I actually think this was a pointless interview. We gained no great insights, we heard no new information, etc... All of what was said has been said for weeks AND has been said better, i.e. reasons to be there and reasons not to be there.

Plus, I don't consider the CIA to be anything more than a tool anymore and hopefully it stays that way; as in the past you could make a case that the CIA was GETTING us involved in wars and shaping internal politics. I'm sure they still do this, but enough whistle-blowers came forward to create an environment were the CIA must tread carefully. Especially, after their complete and utter fuck-up of the century for the last Iraq war.

I appreciate this man's council, but in the end he has as much experience in leading a country as I do (armchair generals). He's very well informed in some international dealings, but his answer of "do nothing" is an old answer and it needs to be done away with to some degree. As it's an answer that does nothing; in fact it shows you the shear amount of apathy that our country feels is O.K. to use (like Cambodia, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, etc.). The problem as I see it is that the U.N. passed a unanimous security council resolution on Libya, a U.N. member. Libya said it would comply and then went on to do exactly what @bcglorf has said.

The solution I see is that NATO shouldn't be the watch dog here. The problem is that the U.N. is a useless body without fangs. It NEEDS fangs. The fact that EVERY security council member is not involved in this situation/resolution to me means that their "security club membership" should be nullified. I'm tired of people abusing the U.N. . It's perhaps our best way to solve many of these problems. But, when the military action is ALWAYS carried by NATO at the end of the day, I begin to believe that members that don't participate in resolutions THEY PASSED need to be kicked out of their position (I'm looking at you China).

Until the U.N. gains some fangs and the ability to enact resolutions that are passed UNANIMOUSLY (5 abstains for the countries too scared to take a stance), we will continue to carry the weight via the U.S. Armed Forces or NATO; otherwise, we let innocent people die. We could do nothing, but if we did do nothing the media needs to put the blame squarely at the feet of U.N. Security members that abstain; make them swim in the blood they've spilled by their political maneuvering called "abstain"... We don't do this, but I think it's time we did. If China wants to be a big boy, they need to learn about responsibilities related to their direct inaction. Likewise, Russia needs to learn that the Cold War is dead; holding their feet to the fire internationally might do that.

Eventually, this comes down to the media getting the story right and being willful enough to put countries to the question: Why?

Don't bring up the "reverse angle" of death and destruction. I know it will happen, but this is the cost of choosing and FIGHTING for any side. Death is everywhere; it doesn't make it right, but it makes it true...

Here is the vote for, Resolution 1973:

U.S.-Y*
Lebanon-Y
France-Y*
U.K.-Y*
Bosnia and Herzegovina-Y
Columbia-Y
Gabon-Y
Nigeria-Y
Portugal-Y
South Africa-Y

Abstained (the eternal worthless permanent security council members: China-they never do ANYTHING, and The Russian Federation-who seem to vote just to be contrary); I'll put a mark next to permanent members that abstained^:

^The Russian Federation-NA*
^China (as usual)-NA*
Brazil-NA
Germany-NA
India-NA

I find it hard to keep Russia and China on the security council (they'd whine like babies if removed) as they almost always abstain AND they don't help; in fact they do nothing. The other members are not permanent and may be cycled out in the upcoming year; making me not very concerned with their attitude.

*Permanent Security Council Members

So take it or leave it; but, I think our worldwide diplomacy from every country still revolves around the Cold War and WWII. It's terribly sad to me that we are still stuck on such ridiculous fears and ghostly machinations...

Has the world become a deus ex machina to politicians? Do they believe complex problems can be solved with the smallest of effort? This is what it seems to be coming to and it's scary to see people like Donal Trump in the runnings for president. Sarah Palin is a walking and breathing Captain Catherine Janeway in the sense that she believes she has answers and solutions that are easy to implement and as ridiculous as every piece of deus ex machina "Voyager" ever used. AND she is not alone...

I see this in our country and in others. Simplistic leanings that help no one except to further their own agenda. It's as though politicians and leaders use Rube Goldberg machines, yet these do have a purpose: they grab your attention, they pacify, they cause you to become their disease--ready to even spill the blood of what they hate. It's true in every country on the planet. So when Russia and China take the easy way out, that is what I think of them. It is also why they should NEVER be given leadership, as they seemingly don't know what it truly is or they abuse it.

/My long two cents with a little drama to get a dialogue started...

Finally, a Rube Goldberg device with an actual purpose! And you don't even have to reset the parts to use it again...just drop another ball.

Apparently Rube Goldberg is trying to sell his house.

Lol. I love the ridiculous way you have to implement logic. Somehow, because it's graphical it's acceptably simple. However, if they'd just put a reasonable scripting mechanism in it would be way easier to accomplish something (not just for someone like me (a programmer) but for anyone who's going to try something non-trivial). But I suppose people would then complain that somehow a scripting language is too complicated.

There's a reason people don't program in "Machinarium", or by making computers in Minecraft, or in graphical circuit blocks like this: it's because things get unmanageable almost instantly. If LBP wants people to be able to make something neat, they should let people build using reasonable tools (like a simple scripting language and a debugger) instead of trying to Rube Goldberg together a game.

>> ^blankfist:

@<a rel="nofollow" href="http://douchebag.videosift.com" title="member since July 26th, 2007" class="profilelink"><strong style="color: rgb(0, 136, 0);">rottenseed


?

Tags for this video have been changed from 'hot girl, nerd gun, facial pwnage, wtf' to 'hot girl, nerd gun, facial pwnage, wtf, rube goldberg' - edited by xxovercastxx

You had me at Rube Goldberg and Lego.

A combination that cannot fail!

Thanks for the awesome double promote for the OK Go vid!

In reply to this comment by NicoleBee:
I think I like this one more than the rube goldberg version. *doublepromote

I think I like this one more than the rube goldberg version. *doublepromote

Tags for this video have been changed from 'chrome, browser, speed, potato, sound, lightning' to 'chrome, browser, speed, potato, sound, lightning, rube goldberg' - edited by gwiz665

Not exactly a Rube Goldberg machine, but still pretty cool. I bet it was spectacular to watch in person. And I like how it was timed to the song. Not perfect, but close.

The video is here.

Totally! Thanks.

In reply to this comment by eric3579:
Thought you might want to see this.
http://www.videosift.com/video/OK-Go-s-RUBE-GOLDBERG-INSPIRED-MACHINE

Thought you might want to see this.
http://www.videosift.com/video/OK-Go-s-RUBE-GOLDBERG-INSPIRED-MACHINE

>> ^Payback:
Disappointed there were no treadmills...


There were... on the TV showing the old video... which was then destroyed.

Brilliant.

That's their sledgehammer response to your call of/for cynicism too.