My take on things are essentially optimistic. In the short run there will be a two state solution, something that should have happened long ago under the November 1947 UN Partition Plan. There will still be some really tricky sore points -- Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, the division or nondivision of Jerusalem, and the nasty and violent rejectionists -- but by and large a two state solution will work. Don't expect the Israelis and the Palestinians to be buddy-buddies, but don't be too surprised if you start to see cooperation, especially economic cooperation, between the two peoples if it is to their mutual benefit.

In the long run the recent turn towards religion throughout the world will ebb, provided we see the spread economic development, universal education, and democratic instiutions. When that happens all this now-deadly nonesense about Jew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, etc., will something to laugh about as we share and enjoy the holidays and customs of each others' ancestors and of our own.

Otherwise we are f---ed big time! And by "we" I do mean all of us.