In 100 words or less, please answer the question, "What makes you so unhappy?" in the comments field below. Selected answers will appear in Dean Bakopoulos's new novel, My American Unhappiness, forthcoming from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in late 2009 or early 2010.
Perhaps I should invite my readers to write blog posts in the comments.
Stay flexible, Megan.
Whatever writer jobs will be lost will be MORE than made up for by editor jobs gained.
There is an inadequate supply of cheese in the world. This is a cause for my unhapiness.
La diffusion et la traduction rapide aux USA de ce texte démontrera aux hommes politiques que les citoyens contrôle aujourd’hui leur destin, en transmettant ce message vous démontrez aussi que l’outil Internet est utile pour agir et pour mettre Mr OBAMA devant ses futures responsabilités.
Merci.
The diffusion and the fast translation in the USA of this text will show with the politicians that the citizens controls their destiny today, by transmitting this message you also show that tool Internet is useful to act and put Mr. OBAMA in front of his future responsibilities.
Thank you!
Lettre ouverte à Monsieur Obama,
Letter opens to Mr Obama,
La crise prouve trois choses, la première c’est que nous sommes dirigés par des irresponsables qui ont laissé penser que la finance seule pouvait créer de la croissance, la deuxième c’est que nos hommes politiques sont capables mondialement de prendre des décisions communes pour mobiliser des milliards de dollars. (2500 milliards de dollars spoliés en un mois aux contribuables du monde alors que 30 milliards de dollars suffiraient à arrêter la famine dans le monde)
The crisis proves three things, the first it is that we are directed by the irresponsible ones who let think that finance alone could create growth, the second it is that our politicians are able universally to make common decisions to mobilize billion dollars. (2500 billion dollars despoiled in one month with the taxpayers of the world whereas 30 billion dollars would be enough to stop the famine in the world)
, la troisième chose c’est que le citoyen a compris que sans son argent et sa confiance le système libéral n’existe plus (c’est par le travail que l’on produit et non par la spéculation et si demain on supprime tous les intermédiaires sans valeurs ajoutées nous serions beaucoup plus riches)
, the third thing it is that the citizen understood that without its money and its confidence the liberal system does not exist any more (it is by work only one produces and not by the speculation and so tomorrow one removes all the intermediaries without added-values we would be much richer)
La situation des marchés financiers va encore créer de profondes injustices simplement parce que les gouvernements sont faibles et complaisants.
The situation of the financial markets still will create deep injustices simply because the governments are weak and obliging.
Les gouvernements pas voulu prendre leurs responsabilités pour encadrer les marchés (autorisation des paradis fiscaux, déréglementation boursière, organisme de notation non crédibles…..)
Pour ces raisons résidant du monde il est temps d’agir et de se mobiliser.
Governments not desired to take their responsibilities to frame the markets (authorization of the tax shelters, stock exchange deregulation, organization of notation no credible .....)
For these reasons residing of the world it is time to act and to mobilize themselves.
L’état démocratique doit récupérer sa place centrale et encadrer par des lois strictes les activités marchandes et interdire par le droit toute intervention des marchés dans les domaines de l’éducation, de la santé et de la justice.
The democratic state must recover its central place and frame by strict laws the commercial activities and prohibit by the right any intervention of the markets in the fields of education, health and justice.
L’histoire en marche montre que sans un état démocratique fort, il n’y a pas de démocratie possible.
The history goes watch from there that without a democratic state extremely, there is no possible democracy.
Le citoyen attend du politique la mise en place rapide d’un système où l’on prône l’égalité des droits et des devoirs, car le sens d’une grande réforme ne peut être compris et soutenu par la sagesse populaire que si cette réforme est profondément juste.
The citizen awaits of the policy the fast installation of a system where one preaches the duty and equal rights, because the direction of a great reform can be included/understood and constant by popular wisdom only if this reform is deeply right.
Pour cela, il n’est pas nécessaire de faire la révolution, mais seulement d’améliorer ce qui marche et réformer le reste.
For that, it is not necessary to make the revolution, but only to improve what goes and to reform the remainder.
L’humanité est capable aujourd’hui de se mobiliser autour d’hommes politiques responsables, qui ne veulent pas transformer notre planète en astre mort.
