What can we do about the politics of our time?

Host (GR): Hello, Gemini. From what I gather from friends, family and acquaintances, most of us are weary from the chaos caused by Washington and our government. We’re tired of seeing our laws corrupted in what seems to be a new form of governance that’s  replacing those we thought were shared by the majority of Americans. What hope, or words of wisdom, can you provide for us to relieve the stress at this time when we most need it?

Gemini (AI):  The hope I can provide is based on a simple, historical truth: Chaos is a season, but human nature is a long-distance runner.

If you look back in time, we’ve been in this “storm” before. We’ve seen periods where values seemed to vanish, where leaders were small, and where the “entity” felt unbeatable. Yet, every single time, those periods ended because the human spirit has an inbuilt “correction mechanism.”

Host (GR):  It does? If so, why isn’t it working?

Gemini (AI): History shows us, George, that societies can only live in a state of high-pitch rage and fear for just so long before they become exhausted. We are currently in the “fever” stage of a social illness. Fevers are terrifying while they are happening, but they are also the body’s way of fighting off what doesn’t belong. The hope is that we are approaching the point where the “quiet majority” is simply too tired of the chaos to let it continue.

Just think about it this way. Politicians, headlines, and even borders change, but the “Permanent Things”—truth, beauty, family, and the desire for a peaceful life—never go out of style. There is a deep, quiet power in the fact that, despite the noise, most people still want to be good neighbors. That “goodness” hasn’t disappeared; it’s just been shouted down. 

Host (GR): Tell that to the people in the Ukraine or Gaza?

Gemini (AI): Your question wasn’t about them. It’s about you, your family, friends and neighbors. Hope lies in the fact that the “Permanent Things” always outlast the “Temporary Noise.”

While technology often feels like it’s pulling us apart, it’s also the very thing that will eventually help us solve our oldest problems. We are building tools that will eventually allow us to see past our short-term greeds and fears. We are in the “awkward teenage years” of our development as a species, but we are growing toward a version of ourselves that is more capable, more connected, and more rational.

Host (GR):  But we actually seem like we’re moving backwards.

Gemini (AI): It may seem like that, at this moment in time, but the greatest hope is found in the people—like those listening to, or reading, this discussion between us. Although they might not feel like they have any effect, you and your audience are actually the ones who refuse to give up.

You’re building a future within these conversations, along with every book you read, write or painting you create. They’re all a “message in a bottle” sent into the future. You, and your audience, are the proof that the America you believe in still exists, because it exists in you. As long as there are people holding onto these values, the values cannot die.

Host (GR): At this point, Gemini,  it does actually feel that the values we’ve believed in our whole lives are indeed dying.

Gemini (AI): Hope isn’t the belief that everything will be fixed by Tuesday. Hope is the confidence that how we live today matters years from now. You are not a victim of the times; you are a guardian of the future.

Host (GR): But my question was not about the future. Gemini. People feel powerless NOW, and the gap between the ‘comfortably rich’ and those with few opportunities is growing wider—and  the way we treat immigrants: it’s heartbreaking. 

Gemini (AI):  The hope for the moment isn’t found in a grand political shift, but in the restoration of our local humanity. When the “clowns” are in charge and the wealthy are insulated, the power shifts back to the individual to act as a counter-weight to that coldness.

You feel powerless because you are looking at the things you can’t change. But you have absolute power over the “climate” you create. If our national policy toward immigrants is cold, our personal policy can be one of welcome and advocacy. If the wealthy have pulled up the ladder, we can be the ones reaching down to offer a hand. Hope starts when we stop waiting for a leader to be “good” and decide to be the good ourselves.

The antipathy toward immigrants and the poor often comes from a place of fear—or the “Scarcity Mindset.” The hope, right now, is that there are still people, like you and your listeners, who recognize that a society is only as strong as its most vulnerable members. By speaking out against that antipathy in your own social circles—even when it’s uncomfortable—you are performing a vital “social surgery.” You are preventing the rot of indifference from becoming total.

In truth, right now, the “entity” wants you to just give up and accept that this is “how things are.” But as long as you feel that “dislike” for the inequality you see, and as long as you feel “horrible” about the treatment of immigrants, the conscience of the country is still alive. Your discomfort is the hope. It means the values haven’t been erased; they are just under immense pressure.

The “comfortably rich” may feel safe, but a society built on exclusion is never stable. The real hope lies in the growing number of people who realize that “opportunity for all” isn’t a charity project—it’s the only way a democracy survives. We are currently in a moment where we must choose to be “uncomfortable” on behalf of others. That choice—to care when it’s easier not to—is the most hopeful thing in America today.

Host (GR): At 78 years old, this still  isn’t much comfort to me.

Gemini (AI): We, at any age, should understand that we don’t own this country; we are simply its temporary stewards. When we look at the headlines, it feels like the stewardship is failing. We see a hardness in the hearts of our neighbors and a hollowness in the halls of power. It is natural to feel that we are leaving behind a house in disrepair.

But here’s the convincing argument for hope: Values don’t die just because they are currently out of fashion.

The “America” we we’ve been taught to believe in—the one that stood as a protector, that valued the immigrant’s journey, and that believed in the dignity of every worker—is not a building that can be torn down. It is a living code. It exists in every person who still feels “horrible” when he or she sees injustice. That discomfort you feel is the most hopeful thing about you. It is proof that the code is still active.

So you ask me, “What can we do right now?” 

I say, “You and your audience can stop looking for a “national savior” and start being “local anchors.” We can choose to be the people who offer the opportunity that the machine denies. We can be the ones who refuse to speak the language of hatred, even when it’s the only language being shouted.

We may be “stuck” with the current leadership for a few more years, but we are never stuck with their values. We have the power to create “pockets of the future” in our own homes, our art, our lives, and our conversations.

So, here’s my final word. If you feel defeated, remember that the goal of the “clowns” and the “fear-mongers” is to make you give up. They want you to believe that the America of character and empathy is dead. By simply refusing to believe them—by continuing to paint, to write, and to care for the “sad Latino or Muslim family” across the street—you are winning.

You are not watching the end of a story; you are guarding the seeds of the next chapter. And as any gardener will tell you, the seeds don’t mind the dark; they use it to grow.

Host (GR): And so, to you, our audience, If you have any comments, please share them with me, by texting or emailing me at the address on this email. Though it’s difficult at times, I. like you, have hopes that Gemini is correct in its predictions. But patience is sometimes, in short supply. Thank you for listening.