Socio-political optimism is merely an estimate of probabilities - not a virtue.
The Christian virtue of hope is properly "not of this world". It is directed beyond death, beyond resurrection - towards Heaven.
So, an optimistic estimate of this-worldly (including socio-political) probabilities may be honest or dishonest, objective or manipulative, well-informed or blind, rooted in joy or in fear.
On the other side: pessimism about this world, including pessimism regarding the future socio-political situation, is neither a virtue nor a sin.
In and of itself, pessimism is just a different estimate of future probabilities.
What makes pessimism a virtue or a sin, is the true motivation behind a declaration of pessimism.
In these times, one besetting sin is to despair existentially; to despair of salvation and God's loving creation; because of our personal (incomplete, biased) understanding of the events and probabilities of this-world.
Another besetting sin of these times is optimistic despair... A Micawber-like clutching-at-straws type optimism; motivated by the reality that someone cannot psychologically tolerate the reality of a pessimistic evaluation. This is a refusal to face fear - therefore itself a species of despair; driven by lack of faith in Christian hope.
Whereas; it is virtuous (albeit a fine-line to walk) genuinely to be a joyous, hope-filled, pessimist!
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