Also note that she said "strong indications of life" not actually finding definitive proof of life. I think she's probably talking something along the lines of a spectrum analysis finding a chemical in the atmosphere of a foreign body that's associated with life, or finding some microbes on Europa or something. But if we're going to do it by 2025, we'll need some pretty huge leaps forward, and very fast. And the idea that we'll be putting anyone on Mars by 2025 is laughable. Maybe 2125, and even that's unlikely given the current funding levels of most space programs.

In that case, you're going to be in for a VERY long wait. Man may one day set foot on Mars, but it won't be any time within our liftetimes, and they won't be wearing a NASA patch on their spacesuit.

Uh...I just got out of some very cold water, but normally, it would be HUGE, I swear.

I just got a flashback to the opening scenes of Wargames, when the Pentagon's response to the humanity of their nuclear launch commanders was to replace them with an automated system. They expected the automated system to be perfect, and a much better alternative to squishy emotional humans. I mean, it's TECHNOLOGY, right? What could possibly go wrong?

When humans make mistakes, they are generally far more rational and adaptable than a computer when it comes to recognizing them and making corrections. When a computer fucks up, it will usually chug right along on a clearly irrational path until some human steps in and reboots the fucking thing.

If they did, they would already have automated cargo planes.

There is actually an expression for that in American English: "Go along to get along." I've heard it used mostly in reference to police corruption.

Only if the question is "How do we even further destabilize the middle east, and possibly start WWIII?"

If they're really that determined, they're going to get nukes anyway. At least this way they can use some of that money to fight Isis.

Pretty bad. But I'm pretty sure an insult to Republicans in Congress won't cause them to build nuclear weapons.

What aren't you in prison, rotting right next to all the other NSA leaders who betrayed their country and its Constitution?

They're going to get nuclear weapons if there ISN'T a deal. Rejecting the deal will only assure it. At lease this deal gives us a chance to stall it, or maybe make some headway on becoming finally more friendly. You know "friendly," as in they're one of only two allies who can help to really fight Isis (the other being the Assad regime in Syria). "Friendly" as in WE FUCKING NEED THEM.

The only other option is to go to war with them and overthrow the government. And we saw how wonderfully that turned out in Iraq, didn't we?

So, are you going to add another state to the caliphate or deal?

From the second the GW Bush made his crazy ill-advised "Axis of Evil" speech and then proceeded to invade one of those Axis members, it was pretty much guaranteed that Iran and North Korea would pursue nukes (and NK has already succeeded). They're not stupid. They know nukes are the only way to assure you won't be invaded or overthrown by the U.S.

So if you don't suck up to Iran and give them a deal that says "We're not going to invade you if you'll just play ball," then it's really only a matter of time. Mossad can car-bomb all the scientists it wants. The U.S. can release a hundred Stuxnets. But eventually it WILL happen.

So if you don't give them a deal, you're really only assuring it. Now, maybe they'll still do it anyway. But at least this way there is a CHANCE they won't.

In China's defense, they did post clearly marked "No Swimming" signs.

I'm curious how they plan to enforce that when a company goes out of business and is liquidated. Issue a summons to their old HQ building, informing anyone inside that they must keep the servers running? Find all the former employees at their new companies and tell them they have to get the old band back together or else? Send a harshly-worded letter to the people who bought the old servers at auction?

About the only practical thing they could do would be to demand that the company issue customer refunds in the final days before it goes belly-up. But if the company is bankrupt, it's unlikely customers will see any of that money once the creditors are done with whatever's left.