I wanted to come back to this thread with a suggestion for anyone who feels beaten down by this 2nd act. My wife has been having a really hard time with this and so instead of constant doom scrolling and thoughts about wanting to escape to magical non-MAGA lands to make things better, I suggested we try to volunteer more in our area. We found a really great option that does twice a month food distribution. It's 3 hours every 1st and 3rd Saturday morning. Doesn't take a lot of time and it helps people who have been further marginalized by how expensive life has become. There's no judgments, no needs-based tests, just giving away donated groceries from local grocers and food distributors. It felt really good to be a part of making sure a family doesn't go hungry for the next week. We took our two kids with us and they had a great time. It's just a little thing we can do to help others in need. Maybe that's how we can turn the tide. Little acts of kindness in this sick, cynical world. So just give something like it a try if you're looking for something to take your mind off this shit for a few hours.