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@chojzina
Although I agree on what you wrote, I wonder what *you* do that makes a difference.
Or to make it less sound as a personal attack: what can we do to make a difference.

@Otis_Scops Thousands upon thousands of small things.

- mutual aid
- non-compliance
- of course protest is still valid to simply show that you don't agree
- if you have to, go vote but leave people alone who don't

In essence: anything that builds community, togetherness on a local level but never let the fasch in. We don't need to build bridges to the people that want to burn them.

I think what people have to rediscover is that voting is but one tool, and arguably the weakest.

Find something on your level for your skills to help community. Remind yourself that you are human, that people who annoy you are human, and work with that.

Apart from Nazis. You punch Nazis in whatever way you can. Make them feel that their idea of superiority does not apply to you no matter what violence they conjure.

Don't give up on humans, and be human. No matter the cost.

@chojzina
Again; agreed.

It's what I/we try to do here as well in day to day life, but (sorry for my negativity) I wonder if that ever will put up enough weight against the capitalist, extractive, violent system that we are all embedded in and are addicted to.

But, yeah, at least it makes one feel we're doing something that maybe keeps standing when the shit really hits the fan.

@Otis_Scops You know what? You are not alone in feeling powerless and small.

A feeling that is manufactured.

There are people like you: just as lonely, just as frightened, just as overwhelmed.

Find those people and just the small act of being frightened together does something.

Be human. :-)

@chojzina
Thanks

@Otis_Scops You are welcome.

Here's the thing right:

I don't really know. I feel under pressure, somewhat hopeless, sad and angry all the time these days. But I also know that everything, for me, is lost when I get cynical about people.

But I also acknowledge that we all live in this bullshit and our instinct is to look for that one saviour that will help.

And it's so fucking scary to realize that this otherwordly force that makes everything good will not come.

It's sort of paralyzing, isn't it?

But let me drift into the mode of the hopeless romantic for a spell; after all I am a poet:

What if that force of goodness is....us. The moment we stand up in the subway and loudly proclaim "HEY, stop harassing that woman, asshole!" The moment we tell our co-worker "No Fred, Andy didn't get the job because of 'woke'; they got it because they fucking rock!" The moment we speak and act our truth, we might become that beacon we have been looking for.

The hard part is accepting that this alone does not promise a happy end for us. On the contrary, it might get you into the crosshairs of the assholes, and that might end badly.

That's terrifying. I just want to live....and write poetry.

But I am German, and in school we all heard the question: What would you have done?

Now is the time for answering that by doing it.

@MelissaBenyon @Otis_Scops

@chojzina @Otis_Scops Yes to all of this. I had begun to switch off from the day-by-day horrors to focus on practical action and activism. But over the past few weeks I've become increasingly concerned about the safety of a couple of people in the US who I really care about, so now I'm reading the tea-leaves in every new development and getting closer and closer to begging them "Please just leave now."