Peter Ludlow, a professor of philosophy at Northwestern University, discusses his New York Times opinion piece "Fifty States of Fear;" the interminable and wasteful war on terror; why Americans still aren't rebelling against their increasingly totalitarian police state; and what American exceptionalism looks like when applied to foreign policy.

Nick Giambruno, senior editor at International Man, discusses his firsthand account of the 2006 Israeli attack on Beirut; how the Syrian conflict is impacting Lebanon now; the petrodollar's history; and US hostility towards Iraq and Iran experimenting with oil sales not denominated in dollars.

Hillary Mann Leverett, professor of US foreign policy at American University, discusses Obama's apparent victory against additional Senate-imposed Iran sanctions; the rare instances when the national interest trumps powerful foreign lobbies; how Israel and Saudi Arabia would benefit from US-Iran rapprochement (despite their kicking and screaming); and how the US could help broker peace in Syria without picking sides in the conflict.

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses Obama's predictably disappointing speech on NSA reforms; the "pixie dust" Presidential Policy Directive; the Third-Party Doctrine's attack on privacy; and how the NSA's offensive cyber warfare degrades internet security for everyone.

McClatchy journalist Mitchell Prothero discusses the Sunni-Shiite violence spilling over from Syria to Lebanon; disputes between fundamentalist Sunni rebel groups in Syria; and changing US foreign policy after 10 disastrous years in the Middle East.

Doug Casey, a best-selling financial author and international investor, discusses the poor return on investment from US military and "security" spending; the problem with savings denominated in dollars; and the multifaceted catastrophe of full-blown currency collapse.