| Apr 7, 2008 @ 8:27 PM |
Are you happy?
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blueyes101
Posts: 12,080
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The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?''
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?
Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?
Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?
Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?
I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.
Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.
Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.
This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?
Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?
The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?
Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.
They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about 'how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way'...Insane!
Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.
We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.
With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' And two people who want to be president want change. I don't get it.
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| Apr 7, 2008 @ 9:37 PM |
Are you happy? |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 6,923
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...That was rather good... 
...After over a year of non-stop campaigns, I am either now tuning it out, or I am missing something that someone will have to point out as positive... but the only change I am now hearing from the left camp, is to raise taxes... that is it. 
=================
...I hear alternative energy by both sides, but yet, not a one has brought anything feasible to Congress to be voted on. I hear border control, yet not a one of them has brought same to the Senate floor to enforce and all I hear is another 1986 amnesty deal.
...At least with the right as President, I know it will take 2/3 of a vote to override a veto and the left does not have that; checks and balances. Although the left is now repealing the right's tax cuts, even before a left President, I can only imagine what they will do with no restraint.
...For the middle class, the wages have not remotely kept with inflation and further taxes will be born by those that work and pay them... and that is the middle class and always has been. Folks, unless they want that last spare roll of toilet paper, the middle class has run out of any extra's to be taken away by increased taxes and suppressed wages by millions of Illegal's and the high cost of energy to just get to work.
[/B]and the left has no qualifications and with Obama, a danger in the making with his support of Odinga and radical Muslim. The right has won virtually every medal there is, as well as has two sons committed and that is putting your money where your mouth is for an all volunteer force.
...The left candidates are notorious for packing pork spending, where the right has little to none in 20 years and endorses line item veto, that will certainly cut spending, instead of raising taxes for more pork from either side.
...I don't get it, why there is even a question of who to vote for as President, while deciding on individual House and Senate is a different story. It is simply the least of all evils, as it has always been. And if maintaining pace is all we are going to get, then so be it... better than going backwards even further, unless we can go back to the 1950's and one parent worked, while the other raised kids and we bypass Vietnam.
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| Apr 7, 2008 @ 10:22 PM |
Are you happy?
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Jankia
Posts: 11,912
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Ive read that before blueyes but its a good read again.Both of you fellas posted very interesting reflections...thankyou for it.
And two people who want to be president want change. I don't get it. In judging only by the fighting between those two..I get it. 
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| Apr 7, 2008 @ 11:45 PM |
Are you happy? |
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Nightowl001
Posts: 7,509
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The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
And maybe the people unhappiest don't belong to the upper-middle class white people described in the rest of the article. Maybe they aren't upper-middle class white double-income families, who are the only group with home ownership numbers of 70%. Maybe they're one of the more than 50% of Hispanics, Latinos or African Americans who don't own a home in this country. Maybe they're one of the 15% of families in this country who don't have air conditioning. Maybe they're some of the people living on fixed incomes who have gone to seeing their grandchildren once every three months instead of every month because a tank of gas now costs $35 instead of $10, or they wore three sweaters every day this past winter because they couldn't afford to heat their dwelling to a comfort level. Maybe they're one of the parents of the 11 million uninsured kids in this country who worry that their child is going to get sick or one of the half-million people who will declare bankruptcy this year because of medical costs. Maybe the people dissatisfied are the ones who realize that the $9.5 trillion dollar debt is only going to get larger before it gets smaller, and they don't want their grandchildren paying that debt when we had a chance to do the right thing and keep the economy in this country on a better track. Maybe they don't see anything about Bush's "leading us" out of the aftermath of 9/11 that makes up for the failures of the Federal government to perform their proper functions in leading us after the tragedies of Katrina and Rita and countless other natural disasters that have occurred. Mabye they're some of the quarter-million homeless Vets in this country, or some of the 68% of people who think the current war in Iraq under Bush's leadership is unjust, poorly planned, poorly executed and needs to come to an end.
The kind of thinking in this article reflects those who only care about what THEY have, how THEIR lives are going, and shows no compassion for those who are being failed by this society and no compunction about abandoning them. Most of the people in this country may have it better than most of the people in some other countries. But that doesn't mean we can't, or shouldn't, do better. It reflects the attitude of a boss making a million dollars a year telling the employees who actually do the work that enriches him that they should "be happy" to get more than the minimum wage. Basically it's saying, "Look at what you do have and be thankful for it!" (while hinting you should be thankful because you don't deserve even that, and certainly not more).
By the way, knuckle-dragger, when you quote something, you should mention where you found it or who the author is.
(edited for a couple of typos)
[Edited on 4/7/2008 11:57 PM]
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| Apr 7, 2008 @ 11:47 PM |
Are you happy?
