To get actual policies in place which help the average person, we need to do a lot. Flipping the House is a start. Flipping the Senate a step more. But we need to change the conversation, we need to change the assumptions US politics have been operating under for several decades. Some of those assumptions which need to change:
* Taxes must always go down.
* Conservatives always stick together.
* Anyone with great wealth must have worked hard to deserve it.
* The average person votes based on short-term understanding and loses track of long-term trends.
* Opinions & assumptions & stereotypes matter more to political influence than do facts and expert analysis.
* All politicians are corrupt and interested only in their own power.
I certainly hope the Democrats take both houses of Congress in December, but more than that, I hope to weaken the above assumptions. I want real conversations about climate change, economics, costs & benefits of different policies. I want whatever Republicans win their races to see the writing on the wall that it's high time to back away from Trump's political, military, and economic failures. I want conservatives to stop scapegoating immigrants, poor people, people of color, and sexual minorities. I want a commitment to truth, the rule of law, and transparency in government motivations at all levels. I want the wealthy to concede that even when the mid-20th-century tax rates were at their peak of > 90% marginal income tax rate, businesses still succeeded and were profitable. I want society as a whole to recognize that unpaid work like raising children and caring for the elderly has value and deserves social support. I want voters to recognize that broad-based societal goods are valuable and should be backed by law & taxes. These include funding for climate-change mitigations, food safety, public health, law enforcement.
It's a long list of desires, but it's why I try to argue policy, and why I get frustrated with the "we can't argue with them, we must defeat them" rhetoric I see from time to time. Arguing with your opponents is _how_ you find moderates & undecided voters and sway them to your side. Debate and research and education are how you win the votes of the majority of citizens - many of whom either don't vote, vote single-issue based on stereotypes, or always vote for the same party their parents did without researching the candidates.
So what should you do if you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the political craziness going on? With rising prices? With politicians promising and not delivering? With corruption & grift in government? With big businesses running things instead of people? With hard-working individuals being used as scapegoats & punching bags by those with money & power?
Here are some things _you_ can do to push back:
* Vote (This is an entertaining video about the importance, and this site can help with the logistics and making sure you're registered.)
* Protest (public protests draw a lot of attention, and demonstrate to politicians & other people the scale of unhappiness with existing policies)
* Call your representatives - this demonstrates between elections what people want to happen and what their most urgent concerns are, and gives the representatives a chance to change direction, or a clear signal what you like and dislike about their policies.
* Donate money to political candidates / organizations of your choice
* Volunteer to teach / mentor / tutor - neighbors, family, or through schools. If "the other side" is ignorant / myopic, help more people understand the world better.
* Research & publish causes of political disfunction or potential improvements for issues of your choice.
* Volunteer for phone banking with political or charitable groups
* Make sure friends & neighbors are registered to vote as well.
* Help poor / elderly neighbors, friends & family with cooking, cleaning, childcare and other chores. You'll probably have a chance to share your views and descriptions of marginalized groups you've encountered while you're there.
* Create and publish art (including performance art - plays, dance, comedy etc.) showing struggling communities in a positive light, or examining the causes of societal problems
Remember, you’re not alone, and you’re not powerless.