I don't know how hard it is. But many types of vehicles are required to stop at all train crossings, so having the first generation of autonomous cars do the same isn't a big deal.

Are we to seriously believe Nevada thought it was entirely acceptable for the vehicle to come to a complete standstill in construction traffic?

Why wouldn't that be entirely acceptable? A construction zone means that traffic can come to complete standstill at any time, even on the freeway. Having autonomous cars momentarily stop and switch to manual control shouldn't be any more of a problem than other impediments due to construction.

The roundabout is the only one that's a show stopper. The other three are exactly the kind of circumstances where it would be reasonable for the car to come to a stop and switch to manual control.

That's a nice theory, but what really happens is that the patent troll just steam rolls the little guy instead of the manufacturer. At least the manufacturer produces some goods that have a benefit to society has a whole.

NATO did not agree to defend to Ukraine. In the Budapest Memorandum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B..., Russia, the US and the UK agreed to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and refrain from interfering with their internal affairs in exchange for nuclear disarmament. But there was no provision for providing for Ukraine's defense. Now, arguably, Russia may have broken that agreement, but there's no provision for enforcing the treaty either.

I guess that makes it ok to provoke just a *little* nuclear exchange. I assume that you're willing to sacrifice the state or country that you live in for this noble cause?

Not often than someone manufactures a fictitious quote, attacks that strawman, then condescendingly lectures about logic. All in just 3 lines.

We can trust them! They're white people, like us!

Can't help but notice the obvious omission in your strategic analysis: nuclear weapons. Both sides have them, both side would use them if left with no other choice. The full scale confrontation between NATO and Russia wouldn't last long enough for any those other factors to matter.

"So, if all the Chinese Americans in California decided they were forming their own country, how would you feel about that?"

Yes. It is totally unAmerican for a bunch of recent immigrants to form their own country. Which is why the American Revolution was fought by full-blooded natives and the US fought on the side of Mexico to ensure Texas did not secede.

The USSR, at the peak of its military strength, went bankrupt fighting in Afghanistan thirty years ago. The idea that a significantly weaker Russia would steam roll through Europe is absurd. The days when any superpower can make massive land grabs are long over.

This is a neighborhood bully that has the capability of wiping out all life on the planet if they think they're in a no-win situation. You'd be suicidally insane not to be scared.

What, do *you* suppose would happen? The US is still licking its wounds from two drawn out wars with 3rd world countries. I can't imagine that direct confrontation with Russia would be consequence free.

Don't be absurd. Unlike Ukraine, the Baltics are NATO and EU countries with stable governments. If Russia invaded, nukes would fly and both sides know it. It's not even a feasible scenario to speculate over.

The Anonymous Coward trolls contribute to the conversation by proving that the problem exists.