"What if there’s no hope?"
In the lighter times, when a clear and positive path forward is easy to see, we get lulled into believing that hope is an emotion—or that our permission to feel hope is tied to an outcome, that Vegas could put odds on whether hope wins the day.
But hope is not an emotion. It’s not reliant on an outcome.
We may believe that hope is a thought, a rational process that allows us to envision a brighter tomorrow. A mathematical solution leading to a better future—one we can reach through brilliance—and that once we’ve found this solution, we’ve arrived at hope.
But hope is not a thought. It’s not reliant on our ability to logically navigate to a desired outcome.
Perhaps, then, hope is a sensation we feel. Perhaps hope is an inkling, and if we listen to that inkling and do just as it says, we’ll be granted the happy result we’re desiring.
But hope is not a sensation, and it’s not governed by superstition.
Hope is a choice.
Hope is a decision based on a deep level of knowing—not in our head, heart, or body, but in our being—that we always have a choice in how to proceed. We can choose to do what is right and helpful, even if we don’t have thoughts, emotions, or a gut feeling that the outcome we want will necessarily follow.
Hope exists the moment we choose it. It’s not reliant on what outcome follows. The outcome is not the point.
Keeping the flame of our humanity alive, stoking it with hopeful choice after hopeful choice, is the point.
When the world, the country, or even just your life feels like it’s heading in the right direction, it’s easy to keep the flame alive, to choose hope, to believe that what you do matters—even in some small way.
It’s in the darker times that we discover if the sustaining flame of our humanity is strong enough to endure, when our illusions of hope as a pleasurable thought, feeling, or sensation disappear, and we realize that hope was never a thing of our personality. It doesn’t live on the surface of our ego. It has always been something deeper, beneath the armor of personality we wear that we are so afraid of removing because we fear that nothing will be left of us if we do.
Hope is below that. It’s deeper. It rises to the surface if we choose it. Hope is the soul-deep belief that no matter the circumstances, the dark thoughts we have, the heavy feelings we’re carrying, or the exhaustion in our body, there is still something left for us to choose. Something that cannot be taken from us—only surrendered through cynicism.
I'll admit to dark thoughts, a heavy heart, and a tired body lately. My thoughts revolve around concentration camps by other names, increased violence against women and minority groups, families torn apart by indiscriminate deportation, and neighbors reporting on neighbors. My heart is weighed down with grief, anxiety, and powerlessness. My body is exhausted from poor sleep, a persistent infection, and joint pain that makes typing difficult.
But I’m choosing to continue my daily practices that remind me of what I have in this present moment and my agency in deciding how I treat myself and others. I don’t feel positive about any near-future outcome, but I’m choosing hope.
Hope is not naivety. It’s not the belief that bad things won’t happen or that everyone will be okay. Never in the history of the world has everyone been okay, and never will it be. Naivety is ignorance and denial of reality. Hope’s strength lies in its clear-eyed acceptance of what is. It does not need reality’s blessing through positive circumstance to endure.
The opposite of choosing hope is choosing cynicism. Hope is a deep knowledge that your actions matter, even if only to your own humanity. Cynicism tells us our actions don’t matter, that nothing we do has significance, that we cannot influence ourselves or the world through our decisions, and that kindness will get us nothing.
Trump and his criminal oligarchs would love nothing more than to govern a cynical populace. Our cynicism works in their favor, every time. It’s the fuel of authoritarianism, and they encourage it by flooding our screens with information beyond any decent individual’s capacity to process. They keep us so off-balance that we may begin to believe that all our hopeful choices leading up to now did nothing but make us look like fools and imperil ourselves and others.
But it wasn’t our hopeful choices that created this situation—it was the cynicism in both ourselves and others. Had so many of us not chosen hope again and again, the situation would be worse. Much worse. And if we all choose cynicism, there will be no chance of it getting better.
You may not think of yourself as full of hope right now. If that’s the case, it’s because you’re still thinking of hope as a thought, emotion, or inkling. If you’re donating to causes or volunteering in your community, you’re choosing hope. If you’re checking in on your friends, you’re choosing hope. If you’re telling your friends you’re not doing well and asking for support, you’re still choosing hope. You’re taking actions that show your deep belief that something—not everything, but something—can be healed.
