Winning in Afghanistan

What do we REALLY want to achieve in Afghanistan?

• Encourage a stable, honest, responsive, legitimate government.

• End the narcotics production that fuels 90% of the world’s heroin trade and bankrolls the Taliban.

• Immobilize and defuse the Taliban and extremist terrorist groups operating in the area.

• Exit happily, leaving behind schools and a prospering economy.

Focus on these goals.

Ending the poppy production destabilizes and defunds the Taliban.

Helping to identify and encourage a legitimate alternative to Karzai shouldn’t be that hard. Would a loya jirga help?

What troop levels do these goals require?

Michele Moore – Happy1

HappinessBlog.com / HappinessHabit.com

Cover Ups Create Cynicism

Expanding evidence indicates our nation’s highest leaders intentionally broke the law and manipulated our country into a devastating war.  As a nation, we can’t just go on as if it didn’t happen.

Cover ups coddle corruption and create cynicism.

Our country desperately needs cleansing, closure and comfort that our constitution and judicial system will not be compromised again.

NYTimes Nicholas Kristof suggests a NON partisan investigation lead by nationally respected, non political leaders  – let the Sandra Day O’Connors and Colin Powells of this world lead our country though this process.

The accused will be exonerated if they are not guilty.

This is not a witch hunt growing from political or philosophical differences, it is an investigation of intentional law breaking. We can’t move forward confidently or successfully until trust in our political systems is returned.

Cover ups create cynicism.

Michele Moore - HappinessHabit.com

AK-47s for Everyone?

Small, highly motivated interest groups like the National Rifle Association wield frightening power. Their members are rabidly ferocious and successful guarding gun rights.

What about the rest of us?  The Democratic Party’s failure to pursue assault weapon bans leaves the rest of us, and Mexico, vulnerable.

Let the People Decide – Let’s hold a national referendum on a proposed assault weapon ban.  Ask the nation:

Do you want your neighbors and fellow citizens buying and owning high powered assault weapons without restraint, restriction or registration?  These weapons often exceed the power of the guns most policemen carry.

Limited Use – Most public gun ranges do not allow the use of high powered assault rifles at their facilities.  The Gun Lobby’s argument AK-47s are for personal pleasure and use is fallacious. You can’t shoot an AK-47 in a National Park, on most public ranges or in most people’s back yards. Where ARE you going to shoot it legally?

Second Amendment Rights – I am not allowed to own a Rocket Powered Grenade Launcher, but I can buy an AK-47 from the back of someone’s truck without restriction. What’s the difference?

Let the people decide, should assault weapons be banned outright like RPGs, heavily restricted through licensure and registration or left virtually without restrictions as they are today?

We already draw the line, the question is where.  Put assault weapons where they belong, in the same category as RPGs and tanks!

Michele Moore – HappinessHabit.com