Jim Lobe, chief of the Washington bureau of Inter Press Service, discusses the neoconservative ideology and its prominent practitioners; the opposition to US-Iran detente; and Obama's weak-kneed consensus-building approach to bitter policy disputes.

Jason Leopold, a writer for Al Jazeera, discusses the human rights groups criticizing Obama's failure to close Guantanamo prison; the just-released documents on prisoner genital searches that the DOJ claimed could help Al Qaeda attack Guantanamo; and the media's failure to cover the still-ongoing hunger strike.

Jeffrey Phillips, director for ADAM VS THE MAN, discusses why libertarian activist Adam Kokesh is still in jail and how you can help support his legal defense.  

Michael Swanson is the author of The War State: The Cold War Origins Of The Military-Industrial Complex And The Power Elite, 1945-1963. This is the first interview in a series of in-depth discussions about the book.

Eric Margolis, journalist and author of American Raj, discusses Iran's unwelcome peace offerings; John Kerry and Hillary Clinton's political maneuvering ahead of the 2016 election; the Syria debacle that has embarrassed Obama and boosted Putin's international standing; and Israel's likely involvement in the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist.

Kelley B. Vlahos, a regular Antiwar.com columnist and contributing editor at The American Conservative, discusses the media's lousy coverage of the D.C. car chase/shooting; the militarization of trigger happy law enforcement officers; and the link between the military's prescription drug addiction and the record number of soldiers committing suicide.

Michael Boldin, founder and executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center, discusses the states' rights approach to fighting NSA spying on Americans; the unlikely coalition that pushed through the NDAA-defying California Liberty Preservation Act (AB-351); and using anti-commandeering court precedents to withhold water and power from NSA data centers in Utah and Texas.

Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist and historian, discusses the Obama administration's duplicitous and reactionary Iran policy; why even Netanyahu's biggest fans are getting tired of his inflammatory rhetoric; and the great opportunity for US-Iran reconciliation while Rouhani is president.

Jacob Hornberger, the founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses the 40th anniversary of the Chilean military coup; the US military and CIA's role in the coup and execution of two US citizens; why Congress has never bothered to hold hearings; the conservatives who still admire Pinochet and the torture of civilians in the war on communism; and a couple books on his recommended reading list: Michael Swanson's The War State and Stephen Kinzer's The Brothers.

Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council, discusses Israel's absolute opposition to any US deal with Iran; how Benjamin Netanyahu's rhetoric has limited his diplomatic options; and the apparent removal of Obama's "red line" on intervention in Syria.

Ann Jones, author of They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America's Wars, discusses the ongoing yet already-forgotten war in Afghanistan; a history of US intervention in Afghanistan since the 1950s; repeating the mistakes of Soviet occupation; and the factions jockeying for power in anticipation of President Hamid Karzai's departure from office.

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses the New York Times article verifying the claims of NSA whistleblower William Binney; how the NSA achieved Total Information Awareness through multi-sourced metadata; the tightly-woven webs of information that get ordinary Americans caught up in foreign intelligence investigations; why the NSA can't or won't tell Senator Ron Wyden how many Americans have been spied on; and the good and bad aspects of Obamacare.

Alan Butler, host of the talk radio show Butler on Business, discusses the debt ceiling debate circus in Congress; the cruelty of the inflation tax; why the real unemployment rate isn't represented by official BLS numbers; evidence that the economy continues to get worse despite talk of recovery; and why GDP isn't a good measure of a nation's economic health.

M.J. Rosenberg, Special Correspondent for The Washington Spectator, discusses AIPAC's attempt to stop Obama from making a deal with Iran; the Democratic Party's heavy reliance on pro-Israel contributors; Israel's tone-deaf public relations strategies; why Republicans are too distracted to thwart an Iran deal; and the recently revealed evidence that Nixon and Kissinger aided genocide in Pakistan/Bangladesh.

Nima Shirazi, a contributing writer for Mondoweiss, discusses the surprisingly rapid progress toward a US-Iran deal; why the US must recognize Iran's inalienable right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy; Obama's precedent-setting phone call to Rouhani - the first direct presidential contact since 1979; and why US airstrikes on Syria appear to be off the table.