pisc: You make a good point, but I did like the end-of-year wrap up just this once. I found it to be a good review of stories that I don't pay enough attention to.

This was a really good diavlog. I appreciate coverage of stories that don't get enough coverage and I appreciated the summing up of the year in UN discussions. Every time I watch Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Lee I have the same reactions. Matthew Lee -- awesome!!! Mr. Goldberg, I like you, but you're always hurrying up Mr. Lee from talking about stuff I'd like to hear about (of course this particular diavlog was two minute drill fast talking from both contributors). I know Mr. Lee is great at playing the muckraker journalist role and I really admire that and I guess Mr. Goldberg plays the defend the mainstream elite opinion role and I guess, well, that's his role but it seems to me that Mr. Lee is often trying to have more back and forth with Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Goldberg rarely bites on it. I think substantive debate between people advocating different viewpoints is a great way to shine light on issues and I'd just like a little more of that. Although maybe that is why I always look forward to the Goldberg -- Lee matchups they always leave you wanting more.

I did want to comment separately on the Somalia situation which was referenced in this diavlog. As mentioned in the diavlog, a UN representative has said that the humanitarian disaster in Somalia is currently the worst in Africa, even worse than that of Darfur. And this is a country that was pushed into this current situation by a foreign invasion which the U.S. backed and which the U.S. was actually bombing during the fighting. Yet no one could care less, because, as Mr. Lee, points out at least the Islamic Courts were run out of power. So, the basic world opinion is we'd rather have you dead or starving than ruled by Islamists. And the issue is not even covered at all in the media, let alone any kind of criticism of the U.S. policy being uttered in the political process.

Abu Noor:

So, the basic world opinion is we'd rather have you dead or starving than ruled by Islamists.

There's a lot of truth to that, I think. It reminds me of a similar attitude when Communism was the bugbear.

Is Mark Goldberg on drugs? I'm not trying to be funny, but why can't he shut up when the other guy is talking. Why is he always saying "Yeah...yeah...yeah... yeah... yeah...yeah...yeah...yeah... yes... um-hum...? What's the purpose of that? To annoy listeners? Then when he's not doing that, he's cutting the other guy off, talking over him, or not responding to his questions. ricland