To be frank, with recent tectonic shifts of the political and social terrain in the Middle East, Israel can’t afford another ground war and occupation of Gaza. The Israeli position now is not as secure as it once was four years ago. The Middle East of 2008 is not the Middle East of 2012, and the Hamas of 2008 is not the Hamas of 2012.

The fact is, regardless of how many statistics Obama and Romney drop about their economic or health care policies, neither the average voter nor the incredibly exceptional American voter is going to understand them. What we can understand is how our Commander-in-Chief plans to navigate the world's increasingly treacherous diplomatic waters and what his priorities are.

Only progress on the basis of strength can weather the severe geopolitical and socioeconomic pressures that Iran faces. The only reasonable policy reformulations are those that ensure an internally strong state able to coordinate and direct the instruments of foreign and domestic policy at the level of state bureaucracies, especially in the realm of security.

Christian identity ­– religiosity in its thin form – forms a crucial aspect of the European right wing that will not disappear with the resolution of immigration difficulties and instead continue to motivate the movement and inform its political orientations. But this thin Christianity also does not translate directly into policy.

Journalist Phil Ball describes the bi-annual meeting of Real Madrid and Barcelona as "a re-enactment of the Spanish Civil War." For at least the past two decades, the game, known as "El Clásico," has been the single most important event on the Spanish sporting calendar.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been accused of many things throughout her political career. Yet until her visit to Egypt this past July, being a “Secret Islamist” was not one of them. