We need more discussion spaces and more spiritual and emotional support groups. While some on the left are dismissive of gatherings and activities that are not grounded in productivity, we must acknowledge that the connective tissue we need to move, build, and care collectively is lacking. In addition to not being bonded to one another, we often lack the skills to build those bonds. Plenty of people and products are primed to exploit those shortcomings. We must present alternatives, issue invitations, and welcome people into the messy process of building relationships.
Anecdotally, I’ve found that the larger issue is one that is not historically unique: people not following through on what they say they will do. This, sadly, does not include Trump and his junta.
Ironically, I say this sitting in an air-conditioned hotel room paid for by a complete stranger. We never even exchanged names as I met her at the top of the stairs and she handed me the keycard.
This was the result of meeting someone off Reddit who founded Street Medics via the burner community, then started inviting me to Discord servers including Together We Stand, where I posted a rather lengthy plea for help.
Community is still out there; it’s just hard to find (he reached out several months after my post), and sitting around using ChatGPT all day is not how one goes about it. When systems fail us, the solution is not a retreat into isolation, but rather further work into finding those with whom we share values.
And make no mistake: The system has failed. Ah, to go back to the halcyon days of believing the bullshit that if things aren’t going well, it’s entirely my fault. Victim-blaming has become a bedrock of our society.
But this also happens writ small. Abusive partners who feel emboldened by the fracturing of societal norms … if it’s hard to find someone new, it’s easier to stay with what you know.
What we can’t do is give up on believing people can be good just because many aren’t. Confirmation bias is a bitch.
