All I feel today is numbness and an overwhelming sense that neoliberalism has doomed us.

(Neoliberalism, in one sense, is the political philosophy that the economy does best outside of government interference. And that a "free market" encourages businesses to innovate, become more efficient, and provide goods and services that we all need.)

Deregulation has completely undercut our ability to respond flexibly and strongly to COVID, while simultaneously undermining our collective trust in any strong state response because of our suspicions that the response may be tied to profit.

Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case in which Catholic Social Services is asking for the right to continue to get contracts, license, and funding from the City of Philadelphia WHILE ALSO choosing which families and children it wants to turn away from its services.

And instead of discussing the failure of the city to provide strong support for kiddos and families in crisis, the Court and counsel on both sides talked about the strong history of religious social services.

This discussion, of course, ignores the DELIBERATE WEAPONIZATION of conservative religious child welfare services in colonization, anti-blackness, indigenous genocide, and religious persecution.

What I want to say is:

- You're not delusional. What you're feeling is correct. We are not operating within a system that is set up to succeed at what we need it to do.

- It's not your fault if it's difficult to imagine what a functioning government would look like. We've all been told for decades that strong social systems are weak, dangerous, seditious, and even treasonous.

- You're not bad at organizing. We are tiny cogs in a small machine trying to literally overthrow a MASSIVE ENGINE that has successfully leveraged its incredible power (trillions of dollars) to keep us worried, working, isolated, and fighting for scraps.

- One of the best lessons I have learned these past few years is from the Mishnah: “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it (2:21).

- We don't need to win right now. We need to not give up.