When I was a kid involved in street fights in New York City, we called this our “F-U Atty-tude.” We can call it “Optimism” in polite circles 🙂
Either way, it shows the same truth: bullies rely on mental intimidation to get you down. Sure, there are threats and force, but they gain only temporary advantage. The victim has to capitulate psychologically and emotionally for the bully to truly have him.
But if your attitude is “This ain’t over as long as I still live and breathe,” then he will never win. This applies to both childhood bullies and bureaucrat bullies.
Remember: we will lose only if we let them convince us to stop fighting.
From Edward Ring in American Greatness:
“Optimism has insurrectionary power because it contradicts everything the American establishment now trains voters to accept. From uniparty conformists and their corporate, academic, and media allies who package and spread the messages, to deep state agencies and plutocrats who decide on the messages, there is a common theme: pessimism. And when pessimism impels us to believe in worst-case scenarios, panic follows close behind…”
“The currency of establishment politics in America relies on pessimism. What other word better characterizes the incessant claim that white Americans are by definition racist, that America is an inherently racist nation, and that BIPOC individuals (for the blissfully uninitiated, that’s black, indigenous, and people of color) cannot possibly hope to succeed without government edicts and entitlements to compensate for the pervasive discrimination inflicted on them by privileged white people?”
“The power of political optimism is that it rejects all of this. Burning fossil fuel is not going to immolate the biosphere. Forests are not disappearing. We can protect wildlife and wilderness, while also remaining realistic about what sort of a human footprint is necessary to power civilization. Diseases and pandemics will strike, and with courage we can balance the risks, protect the weak, preserve our freedom, and exercise reasonable precautions as we build herd immunity and move from pandemic to endemic. We can methodically develop vaccines and treatments, but don’t need to compel people to take them. As for racism, only vestiges remain, as Americans have built the most inviting and inclusive culture in human history…”
“That is optimism. It is powerful because it challenges the establishment narrative at its roots. In 21st century America, optimism is subversive. Flaunt it. Deny the doomsayers their moment. Reject the pessimistic essence of everything they’re saying. Starting there, we have a chance….”