This article is really poorly researched; Putin said he would aim nuclear weapons at the so-called "shields" of Bush, not random cities in Europe; and Yeltzin was not about to shoot nuclear weapons at the US; there was a general there who took it on good faith that it was in fact a mistake.

Perhaps someone can correct my memory (or my imagination if both are confused) but isn't a 6 degree increase in global temperature the start of a runaway greenhouse effect?

This is postulated to have happened on the *lifeless* planet Venus.

The world's elite might actually think their riches will spare them from the fate of the rest.

forget 251 million years ago?

the lunatics in charege of the USA believe that the world is only 6000 years old, and if they have their way, it wont make it to 6001 before they are "Ratured up to Jebus" while the rest of us burn.

there religion of death is just as dangerous as any Islamo-fascist's

my father and i used to have debates on the morality of nuclear reactors - and the lack of an answer to the waste issue, essentially forcing our children to deal with it. he based his support on the faith he had in technology to come up with a solution.
this, i'm sure is at the heart of many who drag their feet on the current forecasts on climate change as well as nuclear proliferation. let "them" deal with it - the "experts." but the real experts here are humans with a conscience.
ironically, many are now touting nuclear power as a "non-polluting" energy source. increasingly, it will be harder to stand up to those who mimic the earth-friendly line, but who may also be promoting the most dangerous agendas.

Actually glpn, there are other choices. We could stop the machine if we wanted to, but it would require a little risk and commitment. And getting our fat asses off the couch and into the street. Oh wait...and miss Paris and American Idol...silly me, we're screwed.

"What Makes Us Think We Can Entrust The Future of The Human Race to These People?" We cannot.
Alas, "we" is a tiny minority in so called Western democracies.
Of course, I regret the loss of Venice, Holland, London and New York. But then is not their demise a well deserved karma for what they have done in their days of glory?

I hope that truncated humanity will drew lessons from our generation, crowning millennia of self-destruction and abuse of human dignity. Will they regret that they cannot engage in self-gratification and hedonism on our scale? I doubt it. Most likely they will laugh at us as the biggest clowns on the face of this planet.

Besides, with 6 degree up fewer remaining people will enjoy Arctic beauty as they cannot to-day.

Jared Diamond's 'Collapse' is a great study into what has caused failure of cultural systems in the past and has some words about why we are failing to take action now. At the end of our time, the great American Corporation will likely be seen as the primary cause of our own Collapse. They seem to have status as an invulnerable enity, no matter what crimes committed there are legal avenues to avoid responsibility. Dow Chemical purchased United Carbide and the thousands of deaths in India were swept away as nothing. And so on.

I can only concur. 8 people deciding for 6 billion what value spheres get attention. Get ready for the end game, outlook and planet earth does not look promising, and thanks to the deeply entrenched status quo politicians nothing will significantly change, now or ever!

Johann Hari,

You and the rest of the humanity have abdicated any power of choice because the G8 conferees represent the New World Order of corporate domination, which you support every time you go shopping, and you're not about to stop are you? Establish an alternate economy and you might get somewhere, but it's too late. The balance of Nature is collapsing right in front of you and every creature on Earth.

dponcy:
"Actually glpn, there are other choices. We could stop the machine if we wanted to, but it would require a little risk and commitment. And getting our fat asses off the couch and into the street. Oh wait…and miss Paris and American Idol…silly me, we're screwed."

Those of us who feel strongly about the demise of our democracy as well as the serious global issues confronting us, sit at our computers, writing to each other. We aren't on the streets either. We may not be watching American Idol or the exploiting of Paris Hilton, but we aren't spending our energy on action. At least, I don't read about actions people are taking. I just read about what we SHOULD be doing.

it's worse than the author says...on the nuclear front, if the US uses "tactical" nukes on iran, it's possible that the degraded capacities of russia (and possibly pakistan & india and maybe israel) will not be able to distinguish that attack from a nuclear attack on russia itself, since iran lies on russia's southern border, and anything on hair-trigger alert goes off. and adios humanity.

the "great" powers will never voluntarily give up their ability to terrorize via nukes another country. that's part of what the whole iran deal is about.

Bleak picture, indeed. The heartless and ruthless among us seem to be winning. Yet, there is goodness and hope and faith among us, as well. Let us pray, and have confidence that the smallest men on this planet will not have their way. There will be justice and peace.

It's "Mafia for Dummies." The "heads of the five families" get together and collude to steal as much as possible and to hell with the rest of "society." Look around - five media corps, five big drug cos, five oil companies.

"Hey, Italy, we need some fake intel for the oil heist." "No problemo!" "Hey, Poland, Star Wars sites, understand? We'll through in a few dozen F16s. Make it happen." "Hey, Iraq - do what your told or we'll rebomb you back to the Stone Age that we don't actually believe existed. Haven't you noticed no other country in the world is coming to your aide? Pay the vig or die. Period."

Is it not ironic that in the "Information Age" of being "globally connected" by the Internet we are at more loose ends in coming to agreement and solutions on these matters than we ever were before?

IF governments CARED (they do NOT, I know), but IF....they could have "public referendums" with the WORLD about what's wrong, needs, ideas, solutions, and do things.

But alas, I fear the last two things "government" did that was truly "good" (?) was (A) defeat Hiter, and (B) counteract the Great Depressions. (Yes, I know WWII was as much a part of that as anything, I'm speaking in the EFFORTS MADE THEN COMPARED TO NOW.)

My late mother remembered when there was NO work how the government HIRED MEN to dig ditches, fill them back up, and dig them again, and she said, "But at least they were WORKING, and GETTING PAID."

Since THEN, WHEN has any of our governments done anything REMOTELY COMPERABLE in an EFFORT to SOLVE ANY PROBLEM - except those for their OWN GREEDY PURPOSES, that is?

I refuse to 'do' defeatist, (~but neither am I a 'Pollyanna' either!)

Let's usefully remember Margaret Mead's observation:

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

On that basis, given that we here are 'thoughtful people' we have the means to achieve a new and better world. I'll never give up, not till my dying breath, -how about you?

An important task needs *committment*, a dash of courage, and a healthy slice of persistence. Even your rather staid old Calvin Coolidge recognized this in his famous quote:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, -the world is full of educated failures. Determination and persistence alone -are omnipotent."

~ and also:

"I have found it advisable not to give too much heed to what people say when I am trying to accomplish something of consequence.
Invariably they proclaim it can't be done. I deem that the very best time to make the effort."

Cool, Mr Coolidge, ~ I'll hang with that! :)

If we inspire others into action and don't sit around moping into our beer and drifting wacky-baccy dreams and paranoia we DO, -actually, stand a chance, a very good chance, of turning things round.
The least hope lies in giving up hope.
I personally refuse to do that.

Ever.

Whatever the Bushco/Leberman/AIPAC gang has planned in terms of nuclear strikes against Iran, and they seem to be in a darn hurry to start this new, and definitely, colossaly disastrous misadventure, it will not go according to plan. Remember, the Iranians are not stupid. They invented chess, ran empires and produced great civilazations for 4000 years. Whatever the corporate controlled MSM is telling you, they have a powerful military industrial complex of their own, part of it put in place by the late Shah of Iran with American help in the 60's and 70's, and partly newly designed by "bazaaris" - - home grown capitalists - - like Rafsanjani in the 1990's. That MI Complex according to sources like Jane's Defence Weekly and other very reliable publicly available data sources, shows that the complex is the most sophisticated in the ME next to Israel's. If one takes out the American component for the Israeli complex, then it is really the most sophisticated in the ME! It employs close to 100,000 scientists and engineers. Iran's economy is not on the brink of collapse, contrary to MSM propaganda. According to the World Bank as of 2002-2003,the WB being no friend of Iran, the economy is in purchaisng parity terms at about $500 billion GDP and growing at 6-9%.

The military industrial complex manufactures everything from missiles, aircraft, tanks to ships etc, either by license from Russia, China, India, North Korea, or by reverse engineering British Ceturion, German Leopard tanks etc. The Revlotionary Guard, numbering about 350,000 combat units in an elite and independent fighting force comaparable to the US Marines. It has its own airforce and navy. This is separate from another 250,000 regular army and probably another 2-4 million Bassij - - "National Guard" guerrilla fighters with a martyrdom psychology under Shiite "Die for Hussein" against Yezid( Aka America-Israel) from the country side. Iran has a population of 70 million with about 60% aged 15-35 years. All these have the most sophisticated hand held weapons for anti-armour and anti-ground air support asymmetric war anywhere in the ME, including Israel. A taste of this type of warfare was provided by the Hizbollah to the Israelis. The HB, with about 2000 active fighters, armed with sphisticated hand held weapons by Iran held in check the the entire Israeli Army of 25,000 to about 2-3 kilometers away from the Israeli border. The HB fighters were trained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard . The defence studies sources I cited above assess the Revolutionary Guard as the best trained and coordinated force other than the IDF in the ME. That was before the Lebannon war. It is evident that after the Lebannon war, they are the best trained, and best equipped force in the ME. Further their main battle doctrine is for asymmetrical war, and their main bases are in the rugged Zagroz mountains bordering Eastern Iraq, Kurdistan, Russia, - - a region that covers nearly one-third ( about 500,000 sq. km) of Iran's huge land mass of 1.6 million square kilometres, running right down the to the eastern Persian Gulf. Because of this terrain, all of the soldiers have been issued with all-terrain fast motor-bikes made in Iran for rapid movement in the valleys and tunnels dug to 200 feet undergound over a period of decades, borrowing the idea and technology to do so from the North Koreans. Further, none of this is in dissarray as was the case with Iraq under Saddam Hussein. It is prepared for precisely this sort of confrontation with he US.

At this point, the joint Israeli- American- British hegemony cannot defeat Iran either by land war or by air war. Their aircraft can bomb the Zagroz mountains to kingdom come and it would not degrade the Revolutionary Guard's capacity to retaliate by even 10%. The Israelis learned this after carpet bombing Southern Lebannon whose terrain, though hilly and rocky, looks like grassland in comparison to the Zagroz Mountains. Imagine the Rockies in America, and imagine what an air war with conventional weapons would be able to do against a huge US armed force well ensconced there. Nothing! Thus why would American military palnners belive they can seriously degrade the Iranian command and contol structure in the Zagroz even after massive conventional bombing for 2-3 months? And during that time, would a well-armed and well trained fighting force supported by secondary man power of millions stay put and do nothing in response?

Given these "facts on the ground", as it were, the US miltary has been forced to consider the use of tactical nuclear weapons under constant pressure from Israel and AIPAC. Most seniour US miltary commanders, as well as hundreds of major generals,colonels, majors, captains and lieutenants who will actualy have to command the troops in theatre and do the fighting, have voiced both moral outrage at this "nuclear option" and also said that it is unworkable. Iranians may not have nuclear weapons but they have thousands of missiles with bio-chemical warheads.

Finally, assume that an American/Isreali/British assault can pull off a miracle and take over Iran with the oilfields intact. With Iran out of the way, they can subdue Iraq and take over both countries vast oilfields. Then fossil fuel supplies to the Western world be guarnteed for up to 30-40 years. But the West would hold both China and Russia "over a barrel", so to speak, because while supplying the West with oil at $20 per barrel, they would demand that China pay $200 a barrel. Secondly, they can tell the Russins, take their energy resources and shove it, which would collapse the Russian economy and force it to be vassal state of the West. So during the so called nuclear bombing campaign by crazy Bushco/AIPAC-Israel, do you think Russia/China have not through this nightmare possibilty, however remote, and planned to decrease the odds of that happening by active or covert intervention on the Iranian side?

Finally, a massive military assault using nuclear weapons on a Muslim country led by Israel is the surest way to get the 1.2 billion strong Muslim World on 50 countries with most of the oil resources of the world to close ranks, not by their leaders, but by the millions of people pouring out into the streets. Pakistan's Musharraf would be toppled almost overnight if he does not put his nuclear arsenal at the disposal of the Iranians.

At this point all bets are off since what the crazy neo-con American and Likud war mongering crazies had planned would have spiralled out of control and strategic nuclear weapons - - the city destroying thermo nuclear ones - - would come into use. That would put all the oil fields to flame, belching out millions of tons of toxic gases into the envronment in addition to the dust clouds from the nuclear explosions. Without the oil fires, it would take only 100 such thermo- nuclear explosions, according to Helen Caldicott's group and the Society of the American Atomic Scientists, to produce NUCLEAR WINTER - - by which all life on Earth would be wiped out.

As I wrote in a an earlier post in response to the "New Atheists" - - many of whom are actively engaged in the neo-con craziness - - America has only 10 more years to get its act toghether, have humane risk sharing arrangements that are win-win for all with the rest of Humanity, and confront global climate chnage rather than wasting money on nuclear wars with Islam based on Islamophobia of AIPAC/Lieberman/Likud/ Christian Evangelical crazies.

It is up to the righteous and humane peoples of America to take much more vigorous action and stop this madness. You have only till 2016 before the blowback from Nature will destroy your beautiful and potentially Earth saving country.

AYMON

Aymon: Thank you for the politically savvy analysis of the geographical chess game that the Middle East (and its revered oil) constitutes. I almost took the liberty of cutting and pasting that portion of your informed dialog on the "New Atheists" commentary to add here; glad that you just did so (and time wise, we're right in synch!)
On the power of agreement; Years ago when I taught school I noted that at those awful after hours teachers' meetings, individuals would quibble about things as irrelevant as what juice to serve at the parent-teacher events! Time was wasted in such "debate." Years later when I was introduced to The Course in Miracles and it said that "wherever two or more agree and ask in my (Holy Spirit: of any and all religions) name, there shall I be." I realized that human egos are such that the very act of agreement is so rare that it's little wonder GREAT spiritual forces will and do assist us once we simply come into alignment. There is a great power to this, and perhaps everyone on commondreams should agree to a small ritual of common prayer. We pick a time and every day for a month we all VISUALIZE peace at that same time, wherever we are... we HOLD that vision together. The idea is not to premeditate (logic) HOW it will come about... just see it. You could visualize BUSH shaking hands with Arab leaders, or whatever constitutes an IMAGE of peace. Those who teach the power of visualization state that it works more effectively when what you envision gives rise to equivalent emotions. (I know this seems like a mind game, or pretending, but it's better than just emphasizing the negative, and Goddess knows, there's more than enough of that right now!) So as we VISUALIZE the image of peace, try to FEEL the JOY as if the world put down its arms (weapons), as if the points raised in this article around global warming and the focus on burning the planet via weaponry was overcome, because no one can win in such a scenario... and we presume (of course those who think the ascension is about to beam them up may fantasize a different outcome) they, too, want to live, and bequeath assets--inclusive of a right to a planet that can sustain life--to their children. Who wants to pick the time? And since summer solstice, is the day of the MOST LIGHT, I say we should begin this PEACE vigil on June 22. Ideas?

You people don't understand the brilliance of the Bush strategy. First we ramp up the temperature with our mindless production of greenhouse gases. Then we start a war that results in a nuclear winter that ramps down the temperature. So it all evens out and everyone who survives is happy. And the elites are the ones who can afford to buy survival "kits." Who ever said that our Beloved Leader didn't know what he was doing?!

Saw a great special on TV the other night. The "end game" is that the deep ocean currents shut down, and the entire ocean goes stagnant - literally. Anoxic down past a certain depth. The oceans absorb atmospheric CO2 and become acidic. The fish die, everyone starves, and phytoplankton breed in the upper layers where there is light and plentiful CO2. When they die, they sink into the depths, each taking their little packet of carbon with them, and are preserved in the anoxic depths. In a few million years, the layers of these critters will become - guess what - oil. When enough carbon has been absorbed, the poles refreeze and restart the deep ocean currents.

Humanity? Well, I imagine that the poor people die, and the rich people work out how to farm algae and live on solar power.

"there religion of death is just as dangerous as any Islamo-fascist's"

that's right canuckchuck. that's one of the biggest problem...these people and their followers think the world is gonna melt away and a "new earth" come. religious lunatics.

Siouxrose:

What a graet idea about world wide prayer and peace visualization on the Summer Soltice on June 21/22. I think a lot of people have forgotten that there is a Higher Power. I wish they stopped listening to the MSM media on this and the Western Science Establishment's pooh poohing such a belief as a psychological disorder, and believe that there is Light, non-anthropomorhic, an Energy which is the source of all energies and thus indivisble and incomprehensible, to whom belongs the whole Universe which IT is fully capable of looking after.

The Light never will never allow a mad, puny human, military power to all destroy life on Earth, and the sae goes for more mightier evil throughout the Universe. Expect things to start going haywire as soon as any plan by Bush and his crazies is put in motion to destroy life on Earth. The World- wide prayer and meditation will speed up the colapse of the Bush/Chenney/AIPAC axis of evil.

