Asklemmy

I've been reading about increasing unionization and strike activity, leading to better deals for large groups of workers. The industry-level negotiations we're already seeing are helpful in isolation; but that's also the kind of energy that can lead to economic reforms that have a real impact on quality of life. Workers seem like the little guys, until a lot of them are pulling in the same direction, and then suddenly their demands become existentially important.

About a century-ish ago Americans were worse off than they are now. That led to desire for change, which led to decades of trust-busting, unionization, and regulation. We got things like weekends off, and a livable minimum wage. And not entirely unrelated, we also got national parks, the EPA, and endangered species preservation. We've back-slid a lot since those advances. But we can get them back, and push the needle even further next time. We did it before, we can do it again.

I pray that someone out there will identify the root of the weed and rip it out of the earth before we're allowed to strangle them, and then get devastatingly high afterwards.

Son, I got comfortable with the fact it was only gonna get worse after '74 and Ford pardoned Nixon.

Sucks being right. points Pass those beer nuts?

Well, I smoke weed on a daily basis. It's my main way of coping with the world.

I do a number of other things but nothing that is going to really change anything.

I focus on trying to improve my own little corner of the world, realizing that it may not make much of a difference in the grand scheme. But taking some small actions to help others, reduce my footprint, etc. does help allay some of the despair and dread. I know it's not much, but that's all I've got for you.

I do things about it rather than sitting in the false comfort that I'll be unaffected as a straight, white, male.

I watch Carol & The End of The World.

I'm an unremitting optimist who was born in the abyss, and climbed out of it.

Will I one day go back there? Yes.

Will you? Also yes.

However, you'll go there depressed, screaming, full of sorrows, regrets, doubts, and pain, wishing you had just a little more time.

I go there, with a smile on my face, because I'll be going home. I've already lived that, I've had that experience. It doesn't get any worse than the rock bottom, of death's door itself - the murky black sea from which none emerge, king nor beggar.

Absolutely everything between now and then is just extra gravy. Being alive is a miracle.

We're in one of the best times to be alive in history and the world is still getting better in many ways, I just try to feel grateful for that when I see something that's bad or getting worse.

I‘d highly recommend the follwoing book:

The Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker https://books.apple.com/ch/book/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/id457552067?l=en-GB

While it might seem that the world is getting worse and worse, it’s actually quite the opposite. We have less war deaths than any centuries before, social justice is on the rise almost everywhere, poverty is at an all time low. For the last 50 or so years, almost every metric of human wellbeing increased, some significantly.

Doesn’t mean there aren’t any problems and we still have a lot of work to layed out for us. But to say that the world is getting worse and worse is just factually incorrect.

By reminding myself that unless some space rock suddenly hits us or the sun decides to explode super early, we're fine. And if you look at our history as a species, we'll continue to be fine. We've endured far worse things than this before and we'll do it again and again. We're good at that. Stupidly good. Whatever rough spots we're facing now is going to pass. It's always passed. Can't be bad all the time, after all. As for global warming causing a potential extinction event? It...more than likely won't happen in our life time, so, worry, but don't, like, believe it'll happen tomorrow or that we're already actually facing The Great Dying 2.0. We're maybe at the crossroads, but not there yet.

Other than that? I do as a few have already mentioned here and try and make the world just a slightly better place. Helping others in my community out, being kind and considerate to the people around me, trying to not get frustrated at drivers out on the road (this is tough NGL), that kinda thing.

I have lost all hope and am behaving as though we will all be dead within 25 years, and although that is not LITERALLY true, the actual reality is that billions will die in the coming decades and it won't be peacefully in their sleep. The famines, wars and plain savagery will be awe inspiring to witness. The die offs of all life in the oceans and the insects will doom us to a swift death.

I exist and nothing more. I have no feelings one way or the other at this point. If I get hit by a car on my way home, it would be just as enjoyable as if I watched a good movie, although if I were to die in the crash, it might be a bit better than the movie.

I only hope that I can exact some form of vengeance on those responsible before we all perish.

Statistically people are happier and healthier than any time in history. Even if you don't like politics, the vast majority of policy passed in places like the USA and EU does improve life there. The dictators like Ji Xinping and Vladimir Putin are past their prime by a long shot. The children of the rich vocally hate their parents. People at the highest level of power are being held to high standards and made responsible for their crimes.

The one statistically noteworthy thing there is to worry about is Climate Change, sadly 2022 was a new high for total emissions in billion tons, but the next generation wants to do away with cars, with fossil fuels, with nonrecyclables entirely so if we can just survive that crisis it should be all good.

Even Gun Violence is just a rounding error probability that it would affect you at all. Something like ~0.00003125% of the total global population died from firearms in 2019, admittedly that percentage goes up in places like the USA, Mexico, and St Kitts, but it's pretty negligible for the everyday life of the average person. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm diminishing the problem here, but I think you can want to fix the problem without worrying how it affects you personally.