# The Government is NOT the source of your happiness or dispair **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834 "2004-11-03T20:15:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/41 "2004-11-04T16:12:19Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > You remember that next time you are in a car accident and your life is draining away onto the floor of an ambulance searching for the emergency room, which closed because it was overwhelmed by patients for whom it was the only source of health care. I hope you live to curse them and their misfortune. Okay, maybe in bizarro world a hospital can close in the time it takes for an ambulance to be dispatched and return, but in real life, I doubt the EMTs would drive around searching for an emergency room, saying “Damnit! That one was open just an hour ago! Quick, call someone and have them google for ‘emergency room’!” At least I’d die with a smile on my face. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/42 "2004-11-04T16:22:26Z")
_Our_ happiness or despair? On this message board? You may well be right, **John**. We should indeed wake up and realise the wonder of our lives. But governments ameliorate, or ignore, the preventable suffering of millions, even billions. Let us indeed re-evaluate our priorities. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/43 "2004-11-04T16:28:32Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I’m depressed because 51% of my fellow citizens have revealed themselves to be ignorant, bigoted, frightened, and gullible kids, who obviously haven’t been paying attention to the events of the past four years. > > What was that P.T. Barnum said about underestimating the intelligence of the public again? You (and the myriad of other SDers who express this all-too-common opinion) need to get it through your head that just because someone else holds different political opinions and votes differently, does not make that person “ignorant, bigoted, frightened, and gullible.” Everyone is not going to think like you. What are you, like 5 years old?? I’ve been paying attention for the last 4 years. I draw different conclusions upon which to base my vote. You may not like that, but meeting your expectations of how I “should” act, believe, and vote is very far down on my list of things to be concerned about. I can only imagine the mental image you have of Bush supporters. Are we all mouth-breathing, wife-beater-T-shirt-wearing, trailer park trash in flyover country in your eyes? Is there no room for well-educated, science background, metropolitan-area people who just might disagree with you in your myopic worldview? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/44 "2004-11-04T16:32:06Z")
> [@lno](#): > > Okay, maybe in bizarro world a hospital can close in the time it takes for an ambulance to be dispatched and return, but in real life, I doubt the EMTs would drive around searching for an emergency room, saying “Damnit! That one was open just an hour ago! Quick, call someone and have them google for ‘emergency room’!” > > At least I’d die with a smile on my face. Achhhh, by me lucky charms, that ER was in Brigadoon! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/45 "2004-11-04T16:34:13Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > Is there no room for well-educated, science background, metropolitan-area people who just might disagree with you in your myopic worldview? Not on the gay rights issue. Nope. Nada. If you voted for a ban on gay marriage, you are a homophobe and a hateful person. Period. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/46 "2004-11-04T21:07:09Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > I can only imagine the mental image you have of Bush supporters. Are we all mouth-breathing, wife-beater-T-shirt-wearing, trailer park trash in flyover country in your eyes? Did they vote to re-elect a guy who lied to the world about Saddam Hussein’s “massive” cache of WMDs that were going to be turned on us any second now? Did they vote to re-elect a guy who insisted on amending the Constitution to _restrict_ freedom and liberty to a group of folks, just because those folks had a different sexual preference from their own? Did they vote to re-elect a guy whose idea of diplomacy is to say to the rest of the world, “We’re the big dog, so fuck you”? Yes, they did. And “mouth-breathing wife-beater-T-shirt-wearing trailer park trash in flyover country” sure seems like an apt description of them. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/47 "2004-11-04T21:57:51Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > You have family and friends to enjoy your lives with. You have endless opportunities to expand your mind, create works of art, make new scientific discoveries, or even just sit on your ass if you want. > > Keep fighting for whatever political goals you have, but in the grand scheme of your lives, the government just isn’t that important, and it’s not worth dragging yourself down over. > > f you’re depressed over this election, you need to sit yourself down and re-evalutate your priorities. Gosh, you are SO right! Thinking that war, murder, starvation, environmental destruction, terrorism, the dimantling of civil rights are more important than MY life? damn, how fucked up is THAT? Consider the future of my country, my planet and my species when when I could be watching Survivor? What the hell was I thinking? Choose commitment when I could have narcissism? My priorities are just a mess! It’s attitudes like yours that got us into this mess, John, no fucking thank you. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/48 "2004-11-04T22:09:36Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > GThinking that war, murder, starvation, environmental destruction, terrorism, the dimantling of civil rights are more important than MY life? damn, how fucked up is THAT? Consider the future of my country, my planet and my species when when I could be watching Survivor? What the hell was I thinking? Choose commitment when I could have narcissism? My priorities are just a mess! Did you miss the part where I said: > [@](#): > > Keep fighting for whatever political goals you have… No, you must have just not read it, since you quoted my whole OP. I guess some folks are only happy when they’re miserable. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/49 "2004-11-04T22:18:23Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Gosh, you are SO right! > > Thinking that war, murder, starvation, environmental destruction, terrorism, the dimantling of civil rights are more important than MY life? damn, how fucked up is THAT? Consider the future of my country, my planet and my species when when I could be watching Survivor? What the hell was I thinking? Choose commitment when I could have narcissism? My priorities are just a mess! Do you honestly think that all those things were invented in the last four years? Or that they would miraculously disappear if John Kerry had been elected president? It’s fine if you want to hate George Bush, but come on. A history class is a valuable tool, try and fit one in. And to **LeeshaJoy** and her comment about “(tell that) to every pregnant woman who doesn’t want or isn’t equipped to take care of a child.”- um, abortion is still legal in this country, and has been for the last four years while this president was in office. Try and relax- _Roe v. Wade_ isn’t going anywhere, and even if it did, each state must also outlaw abortions individually. I am pro-choice and confident that won’t happen. And **Bosda** , I am dying to know what you’re going to be thrown in prison for doing! Do tell! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/50 "2004-11-04T22:18:26Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Did you miss the part where I said: > > No, you must have just not read it, since you quoted my whole OP. > > I guess some folks are only happy when they’re miserable. I read it. Its lame. “Gee, keep working for your goals and stuff but don’t FEEL ANYTHING ABOUT IT. Don’t think of is as IMPORTANT.” Ridiculous. sickening. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834/51 "2004-11-04T22:38:34Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Keep fighting for whatever political goals you have, but in the grand scheme of your lives, the government just isn’t that important, and it’s not worth dragging yourself down over. > > f you’re depressed over this election, you need to sit yourself down and re-evalutate your priorities. Well, hell, **John** , you’re right. If this government’s spending and tax cut choices lead us to an [Argentine-style debt meltdown](http://economist.com/agenda/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=3351231) in a few years, it won’t affect me in the least. The dollar will be in the toilet, so everything will be much more expensive in the dollars I’m paid in (global economy and all that); interest rates will be sky-high, adding seriously to the effective cost of houses and cars; if the Middle East continues to be a mess - especially if Iraq turns into Terror Haven and a base for attacks on the Saudi oil infrastructure - gas prices will go through the roof, even in euros, let alone dollars. The high interest rates and costs of anything from abroad will impose big extra costs on businesses, slowing down our economy…you get the idea. No, won’t affect me at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-government-is-not-the-source-of-your-happiness-or-dispair/272834.md?page=2)