I am happy being alive in the USA in 2019...? Or not...?

A simple, unbiased question focused only on our general "happiness" as Americans. No 'gotcha's', or politically-slanted framework in the way anything is presented for your choice.

Yes, of course, "happiness" is a highly subjective thing, and for different people it's based in many different criteria. Here, I'm only hoping to take a 'snapshot' of American 'happiness' -- or the lack of it.

Please, I ask only that citizens of countries OTHER THAN the United States not vote.

 

I often think that some Conservatives misinterpret complaints about American actions or inactions or dislike of political stance as "hate" for America.

It's like when you complain about your child's mis-behavior - you don't "hate" your child, you're just trying to point out misbehavior in hopes that it will be corrected. You can still love your child even though you are exasperated by their actions. Same goes for your country.

Remember how the Dixie Chicks were black-balled by conservatives for making public comments showing dislike for Presidential actions ... and later, we found most of the Dixie Chick's complaints were justified. Republicans claimed the Dixie Chicks HATED America for those comments - turns out, they were just concerned America was acting out inappropriately - and they were right.

 

My apologies... as constructed, this poll is NOT what I wanted, and, unfortunately, the damned "edit" function does NOT allow a thread-creator to change everything that he wants to be changed. So, if you choose to participate at all, please just make your choice based on what you see.

As-is, I wouldn't blame anybody for just blowing this poll off! I will ask a Moderator to have someone in charge to FIX the "edit" function so that it really will provide the ability to fully edit everything as often as needed within the allowed timeframe.

 

Being an American of any political leaning does not preclude anyone from voicing legitimate criticisms of what is wrong with our nation.

Yes, I am glad that I am an American and the benefits that stem from my citizenship.

I am disappointed that as a nation we are not doing better than we currently are.

Which means that I take it on myself to point out that there are areas where we fall short and need to improve. We are not perfect and we never will be. We do all the wrong things before we get around to doing the right thing. None of us should be blind to our own faults both as individuals and as a nation.

I want a better future for all Americans and I will exercise my right to express my opinion on what needs to be changed in order to achieve that better future. Yes, I also uphold the right of my fellow citizens to disagree and I am happy to reach a COMPROMISE that we all can live with. This nation was founded on compromise and has thrived on compromise. We are failing because we are NOT compromising.

 

I am VERY happy being an American...but I am pretty sure I would be happy being a citizen of some other country if I had been born in that other country. I am, by nature, a happy and content person.

I don't consider America to be perfect...not by a long shot. We could improve dramatically if, for instance, Donald Trump and many of his followers were to leave the country. But even with them staying...it is a decent place. I think it essentially is a place of honor and decency...and certainly a place of enough success to be envied by citizens of other nations.



Would it be inappropriate to mention that I think Trump is one of the most disgusting things ever to happen to our nation?

If so, just pretend I did not say it.

 

From childhood onward, I have always been thankful to be an American.

 

Here, I agree with you entirely, Te. I know that you and I disagree on many things, but this paragraph of yours above should be carved in granite and put on permanent display for ALL Americans to read and cherish. Indeed, it is the nucleus of what really DID 'make America great', back at a time when America truly was great....

Today? We Americans have "wolves at the door", and yet all we seem to be able to do is fight each other. Pathetic....

BTW, I'm really starting to be interested in Pete Buttigieg! I'm not yet convinced that he's the idealized "John F. Kennedy" of my hopes and imagination, and I do wish he would avoid closer contact with America-hating creeps like Al Sharpton, but in the 'art of compromise' is does "take all kinds". Almost in spite of myself, I'm starting to like Pete... and, on the other side, I'm starting to wish that there could be another presidential run for Marco Rubio. See, a lot of us who voted for Trump aren't necessarily "married to him".

 

Having Rubio challenge the BLOTUS in the primaries and subsequently defeat him would be an achievement of some note. It would also give the GOP a far better chance in 2020 than they currently have IMO. I am not a fan of Rubio but he would just be an infinitely better alternative and give us Independents reasons to consider both options. Right now with the BLOTUS it really doesn't matter who the Dems nominate they are going to be the better alternative.

 

I'm also taking quite a bit more interest in Andrew Yang, as you had recommended. The 'intelligence' is "strong in that one".... The only 'fly in the ointment' I see so far is that, like so many Democrats, he seems to advocate the idea that there should be some kind of "guaranteed annual income".

All a "guaranteed annual income" would do is skyrocket the prices of EVERYTHING into the stratosphere. I lived, and worked during the 1970's, and unlike today's Millennials and Gen Z'er's, I've seen what totally unrestrained, surging inflation does to an economy. Anybody who thought "the Great Recession" was bad never had to deal with so-called 'wage-and-price' controls that controlled nothing but WAGES, and double-digit inflation. It was called "Stagflation" and it was devastating! And just simply GIVING people money every year to do NOTHING would only make things far worse, far quicker.

Anyway, it is somewhat (and probably briefly-encouraging) to consider the possibility that there's actually some candidates emerging besides the utter DRECK that is filling the lower-ranks of the Democrat Party. Yang and Buttigieg definitely are worth examining, but my gut tells me that they'll be pushed out by creatures like 'Spartacus' Booker, Kamalah-la-la Harris, 'Dizzy Lizzy' Warren, and, of course, 'Geriatric' Joe....

