MicheleMoore-Happy1

Defining Disillusion and Discontent - 2010

Key causes of current American political discontent and what to do about them:

Simple, Strong, Sizzling Messages Sell - "Medicare / Medicade for More People Funded by Ending Bush Tax Cuts" conveys a clear, compelling health care message.

Too much time and good will was squandered while Max Baucus, Olympia Snow, Ben Nelson and Joe Leiberman agonized and played to tv cameras, dominating a process they had no real intention of advancing. 

We still have no idea of the benefits or specifics of what they are proposing.

Message Mismanagement Is Worse Than No Message At All - See how well some Republicans have fared with no message, no method, no meaning, only opposition. 

When the public is angry, opposition is all you need.

Single interest groups can wield disproportionately large power.

Perception Is Reality - When we don't see value, no value exists.

Meet and Greet, Love the People You Want to Represent - Reserved Reticence Rapidly Relegates Candidates to Irrelevance.  The American public needs to see their representatives care. 

Out of sight means out of mind.  This is as true for Presidents as it is for Senatorial candidates.

Care About the Public's Concerns in The Public's Order - If the country is consumed with fears about jobs, the economy and big bank abuses don't dwell indefinitely on causes that are not high on their list.

Taxing big banks is not the same as forcing them to lend fairly to consumers.

"Monumental" Does Not Mean Monuments - Huge reforms in large, perplexing problems like health care are often best achieved through a string of very specific, simple changes the majority can understand and embrace.

A "Super Majority" Is Simply Silly - Can you count on John McCain's best buddy Joe Leiberman,  Republican Nebraska's Ben Nelson or Louisiana's Mary Landrieu in a crunch?  If not, don't say you can.  The concept of a Super Majority is silly.

Do What You Say You Will Do - Beware of Betrayals.  Betray your beliefs, your base, the people who trusted and believed in you and you Betray Your Best Hopes for Being Effective and Enduring.  Trust destroyed does not return quickly.

My under graduate major in Political Science is swirling out of control!

Copyright 1999- , Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. Explore HappinessHabit.com and HappinessBlog.com. 

Doggedly Dependable Airline Searches

Well trained bomb sniffing dogs deployed on the entrance ramps of departing airline flights would make it much harder to sneak explosives on board. 

Roving K-9 explosive detection teams are a great deal less expensive than millimeter wave machines and add a powerful human component.

Terrorists could never be exactly sure what the dogs would sniff and would tend to give themselves away with nervousness and / or with covering odors.

Coupled with politically incorrect profiling and some common sense - how many international travelers check no bags - K-9 explosive searches are a relatively inexpensive, effective solution that could be deployed fairly quickly.

Copyright 1999- , Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. Explore HappinessHabit.com and HappinessBlog.com.

Totalitarian Tyrants Are Terrible

Do you believe right wing Republicans and Neo-Conservatives have objections to breaking the law and the U.S. Constitution to gain and maintain power and control of our country?

A simple Yes / No answer is all that is required.  Consider this...

Totalitarian Tyrants Are Universally Terrible.  Whenever democratic principles are plundered to allow the most ruthless to rule, oppressive regimes ransack freedom, justice, opportunity and economic prosperity.  The best and the brightest don't lead.

Like Communist systems, you have to join the "Party" to participate and do what the "Party" says to prosper.  Even then, there are no guarantees.  Never mind what your own goals, aspirations or ideals may be.  Mindless obedience and sincere subservience are primary prerequisites for success.

Kim Jong-il (North Korea), Muammar el-Qaddafi (Libya) and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran) are excellent examples.  From our perspectives they appear absurd, emperors without clothes with astonishing power.

What do we want for our country and future? 

Copyright 1999- , Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. Explore HappinessHabit.com and HappinessBlog.com.  Photograph from Dreamstime.com

Sweet Georgia Saxby

Saxby Chambliss's harangue against health care forces the Senate seal to fall off the lectern.  See the NYTimes.com for the full story - 12/7/09  I own a home in Atlanta and have lived there for 30 years, the Georgia GOP still amazes me.

