To the left is a picture of a fellow who has things going very poorly for him, a very unhappy man Why?
Comparing their life-satisfaction results with those of other countries, the researchers said the United States ranked ninth after the Scandinavian countries, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand. Report: Money can buy you happiness, to a point
This recent study found those making over $75,000 year were the happiest and there was no difference between Democrats and Republicans sans the wingnuts like Greenpeace and the Tea Party.
It is the rating by country that says the more important thing we most do not like hearing. WE’RE NUMBER 9! WE’RE NUMBER 9! WE’RE NUMBER 9!
All those "socialist" European countries we love to hate so very very much we are often forced to rename our food, have more fun that we do. Why is that?
There are a few reasons that go without saying. Few if any guns on the streets, a safety net effective enough to hold crime in check, they don’t pay for any executions, they do not lose many children to war, and of course more and better sex (trust me on this).
Sure all those things are important to just walking out your front door with a smile, but they miss the underlying elephant in the room, not only the guilt which ignorant blind faith puts upon American society, but also the pain its inherent exclusion, intolerance and bigotry it puts upon large sectors of society. The Europeans understand that there is more to the classic Melville novel, Moby Dick than just fishing.
The graphic above shows the misery religion has caused that one individual, but does not capture the image of everyone who followed his fall into religious "crap" were also destroyed.
The quote below it the best I have found so far explaining how I feel on this subject.
"Now, as I before hinted, I have no objection to any person’s religion, be it what it may, so long as that person does not kill or insult any other person, because that other person don’t believe it also. But when a man’s religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive torment to him; and, in fine, makes this earth of ours an uncomfortable inn to lodge in, then I think it high time to take that individual aside and argue the point with him." Ishmael – From Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.