AMERICAN DISCONTENT AGE

There has never been a time in our history when everyone is satisfied, and there, doubtfully, will ever be. However it is not just that some are discontent...it is 'how many', 'to what degree', 'over what', and 'what is being planned to be done about it' and 'by whom'.

In an attempt to make us a one-size-fits-all society, instead of accepting differences, there is an attempt to eliminate differences by enacting laws. One group does not believe in evolution and wants to do away with it being taught as a scientific concept. That would turn the clock back on scientific research on viruses and lots of other important research. Another group back to back alley abortions or unwanted children born while anything older than a fetus is not considered as a life to be respected.

Religious groups are fighting to get their ideas made into law and are, sadly, getting away with it because legislators are listening more to their clergy than their constituents. The gap between the top 1 percent and the remaining 99 percent of the U.S. population has grown to a record high. (see David DeGraw, Amped Status. Posted November 21, 2009.)

While there is a great pretense that race is not a presidential issue, a man who is half Caucasian, half African black is always referred to as our black president. Racists still abound and he is usually spoken of with reference to his racial origins as our 'black president'. The love/hate schism, set in many when GW Bush was elected, has festered and is now switched 180 degrees, spinning out of control. The Michelle Bachmanns, Sarah Palins and all the other hate mongers like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and too many to be separately listed seems to be steadily growing, if one is to judge from the radio air time and TV media time given to them. We laugh at the black humor of this being considered 'fair and balanced' news.

Suicide and crime have both risen as they are bound to do when people can no longer support themselves and their families. The saying: 'Desperate times require desperate measures.'is being mentioned more often. What was the administration thinking reappointing Tim Geithner and the other Bush economic carry-overs, (give-it-to-ones-who caused-the problem-in-the-first-place guys), and (lets-keep-our-guys-in-the-money thinkers).

The media's haste to make entertainment and get Nielsen ratings upped makes information being given to average citizens a distorted view of what is going on in the country. Most people are too lazy and disinterested to spend their time trying to ferret out what is really going on and seem surprised to hear anything that wasn't covered as headlines in the NY Times or told something someone else heard but they missed.

We can talk about the concrete, very real problems about the economy, Health Care and the need for all people to be covered, unemployment, etc. but I see little written about the depressed ambiance of the country in general. What we need are a few good social scientists asking the questions that the paid pollsters don't get asked to ask.