Liberalism in the U.S. is already dead for all intents and purposes, but not everyone has recognized it, or acted upon it. Nevertheless, the first steps in achieving political independence – which amounts to breaking completely with the Democratic Party – have begun.

These memories were stirred by a splendidly provocative piece by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett on Iran. Leveretts came to prominence by attacking the Bush administration for bungling relations, early on, with Tehran, alleging that its ideological preconceptions blinded it to the chance to treat with it.

The United States is attempting to run a quasi-empire on the cheap. How we do the paying is less important than what we are paying for. Much of today’s “defense” spending has nothing to do with defending America. Washington should bring our foreign ends into conformity with our domestic means.

A series of US media reports suggest that new US-backed military attacks inside Yemen are imminent. Citing “two senior US officials,” CNN reported: “The US and Yemen are now looking at fresh targets for a potential retaliation strike.”

The issue of the day is clear: somebody must be made to pay for the economic crisis. The corporate-elite is planning to push this burden on to the working class. The working class must push back. Unions and community organizations should begin organizing.

A British arrest warrant, issued over the weekend in London for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, shows precisely why. The warrant charged Ms. Livni—the current leader of opposition—with war crimes allegedly committed by Israeli forces during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip last winter.

Is Afghan President Hamid Karzai another Babrak Karmal, who was the Soviet Union’s initial preference as Afghanistan’s leader but who was unable to build a self-supporting regime that permitted his foreign benefactors to go home?

The British-Danish position seems driven by a desire to embrace and reward the announcements by the Obama administration and Beijing with a view to encouraging each to take further action and helping each to demonstrate domestically that others are taking major steps.

With Montenegro’s entry into NATO, relations between Serbia and Montenegro are not expected to worsen. Montenegrins think of themselves as “original Serbs”, so ethnic relations are good, if somewhat tense due to the 2006 separation.

Obama will have to recognize that he is dealing with a confiden Turkey. Erdogan will probably not grant the White House much more cooperation in dealing with Iran. And Obama should not shy away from disagreeing with Erdogan on other Middle Eastern questions, or freedom of the press in Turkey.