O People, seek help from the Light for peace in the World and you shall receive Grace.

Compassion, Justice, Truth, Knowledge = Peace and Light
RAH-MA'AT

Aymon

Aymon: I am impressed with the generosity of your would-be donation to the Sheehan center. I'd call it the Casey Sheehan center for Peace Initiatives, and it probably should make use of that Crawford property, thus maintaining a vigil in Bush territory (if he doesn't high tail to Dubai after 2008). (Gee, Aymon, you and I singing our tributes to light are fast becoming the commondreams spiritual equivalents of... Steve and Edie... my guides get a little wacky late night, plus I am OD'ing on the same Miles Davis, C.D. but I much appreciate YOU and the community of intelligentsia natives found in this virtual domain of worthy dreams!

Siouxrose;

It has been intended that those have Light lead those who are in the "Valley of the shadow of death" to the Elysian fields of the Light where they will gather strength to confront the heinous evil that abounds in the land of Bushco. Many, many of the righteous shall rally to the Light in the days and months to come. That is also intended

RAH-MAAT

Aymon

GLOBAL WARMING DIVERSION.
After six years of stonewalling & deception to impede global warming mitigation, Bush now throws a bone to appease the world community with comparable meaningless rhetoric. The dangerous manipulation of essential scientific data used by his team to conceal and derail corrective measures for this threat and other vital environmental reforms has always been apparent--and the ambiguaty of his recent statements show that their motives have not changed.

Contrary to their assertions, measures to reduce greenhouse gases could only improve our economy by lessening our trade deficits, and improving our security by reducing our dependance on foreign oil. We could also regain some of our lost world respect that has resulted from our opposition Kyoto while arrogantly contributing disproportionally to carbon pollution.

Evidence linking carbon pollution to warming has been as close to certain as science can be for many years. Its causes, consequences, and mitigation requirements have been documented by many dedicated environmental organizations including The Union of Concerned Scientists.

Often overlooked is the fact that the same measures needed to mitigate global warming would be necessary even if it were not an issue. Conservation, alternative energy development, anti- pollution refinements, etc are essential for other vital environmental reforms such as air and water quality, reductions in toxic waste generation, land preservation, etc.

The environmental and social damages from our indifference to carbon pollution and related environmental measures is already beyond measure. They can only worsen if we allow this reckless unlearned president-and his team- to continue their horrific war against our environment.

rhsettgast@hotmail.com

oNE THINg -- that people can take from the dystopian visions of science fiction and futurist fantasy -- there is "something" on the other side of all this ---

I particularly recall the character played by Michael Caine in the recent film "Children of Men" -- he had made a decision to maintain a loving and peaceful life in the face of circumstances which would deservedly cause anyone massive bitterness --- his consciousness had risen to a level where he could embrace life in spite of all the pure hell going on in the world ---

I personally can't fix these massive problems, but one small solution is to choose the approach -- and at least find a way to let the social aspects of one's life be supportive of life and community -- peace and mutual understanding

the material coming through in the press about Bush supporters in Albania would be hilarious except for its comment on exactly how insane the world is, its leaders, the press covering it, the corporates managing it, and so on ---

it may very well be the case that the world will simply enter into a period of chaos and collapse within a relatively short period of time -- the alternative is that there might be some medium amount of suffering that causes nations to rally and pursue a truer course towards a healed planet --- but at a gut level, it seems very dishonest to think that's likely or even possible ---- it seems more likely that with the habits of humanity being what they are, and other circumstances being what they are, we will suffer and endure unexpected loss and hardship

Siouxrose:

Always enjoy your postings.Had a similar idea for collective imagining a while ago.Wouldn't a specific time of day be most effective? I feel that an attack on Iran is immenent-the quicker the start the better.
On the humorous side-imagine Bush no longer being able to smirk-Cheney unable to sneer-and Rove-after intensive dance lessons from Chakira unable to perform demented jumping jacks presented as dancing.And as added bonus-Kissinger admits his accent has been phony all these years-he was raised in Alabama y'all.

This is a very good question. People like George Bush, Blair, Musharraf etc. Are they really capable of saving anybody at all?

Mankind making "it out of the next few centuries"? My long horizon would be 2050.

