Wait! I Think The Job Market Has a Pulse

After being literally dead for about four years the U.S. job market has started to breathe again. Not long ago if you mentioned the words "looking for a job" you would likely get one of these responses: there are no jobs, what for it's a waste of time, or I'm over qualified for minimum wage jobs. There was a point where jobs at a fast food restaurant, Wal-Mart, or other low paying positions were the only jobs hiring. That was because most quality and decent paying jobs weren't hiring and laying people off at a staggering rate.

That was then, and this is now. The U.S. job market is consistently seeing people fill positions that are being opened by steady job creation. Though, there are always questions concerning all the facts with reports on jobless and unemployment rates decreasing, the job market does seem to be noticeably improved. More than 200,000 jobs have been created nationwide for three consecutive months dating back to December 2011, lowering the unemployment rate to 8.3%. This by no means is a drastic turnaround to the pre-recession job market, but it does show a good sign that things are honestly looking better.

These improvements can't come at a better time for President Obama who is in the midst of a political battle for re-election. The President stated he was working on improving the job market for Americans, and it seems to be coming to fruition. Businesses in the private sector are the driving force behind most of the hiring being done right now. A number of CEO's from prominent U.S. companies who took a survey showed that more than 40% of the executives have intentions to hire more employees within the next two quarters. Though, it will still take time for most Americans to feel a turnaround, at least the glass looks half full now instead of half empty. 

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How Long Is Too Long To Stay In Afghanistan?

Towards the end of 2011 and this early part of 2012, our government spoke of the U.S.
military adjusting their role & troop levels in Afghanistan. After being at war in this country since the early 2000's, and seeing success with the Iraq War officially ending, it's definitely time to depart Afghanistan. America and its troops can't stay there forever, and they definitely don't want to wear-out their tentative welcome in a hostile region.

Occupying a foreign country too long can get annoying for that country's residents. Both sides may start to get on each others nerves and have communication break down. Then, add in the War on Terrorism happening around you at the same time, and tensions have no choice but to boil over. With all this said, the problems are deeper than a strong and indefinite U.S. military presence amongst Afghan citizens and extremists everyday. But staying past the "best if used by" date doesn't help either.

The 1st quarter of 2012 has saw unnecessary violence in Afghanistan against civilians and American soldiers. Last month a group of Afghan adolescents were inadvertently killed by a airstrike initiated by U.S - NATO forces. February also harnessed violence against U.S. - NATO soldiers who were killed by meaningless sneak attacks from Afghan soldiers who were supposed to be colleagues and allies. In addition, more American soldiers were killed by Afghans in retaliation for an accidental defacing of the Quran by American troops.

While time passes each year until the war is over, U.S military personnel is shifted in and out of Afghanistan to strategize, give needed time away, and complete service terms. The sooner the war is over, the better. This way troops can return to their families and the U.S. economy will be strengthened without having the financial burden of the war, and having a bigger pool of resourceful citizens. Time will tell when this war ends. 

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Is There a Clear Answer to an Unclear Mission?

If it seems like the Afghanistan War "Operation Enduring Freedom" has been going on forever, it's because it has been. The war officially started in October 2001 and continues on today in March 2012, noticeably longer than the Vietnam War. You wouldn't believe how much has happened in that time; New Orleans was devastated by a storm of the century hurricane, a monster tsunami hits the Indian Ocean killing over 200,000 people, Japan gets struck hard by a huge tsunami, a massive oil spill spreads across the Gulf of Mexico, and the War in Iraq ended. All the while, the U.S. continues to fight a war initially intended to eliminate or at least take the heart of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which would make the U.S. and world safer.

As the war has been going consistently over 10 years now, its hard to tell if the mission has got cloudy, or there wasn't a true mission and/or plan in the first place, or a realization has appeared that this war is not valid or truly beneficial to anyone if continued. As of late it would seem that patience is wearing hairpin thin on the American and Afghan citizens. Not only have both governments raised questions about the continuance of the war, but some troops on the ground have lost sight of the mission and reality. 

Recently, an American soldier went haywire and murdered more than 15 Afghan civilians including children. The way things stand as of now, there is not a definitive reason why this happened or how this act affects the war and everyone around it for the foreseeable future. Arguments can be made that this soldier is mentally ill or that this is a isolated act and won't become a trend. But nobody really knows honestly. The things soldiers deal with on a daily basis in Afghanistan, and not being 100% clear on why they're still there with an uncertain departure timeframe has to have some kind of affect on their mind state. 

I'm sure the reasoning and feelings of being in Afghanistan have changed over time, but when you don't know why you're really there that can't be good. Let's see if some concrete plans come of all this unfortunate recent violence, that will provide a sense of relief and competency. The soldiers and their families would definitely appreciate this. 

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