One thing the conservative news cycle is EXTREMELY invested in is the idea that WE CANNOT SPEND MONEY ON THINGS; WE ARE TOO BROKE.
(Meanwhile, while running their own private businesses and investments, they are quite comfortable with the idea of spending a little money to get a lot more money. They’re quite familiar with it, because that’s the most common way get more money than you can acquire with your basic human labor. You spend money to get even more of it. That’s how investments work.)
Bear that in mind when you see conservatives attack plans to improve infrastructure. They’ll complain about raised taxes, the lack of a magical money tree, the fact that some left-leaning people have not spent money well, the fact that all of these (potholes/unhoused people/crime/crumbling windows/closed-down libraries) indicates that THERE IS NO EXTRA MONEY AND PEOPLE ARE POOR AND THOSE NASTY LEFTIES WANT TO STEAL EVEN MORE FROM YOU.
It is vitally important to the operation of conservative power that everyone be in a scarcity mindset. Everything from Sam vimes boot theory on how The Poors have to buy things, to how The Poors expect our tax money to be administered, is beneficial to conservative power; therefore it is of great benefit to them that everything The Poors want has to be framed, first, in the idea that “we are too poor and can afford nothing.” In fact, it would be perfect for the conservative governments of the world if The Poors agree on being too poor and self-absorbed in our collective poverty to invest in anything at all - not education, not trains, not clean water or safe air or a stable climate or pretty wild birds - those things are nice to have, we already agree, but we really can’t afford them: and are distrustful of anyone so unrealistically rich that they think we can. The self-imposed austerity mindset is perfect for a secure power conservative base. All they have to do is regularly remind The Poors that we can’t afford anything, and we’ll do the rest of the work.
This solar panel story is great because it has a clear trajectory from beginning to end. The school gathered supporters and funds; they spent some money (and time, and research, and faith, and trust) on solar panels, and ended up making a profit. In fact they made so much money that they could spend it on other things. You can take two seconds to look at the story and agree: infrastructure usually pays its dividends. Infrastructure, in fact, is an investment.
Bear in mind that there are many delightful projects, actively happening around you right now, that will be killed at the moment their parents start trying to gather money and supporters for them. The cry will go up “we can’t afford that.” “We aren’t made of money.”
Where possible, I advise: take the two minutes of attention that you spend on the satisfaction of the solar panel story. Take those two minutes to unpick whether the project is actually an investment. Many budgets can afford investments. Most budgets appreciate having assets even more.
So that’s another thread to weave in; once upon a time, these solar panels happened because people made a good argument, and other people stood with them. It cost something to make it happen, plus a lot of work, and that cost was repaid. That is a narrative that happens too; so sometimes, even if we are afraid, it can be worth investing in the future.
