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 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 2/3s 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 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 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 peoples 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 excuses 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.

Too bad the rest of the world brought it on themselves. I'm pretty sure having to give my income up to fund an unnecessary war which makes the rest of the world hate us for our warmongering attitude, not our blessings is stupid. I'm unhappy because I know that we are very slowly slipping into a Socialist society. Rights to religion and speech are not something we should be grateful for. They are our rights.

Move along people, just another Cirus FFFLOPIX.

*ejeX from fail thread*

this topic sucks

Oh boy two cliches in one

1. STOP WHINING LOL!! This has been done to death. Just because someone has it worse than you doesn't mean you have it great. They are unhappy with the way the COUNTRY IS GOING. Not with their lives. You misinterpreted the poll. I guess all the people in Europe are automatically grateful right?

2. Being on the right to be cool. First, people used to be leftist to be cool. More people did it, and the super cool people caught on and changed up opinions to be super cool.

George Bush didn't drive the economy out of recession, he drove us into it. He put us into a trillion dollar war on the wrong country, and we are in a huge deficit. He put into effect the Patriot Act, which directly conflicts the constitution.

They are not dieing for our freedom. Even Al Qaida at its strongest couldn't impose a threat to our freedom. The last direct major threat were the Russians during the Cold War.

You name basic services that are available because of our technological and societal advances. We should be grateful, but we shouldn't be mindlessly happy, and accept any shmuck that wants to be president.

Many other WESTERN countries have it better than us in Health Care and leadership. We have it good, but the founding fathers meant for us to be as whiny and critical as possible. That's how things improve. If people want something, someone will find out how to get it.

Americans are allowed to complain about everything, its their god given right.

i read all of that

i read all of that

THE WHOLE HALF PAGE?!?!!? WOW YOUR A GENYUS

Quote from: Shuin on 04-12-2007, 20:54:42 PM

i read all of that

THE WHOLE HALF PAGE?!?!!? WOW YOUR A GENYUS

no i was reading all your posts

Oh boy two cliches in one

1. STOP WHINING LOL!! This has been done to death. Just because someone has it worse than you doesn't mean you have it great. They are unhappy with the way the COUNTRY IS GOING. Not with their lives. You misinterpreted the poll. I guess all the people in Europe are automatically grateful right?

2. Being on the right to be cool. First, people used to be leftist to be cool. More people did it, and the super cool people caught on and changed up opinions to be super cool.

George Bush didn't drive the economy out of recession, he drove us into it. He put us into a trillion dollar war on the wrong country, and we are in a huge deficit. He put into effect the Patriot Act, which directly conflicts the constitution.

They are not dieing for our freedom. Even Al Qaida at its strongest couldn't impose a threat to our freedom. The last direct major threat were the Russians during the Cold War.

You name basic services that are available because of our technological and societal advances. We should be grateful, but we shouldn't be mindlessly happy, and accept any shmuck that wants to be president.

Many other WESTERN countries have it better than us in Health Care and leadership. We have it good, but the founding fathers meant for us to be as whiny and critical as possible. That's how things improve. If people want something, someone will find out how to get it.

owow I lol'd hard at this
This could be the most ignorant thing I've ever read in a long time
The founding fathers didn't mean for us to whine and criticize the government, they intended for us to take action and fix it.  The founding fathers didn't whine at the British until they gave up, they were willing to die to make the changes that they thought were right.  If people are so upset with the government, then instead of whining, they should take action, if they feel so strongly about their cause then they need to be willing to do whatever it takes to see their vision through to the end.  Whining doesn't accomplish anything, if anything it shows that you are nothing but a little bitch, willing to talk big, but when push comes to shove, unwilling to actually stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe in.  The founding fathers didn't intend for a country full of whining pussies, they intended for a country of people willing to stand up for their rights, and do whatever it takes for them to keep their rights.  The US government is for the people by the people, but if the people refuse to hold up their end of the bargain, then they only have themselves to blame.

Since when do people think conservativism is cool?  The few teenage conservatives I did know were extremely well-informed individuals, aligned themselves as such because they strongly believed it to be correct, and were often disagreed with by almost everyone.

69 percent

69.

Quote from: X23 on 04-12-2007, 19:48:49 PM

Oh boy two cliches in one

1. STOP WHINING LOL!! This has been done to death. Just because someone has it worse than you doesn't mean you have it great. They are unhappy with the way the COUNTRY IS GOING. Not with their lives. You misinterpreted the poll. I guess all the people in Europe are automatically grateful right?

2. Being on the right to be cool. First, people used to be leftist to be cool. More people did it, and the super cool people caught on and changed up opinions to be super cool.

George Bush didn't drive the economy out of recession, he drove us into it. He put us into a trillion dollar war on the wrong country, and we are in a huge deficit. He put into effect the Patriot Act, which directly conflicts the constitution.

They are not dieing for our freedom. Even Al Qaida at its strongest couldn't impose a threat to our freedom. The last direct major threat were the Russians during the Cold War.

You name basic services that are available because of our technological and societal advances. We should be grateful, but we shouldn't be mindlessly happy, and accept any shmuck that wants to be president.

Many other WESTERN countries have it better than us in Health Care and leadership. We have it good, but the founding fathers meant for us to be as whiny and critical as possible. That's how things improve. If people want something, someone will find out how to get it.

owow I lol'd hard at this
This could be the most ignorant thing I've ever read in a long time
The founding fathers didn't mean for us to whine and criticize the government, they intended for us to take action and fix it.  The founding fathers didn't whine at the British until they gave up, they were willing to die to make the changes that they thought were right.  If people are so upset with the government, then instead of whining, they should take action, if they feel so strongly about their cause then they need to be willing to do whatever it takes to see their vision through to the end.  Whining doesn't accomplish anything, if anything it shows that you are nothing but a little bitch, willing to talk big, but when push comes to shove, unwilling to actually stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe in.  The founding fathers didn't intend for a country full of whining pussies, they intended for a country of people willing to stand up for their rights, and do whatever it takes for them to keep their rights.  The US government is for the people by the people, but if the people refuse to hold up their end of the bargain, then they only have themselves to blame.

Wecan't really do much can they? Look at all the people who protested against Bush and slammed him, and he got eight years in office. Of course the founding fathers didn't whine. They had power. I used whine has a negative word, but I didn't imply that the people who express dissatisfaction about a president are whiners in general. And I don't think you have to do much to stand up and fight to dislike a president who has violated the constitution. Most Americans aren't very informed anyway, which in part is due to the media, so they can't really do much to hold their end of the bargain and change things.

I'm sure that if the country, or a very important ally, or both was in danger, most people against the Iraq would take up arms and support our country. Look at WW2. Many volunteered, and everyone was enthusiastic to fight to stop a maniac. Even those off the battlefield helped out. They sent in money, and worked in manufacturing plants. That's what happens when you fight a justified war.