The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67% of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69% of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are 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% 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% 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% 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% 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 measley 31% 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% 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 THE MOST BLESSED PEOPLE ON EARTH. WE SHOULD THANK GOD SEVERAL TIMES EVERY DAY.....
H/T - From an email from Charlie O.
5 comments:
Do you travel outside the US much, SWAC Girl?
Are you happy? Do you like the direction we are going? Democrats in the house and senate running things, trying to undermine the troops?
No real direction on how to win the war, nothing but negative news about how the world is turning against us? The world to end in 10 years because of global warming, and there's nothing we can do to stop it?
My opinion: People want to live life in ignorance, and when they are too confronted with a real world of problems, they don't like it one bit. With Clinton, it was always a happy day, and the only problems were his own zipper.
Sure, things were turning rapidly against us, but we didn't KNOW it, the papers didn't beat us over the head with bad news, the TV was always telling us how great it was.
Those were the days -- we don't care about the truth, we just want to be told everything's fine and we can go back to overeating, watching too much TV, and being blissfully ignorant of the world around us falling apart.
Mark, I'm not sure what my travel or non-travel outside the U.S. has to do with the price of tea in China....
Charles, I think you have missed the point of the post ... or maybe I'm missing your point. I don't know which it is.
Am I happy? You betcha. Do I like the direction we're going under a Democrat Congress? No. I worked very hard in local politics to avoid that happening ... but when I've asked people who voted for Webb what it was they liked about him, their response has been, "It was time for a change." A change to the unknown???
I am realistic enough, however, to realize that every so often the citizenry will vote the presiding Party out and make a change. It's inevitable ... and last Fall, unfortunately, happened to be when they decided to express their discontent.
As to liberals undermining the troops ... I work diligently at the local level to counter the "Coalition of Peace and Justice" (what a crock) who undermine morale with our troops. Supporting the troops, to me, means more than holding a sign saying such on the street corner (and we do that often to counter the anti-war protesters). It means supporting the families left behind, remembering the troops with packages mailed from home, and more.
As to global warming and the world ending in 10 years ... I don't buy into it. I posted about it elsewhere on SWAC Girl.
What my post was meant to do was make Americans aware that we are blessed with all we have. Even in light of the troubles we have, we are rich in our lives. Many countries have nothing near what we enjoy in the U.S. as far as housing, available goods on the store shelves, freedom of speech, and more.
I agree that many are living in ignorance. I was at the dentist earlier this week and she and I were discussing politics. Her husband is a Neal Bortz listener. The young dental assistant listening to us said, "That's why I don't get involved in politics. I don't want to have anything to do with it." If I hadn't had two hands in my mouth I would have asked her, "Do you have children? Because I do this for the future of my children."
It's amazing how totally out of touch many are about the political process. Much of that blame goes to the public school system; much goes to parents who do not teach their children.
I think you and I are mostly on the same political plane, Charles, so I may have misunderstood the tone of your comments ... or perhaps they were said tongue-in-cheek. I appreciate your thoughts.
Oh, shocker, you failed to approve my post answering your question.
What a joke you are.
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