Dear Diary,
If you currently live in the United States of America, you are witnessing the destruction of more than most of us can truly comprehend before your very eyes. If we’re being honest, these last ten years have been so destructive it is a reasonable discussion to have, pondering not when but if we will recover. The Post-War (WWII) Order enabled the USA to rise to global hegemony, in part due to the devastation the rest of the then ‘developed’ world experienced. So many of the USA’s policy decisions since then have been about maintaining its hegemony.
However, in recent times, what policy decisions have been made? Hurting foreign trade, breaking supply chains, angering and alienating long term allies, gutting federal funding for science and R&D, undermining and rolling back incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles, throwing out our immigrant talent, destroying our research base, diminishing our universities, racking up unsustainable debt to appease the capital class, and showing the world we have at least two tiers of a justice system – one for the rich that is toothless and one for the rest of us that leads to us having a quarter of the world’s incarcerated.
If only the policies stopped there, but let’s not forget all the nakedly partisan decisions intended to inflict harm on citizens. From Trump specifically excluding COVID aid from Democrat-heavy areas to Trump sending ICE and Military personnel to Democrat-heavy areas, people’s lives were irrevocably broken in both cases. States like South Carolina and Texas have moved to intentionally gerrymander their maps for partisan purposes to deny any chance of decent representation (*1), and some courts, the Supreme Court in particular, are showing they no longer even attempt to give the appearance of being apolitical.
Those in power are trying to protect pedophiles, insult anyone who dares even ask a pertinent question about the crumbling situation they (those in power) have put us in, and generate little soundbites for the media talking heads to use in the increasingly isolated world we live in. I was just talking to someone yesterday, easily twenty years my senior, who had strong opinions on the world we live in, but had no idea we pay *significantly* more per-capita for worse healthcare and had no idea Kilmar Abrego Garcia was not only deported against the judge’s orders, but he isn’t the only one (*2). I can appreciate people’s passions, but when you’re factually incorrect and insistent, yearning to continue engaging proves challenging.
This is where Compassion comes into play. Many of us have lost connections to any number of things in the recent past – family, friends, relationships, jobs, lifestyles, and more. Few of us can say we’ve emerged from this period of rampant authoritarianism unscathed, and those who would say so would be met with skepticism from the rest of us. As such, the remaining connections are that much more valuable. Whether we’ve established new ones having learned to be better within who and what we place value, or the existing connections strengthened by the tribulations of the time. We can take a moment to appreciate them in our individual ways.
For me, I will do so quietly, looking forward to the time I get to spend with the few remaining people who mutually enjoy doing things together. I will enjoy those who’ve realized they could do better and wish to learn. I will enjoy those who have not surrendered to hate or apathy and are determined to be a part of the solution, regardless of scale – as not all of us need to be national figures, and it is ok to help locally; all big things are made of small things.
Attachments are the root of much suffering, and I like to describe attachment as being forced to change in relation to another change. However, we can be connected without being attached. I realize the two are synonyms, but I’m making a distinction here for illustrative purposes. I can enjoy my connection with those I make happy memories with, without having to change when something happens to them automatically. That balance is Compassion in action – being able to enjoy the present with someone or something when the moment arrives, but also retaining my ability to make independent decisions should the situation change. The benefit of this skill is being able to care for someone or something in the event of an adverse change without being thrust into the negative yourself (at least to the same degree).
I wish the person I spoke with yesterday well. I’d like to think they meant well, even if isolating themselves from the facts – a problem all too common in today’s compartmentalized media environment owned by a small handful of people profiting off the division. The unfortunate reality is many, especially younger folk, have no idea of what they don’t know and are missing out on. I used to try to pop those isolation bubbles, so to speak. After being met with increasing hostility, I’ve come to a better understanding of why monks lived in monasteries and sought to remove themselves from worldly affairs, for the most part. I meant well, wanting to help, but one cannot help those who do not wish to be helped. I am not going to try to chase an unwanted attachment and bend myself out of shape. I can offer a quiet prayer for improvement and move on, for that is within my control.
Compassion in an Age of Destruction can look like an island. We leave our islands full of hope to engage in meaningful activities, but when our energy reserves run low, we return to our island and seek refuge within ourselves. I used to think I had to be in the trenches with everyone all the time, and if I took time for myself, I was leaving them. The truth of the matter, though, is if we try to bear burdens not ours to address, we are draining ourselves infinitely and in a harmful way. We can absolutely help someone who is bearing their burden in some way, but not take it on ourselves. For someone with a lot of awareness and an even bigger heart, it’s a hard lesson to learn, but an essential one.
Help where you can, take refuge with yourself when you’re done. You are worth it.
reBLUEvinate!
(*1) – I’m aware some people are going to shout ‘What about California?!’ – First of all, Whataboutism is a large part of why we’re in this mess. Secondly, it was a voter-approved ballot initiative, and thirdly, it was in response to other states with a known expiration date. It is a temporary response to a *hopefully* temporary problem.
(*2) – This individual was staunchly anti-immigration and, while not stated openly, was clearly at least leaning towards a ‘get them all out’ approach – something that not only goes against the entire history of our country but would be devastating for our economy and society in the present and future tense. This individual kept saying ‘come here legally,’ which is fine, the viewpoint has many merits, but was also unaware ICE has been rounding up people *at the immigration courtrooms* themselves. Such an approach does not mesh well with ‘go through the process.’