longer feel its hopeless. Hard, painful, all of it, yes. But not forever. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I know I can’t live with unrelenting worry and hopelessness.

I take good signs wherever I can find them – I am far more able and likely to speak up now and engage with my Trumpist-leaning friends and co-workers. Scildfreya as always has set what I use as a personal example to reach out to others with compassion and humanity during a discussion (argument), to emphasize what we have in common rather than distancing myself by mocking and shutting down. (NOT saying this works for everyone, just that it has been useful with people I know who are still open to other opinions). I feel like I’m having a tiny impact on some.

In other news: after having my anxiety and depression medication altered a few months ago, I feel it is working at maximum benefit for me. No panic attacks in the middle of the night. Despite the blow the election dealt, I am slowly coming out of it and even able to watch the national news for a few minutes (I never did watch the news much but I like tuning in to the local news for the weather forecast – after the election I was afraid to even have the television on for fear of seeing anything about the election).

My new furnace was finally installed, so I’m grateful for that. I haven’t paid for it yet but the installer said he’d work with me on payments, and my boss is giving me a holiday bonus that will also help pay for it. I’m pretty healthy, my son is doing reasonably well and seems happy. My parents are both dead so they don’t loom over the holidays anymore.

My sister is still missing and homeless in Seattle somewhere as she has been for the past 2 years. Meth, sigh. My brother (for whom I do not care nearly as much as for my siter) is at least in a warmer state, but also…Meth. Might be in jail, not sure. So, it’s not all roses, but it’s okay.

Hugs for everyone!

I gotta admit: I spend some time struggling, and then I distract myself and feel better, and then I feel guilty for distracting myself.

I can’t do anything about Aleppo except give a tiny bit of money to a charity, so I do that and forget about Aleppo for a while.

I can’t do anything about global warming, so I avoid news articles about the extent of Arctic ice this winter, and thawing Antarctica, and then I feel guilty about ducking reality and avoiding responsibilities.

Beloved tells me that, in the comments to a thread over on Slacktivist, someone linked to an Internet Tough Person who was giving us red state liberals six months to move out of red states, or they’d consider us to be Republicans and wouldn’t make a distinction when they invade and start shooting all the red staters.

My mom’s over 70 and my dad’s pushing 70, so there’s that to worry about, especially if Medicare is on the chopping block.

So I read this site, Wonkette, Daily Kos, Crooks & Liars, and when it gets to be too much I fire up New Vegas and shoot things and take their stuff.

Mostly I’ve just felt sad for years. It’s kind of a ground state.

Beloved tells me that, in the comments to a thread over on Slacktivist, someone linked to an Internet Tough Person who was giving us red state liberals six months to move out of red states, or they’d consider us to be Republicans and wouldn’t make a distinction when they invade and start shooting all the red staters.

See, I read that, and my first reaction is “That’s hideous,” but right behind it is another voice going “Yes, that’s what we have to do – raze the red states, massacre everyone who brought this monstrosity upon us, because love and empathy and reaching across the aisle and patience do not work. Sure, we would become horrific villains, but by all the gods we would be the most egalitarian, environmentally responsible horrific villains imaginable.” And see? See how much more eloquent that second voice is?

Well in that case what’s the point of even having ideals or principles?

I dunno…why not ask a Republican?

We can oppose Trump, we can oppose our internal fascism, we can hate them, without becoming like them.

Reductivist thinking, action for action’s sake, ingroup-outgroup, redemptive violence: These are the ways of the dark side.

That’s great news, PI!