.
Hi,
The Declaration of Independence starts with these words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The United States of America was the first nation to be founded on the principle of happiness. How has the experiment gone? Well, there have been multiple slayings at three schools in six days over here this week. The bookshops are full of books about depression which is epidemic. The newspapers are full of reports of official corruption and sleaze. Judges routinely take political contributions from parties to cases they are judging, then find in their favour. Members of Congress are expected to pay large amounts to their parties in order to 'purchase' the chairmanship of Congressional Committees. There is a section in one newspaper called "This Week At War" which lists the soldiers killed in a war that looks and smells more like Viet Nam every day. This is Happiness? I sense that ordinary people want to be able to believe in something again, something pure and good and bigger than themselves. They want to believe in each other, in their community, in their public institutions. They are sick of being lied to; they've heard so much spin that they are all spun out. They are ready to rebuild if someone points the way. I believe this applies in the USA and its dependencies (including Australia). Corporations have in many ways inherited the role of public institutions, as embodying values and showing leadership. Can you make the world a happier place?
Cheers!
Michael
…………..
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
In his movie Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore discussed American television as a method of inciting fear, violence, racism and prejudice and compared how TV impacted American lives to the gentler TV approach, programmes and even election campaigns in Canada.
I think America faces problems with pursuing happiness because of the bigger, better, we are better, we are the best competing and thought processes with the rest of the world. From cradle to grave; it seems that Americans are failing to find their own happiness in themselves.
I think that there is a possibility that each person can contribute to making the world a happy place, doesn't it just take one?
Post a Comment