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LipGlossQueen9
Posts: 10,955
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With the direction of my country, no. With my life, no.
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 12:03 AM |
Are you happy? |
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capobeachguy
Posts: 4,742
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This should explain the original post's source.
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 12:13 AM |
Are you happy?
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Jankia
Posts: 11,912
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I dont see where its relevant who wrote it but I do see the reason of why some are obviously unhappy about it...its the truth.
Those people will never Stop buying the negativism because whats positive might actually make them happy. 
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 1:21 AM |
Are you happy? |
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Nightowl001
Posts: 7,509
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because whats positive might actually make them happy
Like being happy your car goes fast, until you discover you have no brakes?
The things that are wrong get attention because they NEED attention. The things that are working properly don't need to be fixed. I can be happy with what I have, and still feel this country is failing millions of its citizens, and that the path we are on is going to continue to fail those millions and add more to their ranks.
The pursuit of excellence doesn't stop with being "better than the other guy."
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 1:29 AM |
Are you happy?
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,629
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This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
Hm, instead of militia's, they are called gangs out here. Lots of cell phones and PC's for sale at the local flea markets too. 
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 3:36 AM |
Are you happy? |
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Paralegal_at_Law
Posts: 5,872
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The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
All this civil unhappiness may be 67% wide but is in truth only one-inch deep.
It is a given that the discontent is at least 50% of the fault of the news media that daily reported that they had some poll revealing the president's popularity went down another half of a point somewhere, knowing that the people like to follow trends and if you badmouth the incubent long enough an artifical discontent can be created and induced simply by telling so much bad news on someone, with as much hatred spin as can be mustered, then the result is massive civil discontent; however, since it really was NOT the people's idea, but was rather the inplant of the national news media, this discontent is only one inch deep and not up to one's waist in true anguish and civil unrest.
One political model and school of thought says that Americans are basically still fat and happy, watching soap operas, and being steered as "sheeple" towards whatever voice is predominant at the moment. If Americans were upset in their gut, and it was their idea to be upset, the wrath of the population would be more than double the compliant reality that is contemporary Americana.
Bobby Kennedy said 20% of the people are always against everything, no matter what (yes, even Rhino-innoranus claque masters) and the truth is 30% of the people are for something, another 30% of the people are sitting on the fence looking for a side to prevail in order to join the winners, 10% of the people are totally uninterested in anything resembling public policy or politics and care less about what side eventually prevails, and 10% of the people are interested enough to continue searching for the facts on the merits of the cause, prior to determining which side they wish to back.
So, with the 20% of the constant NAY Sayers coupled with the 30% of the people looking for a side to prevail in order to join the winners being artifically induced through daily propaganda doses, the suppression of any good news affecting politicians that the news media wants to see defeated, equals the 50% of the country that is pretty much Sheeple for the Liberals.
Which facts lead us to the obvious, that the nation is now 50/50 divided between conservatives and liberals.
The good news, is that the liberals continue to abort their future generation's political base, while the conservative families, who used to be just 30% of the nation's population one short generation ago, brings to term thier babies, and raises future voters and inculcates them over the kitchen table to abhor Liberals and to vote Conservative, just like Mom and Dad taught them to.
Politics, just like Religion, is learned at home and lasts a lifetime.
Just my opinion.
the Utopian-American viewpoint. Good night and good luck.
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 7:55 AM |
Are you happy?
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eastham
Posts: 7,918
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Thanks for the link Capobeachguy. This is not the first time this spurious little essay made its way onto MD. I believe it was on the blogs about 9 months ago.
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 8:34 AM |
Are you happy? |
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steveemac
Posts: 2,335
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This is not the first time this spurious little essay made its way onto MD. I believe it was on the blogs about 9 months ago. Well, at least the dittoheads are practicing recycling!
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 9:11 AM |
Are you happy?
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eastham
Posts: 7,918
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Ah, the greening of Matchdoctor!
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 9:26 AM |
Are you happy? |
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Bj864
Posts: 3,970
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Nightowl001
Your response was excellent. I couldn't have said it nearly as well as you did!
It is very easy to see why 67% of our people are unhappy with the direction the country is going. Anyone who can't understand it must either have their heads in the sand or be very wealthy.
As far as Bush and his "leadership" qualities; I have yet to see them. He hid all over the place after 9-11 and he totally failed the people when Katrina hit. He loves to "dictate", but his leadership qualities are -0-. in my opinion.
The people in this country are finally getting fed up with the richest of us all reaping too many of the rewards from the working class. It is WAY past time to spread the wealth around in a way that is more fair to all........................
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 9:35 AM |
Are you happy?
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LipGlossQueen9
Posts: 10,955
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I'm unhappy for a few reasons.
I grew up in a beautiful, rural, quiet happy town full of nice people. The town had a low crime rate and we only had a problem on the odd occasion.