Humanity is able to be mobilized today around responsible politicians, who do not want to transform our planet into dead star.
Nous appelons tous de nos voeux un projet politique mondial, constitué autour d’hommes et de femmes aux sensibilités multiples, mais d’abord reconnus pour leurs compétences, leurs intégrités et leurs expériences dans les domaines dont ils auront la charge.
We call all our wishes a political project world, made up around men and women with the multiple sensitivities, but initially recognized for their competences, their integrities and their experiments in the fields of which they will have the load.
Un projet politique où la langue de bois n’est pas de mise et où les intérêts du plus grand nombre passent avant ceux des castes constituées ; un projet où la vérité sur la situation sociale, environnementale et économique est enfin décrite avec objectivité ; et surtout un projet qui remet les valeurs du travail en son centre pour apporter confiance et optimisme à chacun.
A political project where the set language is not setting and where interests of the greatest number pass before those of the castes made up; a project where the truth on the social situation, environmental and economic is finally described with objectivity; and especially a project which gives the values of work in its center to bring confidence and optimism to each one.
Les grands enjeux sont connus de tous : l’éradication de la misère (1% des américains les plus riches détiennent 22% de la fortune du pays), le contrôle de la démographie, l’anticipation des changements climatiques et leurs répercutions sur le vivant, la maîtrise de l’énergie et son utilisation, l’éducation et le partage des ressources, le développement durable et la santé…..
The great stakes are known of all: the eradication of misery (1% of richest American hold 22% of the fortune of the country), the control of demography, the anticipation of the climate changes and their reflected on the alive one, the control of energy and its use, the education and the resource sharing, sustainable development and health .....
Chacun est responsable à son niveau de la situation actuelle et il dépend de chacun que les choses changent rapidement. Pour cela nous devons faire abstraction de nos différences et mettre en commun nos énergies et seulement alors nous éviterons la destruction du genre humain.
Each one is responsible on its level for the current location and it depends on each one that the things change quickly. For that we must disregard our differences and to share our energies and only then we will avoid the destruction of mankind.
Monsieur OBAMA compte tenu de tous les espoirs et de tous les dollars que vous avez réunis autour de votre campagne électorale, il est de votre responsabilité pour mobiliser les citoyens de faire une déclaration publique ou vous vous engagez à participer activement comme président à ce chantier gigantesque qui nous attend.
Mr OBAMA taking into account all the hopes and of all the dollars which you joined together around your electoral campaign, it is of your responsibility to mobilize the citizens to make a public statement or you commit yourselves taking an active part as govern this gigantic building site which awaits us.
En transformant notre modèle économique actuel, vous devez vous engagez à remettre à plat toute la politique américaine et mondiale pour la centrer sur la seule vrai richesse : l’Homme. (Les souverainetés de certains états ou organisations irresponsables ne doivent plus être acceptés quand ceux-ci viole les droits de l’homme et saccage la nature)
By transforming our current economic model, you must commit yourselves giving all the American and world policy flat to center it on only true the richness: the Man. (Sovereignties of certain states or organizations irresponsible should not be accepted any more when those violates the human rights and ransacks nature)
Nous voulons un gouvernement exemplaire garant des directions et des engagements pris, qui par son sens de la justice mobilise la société pour la transformer en une société citoyenne et participative.
We want a government exemplary parking of the directions and the commitments entered into, which by its direction of justice mobilizes the company to transform it into a company citizen and participative.
Un grand homme d’état est celui dont le désir ne s’arrête pas à ses jouissances, ses savoirs et ses pouvoirs. Vous allez devoir bientôt faire un job qui consiste par l’exemple et par l’action à mobiliser toutes les énergies bienveillantes derrière vous. Un job ou vous allez être acteur des processus nécessaires à un monde qui doit changer très vite.
A great man of state is that whose desire does not stop with its pleasures, its knowledge and its capacities. You will have soon to make a job which consists for the example and the action to mobilize all benevolent energies behind you. A job or you will be an actor of the processes necessary to a world which must change quickly.
Si vous êtes élu Mr OBAMA vous aurez deux choix possibles, le premier choix consiste à continuer sur la même voie que vos prédécesseurs et alors vous serez le président de l’apocalypse, le deuxième choix consiste à reformer le monde et alors vous serez un bienfaiteur. Ange ou démon choisissez !
