you mention the declarations made in earlier issues about orgs such as FNB being declared dead. you chalk this up to despair, but i think its a bit more insidious. i have found far too many people with radical political views thriving off the potential of the 'end times', whatever that may be for that person.
too many people get a twisted kick off thinking its all going to hell now and there's no coming back, and the apocalypse is now, and so on. rather than focusing on the hard work of doing change, being change in the place where they are, they become obsessed with how its all going to end. which, imo, is often a copout for not doing something.