Major Todd E. Pierce, a former JAG defense attorney at Guantanamo, discusses the history of martial law (or rather, rule by military decree) in the US; why the First Amendment no longer guarantees citizen oversight of government; and why the war on terror and Civil War-era precedents don't justify the presidential powers dreamed up by Bush and Cheney's legal counsel.

Andrew Cockburn, author of Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy, discusses his article on "The ferocity and failure of America's sanctions apparatus;" why US sanctions against Germany continued even after WWII was over; the decimation of Iraq's economy due to 20 years of sanctions; how US domination of the world's financial system prevents Iran from trading with other countries; and LBJ's elephant-squashing-mosquito style of US foreign policy.

Former Congressman Ron Paul discusses his video interviews on the Ron Paul Channel; why the US has no business telling Egyptians what to do with their own country; lessening the terrorism threat with non-interventionist foreign policy; how Obama's "red line" on Syria bypasses Congress's duty to declare war; the incentive for Syrian rebels to conduct false flag chemical weapons attacks; and the selective prosecution of whistleblowers and war criminals.

Independent journalist Alexa O'Brien discusses her post-sentencing interview with Bradley Manning's attorney David Coombs; the government's failure to prove damage to national security from Manning's leaks; the role of the FBI and State Department in his investigation and prosecution; the fertile grounds for appeal; and how Adrian Lamo worked with the feds to set Manning up.

Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist and historian, discusses his article taking issue with ProPublica journalist Sebastian Rotella's report on the alleged 2008 Iranian bomb plot against the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan; Gareth's upcoming book on the web of lies about Iran's nuclear program; and why the US government had no problem seeing the economic case for nuclear power in Iran during the Shah's reign.

Col. Morris Davis, former Guantanamo chief prosecutor, discusses his resignation after "torture memo" author Jim Haynes took over command; how much time Bradley Manning is likely to serve of his 35 year sentence; the chilling effect on potential government whistleblowers; and why the war on terror is really a war on information.

Sheldon Richman, vice president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his article "The Phony Trade-off Between Privacy and Security;" how the ruling class maintains the acquiescence of the masses; and the money creation scam run out of the Federal Reserve since 1914.

Eric Margolis, journalist and author of American Raj, discusses the Obama administration's refusal to call Egypt's military coup by name; the imminent return of Hosni Mubarak; how American military aid to Egypt violates the law; and why Saudi Arabia's monarchy hates and fears the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic governance style.

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses the detention of Glenn Greenwald's partner at Heathrow airport for "terrorism" concerns; the highly selective prosecution of government leaks; the Obama administration's juvenile handling of Edward Snowden's asylum journey; Greenwald's bold proclamation that he will return to the US and fight for his Constitutional rights; and why the founder of now-defunct Lavabit email may face prosecution.

IPS News journalist Adam Morrow discusses how the Egyptian media is silencing pro-Morsi protests; parsing through faked videos to find the real atrocities; the US government's preference for a cooperative Egyptian dictator instead of unreliable democratically elected leaders; and how the former Mubarak regime has worked to undermine Morsi since day one.

Nathan Fuller of the Bradley Manning Support Network discusses why Manning threw himself on the mercy of the military court; how the judge rewrote the prosecution's charge sheet after the trial was concluded; and the time Manning faces in jail after good behavior reductions are figured.