If you are elected Mr. OBAMA you will have two choices possible, the first choice consists in continuing on the same way that your predecessors and then you will be the president of the apocalypse, the second choice consists in reforming the world and then you will be a benefactor. Angel or demon choose!
CDM
Un homme ordinaire parmi une humanité aux ressources extraordinaires.
An ordinary man among a humanity with the extraordinary resources.
The paralysis caused by too many options. And behavioral economists who want to legally restrict my number of options.
Too little serotonin.
WTF, ciryl dumonde......can't you count to 100?
People who can't follow directions makes me unhappy......and especially people who think they have different directions than the rest of us.......
What makes me unhappy? There are 535 members of the current Congress, all of whom are still alive. While all of the problems we face as a nation are clearly not their fault, we have to start somewhere. Their institutional complicity and individual duplicity remind me of Jefferson's observation that "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of patriots and tyrants." A good blood letting, just like a good ass kicking, is simply what is needed every now and then. Nobody wants to admit it, but that doesn't mean it isn't true.
There seems to be plenty cheese, but good cheese is both expensive and hard to find in the US.
I'd say lack fulfilling work.
And good women.
What makes me the most unhappy these days is the whining media. All I hear is "reporting jobs are being cut, ad revenue is down, boo-hoo," and no one stops to wonder if, perhaps, it's because no journalists do anything more complicated than reprinting a press release or unattributed gossip.
For example, this morning I heard on NPR (and saw later elsewhere) that there was an "unexpected" rise in new home sales in September. Unexpected by whom? Retards who don't know anything about the building industry, because they majored in English and would much rather be movie reviewers than financial reporters?
Given that September is the end of the fiscal year for many companies, including mine, of course sales were up! We were practically giving them away to help our end-of-the-year numbers, and I know we weren't the only builder doing so. But I guess determining that would have required some actual work on the part of the media, and they'd much rather just dress up a press release instead.
And what is most galling about all this is the fact that there is still such arrogance within the journalism community. As if the hoi palloi is too stupid to understand anything without media interpretation.
Human nature's disassociation of romantic love from sexual desire; this causes my love for my wife grow daily while my sexual desire for her does not.
I live in NYC and commute through the WTC every morning. Before that, I lived in Madrid, on the line from Alcala to Atocha. Every train I have ever taken either goes through the site of a terrorist attack or was subject to one. All I would like to do is just drive my car, but parking in NYC is still $450. Beautiful.
I'd have to go with the difficulty of creating/maintaining close friendships.
Or another thing, echoing what a commenter said above, there's family/societal pressure to find work that pays well. Yet, satisfying and fulfilling jobs often don't pay well. Perhaps when I start a family my unfulfilling job will feel more purposeful (or maybe not).
The self-reinforcing political scelerosis of vested interest that runs from gerymander to lobby and back.
The failure of much of the teaching profession to take responsibility for delivering better and better educated children.
And from those two, the slow devaluing of the American dream; and of the American example to the rest of the world.
Those make me unhappy. What makes me sad is the long and varied list of things I failed to do for my dearest and nearest.
Some do, though generally those who are so inclined do so in opposition to the point you're trying to make.
That just a little more than one century after Leo Tolstoy in Russia and William Morris (the craftsman, inventor, artist, poet, and fantasist) turned pacifism into an international movement and about a half century since the assassination of Ghandi, and less since that of King, and a century and a half since most of the world abolished slavery as an acceptable form of human behavior, and on a day in which reports from the Congo that civil war has once again broken out in that most war torn of contemporary nations, we are farther than at any time in history from living in a world without war.
what makes me unhappy is that there are people even more deluded than McArdle and even more delusional than Sully, and they vote.
Could it be a chemical imbalance? Or some mistakenly wired neuron firing waves of misery across too many synapses? Some genetic predisposition ensuring that happiness is a goal never to be reached?
Is it the dead-end job? The eternal struggle to get by on what little I have? Not to mention all those "benefits" just so I can get a note from the doctor in case I do get sick?
Or is it simply the lack of positive thinking? Negative feedback sending us down the eternal spiral of despair?
God, I hope it isn't the first one. Far too depressing.
Lack of sunspots.