>People are obsessed with the spending habits of their rich neighbors, but completely ignore the spending of the government -- the party actually responsible for the welfare of the people, which controls and wastes unimaginable sums of money.

While I believe the spending habits of the ultra wealthy should be monitored, it is astounding how people don't seem to pay any attention to the spending of the government. There are unfortunately many people taking advantage of the system, lining their pockets using funds for programs meant to help the people.

>It's genuinely depressing to see so many people disillusioned with the state of the country, because they're being barraged by a non-stop deluge of pessimistic messaging by demagogues telling them that everything is terrible, even when things are relatively great and trending in a better direction overall.

This is one point I really wish was more emphasized, in fact it should be taught to everyone in school. We are constantly being bombarded by negativity on the internet, even here on HN. I've noticed myself stepping away from here more often due to it, since I find myself and my thinking falling into a negative spiral from its influence.

However, when you take time to step back from the constant bombardment of negativity, you actually begin to better appreciate the blessings you have in life, and the opportunities present. Of course, there are problems and issues to be solved when it comes to our current system, but by taking a step back from the constant negativity from the news, social media, etc, you can better glimpse the real issues at hand.