I'm finding it harder and harder to stay positive...

[First Speaker]

...and more and more, I'm feeling like throwing up my hands and say, "fuck it!", let America go to hell, and hope everything doesn't go down the toilet in my time. (I'm 65.) Concentrate on my life, my interests, my little world. And then, of course, I get up off the floor and go on. Get back into the arena. But I feel like a boxer who's taken one too many body blows, and each time I hit the mat it's just a little worse. We all, I think, feel like this--especially those of us in my generation. But this damned country just has too much strength, too much elasticity, too much simple potential, to let itself commit suicide. So we all soldier on. Despite the fact that if I said what I felt liberals/Dems *really* need to do, I'd probably be banned, or at least this post would be. It's funny--I'm actually a small-c conservative Dem at heart, at least regarding issues. But when it comes to the crisis we face, I'm a wild-eyed radical. I don't think I'm alone, either...

[RKP5637]

1. IMO Democrats really need to kick ass. Niceties aren't going to do it with these republican thugs.

You're not alone. A lot of people have had it with the non-ending bullshit from these new type of republicans, the scum of the earth.

[nancy1942]

2. You're not.

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. You are NOT alone. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. You mirror my thoughts exactly.

I am for the first time discouraged.

If the teenagers/young adults don't turn out this fall, we are fucked. Somehow we must REACH THEM.

I'm a wild-eyed radical too!

[mshasta]

5. You're not alone

I still need to get more punches.......we still standing

We need to stay strong for our kids future.

[jalan48]

6. Just vote. That's our best weapon.

[pangaia]

7. ".... But I feel like a boxer who's taken one too many body blows,.."

That is the intent.

I am 74, none of us are safe, whatever our age. so assume YOU and I will go down with the rest.. for starters when they cut our SS payments, take away Medicare,

If that happens, we are pretty much finished along with everybody else.

So, feel discouraged, no problem.
But keep fighting !

[applegrove]

8. Pretend you are on everest heading for the peak:

"When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath.…I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. After each few metres this too fizzles out in unending tiredness. Then I think nothing. I let myself fall, just lie there. For an indefinite time I remain completely irresolute. Then I make a few steps again."

Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

9. We aren't worried....

you can always change. ( Like losing the 'c' in any form.) Don't give up. We CANNOT start from scratch on re-building this country. We have a duty, you've pledged allegiance. We mostly all have. Don't just take the blows.....'Let it turn." Let it turn into an angry motivated, Patriotic Fervor. We ARE the Loyal Opposition. Never Again for this bullshit....no matter what.

[Sailor65x1]

10. Take heart

The Mule won't be around forever, and this Seldon Crisis will end

[BigmanPigman]

11. Most of us know what you are talking about on several issues.

We are depressed, want it to hurry up and get back to normal. Privately we have spoken about or have had thoughts that would get us banned by DU for making "wacky, radical statements". I know a lot of my friends and family have been telling me for about a year now, "Why hasn't someone attacked him yet since so many people really hate him". I am in a real hurry to get this finished since I have a few years left and I want to see this get resolved before I die so I can go in peace. I am thinking that if it isn't resolved I am hoping to come back as a ghost and haunt him and make him lose what's left of his mind. If I can do that than that would please me a lot. Too bad I don't know if this is a real option while I am still alive.

Meanwhile, since I am stuck here enduring this shit show that used to be my country I am resisting any way I can while I can and my health allows. I try to direct my anger energy into calling and writing the reps from all over the US and volunteering at local elections to get people to vote as well as protesting, going to Huddles and "meet ups", etc.
RESIST! PERSIST! REPLACE! Peace.

[The Conductor]

12. Not Alone

You aren't the only one! Now, channel that. Don't give up: vote! Every election, no excuses. Don't let Republicans alone: pester you representatives, both state and federal, to do what you feel important. If (When?) they won't, replace them! They have money, but you have the ballot. And drag any slackers along with you.

[elmac]

13. I haven't been positive since Nov 10 2016

pretty much knew we were in for a shit storm and we will see much worse in the future. Pretty much took the wind out of my sails.

