This is dangerously wrong. Any person can have a huge impact on their own community without changing countrywide politics. It is super important that caring USians start contributing to their communities and help the people that are more at risk of being wrongly prosecuted for living their life. Please volunteer at mutual aid programs, please protest against genocide, please educate the people around you, please make sure trans and queer people are safe, please speak out about racism. And when you witness a nazi victimising someone based on their identity/race/disability/etc, please act and don’t look away.
Telling people that ‘change is hopeless’ only endangers vulnerable groups more.
This is a great attitude to have. You can do so much on a local level. Be there for the people around you, and try to notice when someone is not doing well and might need your help. Speak up for those whose voices are not being heard. Being available and protective towards those in your own community who are vulnerable is the least you can do. Some other significant ways you can contribute are:
Also realise that you do not know what it’s like to be disabled/queer/of an ethnic minority/a person of colour or of another vulnerable group (unless you are a part of that group of course). You need to learn about their struggles before you can effectively help them. You probably already know someone who belongs to one of those groups, now is the time to listen to them and learn from them so you can better vocalise their struggles towards those who don’t understand.
Also, motivate others to do the same! All hope is not lost, humans instinctively look out for one another and the biggest change is made through helping those around you.