For some reason Russia and the US seem to be able to compartmentalize things like cooperation on space projects. The Russian scientists and engineers have to put up with the same amount of bullshit from their politicians that the US does.

There is not a profession out there where employees do not complain about being under paid and overworked. However teachers salaries should fall into the same range as engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other professions sitting at the top of the pay scale. Higher pay scales would attract better teachers who cannot live on a current teachers salary. Teachers should be aggressively recruited the same way Google and other companies attract the best talent.

People who buy cars in this price range usually place efficiency and safety down the list of the must haves when buying a new ride.

The problem is that the NSA actions have not been officially ruled unconstitutional. The government has did a pretty good job covering their asses legally using laws enacted by Congress. One example would be Clapper's statement about not spying on US citizens. People say he should be charged with purgery but there are also laws about releasing classified information to the public and an open Senate hearing is pretty damn public. His case would also be bolstered by the legally binding confidentiality agreements and obligations he assumed when taking his position. People seem to think it is enough to just claim something is unconstitutional or illegal using only their opinions as the deciding factor. And those opinions are usually based on staggering hyperbole, exaggeration, weak moral relativism, lies of omission, and out right lies. Both sides of this argument do the same thing to prove they are right like it is some sort of game. It's become more about winning the argument then actually resolving the issue being argued over. And the information released by Ellsberg dealt with an entirely domestic matter. He also made a legitimate effort to get the information into public hands where as Snowden did not. And no, one vague e-mail with no follow-up response by Snowden is not a legitimate effort of trying to get the information through the proper channels.

Snowden made a decision to break the law because he believed his cause was good which justified breaking the law. What if the NSA used the same argument? What if they believe their cause is just as good and justified and more important then adhering to any laws? Snowden sealed his fate the minute he started releasing information on foreign intelligence programs. Programs that have nothing to do violating a US citizen in any way. Ellsberg released documents on actions taken by government prior to and during the Vietnam war. His actions were US domestic in nature and thus the foreign Espionage Act charge could not be prosecuted successfully and that charge was dismissed. Snowden actions far exceeded those of Ellsberg and has guaranteed he will be considered a fugitive from the US for the rest of his life. He has to know that there are only a couple of countries in the world that might not hand him over to the US the minute he exits Russia. And the countries who would protect him have governments that make US government corruption look like little white lies. Countries where free speech and independent media outlets does not exist.

If similar information was turned over to the media in Russia or China that information would never have been published and those supplying the information would be in jail or dead. Snowden sealed his fate when he started releasing information about foreign intelligence programs that had nothing to do with the American public. And he and his journalists helpers have decided they are qualified to determine what information is dangerous and which information is not dangerous.

Now if they could only produce some smart people we might finally be getting somewhere.

Today's stealth fighters, early warning radar systems, satellite tracking, and advanced anti-air missile systems on land or water makes this plane nothing more than a slow moving target. Even if they were able to release all it's ordinance it would still be a one shot weapon. They would be better served to take all the money spent on an outdated weapons platform and build a few more B-2's if they are really hard up for more strategic bombers.

When it comes to space related projects there needs to be a return on the investment to bolster future funding. Even "vapor" returns can provide the political cover necessary to increase funding. The money NASA has spent over the years has returned a wealth of technological data but nothing that could realistically cover the initial project expense. However, over the years NASA has received funding regardless of the expected return on the investment. If someone wants to mine helium 3 on the moon it should be the corporations or individuals who stand to benefit the most providing the funding. Commercial projects have a better chance of expanding into the solar system than any government run programs.

And who exactly is going to enforce the law? The same people who enforce all the varied UN declarations and edicts?