If you’re reading this post, you’re choosing hope.
I didn’t want to write this. I had no intention of it. At the end of a long day, when all I wanted was to take a scalding-hot shower and go to bed, phrases and full sentences began bubbling up. When I realized this was hope calling on me, urging me to write these words and share them—because they might heal something for someone—I cursed. A lot.
I didn’t feel like writing this. I hadn’t experienced a single one of those goddamn positive thoughts, feelings, or inklings all day. Not in a couple of days, actually. But, as evidenced here, I still had hope beneath it all. Fucking hope.
But I chose it. Beneath the patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing that we call personality, the belief that what I do matters—in a tiny way, but also in a cosmically significant way—remains untouched. It’s there, and I can choose it anytime I want, by wrapping a present for a friend, cracking a joke, or putting on John’s favorite music when he’s had a bad day.
You can choose it, too. Even if you’re not in the mood, even if your brain is spinning over catastrophes that seem inevitable, you can reject cynicism and remember that your decisions matter. They are the last thing that can be taken from you while you still live.
And you’re still alive as you read this, so hope is there for you to choose. Doing so will drive the authoritarians out of their minds.
Hope is rebellion.
If we don’t choose hope in the dark times, what’s the point of anything? And yet, we can’t truly give it up, can we? Once we stop waiting for hope to descend on us from the clouds and accept that it’s waiting for us to choose it, we see we’ve been choosing it all along. Hope is a choice that never truly abandons us.
Before long it may be the only good choice some of us have left. But it's a pretty damn good one.
Special thanks to Ender910 for these links.
We need to reach those bigoted evil men. How dare you make such a suggestion!
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/QlgOI
Donald Trump is going to be so evil
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/8XxUo
The 4B movement is growing. Good!
Rcists, msogynists, and h*mophobes will be celebrating today.
Many former friends, family members, and neighbors will be, too.
For a long time, I tried to convince myself that those were two separate groups of people.
Today I had to finally admit they are one.
Going forward, that’s what I will grieve the most.
We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality Ayn Rand
From a lefty site.
IGNORING reality has brought our nation to this sorry state. The ignorant were lead to believe by lies that our President was somehow magically responsible for inflation that encompasses the world. Ignorance caused millions to believe that trump didn’t kill the border bill himself so he had something and someone to blame for a problem he caused. Reality apparently is irrelevant to the new majority of our nation.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.
No one but the rich will benefit from Trump. His followers have a rude hard awakening coming
They will soon regret having ekected him after he starts betraying their trust and claws back his promises. Once he shows and acts on his dictator dreams, they will sing a different tune.
I want to make this perfectly clear:
If my friends lose rights, and you celebrate that, or are even okay with it, you are no friend of mine.
https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1854159587009597594?t=uBpnde7u5t4guvyqDGHcSg&s=19
Matt Walsh Asked for meltdowns
Let's talk about Latinos
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/jQHcN
In 4 years, women will have lost all of their rights. Trump will worship Putin and the C.C.P. Our earth will be beyond saving. Democracy will only be a memory as Trump will declare himself a dictator. Greed, dishonesty, hatred, and lack of morals will reign supreme because people just don't value these character traits anymore. The people of the United States have elected a lier, a cheat, a womanizer, a very poor businessman, a criminal, and a bully. So sad....so very sad.
As an Aussie I look at America as a very backward country especially now. It makes me sick that somebody like him can even run for president let alone win. I just don’t understand. Every woman should be scared. Sad, mad, angry..all those words.
-Get your children to bed early tonight.
-Have them tell you (and themselves) 5 things they're grateful for before they leave your presence tomorrow.
-Let them know it's not gloom OR doom. They can still be them. You can still be you.
-let them know that left doesn't hate right and right doesn't hate left. The ones that do weed themselves out.
-Tell them that friends in life are based on interest, curiosity, love, humor, compassion, kindness and shared experiences, and not always just shared opinions.
Do it for them.
