Everything is Terrible
How to keep a little bit of perspective and keep moving forward - real world things we can work towards that will make it a little better.
It’s hard to maintain hope when you keep getting knocked down; the past seven years have not really done much to give me faith that things will ever fully recover. There have been moments that hint at a turnaround, but overall, I’m just treading water.
Overall, I’m a pretty positive person - thankfully, I generally believe things will turn around again. Things will get better personally, politically, and in every other way - eventually. It’s a matter of making it to that amorphous sunrise…in the meantime, look for the slivers of hope, maintain connections to the world you want to be a part of, and keep moving.
Then they start destroying the outlets that give you some of that hope and you have to take a deep breath and remember the other slivers of hope (and the people who continue to support you in a million different ways). Most recently that was yet another mega corporation caving to the dumpster fire that is our President. Colbert is a rare talent that can speak simultaneously to the left of the political party (most of the time) and appeal to the moderates and center of the political spectrum.
First, I have to hand it to him for how he’s been publicly dealing with the very raw deal he has been dealt (another reminder to keep going); he has let others say (most) of what has to be running through his brain, and still manages to deliver an entertaining show that gets the rest of us through the turmoil.
Second, this is some bullshit and gets to a bigger problem - media monopolies that need to be broken up again and there need to be more safeguards put in place as it appears the 1st Amendment isn’t enough anymore. The dumpster fire is meddling in editorial and entertainment decisions if he doesn’t like them and using bribery to get his way. The Paramount merger is a convenient tool to silence the #1 Late Night host and one of his most ardent critic.
While I’m on unlikely dreams, the Reagan decision that news can be a profit center for networks needs to be undone….that’s the one that most likely will never happen but needs to happen the most. (need another positive thought now….)
So, things to work towards:
Break up massive media conglomerates
Add safeguards for media to remain inpartial and independent and not subject to a dumpster fire’s whims
Get rid of news as profit and entertainment (at least for the broadcast networks) and return it to the public good and price of owning that bit of the spectrum - as it was originally (I can’t stop the laughter in my head on this one, but it really would make things better)
Untill any of this happens, I will continue to think happy thoughts and will work to stop the dumpster fire in any way I can….