Well spoken, Erin.
Looks like we have a World Affairs section now, and I'm grateful for it. I think this community is ready for this type of discussion. While certainly a varied bunch, I agree with Steve that this forum has "a unique atmosphere of curiosity, friendliness, honesty, and hope." This is really a personal development forum for smart people.
We're ready for this, and I think the participants of this new section are going to benefit greatly.
It's only missing one thing: it needs a caption that says "forum section at the end of the universe!"