Re: some reasons to be grimly cheerful

I think we are of the same mind on a lot of these viewpoints. We are indeed in a very very dark place that seem insurmountable. And yes, the fact that everyone must tip their hat at the moral panic narrative even when trying to be unbiased and scientific, is utterly disgusting. Scientific researchers like Judith Levine and Allyn Walker were somewhat cancelled for just stating facts from data they found in their studies. I'm sure they would in a vacuum say wtf does it matter if a minor's partner is another minor or an adult so long as there is not forced rape or manipulation. However they MUST tip the hat and bend the knee to the puritanical lords in order to not be fully banished from the kingdom. As far as activism and also the VirPed sacrificial lambs, I am not advocating at any of us to publicly come out and suffer the fate of the cases of Thorstad or Ginsberg. But rather mount our fights from all angles and from the darkness. The assholes set the stage pushing us underground, so that is where we will punch back. I do believe you are correct with stating that it will get worse before it gets better. Also, things would rapidly change given any sort of dystopian event. However, the dust could also settle back worse than before if forced to live in tight communities like "Paradise" and "Silo". Where I think you are wrong is that whatever we do is like a fart in the wind. True, many people are so cemented in their heads that it seems impossible to have the smallest of glimmer in their weak minds. However, I will point to MAGA and how that has changed over a very short period. There are the Withers and Parkers of the world who on a daily basis poke holes in the heads of MAGA with fact and logic. This is one small effort that helps the overall mindfuck cult see the light. I see the groomer panic types as like MAGA on a larger scale. They refuse to entertain logic and reason. They have their minds made up with rhetoric vs truth and they will not waver. However I see that the tides have shifted as far as MAGA in a short time. I see die hard Trumpers retract and say "well, maybe I shouldn't have voted for that guy". This real world example gives me hope that breakthroughs ARE possible with cement-brains. SO as futile as it might appear, the more we push and pull them with facts and logic that they cannot defend and then feel stupid because of it, much like any Dean Withers episode with MAGAs, the more they have a doubt planted in their pea brains that maybe their thought process is flawed. True, that will not happen overnight, but the important element is starting that flame to possible critical thought.