That was well said, and I agree with almost everything. My only disagreements would be extent to which we’ve made progress on certain issues – I think race has improved considerably, and the Inflation Reduction Act was the largest government investment into green energy in the West at the time – but when it comes down to it, I agree it still isn’t enough.

The cultural change for being more pro LGBT and in favor of diversity is also more important I think than you’re giving credit for. Change is going to come from the people at the end of the day, and a cultural change is necessary for that. I’ve seen a petrochemical company in a big oil and gas corporation get absolutely terrified: consumers demanded better sustainability, which made companies like Coke pledge to stop using single use plastics by a target date, which made the petrochemical companies start looking for innovations and sustainable improvements, because single use plastics were the lions share of their profit.

I went on a bit of a tangent there, but this is the sort of thing I like to keep in mind. You’re spot on with your description of our situation, and even if it isn’t happening in every single part of the US, it’s still happening overall to a very large degree. Like you said, we need to get our shit together, and it won’t be easy. But if I give into despair, then the conclusion is inevitable, and as you pointed out, that sinks more than just the US. To keep hope, I look at silver linings and try to think of historical contexts. And in that regard, I think we can turn things around. I think we’re on the cusp of the Republican Party’s destruction, and when that happens, we can start putting in serious work to fix our country. That’s my hope, at least.