I don't see any real hope for change. We have no good leaders in this country, and it's been the same throughout our history. So many people I know have either totally lost themselves in drugs and alcohol (understandable tbh) or offed themselves (also understandable). I'd like to think I could make a difference and try to live my principles, but it never works. There's always someone there to steal any hope.
And we have two fascists of different degrees of awful up for election again, so yay that sure feels great. I'm supposed to be grateful?
I'm not sure where you're at but try to focus more on local politics
People really underestimate the importance of local politics
Also, voting for a candidate you more align with instead of a candidate you perfectly align with is politics in a nutshell. You'll never find the perfect candidate unless you yourself are that candidate and you won't be the perfect candidate to anyone else.
I'm not asking for a perfect candidate, but when both candidates are committing atrocities -- concentration camps at the border, sending arms to a genocidal regime, hastening the death of our planet by protecting capitalism, using marginalized groups as pawns, dehumanizing homeless people, etc. -- it's not like there's any good candidate at all. What? We'll just harm fewer groups of people? Or different groups? You're still causing harm. That should not be remotely acceptable.
And yeah I'm involved locally, but so what? Do you think I only care about myself? Does that help the Palestinians, or the innocent people in those concentration camps? Does it help the people being tortured? I'd have to be completely self centered to only care about what happens locally, and I never see potential for meaningful change locally. What are they gonna do? Add another park bench or walking trail while people die in captivity? I'd kill myself to help, if it would do any good.
I'm in South Dakota btw