Replacing former President Donald Trump with President Joe Biden was supposed to bring joy to the land from sea to sea. We were going to be a united people at last. Every problem known to man would get solved by cradle-to-grave government. Biden was even going to save us from the rise of the oceans. But just the opposite: A survey by the University of Chicago found that record percentages of people described themselves as "unhappy."
First, there is isolation and loneliness from lock downs, stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. Then there is out-of-control crime and a significant rise in business failures (from lock downs), both clearly associated with depression. People are still worried about their health two years into the pandemic that Biden promised to shut down. The border is out of control.
Then there is the financial stress on families from everything being more expensive. The "woke" movement has people feeling like they are tied inside a social straitjacket. Nothing is funny anymore. Don't you dare say an off-color joke or you will be banished.
People are afraid to laugh at anything for fear of offending someone somewhere. When was the last time you saw a funny movie? But here's what's most interesting about the results of the happiness survey. The people with the most significant happiness deficiencies are Democratic voters. Liberals are miserable. Only 1 in 6 Democratic voters say they are "very happy." Almost twice as many Republicans say they are "very happy."
Why is that?
First, liberals are much less religious, patriotic and interested in getting married and having children than conservatives. It's a Grand Canyon-sized division between liberals and conservatives. I'd venture to say that the love of country, God and family make people happy.
Liberals believe in false idols, such as big government, as your savior. That's hardly a path to happiness.
Liberals are less likely to be working and more likely to be on government assistance. But every study shows that work is highly associated with happiness. Giving a person a fish rather than teaching a person to fish leads to very different life satisfaction outcomes.
Liberals also live their lives in fear. Liberals are much more likely to believe that global warming will doom us than are conservatives. To listen to some of the more fanatical climate change worriers, they seem almost to want global warming to happen so we can pay penance for our sins to the planet.
Not so long ago, those on the left of the political spectrum were the party crowd, the wild and crazy crowd: sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Live and let live. Now leftists are a bunch of judgmental prudes like nuns in a convent.
Liberals suffer from a severe happiness deficit. They got Biden in office, and now they're still miserable. Given the damage that Biden has done to our country since being in office, one could conclude that it serves them right.
Or perhaps they just miss hating Trump.
~ Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at Freedom Works.
First, there is isolation and loneliness from lock downs, stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. Then there is out-of-control crime and a significant rise in business failures (from lock downs), both clearly associated with depression. People are still worried about their health two years into the pandemic that Biden promised to shut down. The border is out of control.
Then there is the financial stress on families from everything being more expensive. The "woke" movement has people feeling like they are tied inside a social straitjacket. Nothing is funny anymore. Don't you dare say an off-color joke or you will be banished.
People are afraid to laugh at anything for fear of offending someone somewhere. When was the last time you saw a funny movie? But here's what's most interesting about the results of the happiness survey. The people with the most significant happiness deficiencies are Democratic voters. Liberals are miserable. Only 1 in 6 Democratic voters say they are "very happy." Almost twice as many Republicans say they are "very happy."
Why is that?
First, liberals are much less religious, patriotic and interested in getting married and having children than conservatives. It's a Grand Canyon-sized division between liberals and conservatives. I'd venture to say that the love of country, God and family make people happy.
Liberals believe in false idols, such as big government, as your savior. That's hardly a path to happiness.
Liberals are less likely to be working and more likely to be on government assistance. But every study shows that work is highly associated with happiness. Giving a person a fish rather than teaching a person to fish leads to very different life satisfaction outcomes.
Liberals also live their lives in fear. Liberals are much more likely to believe that global warming will doom us than are conservatives. To listen to some of the more fanatical climate change worriers, they seem almost to want global warming to happen so we can pay penance for our sins to the planet.
Not so long ago, those on the left of the political spectrum were the party crowd, the wild and crazy crowd: sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Live and let live. Now leftists are a bunch of judgmental prudes like nuns in a convent.
Liberals suffer from a severe happiness deficit. They got Biden in office, and now they're still miserable. Given the damage that Biden has done to our country since being in office, one could conclude that it serves them right.
Or perhaps they just miss hating Trump.
~ Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at Freedom Works.
