Hillary Clinton is right about Bernie Sanders

[fallrey]

110. I am feeling some despair about our changing political environment

Despite all the uplifting arousal of political awareness recently, I can't see a way through to a really good outcome. I understand the strong wish for some to move beyond a two party system, and I too feel the ever-heightening pressure of our changing world and environment. I despise this administration.

But I don't see this turning around. I was a strong Hillary Clinton supporter, though I supported Sanders early on as so many did, because I wanted his ideas to influence what was discussed in the run up to the election.

There is so much to overcome now. The biggest sadness I have is about possible hacking, voter rolls being purged, gerrymandering, and those sorts of election tampering that make a fair electoral outcome unlikely. The role of disinformation isn't going away as far as I can tell. People who went for some of the false information out there to slander Clinton will believe those things probably their whole lives. Young people and very idealistic people will feel that more is within their grasp than probably can be accomplished, and that view of politics is being cynically fed by those who don't share those aspirations. It feels like Trump and crew are going to wreck our economy and our society, and the remedies may come--or not--but the damage done will last.

I hate the misogyny I saw and still see every time Clinton is mentioned, and also in the reaction we see to other real human women who can possibly achieve or already are in leadership positions. It is so unutterably saddening for me. I am not really surprised that so-called progressives take part in that. I am a red diaper baby and I've seem that played out many times in idealistic efforts.

I am saddened by what I see as American naivete, an unwillingness to fight hard while not succumbing to the idea that it is all-or-nothing, and an unwillingness to vote for a platform, not a charismatic person. History shows us examples of what happens when we throw out so-called incrementalism (translated: real, possible steps that change people's lives) in favor of revolution.

But I see, too, that some things in our society have to change, are long overdue for change, and have reached a point of crisis. I thought a president Clinton would address some of these, like institutionalized racism, like an ever-militarized police force, like a prison-industrial complex, like increasing inequity in our society. She would have made real changes that would have changed a lot of lives for the better. These matters are now heightened as we see the Republican agenda unfolding. But heightened awareness may not translate into real change--I am not sure it won't, but I suspect it won't. Perhaps what I mean is that yes, we'll have some wins, but the contrary momentum that we are experiencing now will overwhelm us, so that our important wins serve to soften an insane and harmful agenda, rather than to fundamentally move us in a better direction.

I wonder if physical fear of the consequences of climate change, which is bringing political, social and environmental changes (war, disasters), combined with the economic pressure most of us are feeling is bringing a time of harsh changes, not all for the better, even if we manage to get rid of Trump.

I hope we can be kind to one another and remember that we each hold only a part of what it is to be alive on this planet.

I will remain someone who wishes Clinton had been president, really without reservation. I want to ally myself with other progressives, liberals, whatever the label, in getting important work done in this country. Please don't add to the impossibility of being allied by tearing down our best chances of accomplishing that work, and please don't expect to agree with other allies on everything. It isn't possible and it is destructive for the outcome to expect that.

Feel loyal or not to the Democratic Party, but don't tear it down--we need it. And if our politics is torn apart, be ready for living a life that is a lot worse than the one we are navigating now.