I have to admit, the ongoing theme of trouble and conflict and disaster on DK hasn't really registered with me. Lots of people talking about how nasty things are getting, how much wrongness there is, but I'm not seeing it. I'm clearly reading the right diaries, and luckily skipping all the nasty comment threads. Just checked the hidden comments, and they look about standard too. Mebbe a few more GBCW's than usual, but nothing dramatic.
DK's been through a lot of controversy. Arguably, it thrives on conflict. If we all were in perfect agreement, there wouldn't be much to talk about, and not much need for DK. And if there weren't external threats, we wouldn't be much of a tribe. And there is some pretty serious stuff going on - being concerned about it is legitimate.
But I'm not particularly worried. Why? Make the jump.
1-There is no one I'd rather have in the White House than President Obama. It still feels nice just saying it. I fundamentally trust that he is acting with good intentions and is committed to the right things. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have in his place.
2-I learned from the Bush years that if I let national politics determine my level of comfort/satisfaction with reality, I would be spending a lot of time angry and depressed. I learned from the Bush years to focus on things that I cared about, where I could participate meaningfully. Mostly small-scale and local projects/relationships.
3-"The poor will always be with us", said Jesus. Well, so will the self-indulgent rich, the power-hungry, and the sociopathic. The moral poor will also always be with us. I reject that way of being, but have no power to banish it. I choose to focus on working with communities that are committed to making things better.
4-"Be the change you want to see". I understand that there's a lot going on out there, in the world, and that I can't keep up with it. But just worrying and complaining about it is unconstructive. I've chosen to focus on specific projects and issues, mostly small-scale & local, and doing my best to participate and contribute.
5-DK isn't reality. It's an online space. Ideally, we find support and resources here. We get information and ideas. We make connections. And then we take them out into the world and do something with them.. Nothing's ever going to get fixed just by discussing it on DK. You have to leave the computer and go outside and interact, talk to people, get involved in things, get your hands dirty. I take from DK what's useful for me, and give back in the ways I can. But I don't every expect to solve anything here.
6-I'm not that worried about the way things are going because I'm doing my best work to make things right, in the communities that I'm working with. I partner with people I respect, who respect me, on projects I care about. I trust that others are doing the same. I support my allies, and hope that we're inspiring others. I'm plant seeds that may take decades to come to fruition. I am the change I want to see.
It would have been nice if Obama could have fixed everything, but I don't think that's going to happen. He needs allies, and support. I believe that he is committed to core principles that I agree with, and the best way that I can improve things is by working for my core principles.
I'm not particularly worried about the way things are going because I know that I'm working for the good.
So, what are you working on?