The latest issue of Rolling Stone hit newsstands today, but most Americans already know about the stunning feature inside of it: the profile of General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
The now-infamous article features harsh comments critical of the Obama administration made by McChrystal and some of his aides. The general was called to the White House for a meeting on June 23, where President Obama accepted his resignation and nominated General David Petraeus to be McChrystal's replacement.
I would like to take a moment to respond to Mr. Uehling's comments on my previous blog, "My Generation at War," because he brings up some very good concerns shared by many. First, I consider it an honor that he, as a fellow veteran, took his time to share his reactions on such important topics that should be discussed and debated between his generation and mine in order to determine the lessons learned to pass on to future generations.
General Stanley McChrystal's recent comments about his civilian peers in the Obama administration have left the sometimes-controversial former commander of the war in Afghanistan standing in the unemployment line. To be sure, McChrystal did cross the threshold of professional decorum in today's military and for that, he needed to be held accountable. But the General was not insubordinate. In fact, his perspective on the troubled situation within the Obama administration's foreign policy team should be considered--and not overshadowed by its delivery or the firing.
The feud between Conan, Leno and NBC has captured the nation's attention with its high-stakes, blame game drama. But what I find most fascinating is the way it illustrates the rift between America's young and old generations.
"I read Genevieve Long's "Another War-Torn Generation" this week, and as someone deployed in Iraq would like to respond. A very well written article, yes, but perhaps she should have talked to the soldiers she saw in the airport. She might have learned why their boots were so well taken care of--"you can tell the quality of a soldier by the shine on his boots." There is a certain pride that is associated with wearing the uniform and accomplishing the mission of a U.S. Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine. A feeling that one who has never stood a watch will most certainly find it hard to understand."
Small farms have been on the out for decades as younger generations leave town for urban lifestyles with more financial promise. But as we have seen recently in Michael Pollan's books (The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food) as well as the work of so many others, the tragic consequences of agribusiness have spurred a reactionary movement, which is now in full swing. The demand for sustainably produced and organic food is going up, and as a result of this increasing awareness, young people are moving back to the farm. And they're changing how it's done.
Gabrielle Bernstein has paved her path to success by sharing her life strategies with others. Not your typical self-help guru, she is a life coach and motivational speaker for the next generation. This month Bernstein launches her self-transformational book, Add More ~ing to Your Life - A hip guide to happiness. In her book, Bernstein guides the reader through her dynamic "~ing Equation," a method of sharpening one's intuitive senses and activating untapped inspiration.
The way we look at food in this country is changing. Mounting evidence shows that we need to start eating food that is fresher and less processed if we want to improve our health and our environment.
General Stanley McChrystal, by way of his civilian-centric strategy for the war in Afghanistan, is experimenting. Thirty-nine female Marines are poised to deploy as "attachments" with an all-male infantry for the express purpose of gaining the trust of Afghan women. After training at Camp Pendleton, located just south of Los Angeles, the Marines will travel to rural villages in Afghanistan's most violent province.
Less than half of Millennials, Americans age 18 to 29, believe when they are their parents' age, they will be better off, according to the "Survey of Young Americans' Attitudes Toward Politics and Public Service" (pdf) from Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
I first want to say how excited I am to be writing the personal finance blog for YPNation. Since I received the nod to write my first post I have been racking my brain for a good topic to begin with. Literally hundreds of ideas ran through my head and, needless to say, I will not be at a loss for topics down the road. But I have decided to start with some general thoughts on managing money--something many young people do not spend enough time thinking about.
A few months ago I wrote an article on why reinstating the draft would only degrade the quality and effectiveness of the U.S. armed forces. As a member of the armed forces, I firmly believe that keeping the military an all-volunteer force is in the best interests of this country. So I was not only shocked by the amount of responses I received, but also caught off guard by the number of people who said they were in favor of the draft. The main reason given was that people thought it was generally unfair that so much of the nation's burdens fall on the shoulders of just those in the military.
While reporting on a forum held on Tuesday in New York about the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I noticed something odd. I seemed to be one of the youngest people in the room. At age 32, I'm not a kid anymore, and it got me thinking. The panelists were all professional journalists who had covered the fall. And as they reminisced about their memories and impressions, I noticed they offered virtually no context for the valuable perspectives they were sharing.
Today's young workers understand they are on their own when it comes to their retirement savings. In a recent poll, young adults (ages 18 to 25) predicted that 61 percent of their retirement income, on average, would need to come from personal savings. A startling 59 percent of young adults-higher than any other previous age group-assume they will be financially worse-off and less secure than prior generations.
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