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.

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.

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.

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.