> Except I don't think America's unwarranted sunny
>disposition has much to do with lack of intelligence, it has more to do with
>the expectation that one is supposed to at all times put on a smiling face. Not
>just to please the customers & boss but also because discontent, pessimism,
>dissatisfaction, are--must be!--rooted in personal failings and to admit these
>feelings would be to reveal a terrible mismatch with the world. We're all
>happy just like we're all middle class.
>
Well, yes and no. I agree with your description of the "have a nice day"
syndrome.
At the same time, you cannot have failed to notice the "I'm mad as hell
and won't take it anymore" strain.
Geraldo and Fox tv capitalize on this. That's the other side of the happy face. Except, it's not anger. I think it's really anger covering up fear. The worst combination. It is the anger that one is willing to put in the service of the powers that be in order to get a seat on the life boat.
Hitler understood this anger-fear-emotion perfectly and exploited it for all it was worth.
Joanna