-someone who had to work with kids today that were anxious and bringing their home energy with them
Don’t be surprised in January. He told you exactly who he is and you voted him in anyway
I've never felt more oppressed as a woman than I do today.
We lost. We accept that. But we won't storm the Capital of our great country. That's what makes us different.
Amanda Palmer says she'll fight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCCaSb-R210/?igsh=OGF3ZjFjdGlkdWt1
Voters aren't a jury. It doesn't change the facts.
Trump is a confessed rapist and found to be so by a jury. Everyone who voted for him voted for a rapist, and there is no plausible deniability.
Trump is an insurrectionist. He provided aid and comfort to the pathetic, idiotic, "Proud Boys", who then tried to overthrow the government.
He's such a coward and weakling he chickened out from football because he was afraid of being tackled by black kids.
He's not a business man. He's a pathetic excuse for a bankrupt real estate agent salvaged by ABC marketing.
The moron can't even recognize his bad makeup job in a mirror. I'll give him credit. Black face has been around for centuries, but he is the pioneer for Oompa Loompa face.
He's an idiot, that thinks doctors, economists, educators, engineers, physicists, gynecologists, etc. know less than him in their areas of expertise. It's a fucking miracle anyone that stupid managed to find the hole to stick his pathetic toadstool dick into to impregnate anyone. Whoever it was that coached that moron owes an apology to humanity.
I've seen people legitimately thinking hurricanes were being steered by jet contrails. Anti-Vax. RFK Jr. is freaking pro-polio. There are no words to describe the metastasizing stupidity.
"Garbage" is insufficient to describe the stupidity and bigotry.
Loathsome. Evil. Despicable.
And he's going to hand over Ukraine to the most evil person since Stalin.
He's going to back off from even the meager restraints against Netanyahu's genocide.
He's going to do like Arpaio and attack citizens for having Hispanic names. Not just immigrants. Citizens. Permanant residents. Never mind the first permanent European settlement was Spanish.
Trump voters don't care. They don't care Hispanics predated NW European settlers in the SW and California by centuries.
A good friend talked about trying to move past the evil and forgive.
Forgiveness comes with repentance. Until then, rot in Hell, ignorant, rapist supporting bigots.
Social Salt
Teacher goes on rant to students
https://x.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1855045289792385059?t=otBRlTuF08UNxTm0AHsMJw&s=19
An author says she doesn't want to talk about the election. She's very angry at misinformation
A guy who made an anti Andrew Tate video posts this. Nick Fuentes was fully doxed because he said ,’your body my choice’
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/XC1mI
If you hero-worship a NYC conman you're officially not Southern anymore. Shame on you, you're banned from biscuits
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/MM8Rk
If the two most accomplished women in the history of American politics cannot defeat the worst, most vile American who ever lived in a Presidential election, then we aren’t the country we say we are.
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/R91nH
This is worse than 2016, when the country sort of stumbled into Trump, not fully knowing what he was.
This time around America knew what he was and chose it anyway.
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/XObo2
Climate Salt
A major climate scientist:
Science friends in the U.S.: we have two months to make sure data, code, and websites are saved somewhere securely. This isn't going to be pretty.
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/UVX8Y
Another climate scientist:
I'm a climate scientist living in Texas who served as a lead author on the National Climate Assessment under the previous Trump administration. I witnessed first-hand its chilling impact on access to data, funding & publication of research, implementation of solutions, and scientists themselves. 🧵
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/dqfE2
News Salt
Economist is a bit salty
Wired is Salty
Buzzfeed? Calling him a rapist
Jimmy Kimmel? Salt
NYT: Election Day
Four scenarios of this election. 3 of the 4 is Democrats win. The fourth is only because we couldn't ‘reach’ the distant republican voters
Could the election be contested again? Trump is evil
Foreign adversaries may try to change the election
How the world will be effected by this election
There were bomb threats, but they were disproving our world view, so they're not real.
NYT: Trump Wins
He's evil and we don't like him, but somehow he won
10 realizations after the win. Democracy will be strained
JD Vance is young
He won, but he's evil, the world will suffer
NYT: Aftermath
Kamala will peacefully give up, unlike that evil Trump!
