This is just my opinion, but people are just not happy anymore. They're not optimistic. They've lost something fundamental that fuels optimism and the rock bottom confidence that "it'll be okay". The hope and change was a lie for the sake of an agenda - they're worse off. Forget the spin. Forget the excuses. We all know it. Family and friends are suffering. The jobs are just not around. The ones that are, are crap jobs for minimum wage. The debt is killing the nation. We all know that too. But raising taxes means Washington just spends more - for pork and to buy votes. The end result is dependency. On govt. The same govt that took our personal autonomy. The nation is dispirited. Everything is different. It's not the same as it was before. Some people are just giving up on Christmas. They just can't afford it anymore.
Becuase they are psychologically dependent on consumerism and collectivist action for their entire identity and self image. When someone raised on consumerism can no longer consume, they become depressed and angry. The only solution is to live a minimalist lifestyle free of the peer pressures of consumerism, especially around Christmas. This nation needs to toughen up its psychology desperately.
For once I nearly agree with a Post of yours , Silicon . However , when you look round this Forum , replete with any number of American retards , what makes you think that any significant proportion of them really understand what is going on , or realise -- even vaguely -- by how much their worlds are going to be changed ? Of course it is not very productive to generalise but it seems that once you leave the New York, East Coast area or parts of California, you have as much chance of getting sensible joined up sentences or thoughts as you would have walking across the Gobi desert .
I find this hypocritical since your hope and change for the sake of an agenda was also a lie. Well said. Bee
IMO, This has been the intention of the Administration to demoralize the citizens, thus pushing them even closer to relying on governmental assistance. Obama began his term with public apologies to everyone, then chastises companies for being greedy, consumers for consuming, gas guzzlers for driving, eventually to end with the citizens for living! Alinsky at its finest. It is a time for citizens to begin assessing themselves without scrutiny from the media, government not public opinion polls. As individuals, we do have the right to remain true to our convictions without permission from anyone. We must begin thinking for ourselves, not as a collect.
We must begin thinking for ourselves, not as a collect. Fine . But we doubt that the will or talent is really there yet . My sense is that collectively you need to eat a lot more humble pie before you are ready to be invited to the table ..
The will and the talent has always been there. It wasn't the collective that invented the light bulb, nor the airplane or automobiles.... it was the individuals that did that. Humble pie is for those who never contribute, the US has sacrificed much, much more than some. We'll hold your seat at the table, when that humble pie is served!
On this we can agree. The problem for the US is that it is historically a consumer economy, all bought on loans of course, but the illusion of wealth was there. Changing this equation is going to be hard; Americans are pre-programmed (advertising plays a major role in this) to consume, they view it as a source of happiness. When / if they stop and realise the truth, the entire basis of the US economy will come crashing down.
In terms of this thread, people have been pursuaded via advertising that the route to happiness is consumerism. Meaning they are not thinking as a collective now, they are thinking as a consumer.
It is now 2015 and there are always going to be some folks who are going to be miserable at Christmas. The key is not to let those people get you down.
