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 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.
I don't get this comic. The text is fine, but it has literally nothing to do with the characters or the coffee shop they're in
I guess the story is that the blond girl had a previous conversation with the brunette pair about freaking out about the actions of humanity, followed up by days of silence, and then a tentative message to meet up in a coffee shop somewhere to discuss, or maybe she just bumped into them unplanned (hence the laptop?)
You should have faith in humanity. But faith is illusory and reserved only for things that are highly unlikely to happen. So your faith was well placed, it just didn't pan out. Which is pretty standard overall.
Due to a new and novel conspiracy? Almost certainly not. The people who care don't need a new solution, their original solution still works fine.
Cooked through gerry-mandering and voter disenfranchisement practices?
Yes. Absolutely. Once again. As usual. Gerry meandering and voter disenfranchisement is well documented, and has been being done by powerful people against the rest of us, for a very long time.