My mail–both snail and e-versions–are liberally laden with pleas for me donating money (as part of mass mass mailings that attach a specific name to each as if the recipient is gullible enough to believe it’s personal). It’s tedious. It’s offensive. It’s annoying. It’s insulting. Pathetic.

A con job in-the-waiting. I get pleas that are supposedly directly from the hearts and minds of people such as Elizabeth Warren. Even ex-prez Jimmy Carter. From one organization or another representing themselves as ready to “fight back,” or serve the greater good in some manner related to the absurd world of politics or humanitarian, racial, social, immigration or wildlife, environmental and scientific causes.

The reason I get these appeals for part of my pocketbook is that I have previously parted with some of that pocketbook’s bottom line for these causes in the past. And I once did so in good faith and with the obvious intention of being part of making life better, locally, nationally or globally. I’m sure these ensuing pleas for more of my money would be forthcoming even if the previous donations indeed did make things better for me, for others, including planet Earth or its critters and creatures. And perhaps they were some gains made in all those areas. For example, I feel I helped get Elizabeth Warren elected, regardless that I live in Illinois and she ran for (and was elected) Senator for the state of Massachusetts. Same for Claire McCaskill in Wisconsin. I certainly threw money at Senator Bernie Sanders (he who wouldn’t touch a dime of corporate donations) a few times. I’ve been a dues paying member of Public Citizen, Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy, among other well intended organizations.

And since the Twilight Zone event of November 8th, 2016, I have been compelled to become a card carrying member of the A.C.L.U.

However, in my last blog I addressed the “first 100 days” benchmark of President Strangelove, when I asserted that all the now-aroused anger and opposition to his being placed in power doesn’t really matter, because it’s too late to matter. He has been sworn in and has promoted dangerous, reckless and cynical  policies (and still possesses his toxic personality, including possibly being guilty of sexual assault, but never mind that bit of trivia). To expound a bit more on that defeatist mind-set, none of these pleas for money matter to me anymore.

I surrender to the inexorable evil that seems to dominate our world. The environment is degrading. Climate change is as obvious as the noses that protrude from our faces. Racism and sexism, xenophobia and homophobia are as prevalent as ever. Wildlife species keep going extinct due to human exploitation. Infrastructure failures occur more frequently. Corporate power has never been greater than it is at this very moment. Inner city violence runs rampant. Unions keep getting busted. Jobs keep getting off-shored. Neo-fascism is in neo-fashion domestically and overseas. Oh, and the rot of the rest of it. Please understand, it’s all very much intended ,not a matter of fate, bad luck or bad timing.

No, it’s all going according to plan. Evil does trump good. C’mon. Look around. You can see it. Smell it. Step in it. Or get stepped on by it.

For all the efforts of Sierra Club, or Nature Conservancy, Public Citizen, Democracy Now!, the A.C.L.U., or an Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, or Sherrod Brown, for all the efforts of Jimmy Carter and Habitat for Humanity, for all the money they have raised (from well intended, magnanimous-minded, fellow-men and women) things–seriously and sincerely–and I swear!, have never been worse (excepting periods such as the Dark Ages, various totalitarian epochs, the Holocaust, natch).

Good did prevail in the darkest days of human history, but the goodness wasn’t, and seems never to be, the default setting for humanity. Forget the natural world and its bio-rhythms and inevitable evolutionary and self-preservative forces. I’m taking about what humankind has wrought on itself. And here still early in the 21st Century, the world is quite a crazy place. Terrorism. Oppression. Persecution. Same old same old. Here in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, divisiveness, bitterness, anger and angst are in opposition to those who seem to plot out actions that manifest such negativity. Not that these plotters don’t know what they are doing. They know damn well. And so how much money needs to STILL be donated to the organizations that seem unable to gain any positive traction? Sorry, but things are irrefutably going one step forward, two steps back as though there’s no altering this backwards-marching modus operandi.

 I give up. No more donations. Let the memberships lapse. I’m out.  Remind me, where’s the office in which I can resign from the human race?

Well, maybe I’ll not give up on living. Or caring. But only in my own small corner of the this badass world. Maybe toss a few bucks at a local pet shelter (they aren’t to blame for any of this shit, eh what?). Certainly, I’ll keep supporting local business, especially the ones that sell very high APV craft beer. I’ll Hang with the select few homies. My compassion and concern exists for those I am willing to trust. I don’t trust many people. Are you kidding? Sartre said it all: hell is other people.

However, with the trustworthy may there be sharing peaks and valleys, the latest disappointments or maybe, just maybe a non-quotidian bit of good fortune, or some sort of warm and fuzzy.

Jimmy, Liz, Opposition Forces against our current malignant governments, city, state and federal, I wish you all the best. However, you’ll have to fight on without my financial help. I’ll be with you all in spirit. I wouldn’t bet on you succeeding any time soon, though. Doesn’t seem meant to be.

Enough of this. I have a dear friend in need. I have energy for that. In the meantime, I’ll be in Beersville, trying to throw off a few sandbags, in order to let my psychic balloon rise (a tip of the hat to Ray Milland in  Lost Weekend).

Peace and love and all of that…