Compared with Cacioppo's evolutionary biological explanation, Thomas Dumm should not be mentioned in the same article.

The only way to get rid of loneliness is to avert your gaze from your own naval. The individualistic society has created a bunch of narcissistic, whiny and spoiled twits.

Stop whining about your neighbors and friends and families for not putting you on a pedastal and agreeing with your every word and sentiment. A tiny emotional scratch on your fragile psyche, like being given a bottle of sparkling wine instead of champagne, would have ya crying "they don't love me" and stop talking "them".

Toughen up and go live in the real world, people. Bake a pie (or buy one) and give it to your neighhor or bring it to work to share. Chat with a stranger in the elevator about the weather. Give, not take.

LOL it is no surprise that salon.com is filled with self-absorbed crybabies.

Accept and tolerate that everyone else does not think or believe exactly the same thing as you do and has no obligation to entertain and flatter you and make you feel good about yourself all the time. Interpersonal relationships require give and take, and tolerance of certain things you disagree with while still listening to the others' thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

Lost your urge for instant gratification. Don't automatically dump someone from any contact just because he or she seems boring, not very smart, uninteresting, threatening your ego, religious, conservative, or even racist.

Don't expect every relationship to be soul-shaking and earth-shattering and all-consuming and life-altering. Take the small and easy ones, too -- like a "hi" with the supermarket cashier, a smile with the mailman at work, a box of donuts for your coworkers, including the ones you secretly despise.

Generosity and tolerance have really been missing in this society, often among people who think they are oh-so-smart and educated and enlightened. The at-each-other's-throat political and media environment in the past 15 years has driven a lot of people to hate other people and feel righteous about themselves.

Most important, GET OVER YOURSELVES.

"I mean, the first African American president is using the same bible as the guy who liberated slaves here in the US."

The irony is that he is not a descendent of slaves.

... didn't I?

... in campaign contributions and direct/indirect business relationships.

Duh.

Any commentator who skirts the money issue is being willfully blind.

... than US army killing Iraqis (and Vietnamese, Native Americans, African slaves, etc.) since they are at least invading a bordering neighbor. I don't see what moral high ground Americans are standing on to criticize Israel as long as US is occupying Iraq. Even those who claim "I never supported the Iraqi war" contributed to GWB's war with their tax dollars.

If you have read the book "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy", you would know that the Iraqi war and the current Gaza war are sponsored and run by essentially the same people, funded by the same pool of money. This is a prolonged religious and tribal battle that will probably last through our lifetime.

Although I don't know of any official polls done on public approval of Bush administration's policies on torture and wiretapping, it is pretty clear that politicians' tolerance to these acts is merely a reflection of the people's will. I am willing to bet that the majority, though not all, of Americans probably believe that torture and inhuamne treatment of foreigners are justified and necessary. "Better them and us." It would not be unreasonable to suggest that most American people support the notion that American soliders should not be subject to the same international laws that should be applied to other countries.

Like the "American Lion" Andrew Jackson, who owned slaves, protected slavery, sent Native Americans onto the trail of tears, politicians represent the will of their constituents. In matters that are unpleasant and wrong as well as good and right, democracy reflects the people's collective intentions, or the tyranny of the majority, however you like to put it.

They know who sign their paycheck and compaign contribution checks. Money and power go hand in hand.

I find it disturbing that people place all their naive hopes for re-shaping all national policies, from foreign to domestic, on one man. Has the last 8 years effectively demolished any expectation of accountability and responsibility for the other 2 branchs? Shouldn't everyone's own Congressperson and Senator be similarly pressured?

It also seems pretty weird to compare liberal pressures on Obama and the Israeli lobby on Congress. Nevertheless, the near-unanimous pro-Israel chorus in Congress really demonstrates who is really running the show, and how thoroughly, in this country. So observers may want to reconsider the where the real, not apparent, power resides.

... but loudness and moral high ground have nothing on $$$ put in politicians' pockets. Haven't the past 8 years more than demonstrated the feeble effects of "criticisms, political pressure"?