Succeeding in Afghanistan

Winning the war in Afghanistan does not automatically guarantee success in Afghanistan.  Military people see military solutions. This may be the source of President Obama's frustration with his current strategy suggestions.

To be successful, we have to focus on what we REALLY want to achieve.  Here's an expanded version of comments we made to the NYTimes:

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, a vibrant society and a prospering economy.

Focus on these goals.  What troop levels do these goals require?

Ending poppy production destabilizes and defunds the Taliban. It would also halt the world's illicit heroin trade.  Who could oppose this?  For what the world would pays for drug interdiction, we could afford to pay the locals handsomely for not growing poppies.

Identifying and encouraging a legitimate alternative to Karzai shouldn’t be that hard. The Afghans want the same things we want for their country.  Work with a loya jirga to establish a stable, honest, responsible governing leadership consistent with their culture.

Build schools, infrastructure, strengthen agricultural options and commerce.  Afghanistan enjoyed a flourishing economy in the past, help return them to prosperity.

The best solutions may not require the largest military commitment.

MicheleMoore-Happy1
HappinessBlog.com / HappinessHabit.com

Successfully Landing A Job

In tight job markets, managers often hire people they know or hire people who are recommended by people they know.

To land a job, be active, focus on doing the right things in the right places and make as many positive contacts as possible.

Need To Find A Job?  Stop Looking So Hard  explains why it is so important to do things you enjoy during your job hunt to enhance your visibility, present yourself well and to raise the odds of landing your next job quickly.

He answers the question, "Why Volunteer?"  Take a look, you'll enjoy it!

Michele Moore is CEO of Happiness Habit and creator of Happiness In Hard Times - How To Be Happy When Times Are Tough And Help Others To Be Happy Too!

Inspiration from Pakistan

A young, illiterate, single, illiterate Pakistani woman was gang raped after she defended her 12 year old brother before tribal elders.

Killing herself was the only way to preserve her family's honor.

Instead, she prosecuted the criminals and used the $8,000 she received to start a girls school so she could learn to read as well.

I reread Mukhtar Mai's story whenever I need to reaffirm my conviction to persevere and triumph.

Now children in her village are able to attend school because she believes education is the best way forward.

Mukhtar also runs a well known women's shelter and has become an important voice for human rights in Pakistan.

Michele Moore is CEO of Happiness Habit and author of the upcoming book Happiness In Hard Times - How To Be Happy When Times Are Tough And Help Others To Be Happy Too!

Health Care That Works

The best argument for health care reform I've seen - Nicholas Kristof / New York Times - 9/03/09.

At one time private fire companies protected our nation's homes and business but services became so costly and corrupt they were "socialized" into our present day fire departments.

Private guard services defended us until they were "socialized" into police forces.

Public satisfaction with Medicare is far higher than for private insurance coverage even when it is paid for by employers. 

Private health insurance has also become too costly and corrupt...

Michele Moore is CEO of Happiness Habit and author of the upcoming book Happiness In Hard Times - How To Be Happy When Times Are Tough And Help Others To Be Happy Too!

Healthy Weight Premium Reductions

Scientific studies show that severely overweight people's health care costs are 40% higher than people who maintain their weight at healthy levels.  

UPDATE:  Obesity Makes You Stupid

Health insurance companies already offer premium reductions for non-smoking, why not offer a healthy weight premium reduction?

All you would need to do to maintain your Healthy Weight Premium Reduction is to appear for an annual physical within 10% of your optimum best healthy weight. 

This encourages people to schedule yearly check ups which are known to reduce health care costs by catching problems early.

Dispensations could be granted to people whose professions require them to maintain certain body weights - fashion models, TV personalities and weight lifters for example.

Money is a great motivator.  Who wants to pay a Fat Tax?

This advances national goals of getting our country to slim down to healthy weights and scheduling annual physical check ups.

Comments?  Disagreements?  Post them below!

MicheleMoore-Happy1.com

Michele Moore is CEO of Happiness Habit and author of the upcoming book Happiness In Hard Times - How To Be Happy When Times Are Tough And Help Others To Be Happy Too!