Vote for happiness.
We Americans are a happy lot. Just ponder some of these recently published stats (and noted in The New York Times today in David Brooks’ column). Some 86% of Americans are content with their current job (General Social Survey). On top of that, 76% say they are satisfied with their household income (Pew Research Center). And the future makes us happy, as a some 62% of these happy folks say they expect their future to be even happier in the coming five years (Harris Poll).
On the flip side, Americans are downright unhappy (disgusted is a more appropriate word) with our government. An alarming 80% of Americans believe that the current Congress has accomplished nothing. Zilch! The big goose egg! We generally think that whenever the government gets involved it means nothing but incompetence and inefficiency. Here’s how bad things have gotten: We are more displeased and unimpressed with government than we were in 1974 when the Vietnam War was wrapping up and Watergate was all the buzz.
No matter how happy we may be with our private lives, our happiness is not as full as it could be if our government lacks our trust and respect. Let this be a reminder to us all, but especially to our young people: pay attention to who is running for office at the local, state and national levels; get registered; and vote for the candidate you believe will restore faith, efficiency and progress to government. Our happiness depends upon it.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
From a downright unhappy and disgusted American, November of 2007 and 2008 can’t come soon enough. There are times that I can’t even listen to NPR without my blood pressure rising, listening to what our government is doing and what they have failed to do the last 7 years. I just hope that all the eligible voters out there that are unhappy will make it out to let their opinions be heard and accounted for.
November 6th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
What we need are fewer professional politicians. Imagine a normal guy being president. Surround yourself with people that understand things like economics, and diplomacy, and you might find that decisions are being made that benefit regular people.
Happiness can be found within. Politicians can’t give it to us. But they can give us fewer reasons to be disgusted.
November 13th, 2007 at 9:02 am
People are happier with their home life because they have a greater degree of influence in the way they live. We need to apply this level of influence to our local communities instead of worrying about national problems that we can’t control. Instead of becoming angry about the National Trade Deficit, individuals could help to build their own communities with the economic support of locally owned and operated business instead of large chains that export their dollars another region. As your local community thrives, the state and national officials will have a roadmap to success.