Then my town started to urbanize (from the ginormous water park came the hotel and the restaurants and the condos and the condos and the condos) and suddenly people from the inner city (all races here, folks, don't take this the wrong way) began to move in. The crime rate rose dramatically...we even had a murder in the summer of 2006. By the time I left high school the school had become like an internment camp...no pep rallies, no hall decorating during Spirit Week (no Spirit Week for that matter), no hanging out in the hallway, no talking to other kids in the hallway, no leaving the room for the bathroom during class unless it was an emergency, and I could go on. And do you know why? Because these miscreants were starting fights nearly every day, selling drugs, engaging in gang-related activity, and sometimes bringing weapons to school. Now when I tell people in my classes at community college that I'm from Vernon, NJ, they say "Oh shit, I'm sorry. I've heard so many stories. That's a real rough place to grow up nowadays".
My town is being raped by these people and I'm sick of it...and it's only one example. Do you think that we're lucky just because we have cars and cellphones? We used to live in a safe, quiet town and now we're living in the ghetto. What's worse is that my little sister has to attend this bastion of hell they call a high school next year. Can you blame me for being unhappy?
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 11:04 AM |
Are you happy? |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,621
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The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
I just argue with the conclusion drawn here - I'm also unhappy with the direction this country is headed and I'm seriously unhappy with the performance of the President. That doesn't mean that I'm unhappy in general - I earn a good living, I have a challenging and interesting job, I have good friends and a loving family, I'm living in my dream house that's plunked down in a little bit of paradise and I have a SO who's more than satisfactory. Just because my life is good doesn't mean that I can't see that a lot of people are hurting - good jobs are harder and harder to find as they're offshored more all the time. A lot of us have been talking about the fact that government's bigger now than it's ever been, and we're spending money that we don't have like there's no tomorrow but obviously Washington is blissfully unaware that we're bleeding, both red and green. They just keep printing more money and borrowing from Japan and China.
Those who don't have children have no real investment in this country's future and maybe they can look at where they are and say life is good. I look at my life and say it's good but I doubt that my children will have it as good as I do, and that's not the way it's supposed to be.
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 11:29 AM |
Are you happy?
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BandTMom
Posts: 38,063
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Those who don't have children have no real investment in this country's future and maybe they can look at where they are and say life is good. I look at my life and say it's good but I doubt that my children will have it as good as I do, and that's not the way it's supposed to be.
That, Heaven, is one of my greatest fears. If it's this bad now, what is it going to be like in 15 years unless people take a true stance to change things.....really change things?
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 2:00 PM |
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Jankia
Posts: 11,912
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Bandmom,remember the sixties and the seventies,heck just remember history, that has always been the fear of parents.
Plus,just like on this site...people that are unhappy about life in this country have a problem with those of us that are.
Is that because of jealousy or there failure to correct what they are unhappy about.
Failure is doing nothing "hands on" about a problem.
We can all just post words about how things are be they positive or negative and we can blame the rich or the government for both sides of it,but like living in America compared to anywhere else in the world,words and blame are easy.
Its not hard at all to be a happy American when you consider the option.
Being rich isnt what it takes to be happy,trust in what our freedom gives us is.
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 2:16 PM |
Are you happy?
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BandTMom
Posts: 38,063
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Yes, fear has always been a part of parenting. Some fear the their children won't have a better life than they did. I fear my children won't have as good of life as I have.
Actually I was speaking more of conditions on the whole earth, rather than the country so I went a little off-topic. 
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| Apr 8, 2008 @ 2:25 PM |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,621
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Jankia - every generation has worried about their kids, but this is the first one in longer than I've been alive, who could be reasonably certain that their kids would be seeing a lower standard of living than they had. Of course that's not true across the board, but we're certainly seeing that the rich are getting MUCH richer, while the poor are getting MUCH poorer, and the overtaxed middle class are moving into the area the poor used to claim.
We've seen our port security outsourced, passport production offshored, more and more of the high-paying high-tech jobs offshored to India and manufacturing next to non-existent. Do you remember when Made in the USA was a guarantee of excellence? Compare a US-produced car to a Japanese-produced car and what would you expect in terms of lifetime mileage - the Japanese cars last twice as long. Innovation? SG talked about alternative energy - once upon a time we would have been leading the pack with new and better ideas, now the new technology is coming from Europe and Asia. Why? Is it our complacency, our feeling that we, the US, are better than anyone else, so why try harder anymore?
What can anyone do, as far as a 'hands on' solution? I'm probably going to vote libertarian because I believe that's the path we should be taking, even if it will only count as a protest against a blind rush to destruction, spending money we don't have to provide 'Mission Accomplished' photo ops, whilc actually lessening our security.
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