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My progressive friends and I are starting to talk amongst ourselves on Facebook about exchanging e-mails and other contact data now, in case of an unthinkable scenario in which we are no longer able to correspond with each other online. That we have to think of these eventualities at all is really sad and disturbing. But however opaque the future may be, it's easy to see which way the wind is blowing. We no longer feel safe. There is a rising sense of urgency combined with despair among many, perhaps most in the progressive community, a feeling of helplessness to turn back the tide of corruption and ignorance that is drowning what little is left of democracy in the United States.
The censorhip and retribution we fear hasn't quite arrived yet, but it's one of the very real possibilities hovering on the event horizon, always looming, dark and threatening like a cloud full of ashes and thunderbolts-- like the 'Tower' card in the Tarot deck. We carry on, as best we can, hoping somehow for a narrow escape from the escalating tension of corporate fasicism's grip. Some of my friends have retreated into a near-complete fantasy world of head-in-the-sand new age mysticism; others into depression's grip. No one is spared; the strongest among us are frozen, fossilized versions of our better selves, to a greater or lesser extent, in this ever-advancing Fear State where it seems that we are not just waiting for the other shoe to drop, but for one shoe after another, and then yet another!
At times the cultural and political scene in post-2001 America seems crafted like a perfectly macabre amalgamation of Wes Craven horror and Woody Allen dark comedy-- absurdly, ridiculously nightmarish, and nightmarishly absurd and ridiculous. Send in the clowns: Palin, Bachmann, Beck, Angle, O'Donnell, Paladino, and a large cast of other abberated, demented personalities. You've gotta laugh at their antics, or you'll cry and gnash your teeth in anger and outrage that these people have burst onto the national scene and are being given the opportunity to have a hand in creating what will be a radically, obscenely more corrupt, fraudulent and unjust form of government if they are successful in achieving their agenda.
You know, the American people have never really had to deal with great suffering or privation; their naive nationalism and lack of enthusiasm for politics and world affairs made our culture an easy target for corporate fascism. What started out as "Manifest Destiny' and the Monroe Doctrine has stayed very much in the American consciousness; Americans even today still refer to this as "the greatest country in the world' and "the most powerful nation on earth,' usually ignoring altogether to look at the damning evidence of ruthlessness by which this pinnacle of power was reached. Add to this the strong fundamentalist religious element unique to the U.S. and you have the ideal ingredients for a fascist takeover.
Remember the words of C.S. Lewis in the 1930s, that American fascism, when it happens, will be a blend of patriotism and religious fervor. And how quickly and effortlessly this uniquely American brand of oligarchy has taken hold. The progressives stand alternately mute, then enraged, then mute again, as we consider our limited options for taking back the Democratic party to its populist roots. The days of civil rights, women's rights, and government regulation of corporate malfeasance are gone, at least for now. So seriously, where CAN we go from here? How can we turn this around? It feels like we are spinning our wheels while we come to grips with the depths to which the moral compass of our leaders has plummeted into the 'red zone.' So we process our grief, and let out our anger, and struggle to find our way as effective activists. And as we go through this necessary psychological process of sorting out just how bad things really are, it really may not be time yet to take strong and definitive action. This may be hard news to bear, but remember, there is no failure in stepping back to carefully examine and strategize. A rush to 'war' is always a bad battle plan.
Sometimes to get to the ultimate solutions to really immense problems, we have to sink to the depths, step back and embrace inertia and not knowing, or maybe even have a breakdown before the epiphany comes and before we can energize, regroup our resources and see our way forward. I believe this is where we as the collective 'progressive mass mind' are at this moment in history: a little mad, a little dazed, and certainly not ready to chart the course ahead. We need to ground ourselves in REALITY right now and be with WHAT IS.
Here are my simple thoughts on how we as individuals can prepare and fortify ourselves, right now, to take the next steps that we will need to take collectively in the coming weeks, months and years:
* Cultivate the relaxation response or a meditation practice, and do it every day for at least an hour if you can. Even if you don't believe in a supreme being, this is your inner strength, intuition, energy, peace and wisdom you are developing. It's your foundation.
* Maintain a simple but healthy lifestyle that includes good food, daily exercise, and good sleep habits. Let go of excesses that are a drain on the body's energy and stamina. Take care of yourself, because without a healthy body you're far more likely to fall into a rut, confusion or depression.
* If you can eliminate unnecessary strain and drama from your work life, this might be the time to do so. Take a good look at where your money goes, and what you can eliminate from your life that doesn't really serve you.
* Spend more time outdoors and in nature-- get away from it all once in awhile. Go for long walks. A good long walk (or jog, if you're into it) is a wonderful time to let the thoughts recede and just stay receptive -- inspiration, insight and great ideas are often the unsought benefit of this form of exercise. My husband and I go camping every summer, and it's often on these retreats from the noise and distractions of the city that I 'regroup' and get inspired for the coming year, and get an innate sense of what course to pursue in my career, activism and other areas of my life.
* Obviously, a rich inner life is often not possible without a good social network. I find I have to put some effort into seeking out friends, planning a lunch with one or phoning another one in a given week. It's easy with the Internet to lose contact with the 'real' people in our communities, but it's one we ought not to lose. It's also easy to avoid events and opportunities for social contact; joining a community garden or attending a local political meet-up, for example, can bring us the human contact and interaction we need to help us stay grounded.
* Keep it real, and try not to get sidelined by new agey teachings that blame victims and ultimately draw you away from true self-actualization, into a utopian fantasy world where passivity is encouraged and thoughts and imaginations alone are enthroned with a power that they don't in actuality have. But do take a breather every now and then and declare a 'news-free' day, if you're stressed, to just tune in and tune out. You'll feel better and develop more clarity, and you won't have missed much-- you can catch up 24 hours later.
* Love. (Okay, this is a little woo-woo.) Cultivate love in your life, in whatever way you can. When everything looks the most dire and hopeless all around us, we still have an infinite love within us if we realize that it's inside of us and not out there. When everything good seems in short supply, share your 'dime' of lovingkindess with someone else who's hurting, and you'll still have more where that came from.
