The massacre at Fort Hood occurred at a time when US President Barack Obama is at the final stage of decision-making about what to do with the US war in Afghanistan. The Afghan war has been proving to be a failure in the US antiterrorism mobilization, as well as its counterinsurgency campaign. US troops in Afghanistan are said to be disillusioned, confused, weak, tired, at a breaking point, and with their morale broken.

In US homeland, as the Fort Hood mass murder proved, the US also failed to stop a supposed terrorist attack on home soil.

US generals are boasting of their strategy to win the good Afghan Muslims over. To do this, they have to know the Afghan Muslims well enough. At the very least, they must know Muslims, period. If the US ‘army cannot  be trusted to recognize a Hasan in its own ranks, then how will it figure out who the “good” Muslims will be as the US tries to build a “stable” state (whatever “stable” means) in a country that has never had a functioning central government?’

If US ‘troops cannot be protected from seemingly friendly Muslim American brethren in Killeen, Texas, what are the odds of survival for the 40,000 more troops the hawks want to deploy to Kabul and sinkholes beyond? Members of the best trained, best equipped fighting force on the planet were gunned down by a guy who said a few goofy things no one took seriously. And that’s the problem: America has the best troops and fiercest firepower, but no strategy for throttling the ideology that drives the enemy — in Afghanistan and in Texas.’

Image

Via The New York Times

If any of you thought that a small and simple home would never look and feel stylish, this contemporary home proves you wrong. Grabbing an award as the Best Residential Architecture Less Than 4,000 Square feet at the latest St. Louis Magazine AT HOME’s Architect and Design Awards, Ivan and Jennifer Garcia’s green home does have a point.

The Killeen Studio built this house in an area of a meager 2,550 square feet which most of us would consider small. The house displays various eco-friendly features like bamboo flooring, Energy Star appliances, recyclable metal panels and proficient windows which give natural light. The interiors are minimal and modish creating a pleasant mood around. The studio has tried to correct its only flaw in the house which happens to be its four car garage by building it in a lush green locality. Probably they thought the trees would take up the extra carbon dioxide emitted from the vehicles!

Garcia’s green home might be different from others in the neighborhood but its wonderful exterior and lovely interior will please the occupants and the environment. Anyone with a modern taste and a simple style would want one for sure.

Source: JetsOnGreen