Oh by all means lets get the government bureaucrats involved in policing software security. What could possibly go wrong? Stop looking to the government to protect you and start taking some responsibility for your own actions. You want guaranteed online security then just unplug your network cable because that is the only thing that will make you 100% secure from online attacks. There is not a browser on the market that doesn't have exploitable flaws if you really smart, motivated, and look hard enough. But alas even unplugging can be circumvented by simply inserting a USB drive of questionable origin into your system. Stuxnext infected the Iranian system using an infected USB drive in combination with the good ole sneaker net. If unplugging is not practical for you then you can start paying attention and stop clicking on links in the unsolicited e-mails you receive. Make sure your computer has a properly configured firewall. Use script inhibiting add-ons for your browser. Make sure your user accounts are properly privileged instead of running everything as an administrator. Setup a proxy if you want to make it harder for someone looking to infringe your anonymity. Even these precautions can be circumvented by falling for online social engineering attacks. Which by the way is the primary vector used today for bootstrapping malware.

True freedom is goal to work towards not a utopian destination that can ever be achieved. The freedoms and rights defined in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights were not iron cast declarations of truth that magically changed human behavior over night. Those precepts have been rigorously challenged since the day they were created. The most obvious "All men are created equal.." idea was certainly not true in the most obvious of ways but there have been great strides in trying to reach that mythic goal. People like to argue that US freedom has some how regressed from a perfect state of being but that is simply not true. All you need to do to press for more freedom and rights is to openly and freely be able to express dissenting views without being silenced by the government. Moving large numbers of protesters who infringe on others rights is not the government shutting down dissent. The Occupy protests lasted for weeks before they started really annoying all those that had to work and live in the same area. Creating free speech zones to prevent large crowds from creating real security problems for the President or other government officials is not censorship. It is more like common sense in todays world of suicide bombers and other crazies out looking to make a political statement resulting in body parts being strewn across the scene. And contrary to popular belief the US government has not taken away the right to dissent by banning certain topics or censoring the internet in any form. There are a lot of countries in the world who restrict and censor the internet and other information delivery mechanisms for their citizens. Germany, England, and Australia all filter information one way or another. Of course they don't hold a candle to the amount of censorship that China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, NK, and quite a few other countries. It is these same countries that are lobbying for the Internet to come under UN control so they can implement their state censorship across the entire world.

The Chinese are willing to do anything that makes the Party leaders rich. This can be said about a lot of the ruling classes across the world but the Chinese do not even bother hiding their motives and any of their citizens who voice a complaint are quickly silenced. China does not honor any UN economic sanctions when it comes to doing business with some of the most despotic countries on the planet starting with NK. They will do business with anyone and practice capitalism with gusto. They simply do not care what anyone says about their actions and while everyone is busy pillaring the only country able to check their power they are getting away with anything they are doing. In some aspects their willingness to do anything they want with no apologies or subterfuge is impressive. It's even more amusing that when I have visited China on business they have been the most friendly and accommodating hosts I have encountered especially compared to the sanctimonious pricks you run across in the EU. And for all those people romanticizing the US in the 80's or 90's they should really take a closer look. People talk like the US reached some sort of pinnacle of freedom and democracy and have regressed but the US has never been as good as people like to claim just as the US is not as bad as some people think today. In the 80's Japan was slated to bypass the US economically but ended up crashing on their way to glory. Today China is in a precarious state as far as economic progress goes. Their growth was the result of taking advantage of cheap labor and nothing else. Not innovation or quality. Their success has resulted in the average workers demanding more money which result in higher labor costs. They aggressively manipulate their currency to maintain low cost exports but there are limits to this strategy. They also have to contend with other SE Asian countries that are starting to compete with them on low labor costs.

The X-37 program run by the Air Force has delivered a re-usable but unmanned stealth vehicle that has been undertaking military missions for almost 4 years now with little fanfare and the manned version is close to being ready for testing. I am surprised that Russia or China isn't raising a stink over this vehicle that renders damn near every satellite in orbit vulnerable to being destroyed.

Especially since foreign debt only compromises about 6% of the total outstanding debt. The rest is owed to the Federal Reserve. And describing foreign debt as some kind of loan or ownership is also incorrect. Other countries park their money in the US securities and bond market because it is a safe and reliable investment.