fascism is on the rise around the globe, climate change will take down civilization in the next 10-20 years, and even if we took down capitalism overnight, there would probably not be enough resources left for a controlled descent.
Do small acts of activism to fight feelings of helpless and to help others. (Hang signs, make art, volunteer, donate, etc) There are easy ways to make a positive impact, you just have to find something that works for you. Live in the NOW as much as you can and appreciate the small things like beautiful plants, good jokes, the sky, pets or family, etc. When people say “Joy Is Resistance” they mean that the assholes at the top want us to feel miserable and hopeless, so choose not to. Make your own joy via cheap means whether it is spending time outside or what-have-you. Take breaks from the news. Maybe set aside a day to stay informed so you’re getting info but without the constant despair. There’s a concept called “Circle Of Control”. Worry about your small, immediate environment. Create new connections and network over plants or hobbies. Listen to a radical podcast for ways to cope. Just know that you are absolutely not alone even if everyone else seems like they don’t care.
There’s a concept called “Circle Of Control”. Worry about your small, immediate environment. Create new connections and network over plants or hobbies
To add to this, go talk to your neighbours and their neighbours. Invest in your direct communitie, organise a BBQ, cookout, party, concert or whatever. Connect with the people around you, this will make everybody more resilient.
Organize, drugs, and give time to yourself with some kind activity that you enjoy like art or crafting
If you’re in the United States get a gun and learn how to use it.
Just make sure the first person you kill, is not yourself. Preferably no one, but we do what we can.
Great advice here already, so I focus on a different thing: I can understand that you worry about these things, but being extra negative about the future doesnt really help you coping. If you think your negativity is solely rooted in how you understand how the future will look, I suggest you look for more balanced information on this. Just from the top of my head I remember this (iberal) plan, that explains a pretty clear plan to limit climate change to below 2C. So instant anticapitalism with a focus on degrowth and CO2 reduction would most likely be even more succesful. But if you check in with yourself and realize that your negative outlook is also connected to your mental state, I hope you have the chance to find support in whichever way works best for you and is available. From my experience, many anarchists (way more than the average people I know) have to deal with something like that atleast once in their life.
It’s difficult to be sure and there is nothing you as an individual can do that will have a meaningful impact on the future of the world. Having said that, there are tons of things you can do to impact your future. The key is to try and anticipate what the world might be like in the future and try to adapt to it before you’re forced to.
Fascists taking over is bad news especially if you don’t happen to be a white cishet man. If you are, congratulations you’ll be fine as long as you keep your opinions to yourself. If not you’ve got to plan accordingly. If you’re in an out group of the fascists you’ll want to find community for mutual aid and defense, which you can either try to start if you are a land owner or join if you’re a peasant. Your day to day life won’t change all that much under fascism outside of the minority persecution. Prices will be higher, supply will be more spotty, but the life you have now will still be possible. Unless you’re like a drag performer, trans, or an immigrant.
Climate change is not going to topple civilization. It will fundamentally change society and lead to civil unrest but countries and oligarchs will still hold power. What you can expect are progressively escalating natural disasters such as hurricanes, wild fires, droughts, etc. These will strain disaster relief efforts and eventually hit a point where those organizations are disbanded or go bankrupt leaving victims of new disasters financially destroyed and homeless. The biggest disruption to daily life, outside regions where disasters are more likely, would be disruptions to the supply chain. Scarcity and rising prices will make day to day life more difficult, but like the fascists, the significant change to most people’s lives will be affordability that may or may not lead to starvation and homelessness.
You don’t have to wait for the white nationalists to deny aid to a predominantly non-white area to start prepping though. Hording stuff isn’t really going to help you because eventually they run out or the guy next door who horded bullets instead of beans will come and take them. You’re best bet is to try and adapt now to doing with less that way in the future when others are struggling to get accustomed to scarcity, you can help.
define “cope with”
You can not even with full on genius level intelligence predict all the possible random course changes of the path we are headed down, the only predictable thing about the future is that no one will accurately predict it.
That’s one. Two - you can of course be concerned and inform yourself and inform others, but worrying or obsessing on a doomed future is pointless, you can’t change the big picture by yourself, and if it’s definitely doomed, you really can’t, so what’s the point in worrying about it? Instead of having an unhealthy relationship with it, do what you can to help the here and now, the people and animals and situations you can. If the world is going to have some unpredictable course change that means we actually turn this boat around or get off it successfully, the only way it’s gonna happen is if enough people refuse to succumb to panic and defeatism and continue to do the hard work, whatever that is for them. So do that.
