Why Americans have little to smile about these days — RT World News

From a faltering economy and high inflation to a lack of confidence in political leadership, Americans express dissatisfaction with many aspects of their daily lives.

In the annual World Happiness ReportThe United States fell eight places to rank 23rd, a historic low for the land famous for its pearly white smiles. This is the first time since the report was launched in 2012 that the United States does not appear among the 20 happiest countries in the world.

So what's dragging Americans down? Perhaps the best place to start is with the economy, which has left as many people in the dust as the rich do Get richer. Consumer prices for Basic grocery items They remain higher than in January 2021, when President Joe Biden took office. Prices for chicken (+26%), bread (+30%), sugar (+44%), and butter (+27%) are enough to excite many shoppers, while a simple trip to a restaurant has become a rare luxury for many consumers. Those suffering from financial hardship. Meanwhile, rental costs rose by 20% over the same period.

Amid this checkout line shock, Americans also expressed a great deal of skepticism about the political system. Pew Research Center Comprehensive reconnaissance It reveals high levels of dissatisfaction with the three branches of government, the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as candidates for office.

Among the findings, only 4% of US adults say the political system works very well or very well; Another 23% reported that they worked fairly well. About six-in-ten (63%) express little or no confidence in the future of the American political system.

A growing percentage of Americans express their disdain for both political parties. Nearly three-in-ten (28%) express unfavorable views of both parties, the highest percentage in three decades of polling. A similar percentage of participants (25%) do not feel well represented by either party.

While trust in government has remained near historic lows for most of the past two decades, today it stands among the lowest levels dating back nearly seven decades. Now, three years after the January 6 protests at the Capitol, more Americans believe their country is headed toward political collapse.

According to CBS/YouGov vote In January, 49% of respondents expected some type of violence in future political contests, such as the upcoming confrontation between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on November 4. Meanwhile, 70% of respondents agreed with the statement that American democracy is “threatened.”

Not since the Civil War have the American people witnessed such stark political divisions, and it seems only a matter of time before blue and gray military uniforms come back into fashion, albeit on very different issues.

Democrats and Republicans are trapped inside iron-clad echo chambers, prevented from hearing their political opponents across the aisle. It was this lack of national dialogue, exacerbated by an overtly liberal media, that gave rise to the so-called insurrection on January 6, and could easily lead to a new bout of violence at some point in the future.

Loneliness is another thing dragging Americans down. In May 2023, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy described loneliness as a “Public health epidemic.” Last Healthy Minds Monthly Survey A report from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) reveals that in early 2024, 30% of adults said they suffered from “They felt lonely at least once a week over the past year, while 10% said they felt lonely every day.”

Somewhat surprisingly, younger people were more likely to experience these feelings, with 30% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 reporting that they do. “They feel lonely every day or several times a week, and single adults are nearly twice as likely as married adults to say they felt lonely on a weekly basis during the past year (39% vs. 22%).”

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Reports Nearly one in ten Americans ages 12 or older take antidepressant medications. More than 60% of Americans who take antidepressant medications have taken them for two years or more, with 14% taking the medication for ten years or more.

So what has put the American people in such a great state of disarray? Needless to say, hyperinflation has stimulated deep distrust in politicians and corporations, which ostensibly serve only to deceive helpless consumers.

This isolation from established authorities, combined with feelings of loneliness, resulting from a disconnected society that increasingly meets only online, has led to a mental health emergency.

How can the American people begin to mend their broken society? It seems that the only solution is to begin breaking down the walls that separate the various segments of society so that a true national dialogue can begin.

So where are the happiest places to live in the world? According to the World Happiness Report, the majority of the top ten happiest places are primarily the Nordic countries with the least amount of sunlight: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Italy. Australia.