Would that the "raptured" would only include the lice at the heads of our governments and corporations; leaving the rest of us to help heal our world.

First of all kudos to effective opponents of Bush who did not yield to his bullying:

Kim Jong IL who got his nuke and is still a functioning dictator.

The Iraqi Insurgents who have thwarted, so far, Bushs' plan to plunder Iraq.

Do not speak of the the ineffectual attempts of Congress to stop Bush madness, or cite the total irrelevance of the US electorate to effect change.

Corporations are not concerned about global warming because corporations do not breathe the air, require fresh water, or eat food. Corporations subsist on the circulation of money. Money is not temperature sensitive.

a question, naive as it might sound - what sort of control does the voter have in how his/her tax dollars are spent? As the US goes further into debt at approximately 1.3 billion US$ a day (according to some sorces) milliions are shelled out to Israel every week. Stop funding them and they will have to sit down and work for peace > a greater peace across the middle east > this would limit the effectiveness of state sponsored terrorism in the area and hopefully bring about its end > encourage Iran and US to sit down and talk > dispense with the need for a missle defense grid > allow the Russians to relax over their cold war retoric. And the dollars saved? You could build windmills right across the mid-west.
Dumb, I know. But there is an election soon, right?

roadkill: the money goes right into the pockets of rich CEOs. Do you ever see those nice, luxurious corporate jets in which they travel? Do you think they would ever allow you to ride in those corporate jets obtained with YOUR money? Who gives a $%^& about the next election. Nothing will change, and your tax dollars will be spent so the CEO of Halliburton can comfortably cruise at FL370, read the Wall Street Journal, and sip on Crystale Champagne. It is the lesson of history: rich people win and poor people get shafted while the middle class disappears.

dubs-dingleberry: On a personal level it's always about BE the light you wish to see in the world.
Ayman: Indeed the Light in me salutes the Light in you.
Klever: Thank you for the compliment, always appreciating by this heretic who's writing has been officially shunned by most US media the past 10 years.
Robert Settgast: Excellent pragmatic points that dispense the false notion that doing the right thing cannot be profitable.

The great imagining: SEEING peace: sunrise in America and sunset in Asia? Can we get this into a worldwide thing? I'd love to see people in nations whose leadership supports this war insanity just STOP what they are doing. Everyone just stop... a sudden strike that has no "announcement," so "authority" figures aren't ready with billy clubs and tear gas... it just happens, almost organically, a massive WE SAY NO TO WAR type thing. But barring this vision, the idea of us all aligning... I know for a fact the BUDDHISTS do this at 5-6 AM their time (Nepal), and certainly there are groups of devout souls in America in retreats and such that practice peace and meditate together at sunrise and sunset (or very late at night). Imagine the waves if it was done like a musical symphony, where each time zone "intones" its peace vision and/or articulated mantras "that give thanks for the outcome." This is defined--by Gregg Braden, and taught by Christ, as the 5th sacred art of prayer: BELIEVE that what you ask for in Spirit IS being delivered and SEE it as done. So, commondreamers, are we ready to USE our minds as a chorus to SEE the matter fulfilled? PUT our light towards this objective, at the least to raise more "butterfly wings flapping," and escalate the power of LIGHT to grant changes in our world? JUNE 22 is SOLSTICE, it IS the day of greatest light in the northern hemisphere. Since many work, I think we can perhaps agree on a collective sunset ritual? Light a candle, burn incense, KNOW that hopefully hundreds or thousands are doing likewise, build a grid, like an invisible spider web composed of collective cognitive strands of LIGHT power... and SEE peace.

Note the UN has a structure in place concerning "blending" religiosity and "good" politics. See the UN Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, www.tripartiteintefaithfourm.org, founded by many Muslim states, icluding Iran, and to date sadly excluding the US and Israel. Russia will lead the next formal meetings, and Putin comes to Kennebunkport, Maine July 1 and 2, 2007. I wrote all parties to this conference to consider submitting GW's new European missile shield to the Tripartite for debate and resolution - hopefully its scrapping, based on a sane return to disarmament policy.

Following Aymon's sage advice and sentiment, this rather new UN movement for relgious value and politics consensus offers at least one avenue for good and moral people to work in the 10 year window discussed. I do not think we have that long, given Joe Lieberman's sbare rattling, but we should study and advocate accordingly.