Finally something funny from MM. Well now, maybe Dave Letterman can be funny again if this guy can do it.

Oh now, they all start believing the hype at some point. That what they say matters and is something more than just throw away entertainment in the end.

When was that last time Dave was funny? Oh, yes "Evil Dave" on Stern IS funny! Maybe he was the guy talking . . . .

When was Whoopie last funny? When was Robin Williams last funny? Now don't say never -- bad, bad! They were funny once.

Thank you for the serious answers. Difficult issue in a difficult world. Too many were quick to bash Bush for trying and others now bash Obama for trying. The only one who did not try was Clinton - but that is the past.

The Israeli air force was a power in it's day next to it's own boarders. But, with modern air defenses F16's and a few old F15's having to overfly the whole Middle East to hit hardened targets in Iran won't do much except blow up a few easy building and a couple of air bases. They need air refueling to carry any combat load at all -- and many multiple strikes. Not to mention that the US would have to grant them safe passage back and forth, back and forth over Iraq - if they got past the Jordanians, Syrians, and Saudis to face Iran's old, but upgrading Air defense. But you already know that.

I would not be quick to dismiss Iran as a paper tiger. To the US maybe, but they went toe-to-toe with Iraq for 8 years. Israel would not take them on unless they knew the US would back their play with troops - because there is no way Israel could get any troops there and Iran would come after them at their own choice of time and most of Europe and the rest of the world would not stop them.

China buys lots of oil from Iran. All those Chinese IOUs do matter if they loose energy and want the US to not back an Israeli attack.

Obama will do a lot of things - but I don't think he will hang himself. He ain't no David Carradine playing with himself in the closet - sorry, sorry, the devil made me say it! (It was too good to pass up!)

Butting out is a realistic option for the US. In our economic state and just seeing light to get out of the wars we already have in the Middle East I would oppose any US support of an Israeli attack on Iran and let them twist in the wind for it. And, I think they know that most Americans would at this point.

Exactly. With the exception of Iran hostages - which has no bearing - and Israel has no power to change Iran or defeat Iran short of nuclear attack.

If Israel has value to America and cannot exist without American support then what do we want Israel to do? We are paying so what do we want?

Is it fair to ask Israel to stop settlements and let the Palestinians have a state or should Israel take all the land and throw the Palestinians out? Or should we continue to have this endless problem that every troublemaker from Hamas to Iran to Russia use to tie up the US in spending money and blood?

It would seem that you have to solve this problem and not antagonize 2 billion muslim in the world at the same time. Short of world war and trying to kill 2 billion people what do you do?

Reagan was criticized because he wanted to ignore the Middle East and the Israel/Palestinian problem. People had a fit. Look it up. (Sorry had to say that) 30 years later we still have the same problem.

The Conservative movement should articulate a solution that they think works and publicize that thinking. Otherwise Obama is at least doing something the way he sees fit and with the advisors he has. He's president, like it or not. It's his job to try to fix this mess. Good ideas from other sides of the debate would be useful. (I kind of agree with Reagan - F-em and let them kill each other without the US doing anything for either one. Probably will not work today though.)

America and Obama are not going to abandon Israel. The legitimate question is "what is Israel worth to America?" Obama is just asking that one. What is America willing to pay? And what do we get for that payment?

Israel is a minior power with no natural resources and no exports and few imports. Kind of like Lichtenstein.

Ignore the past and any emotional responses and any imaginary gods and be a cold SOB to measure its value to us right now. In that now it costs us time, money, and military support to keep them going. All we get back is 50 years of squabbling with the other tribes over land that nobody wants except the other side wants it. What does America get for all this endless BS?

This is only about the Internet that people see to the extent that it has to be monitored for covert activity that would damage the US - read Al Queida, Shining Path, New IRA etc., etc communicating over it.

That is only a tiny tiny part of "Cyber" and the least important. Go to any ATM and read the networks it connects to. Then VISA connects 22,000 member banks. Same for the other CC companies. E-tickets for air travel - SABRE. The network that flies Predators from Nellis AFB in Nevada to hit bad guys in Afghanistan. The US Navy with 250 some odd ships just said that can't hope to patrol the seas unless they "Own Cyberspace" - meaning data fusion of all their networks and knowing what happening on all the other networks that schedule and run ocean going ships. Then there are all the networks from central banks to reserve banks. Networks of parts suppliers that connect to companies like Government Motors to share design, financial, contract information - all the electronic drawings specs and so on that they build with.

Well you get it. "The Internet" and a few news stories and a few dirty pictures going around is the last thing that a Cyber Czar has to worry about or care about. How would you like them to do that instead of working on keeping your credit card solvent or stopping hackers from getting into the control loops for a predator and star shooting at our troops?

Cyber Czar is a silly little office boy title that covers up a huge issue of keeping all the military, NSA, CIA, banking, communication, airline, and all the other networks running and safe.

I don't give a damn if Obama does this or Clinton or Bush do this or name the department head a Cyber Dork - I just want the government to worry about it and do everything they can about it behind the scenes.

Why does this matter? Really? China would be thrilled if the US spends time and money dealing with this - so would Japan and South Korea since they would not have to spend any of their money on it. Better for Obama to worry about US jobs and he future of US economic power than some goofball with one or two bombs the size of semi trucks that could only be shot at somebody if they pulled it with a train somewhere and set it off there.

There are 60 years of R&D between what they have and a weapon that could go on a missile or in a reasonable sized aircraft. North Korea has non of these things except the trains.

Let the UN talk about it and tell China and Japan and South Korea that they are on their own - if they want to keep selling us stuff they better figure out what to do about it if they are worried about it - which they probably are not if the truth be known.

Yes, a good summary of a good life lived. Would only add that it also applies to women. Makes a wonderful balance when that happens. All comes down to being free and involved in the life of the place you inhabit.

Bravery is hard. To quote an Arab: Yep. There are smart people who care about the world and how we live life all over the place. What passes for journalism in 2009 only reports the fools, thieves, and murderers.

Bravery is hard. To quote an Arab:
Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.
Kahlil Gibran