 

Compared with Donald Trump, the candidate of the GOP, ANY AND EVERY Democratic Party candidate looks GREAT. That is coming from a capital "I" Independent.

Trump is beneath contempt...but I refuse to allow him to stay there. I want to show as much contempt toward him as is possible.

 

I'm still happy being an American but I've always been prouder than I have been these last few years.

 

Interesting! Do you have a 'favorite' candidate at this point, or, do you just 'hate Trump'...? Have you had a chance to look at Andrew Yang or Pete Buttigieg yet? Both actually seem to be of a far better variety of Democrat than the pandering, "SJW" dreck accumulating at the bottom of the wanna-be, 'Socialism-lite' barrel....

 

Mitch Landrieu

I do not hate Trump. I think he is a scumbag...and deplore the fact that he is the face of America on the world's stage.

If I could choose the candidate, it would be Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans. But he has not gotten into the race yet...and probably won't.

I think many Trump supporters would love for one of these guys to be chosen, because they are among the weakest of the candidates. I think they'd win, but they are not favorites of mine.

Any of the Democrats are a better choice, by far, than Trump.

 

Well, it is way early yet... still, I'm the poor, forlorn schmuck wishing for a reincarnation of either John F. Kennedy, or Ronald Reagan. So, I'm not going to be "ecstatic" in 2020 -- THAT much is for sure....

I'll probably end up voting for Trump again, if only because the idea of any of the moronic 'SJW' pukes in the radical Democrat Party is just too horrible to contemplate being in the White House. We've already had eight long, miserable years under a contemptable NOTHINGNESS like "Messiah" Obama. Another one like him in so short a period of time would probably cause the complete decay and downfall of whatever is left of this poor, beleagued country....

 

Sorry.... I voted before I read all of your opening post.......
but we Canadians are in a similar situation to you Americans so my:


"I am happy being an American in 2019, and I am Conservative."
should not mess your poll up too badly!

 

Don't let politics make you unhappy.
If you hate Trump don't worry he's got 6 years max..
Hate leftists? Don't worry they'll have 8 years max..
Every just chill and enjoy life as best you can. Your life is more than whoes in charge.

 

I too lived through the inflation period and it was a welcome relief when it ended. Worth noting that those were REPUBLICAN policies that caused both the inflation and stagflation. The Carter economy was much weaker than it needed to be because of the Federal Reserves policies of the Republican Volcker. He even admitted as much afterwards.

Now I am going to tell you something else you are NOT going to like at all! There is going to be another period of massive inflation in our future driven by Republicans in the Federal Reserve. It is why the Wall Street Casino is HOARDING as much wealth as they can at present. The REASON for that inflation is to wipe out the nation debt as soon as the interest on the debt equals the annual deficit. This is going to make life miserable for hardworking Americans and devastate the savings of tens of millions of RETIREES. It is unlikely that even Social Security will be able to keep up. Medical costs will skyrocket and the choice between medications and eating pet food will become a reality.

This will happen as long as the ESTABLISHMENT in EITHER party are still following the orders of the Wall Street Casino and the FR.

We need a candidate that is as close to being an INDEPENDENT as we can get to actually represent We the People when this happens. Yang is the best option with Mayor Pete in 2nd place IMO.

 

Also, that which is bipartisan and they do compromise on is so thoroughly disastrous.

 

You left out, "I want to see secession legalized and break up the country"

America died the day trump was elected. It is not a matter of leaving. America is already gone. End the nightmare. As far as I'm concerned, my home, the place I live, is now held hostage by a hostile power that occupies the White House - the former home of US Presidents.

This is the sickness that destroyed the greatest nation on earth.

 

A lot of people misinterpret the death of a nation as an anomaly or a blip on the RADAR. America never would have elected trump. That is an impossibility. Therefore America is dead. There is nothing to save.

 

Well said Doriteo. Besides the importance of compromise I think it's important to remember that improvements are usually incremental over time. Disruptive or 'revolutionary' changes quite often yield unexpected or unpleasant results.

 

America has had worse Presidents, and has endured far worse periods of history. One person, even a President, could not trump all of the good people that are Americans. His legacy insofar as it has no value to the country will disappear eventually.

America at the end of Trump's term(s) will still be the wealthiest country on Earth and Americans will still enjoy one of the highest standards of living in history.

 

That is true which is why we ended up with the Civil War when certain states tried to arbitrarily secede from the Union.

Any nation as diverse as our own MUST be willing to compromise in order to form the basis upon which we all agree. What divides us is so superficial as to literally only be skin deep. What unites us as Americans is a shared belief in what We the People stand for.

 

I call bullshit on this!

 

Yep. I liked Justice Kennedy's approach that liberty required the broadest possible exercise of person freedoms where they didn't infringe on other's rights.

That means we have to not only tolerate but celebrate someone wearing a MAGA hat to a Biden rally, gay marriage, transgender recognition, and religious (all of 'em) freedom to practice.