No, I don't. It seems like everything keeps going from bad to worse.
The other day I had an idea come to me, both about the state of things here at home, and the world in general -
this is the worst things have ever been (during my lifetime), but it's also not going to get any better.
Every time things get worse, that becomes "the new normal" that things don't improve from - until the next time things get worse. Then that becomes "the new normal", and so on and so forth. I would love to be proven wrong, but I really don't think I will be.
I've really been struggling lately with pessimism, because of this. Some days I don't see how I will even get to OK, much less happiness, ever again.
I think for things to get better in the world, capitalism will have to change. Or we'll have to evolve beyond it to something else. I think it's overstayed its welcome, and what used to work about it in the past, doesn't work anymore today. I mean, we don't use the same technology decade after decade, we try to improve things to make them more effective. I don't know what to change it to, though. The problem is, whenever you criticize capitalism especially in America, say there are things that are wrong with it, could use improvement/reconsideration, or are just not the best, the default response is that you're lazy and/or a communist, as if "America as it is right now" and "communist dictatorship" are the only two ways of having a society. Capitalism, survival of the fittest, egotism, and hyper-individualism are practically a religion here, and if you criticize it, you're seen as a heretic. People are quick to say that if you're having a problem with it, it's because you're the one at fault (so they can pat themselves on the back for not having a problem, or say "hey, at least I'm better than that guy!" - it's a mix of self-righteousness, ass-kissing, and egotism, both acting superior and sycophantic at the same time, which is why I've always found that personality to be gross), rather than even considering that maybe the system isn't working anymore because it isn't compatible with the changes in the modern world, or that maybe it wasn't that good in the first place. I think it's arrogant for people to assume that the best way to run a society was discovered during the Industrial Revolution, and no better way could possibly exist, or we can't even improve upon that old way, nope, that's it, best system ever. I don't think it makes me lazy or a communist to say that the way things are right now, isn't working for more and more people all the time, so maybe we should try something else. Or at the very least change what we have now to make it even a little less bad. While I do believe in personal freedom and individuality, I also think this system of "every man for himself", increasing individualism - not the same thing as individuality - isn't good for most people. I feel like most people could really use the help of social safety nets, to stay in the middle class and at least be able to live functional lives.
Sorry for the downer post, but this has honestly been how I've been feeling lately.