Road to Joy

Road to Joy
Re “The Happiness of Pursuit” [July 8 / July 15]: I agree with TIME’s story on the search for happiness. Indeed, over time, the concept of happiness has changed, from the mere satisfaction of needs and wants to the complete development of self. The question that remains, however, is, How happy are we, and how happy can we get? It seems that people seek happiness — through volunteerism, a good paycheck, family and success — but want more upon fulfilling each pursuit.
Maria Klaridelle Reyes,
Makati City, The Philippines

“The Happiness of Pursuit” presents a very selective view of America. For example the article starts by asserting that “if you’re an American and you’re not having fun, it just might be your own fault.” How crass and uncaring — to the 1 in 6 Americans who needs food assistance. Should they be happy? Or — according to the University of Michigan’s National Poverty Center — the 15.1% of all Americans living in poverty: “The poverty rate in 2010 was the highest poverty rate since 1993.” Or perhaps the 200,000 U.S. women who have to use a gun to defend themselves against sexual abuse each year? Should they be happy?
James Derounian,
Cheltenham, England

The article “Free to Be Happy” [July 8 / July 15] mentions that the Declaration of Independence enshrined the pursuit of happiness as “everyone’s right,” but it makes no mention of the fact that slavery was abolished in the U.S. only after a bloody Civil War nearly 100 years later — during which time the slave population was regularly cruelly ill-treated, as so graphically described by Charles Dickens in his American Notes.
Sean O Ceallaigh,
Castleknock, Ireland

Food Oasis
Re “Farming the Desert” [July 8 / July 15]: If Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiya wishes to know how to successfully and efficiently farm the desert, conserve water and feed Qataris, he should pick up the phone and call his neighbors in Israel. But will politics trump logic?
Steve Samuel,
Toronto

Cuban Embargo
Re “Cuban Evolution” [July 8 / July 15]: Pico Iyer builds his article word by word on the foundation of empathy and clarity of thought. There cannot be a better description of Cuba’s situation than when he writes: “Most Cubans seem to regard optimism, even relief, as the most forbidden contraband of all.”
Prabodh Kumar Majumdar,
New Delhi

It is surprising that in a 16-page article about Cuba’s identity crisis not one word was found about the economic boycott by the U.S. starting in 1962. It’s like saying that someone has health problems but forgetting to mention that he is under a rock.
Peter Bugel,
Kloosterburen,The Netherlands

Thought Police
Apropos of the article by Fareed Zakaria, one wonders if we are moving toward a state of thought policing in this age of information [“Big Data, Meet Big Brother,” July 8 / July 15]. Though the aim is unexceptionable, namely, providing security to citizens against terrorist attacks, what prevents a technologically enabled government from snooping on actions of genuine dissent by publicly spirited individuals, absolutely legitimate in a democracy? Should they be deterred by the knowledge that they are being watched? Freedom of thought is at stake here.
Brijendra Prasad Nailwal,
Dehradun, India

Dealing With Poachers
The crushing of 5 tons of ivory is the acme of stupidity [Briefing, July 8 / July 15]. A rare commodity demands greater prices, thus encouraging more slaughter of elephants. An open sale of smuggled ivory at reduced prices would have provided millions to pay for increased policing of ranges and increased the risk-benefit equation for the poachers.
Stanley S. Schaetzel,
Westleigh, Australia