What a Trump presidency means by group like China, Mexico, Climate Change, and Russia
Biden’s Legacy is forever tarnished by this loss.
RFK Jr could be showing the future
Four more years of unpredictable disasters
NYT: Abortion
Abortion rights wins 7/10 elections
Arizona voted yes on abortion
Montana voted yes on abortion
New York? You guessed it
Let's talk about Latinos voting against us
Why, just why!? Don't tell me or I'll block you!
Matt Walsh Asked for meltdowns
I'm heartbroken. I cannot believe we voted in a dictator. When people tell you who they are, we should believe them. But apparently Americans like all his hate. If you did vote for him and are my Facebook friend, please do not comment on this. I will lose some respect for you.
Well at least the trains will run on time.
Women will be tortured for this.
You shouldn't view your wives and daughter less than a tank of gas.
Sad for your poor country and all those now living in fear of the orange glazed Hitler who promised to deport everyone he doesn't like.
Capitalism is the root of all racism
In crayon. Not a joke.
Because of all the sad Hobbit posts, a right friend of mine has been posting about Return of the King.
BEASTLY, BORING, COWARDLY, RAVING, LIE, CHEAT, AND STEAL
And now they're turning their main pictures black.
The Anti-Christ has won. A dark era is upon America.
This is who we are.
A nation of willfully ignorant, racist, christo-fascist, bigoted, misogynistic gun lovers.
Not a joke, I saw the phrase Abomination of Hate. That is such an awesome name for a metal album.
Another one said we need to hug all the people scared today. I don't think this person knows how many people named in the long diatribe actually voted for Trump in large numbers.
Frodo asking Same why we keep going on
Happy National Unfriend Day 🤩
The only thing America hates more than a rapist is a woman.
This meme is being spread by a few people.
America, you've made your bed, now let's see how you enjoy lying in it
You’ll get it. Once it negatively impacts someone you love, you’ll get it.
Another thing being spread around
Lots of mentions of Project 2025 and how it's evil.
How’s everybody enjoying the season finale of America
Election: NYT 11/4
Donald Trump wants to take away Fluoride from water
Answering questions on our election coverage.
E: NYT: Kamala is a woman
Kamala Harris will make history as the first black woman president! She's too humble to talk about it.
They're trading attacks on gender. Trump should be nicer since she's a woman.
Trump says he will protect women. What a misogynistic opinion!
E: NYT: LBGTQ
Harris vs Trump on LBGTQ
JD Vance talks to Joe Rogan, and we only want to talk about his comments on LGBT.
E: NYT: Insurrectionist
Telegram has messages about protesting. None of them are saying Donald Trump told them to do this. He must be telling them to say this!
He is getting dark and morbid and says he shouldn't have left the white house. He lost, get over it! Yeah
E: NYT: Kamala on SNL
She appeared on the show!
She gave a pep talk to Maya Rudolph
A full game made from AI without an engine. Tim Sweeney is not amused.
I've been finding these a lot. I thought they should be known about before the election. Also, I just voted.
Election: NYT
Trump will destroy the environment
Harris will win, no matter when it's called. Also, Trump is evil if he disagrees with us.
Harris needs to disqualify Trump and accept his voters … those losers…
Harris is a unifier, unlike that evil Trump!
Harris was brought up by a rebel scientist!
Elon Musk bought land to have a large family.
Bad Bunny says Puerto Ricans aren't dumb people! Then he has difficulty merging into the 408 from the I4
LA times is not supporting Harris. They must be stupid evil!
Harris is the only patriotic choice
Election: NYT: Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama says we need to give blacks reverence
I mean women
Election: NYT: Results
Could the vote be contested again!? Why would anyone be so evil to do that!
Russia and other countries are controlling the election!
The polls and gambling halls are lying! He's going to lose
Election: NYT: Madison Square Gardens
Trump was racist at the MSG
It was all so evil!
Trump is Hitler!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JeBuhfpm1/
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3875062092759408&id=100007669651617
A friend wrote what he believed might happen if Trump wins a second term. I've taken this and adapted it a bit, and added my own thoughts. Truthfully, it will probably be much worse.
