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I realized that I was selling myself a story based on a fantasy. FDR and Kennedy sold us on a dream, but the truth is that the US is and has been ruthless, racist, and a bit fascist since its inception. With the exception of Obama (and even then it's iffy), every administration since Carter has been very right-leaning and short of compassion (Clinton was basically a moderate Republican).
Looked at from that perspective, what gains we have made are something to be proud of. What stings is that some of those gains are going to roll back. Sisyphus something or other.
Every time America has changed for the best it's required bloodshed. The Revolution, the Civil War, labor rights, women's rights, civil rights, gay rights: All of them required people to be hurt and die before something changed.
I fucking hate that this is true.
I fucking hate that after people have died and the weekend is won, or women can work, or slaves are free that the people who do steadfastly clung to the previous status quo now are suddenly enlightened and can see the advantages of those changes.
Why are people like this?
Still too optimistic. The people that clung to the previous status quo didn't become enlightened. They stayed just as bigoted, but they died off over time.
Too bad the bloodshed never includes the politicians who helped make it harder to change. Maybe that's what needs to happen instead.
When can we require that the wealthy elite be the ones who get hurt for change to happen?
(forgot to mention how many of them were willing to sell us out to corporations)
Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (1980, 2009)