Yes, because we all know that all security precautions are always done 100% correctly, so they are infallible. And of course it's impossible that the pilot or copilot is actually the hijacker.

Remember 9/11? You damn well better believe the fighters would shoot the plane down if it strayed.

Ah yes, the old "the USA is responsible for despots everywhere" argument. I'm curious... please cite the country that has this spotless record on human rights, and has altruistically advanced such rights everywhere, regardless of their own interest? Obviously any country in Europe, Russia, China, Japan, etc are out. So I'm waiting with bated breath for this shining example to the world.

In fact, please cite ANY country throughout history that has had the kind of international power the USA has had and has been as civil and restrained as the USA has been. You're going to struggle with that one.

Look at North Korea. They've proven that the main value of having a nuclear weapon isn't launching an actual attack. It's having the card to get admitted to the big boys club. Iran wants the same thing. With the added advantage that Iran's threat is more realistic, given the sabre rattling towards Israel. After all, destroying Israel would probably only take 3 or 4 nuclear bombs, so it's a much more realistic scenario.

Hmm... you mean enriching uranium far beyond the needs of producing power? That "overblown propaganda"?

Let's enter reality here. If all Iran wanted was nuclear power, the deal would take about an hour to conclude. Limited enrichment and international inspection... sanctions lifted as they demonstrate they are willing to follow thru. Huge benefit to the Iranian people. Pretty hard not to notice that they at least want to have the option to produce a bomb, even if they aren't going there straightaway.

I wish I had points to mod you up. Sadly the herd mentality of "USA evil, everyone else good" is too strong here.

Well, maybe because I have pictures from a trip that I want my friends (real friends) to see, and the easiest way is to post them on Facebook? It's like Willy Sutton's answer when they asked him why he robbed banks: "that's where the money is".

I was with you till Jar Jar

Of all the things I might consider when buying a car, the ease of replacing the headlight is pretty far down the list. Once every 5 years I'm going to have to pay my garage $20 to replace the light. I'm sorry, I'm just not going to worry about it.

Wish I could mod the parent up. Exactly right.

All you need is a philosopher - king.

Try going to one of those countries that censor the Internet and making an unfavorable comment about the government and you might find a few other differences.

I built a wire-wrapped computer around an 1802. 2k of memory. Lots of fun. One advantage was that there was a chip that mapped the available memory to a video signal so it was very easy to get a TV display going. And it didn't require any particular clock frequency so you could actually single-step it very easily. I don't recall much about the instruction set, but I don't think it was particularly awful.

Right. Let's compare running for president against Mr. Putin vs running against Obama. One of those cases makes you a politician. The other puts you in jail till you decide to give up.

I wondered how long it would take someone to hijack this thread into "USA evil". Congratulations.