2012-05-11, 07:10 PM
Personally, I'm pretty happy right now. I've changed a lot since high school just three years ago, coming into a "self-awakening" as I call it, which has led me to get to know myself and my relation to my world so much better than I thought possible, and currently have a great social life and am on the path towards future endeavors I couldn't be happier with.
But in answering the OT question of happiness with one's nation, I'd say I'm not very happy at all (this will come as a massive surprise to all of you #sarcasm). I feel like the United States is at a breaking point, with the outcomes resulting in one of two directions: progress backwards or forwards. While the rest of industrialized world moves forward, albeit not perfectly (severe Grecian economic problems, sharp critiques of French racism), I feel the United States is within a quickly closing window of opportunity to retain its global position and move forward with everyone else. Sadly, I'm increasingly concerned we won't make it through this window, and the nation will fall away from what will ultimately be called its "golden age" of the second half of the 20th century, in indefinite decline. These concerns are elevated by national opinions and policies of resistance and refusal towards certain issues (including, but not limited to universal health care, full equality for women/people of color/LGBTQ, crumbling infrastructure, failing educational institutions, rapidly declining research/science/innovation fields), where it feels like our nation would like to live nostalgically in the United States that was the global power of the 1950s and 60s.
Long story short, the United States is so resistant to change that its been going backwards over the past couple of years, and I'm afraid if widespread evolution of thoughts, ideas, and opinions, resulting in concerted action, don't occur soon, this country is doomed. The rest of the world isn't going to wait for America to get its pomegranate together.
But in answering the OT question of happiness with one's nation, I'd say I'm not very happy at all (this will come as a massive surprise to all of you #sarcasm). I feel like the United States is at a breaking point, with the outcomes resulting in one of two directions: progress backwards or forwards. While the rest of industrialized world moves forward, albeit not perfectly (severe Grecian economic problems, sharp critiques of French racism), I feel the United States is within a quickly closing window of opportunity to retain its global position and move forward with everyone else. Sadly, I'm increasingly concerned we won't make it through this window, and the nation will fall away from what will ultimately be called its "golden age" of the second half of the 20th century, in indefinite decline. These concerns are elevated by national opinions and policies of resistance and refusal towards certain issues (including, but not limited to universal health care, full equality for women/people of color/LGBTQ, crumbling infrastructure, failing educational institutions, rapidly declining research/science/innovation fields), where it feels like our nation would like to live nostalgically in the United States that was the global power of the 1950s and 60s.
Long story short, the United States is so resistant to change that its been going backwards over the past couple of years, and I'm afraid if widespread evolution of thoughts, ideas, and opinions, resulting in concerted action, don't occur soon, this country is doomed. The rest of the world isn't going to wait for America to get its pomegranate together.