[patphil]

14. Yeah, you're not alone

The situation we find ourselves in now is unlike anything we could have ever imagined. You may not want to believe, or accept this, but we have a biblical level beast in the White House.
We are literally fighting for the soul of this nation. The future of the Republic is at stake, and millions of so-called Evangelical Christians are so anxious to have the biblical Armagedden come pass that they haven't noticed that they brought this creature to power.
Trump has no love in his heart; no compassion; no empathy.
Jesus was all about love, compassion, empathy.
They can't claim to love Jesus and support this loveless creature.
Of course it's more than just the Evangelicals. We all have to decide what we stand for...love or hate.
Even if you don't believe in God, you have to know that love is the way to go.
Hate never created anything but chaos and destruction.
So, I believe that there is a loving force that guides us; that we can choose to fix what this beast has broken; that we can be strong enough to take back what has been stolen from us by Trump and his swamp creatures.
But we will have to work together. We will have to be one as a people. We will have to accept all of our differences and work to bring those differences together.
We will have to love one another.

[mountain grammy]

15. You're not alone

I am losing hope too. I want to go where trump isn’t king.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. You are absolutely not alone

I feel the same way - I often feel physically sick just listening to the news on a daily basis - and alternately wonder if I'm losing my mind because I can't believe this is really happening. And I don't know what I can do about it - I vote, I've worked for candidates and am not shy about talking about the issues with anyone who'll listen to me. I keep thinking that this can't last, that someone with much more power than I have just has to step in - but yet this goes on - and on.

[get the red out]

17. You are not alone

I worry that even if every crime Trump has committed is proven beyond reasonable doubt, that nothing will be done about it. I don't know if anything can touch him because there are only a handful of Rs that have even a shred of decency, and most of those are retiring. I hope I am wrong, I just can't see justice as possible right now.

I too am focusing on my own life right now, and helping a little with a congressional campaign. I set out my first real vegetable garden this spring, I hope Trump doesn't send people out to take everyone's backyard tomatoes to give to China though.

[Sherman A1]

18. First thing to do is

turn off the infotainment cable noise and leave the computer. Get outside enjoy the flowers and nature. Get a book and read. Enjoy a hobby or something with in your are interested. The world is much more than politics.

[Guilded Lilly]

19. You are totally not alone. It is Especially tough in the dead middle of the night

When the brain works on chaotic overtime in “fighting the hate I feel for The Hate.”
(I sometimes get scared more of how I so strongly hate what these wretches are doing to us and our country. )
Hate has never been a part of my psyche.
Until these men, these times.

Frightening.
But so far, I win the inner battle. I remind myself that there ARE very decent people fighting back. People with more power than I have. But the same stubborn spirit.
So far. That is what keeps me more sane than nuts

[no_hypocrisy]

20. Just stay focused.

Forget optimism and the future. (This is not equivalent with cynicism.)

Just focus on now and what you can do.

[Hortensis]

21. Well, media cover negatives almost exclusively,

we know that. What we lost sight of long ago is often far more positive bigger pictures, forget gaining any understanding at all of the large contexts those are small parts of. Some are so lost in all this that they clearly have no idea there is anything more.

To maintain balance and avoid further twisting of ours psyches by political poisons, we all really do need to stop ODing. Turn off the political boob tube. Cut way back on political "pop" news. Stick to honest, thoughtful articles and documentaries on a wide array of subjects.

Oh, Morning Joe's about to come on. I'm curious to hear what they might have to say about Pence's moves to get control of the Republican leadership. Actually, I really am, enough to watch conservative gossips. That creep scares me, and he may finally be dropping his adoring servant facade and on the move to take power away from Trump.

And then for an antidote, maybe:

What's Working in Conservation: Earth Optimism is part of a growing, global movement. We are changing the conversation from gloom and doom and building a global community of practice around what is working in conservation, why, and how do we replicate and scale up best practices and good ideas.

https://earthoptimism.si.edu/

[sinkingfeeling]

22. You are not alone. I think the attitude that It's all being destroyed is

why so few vote. It's their way of saying, "What's the use?"

[Golden Raisin]

23. You are not alone.

I'm pushing 70. I've never seen the country this divided (including the Vietnam Era) and the Trump Regime is absolutely unprecedented and abnormal in my lifetime. I cannot shake the uneasy feeling that I'm living in Italy in 1922 or Germany in 1933. Each outrage perpetrated by Trump & Co., starting with the disgusting Cabinet, all deliberately chosen for their opposition to, open disdain for and willingness to gut and bleed out their respective departments is aided, abetted and allowed by the complicit Republican Congress. I live in Manhattan and have had a close-up view of Trump for decades. Anyone surprised at the corruption, lies and bigotry is hopelessly naïve if not downright stupid. I've kind of given up hope on Mueller as some sort of knight in shining armor. I hope I'm wrong. While I understand and appreciate his thoroughness, the pace is beyond glacial and I strongly suspect Republicans won't do shit about his results when he finally gets around to issuing his final report. Again, I hope I'm wrong. To keep myself sane, positive, and maintain my belief in the efficacy of our Democracy, I march in every protest march (Womens' Movement, Parkland Students, etc.) I honestly did not think I'd still have to be marching at this age.

