That's fantastic. I'm fantastic.

I'd like to see a moratorium on public opinion polls. On virtually any and every subject. Because I've noticed that almost all the time people have negative opinions. About everything. Especially anything having to do with public figures and public policies. Barack Obama's popularity is on the wane. It was 62 percent when he took office two years ago. Now it's down to 45 percent. But even at that, the president’s popularity eclipses that of Congress, the news media, the banks and other forces in American life. Apparently, we Americans have lost faith in everything. And little wonder. After eight years of George Bush. And policies that have driven the economy to the verge of the worst collapse since the Great Depression. And much of the blame for all this can be heaped, too, on private entrepeneurs and the banking system and the exploitive nature of the American capitalist system. Sounds to me like society is in a collective funk. A state of mental and emotional depression. All one has to do is read the poll results. Sometimes I feel I'm the only human being left on Earth who isn't depressed. That makes me unique. Distinctive. For one thing, I'd be happy to see the death of the American capitalist system. I'd dance on the grave. And I'd celebrate the rise of socialism. But I'm also happy because I actually feel as if I'm in love. With someone. And with life. If that makes me crazy -- well, then thank gawd. That's what I wanna be. Crazy as a loon. Crazy enough to love life even if I have to put up with the gawd-awful American capitalist system and polls that show everyone being unhappy. And maybe even suicidal. Except me. Yes, I may be the only happy person left on Earth. That's fantastic. I'm fantastic. --Jim Broede