Ignorant or free?

Thomas Jefferson once wrote:
"I have sworn upon an altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. A nation cannot be both ignorant and free."

The Peale portrait (1791) is here:

Ignorance is the cause of much suffering.

Oh, I know, desire (or craving) are the cause of suffering. Craving POWER, craving wealth, craving recognition - in short, being a paranoid republican.

Why are Buddhists happier?

Because they CAN be.

Why are most republicans miserable?

Because they are ignorant.

And in their ignorance, they can never be free. Pity the ignorant, pity the republican.