[smirkymonkey]

24. I feel exactly the same way.

I don't want to be resigned, but it's hard to keep getting back up again when you feel like nothing will ever come of fighting. They are so evil, so corrupt it just feel like nothing can take them down. But they can't last forever and they are mortal.

[Orsino]

25. That's how fascism works.

There is no shame in admitting that. Every day of this regime is another set of failures.

[DemocraticSocialist8]

26. I know how you feel and it's a normal reaction to the tremendous amount of corruption and ignorance

in America right now. There is a LOT that is wrong and is not working and there doesn't appear to be enough political will to fix these problems. That's what money in politics does. That's what propaganda does. That's what tribalism does.

What I've come to realize over the past couple years is that a LOT of Americans are tribal. Trumpism is purely tribal at this point. I don't think it has squat to do with policies for most Trump supporters. They WANT a right-wing strongman who will reinforce certain racial and economic hierarchies and social norms. I don't think people are looking at the social psychology behind what's going on in America right now. People are looking at it from the POV of political stories. A lot of Trump supporters WANT Trump to destroy Obama's legacy, which is extremely un-American.

I don't look at people the same way I used to. I used to think that people are basically good. IDK if I believe that anymore. I think people are self-centered and care about their self-interests and the interests of the groups they identify with. So if that means other people in other groups have to die or be suppressed/oppressed, then so be it. I'm beginning to see that's how people think...and that's not basically good. Good is relative.

[awesomerwb1]

27. Keep your head up....

it could be worse if you think about it.

Imagine if you were an immigrant here for 25 years and all of a sudden your TPS is revoked and you're out of status and at the mercy of ICE. No drivers license, out of your old job with little options for new jobs.

Don't even think about giving up. Take a break from the news and work on your hobbies a little and maybe write post cards to voters.

If we give up on what could be the most important election of the last 25 years, then we've already lost and deserve what's coming. Trumpsters -will- vote in 2018. We're only a majority if we vote.

Take a breather and come back swinging!

[ProudMNDemocrat]

28. I refuse to let this country sink any lower than it already has because of Trump....

I am more determined to fight like hell with Letters, my words, and actions to prevent Republicans and the ill informed from fucking me, my children, and granddaughters of the freedoms people before me fought and died for.

[Tipperary]

29. It is difficult to be positive.

I hear ya.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

30. I think retirees tend to feel this way more...

Seriously, my dad talks like this all the time and he is about the same age. Retirement years are your time to focus more on yourself, so don't feel guilty about that. The younger folks will take over where you left off. Ignore this shit if you have to to stay sane. Those of us who are still raising children can't really take on such pessimistic perspectives without it affecting our kids. This country should be about our children and their futures though and not about rich, white, asshole baby-men who are 70+ years old. Trump and people like him don't need any help. They've been doing just fine all along. I hate how that man makes everything about him. He is president mostly because he is attention whore. Anyhow, I take comfort in knowing that nobody lives forever and these jerks will get replaced by the younger generations eventually. The younger generations are much more liberal. The kids are quite fed up with the school shooting massacres. They are much more racially diverse and way less homophobic. Don't forget about them. The children are always the hope for the future.

[Amishman]

31. I've been struggling with this as well

The river of idiocy from the right is exhausting.

I've been finding encouragement from the upswing in enthusiasm from our party, but even with that I have trouble with people wanting to go to extremes. Immigration is one area. Trump wants to end all immigration and deport everyone, which causes some to rally around the polar opposite - total open borders and unrestricted immigration. I want a reformed sensible immigration policy that is somewhere in between. I fear that overreach could end up causing nothing to happen.

I want moderation and I want a return to civility in politics, and I don't see it happening any time soon.

[kimbutgar]

32. Ditto

If I was younger I’d move to another country. But it seems this insidious Russian stuff is reaching worldwide. This right wing stuff is poisoning our planet and its people.