A movie by Paulino Duran, called “Chasing Bliss” was screened at the Sonoma International Film Festival a few years ago. It was described as a search that brings Duran to the happiest country in the world, Finland, where he embarks on a journey to test the true happiness of the people of Finland in the most extreme conditions. Conversing with a diverse array of Finns, he finds much more than simply happiness, he finds hope and inspiration as well.
Lately, I – like many others – am very unhappy. And I do not have to tell you why. Many of us are walking that fine line between hiding our heads in the sand and staying informed and taking action. I can’t undo what has happened since the 2014 election, yet I would consider myself mentally ill if I found anything redeeming in what is happening.
Growing up in a poor family, there was always a high level of anxiety. While we had good food and a roof over our heads, there was never enough money for anything else, plus the uncertainty that an accident or illness could make things much worse. Later, working minimum-wage jobs and living paycheck to paycheck, I was very unhappy and insecure. As time went on, my financial state became more secure, like the Finns, and my mental state improved. Security was the foundation for bliss.
A detailed look at the Trump-assembled crew reveals a bunch of people wallowing in unimaginable excess, yet hell bent on making sure that not a penny goes to anything that could make the majority of us feel secure, let alone blissful. What do we need to be happy? A secure and peaceful place to live, health care, healthy food, time spent outdoors hiking and enjoying nature, a nice dinner out, a good movie, play, musical or dance performance, a car that works, and enough in savings to have this stuff until we croak. Take a good look at the Trump assemblage of greedy, self-serving, gluttons that are now sucking the bliss out of every last one of us, while wallowing in obscene excess, with their private jets, luxury yachts and multiple mega-mansions.
How can someone who thinks that the most important thing in the world is how much they pay for eggs, not look at these people and ask, “Why do you need all this crap?” Wouldn’t it be better if we were like the Finns, and we each had what we needed to remain in a state of bliss? What if these gluttons paid the same tax rate we do? What if we all had the base level of security that assures we can enjoy our lives? While these gluttons amass more and more, and hack away at our security in the name of “efficiency,” why are we not asking them to get over their sick addiction to un-necessary crap and excess?
I am not a psychologist, but I would attribute the gluttony of Trump and his minions to severe mental illness, a compulsive, never-ending desire to amass beyond what is needed for any normal person to be happy. Think about it: if you voted for this, think about the pain being inflicted on poor, working and middle class people, while the Trump crew wallow in unimaginable excess and laugh in our faces.
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