The American public’s rising pessimism about the future is not surprising given the current state of affairs in the country, says an American writer and political commentator.
A new CNN/ORC poll has found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe things are going badly in the US, the largest share to say so in more than two years.
Moreover, nearly 80 percent of the participants said they felt poorly represented by the government, up from 75 percent in October, and 68 percent in July last year.
Mickey Z., the author of Occupy This Book, told Press TV on Wednesday that he was surprised there are Americans who are actually optimistic about their future.
“My reaction does not come from a place of cynicism or sarcasm but, honestly, what the heck do 4 out of 10 Americans see as ‘going well’?” he said.
There is nothing left to be optimistic about as numerous wars and the world’s largest prison system are being funded through American taxpayer’s money, Mickey Z. added.
“I’m trying to understand what exactly is ‘going well,’” the author added. “Because I doubt it could be any of this: Racist and murderous cops; poisoned drinking water; the spread of genetically modified foodstuffs; ever increasing inequality, poverty, and homelessness; or a nightmarish, for-profit health care system.”
“Let me think some more. Well, there’s the world’s largest prison population, NSA spying, student debt now outpacing consumer debt, and unrelenting environmental devastation. That doesn’t sound too positive,” he continued.
In late November, a survey by the Pew Research Center found that only 19 percent of the US public could trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest levels in the past 50 years
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