As much as I would love to leave the USA, I financially can't

[Cirsium]

47. This is it

We are in the the worst case scenario, in my opinion. It will play out before all of the consequences pile up, but we are well down the road. It is a process, not an event. By the time the visible evidence is overwhelming and undeniable it is far, far too late.

Being honest about that does not necessarily lead to helplessness and hopelessness, it can lead to urgency and action. It also leads to organizing and collective action, as opposed to individual coping strategies and obsession with our own emotional state.

When the house is on fire we face the emergency and take action. I was caught in a wildfire once, and it was amazing to see so many people leap into coordinated action and work for hours to stop it and save the town. No one worried about their personal feelings, and sounding the alarm forcefully did not cause anyone to get discouraged or feel despair nor feel helpless or hopeless. People were not "feeding off of each other's fears."

If the fire had not been a real danger, then all of that might have been true. But it was a real danger. I say we are in real danger now, and that people being in denial is a greater risk than people being alarmist.

That all said, I see validity in your point of view and I applaud you for your response to the pandemic and your contribution to the greater good. Thank you also for taking the time to read my posts and for responding thoughtfully. I can see how you could take my posts as doom and gloom rather than as a call to action.