We may disagree on various political positions and that is okay. I will always defend your right to disagree, to have a difference of opinion. But I hope you can see that Kamala Harris will be a president for all of us and that Trump, even if you agree with much of the what he says, will ultimately harm you because his greatest priority is not the American people—it’s himself and his inner circle.
Here is what I believe Trump will do if given power again:
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Incompetency - Trump has declared that he plans to remove experts and professionals from the U.S. government and military, and replace them with loyalists. This is usually the tactic of a dictator, and in all cases, it's led to wildly inefficient and incompetent government and military because the loyalists are either inexperienced or incompetent. Expect the U.S. military's ability to respond and defend the country to be deeply weakened and to see shortages and collapses of food and good supply chains, as well as basic and emergency services, to deteriorate.
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Weakened global presence - The U.S. will surrender to China and Russia its authority as a global superpower, allowing those two countries to gain dominance and impose their will across the world. This will weaken not only our allies and democracy in other countries but also endanger American citizens who may live or travel abroad for work or leisure.
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Economic chaos. Trump’s tariffs would make basic consumer goods much more costly to the average citizen, and his tax cuts would enrich the 1% while harming the middle class and lower class. It would increase the deficit significantly and potentially increase inflation. Unemployment could skyrocket.
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Removal of Consumer Protections. Trump would give control to the corporations to regulate the “safety” of their products, leading to more dangerous products on the market, and greater chance of chemicals and diseases in basic goods we use and food we eat.
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Abortion Rights and Healthcare - Restrictions on access to abortion pills like mifepristone. - Criminalize traveling to obtain an abortion. Potential restrictions on basic contraceptives, like condoms, birth control bills and IUDs.
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Disempower the Affordable Care Act (ACA), making health insurance more expensive, and making it easier for health insurance companies to discriminate against you on the basis of a preexisting condition.
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Human health impacts: More heat-related illnesses, expanded range of vector-borne diseases, and poor air quality due to smog.
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Economic and social disruptions: Climate-related displacement, economic losses in agriculture, fisheries, and tourism, and increased migration pressures.
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Climate feedback loops: Melting permafrost releasing methane, and large-scale forest dieback reducing carbon sequestration.
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Temperature rise: Global temperatures could increase by 0.3°C to 0.8°C, leading to more frequent heatwaves and hotter summers. - More extreme weather: Stronger hurricanes, increased flooding, prolonged droughts, and more intense wildfires. - Erratic seasonal patterns: Unpredictable winters with cold spells and shifting agricultural growing seasons.
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Rising sea levels: Accelerated melting of polar ice and glaciers, leading to coastal flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion. - Ocean changes: Ocean acidification and coral bleaching, disrupting marine ecosystems and food chains. - Biodiversity loss: Species migration, extinction, and ecosystem disruption, especially in vulnerable habitats.
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LGBTQ+ Rights - States gain authority to ban or limit same-sex marriage rights. - Religious individuals and businesses can refuse services related to same-sex marriage. - Decrease LGBTQ+ rights, such as employment protections. - Limit the ability of schools to enforce non-discrimination policies towards LGBTQIA+ students regarding bathroom access, sports participation, and the use of preferred pronouns.
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Education Policies - Permit more religious expression in public schools. - Restrictions on the rights of students with disabilities. - Increase corporal punishment in schools. - Increase searches of lockers, personal devices, or drug testing in schools. - Deepen disparities between well-funded and underfunded public schools. - Allow schools more leeway to control student speech or behavior that is considered disruptive. - Expand the use of public funds for private, including religious, schools.
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Breakdown of Constitutional Separation of Church and State - Increased government accommodation of religion. - Religious schools can receive government funding without violating the Establishment Clause. - Religious individuals and businesses can refuse services related to same-sex marriage.
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Race and Discrimination Policies - Weaken protections against racially discriminatory voting and employment laws.
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Federal and State Government Power - State legislatures gain increased authority over federal elections. - Curtail federal agency climate crisis regulations. - Curtail federal agency health protections. - Curtail federal agency union protections. - Weaken public sector unions.