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| The strife in the Darfur region is so 2 years ago. |
As the United States is a country that grants people the right to "the pursuit of happiness," it is only natural that most citizens turn their eyes inward. They are obsessed with their own feelings of happiness. Once financial stability is achieved, many people change their goals and lifestyles to focus on the more "feelgood" aspects of their lives. By listening to music that bashes the government, watching movies about heat-wrenching poverty and violence, or buying fair trade jewelry made out of recycled plastic bags, many Americans can feel good about themselves. No, it is more than just feeling good, many Americans believe that they are superior to the vast majority of a red-necked population because they listened to NPR and actually gave a shit.
But this seemingly perfect way of life is threatened. The most difficult aspect of the feelgood mission is keeping current on charity and political fads. Anyone can tell you that that supporting democracy in Burma or Iran is passé. Not that these situations have been resolved.
"It's not about actually doing anything. It's just about showing our support. Our temporary awareness of global issues does a world of good," said one feelgood undergrad.
The problem is that the feelgood fads, which were once aimlessly meandering from issue to issue, are now operating at an accelerated lifecycle.
"It used to be that I could simply join a facebook group against, say, famine in the Sahel, and I would be set for at least a month of looking down on others who were ignorant of the situation, but these days it's just impossible to stay on top of things," said another flustered feelgooder.
Several issue chasers have given up the hunt and have settled for making racist remarks in roadside diners. But others continue the chase for their own happier future. One can only hope that they will be able to keep their resolve, blindly claiming authority on what amount to niches in global politics.
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