Derek Jensen has a powerful essay against Hope, also. Hope often prevents people from acting in response to reality; leaving behind their attachments to real needs and cooperation in favor of waiting and praying.

The realities of today need action, not hope.

Unfortunately, we see far too many people without hope who can’t see the realities of purpose and usefulness, and instead choose the paths of destruction and despair.

One can be useful with or without hope. They can also be destructive with hope. I think as much destruction (consumptionism) can be attributed to the hope salesmen as to egotistical power grabbers.

When all is said and done, the question “Now, what?” can as easily be replaced with “How can I be useful to my (and the world’s) future?” It takes very little effort to find useful works, creative contributions: even just by living and helping something else live for another day or another bite of food. It doesn’t have to be much. When we look around, however, we see that’s not the direction most actions take these days. It’s a simple idea, but a big change for humanity to stop ‘Hoping’ that there will be a future and to just get on with making one ourselves.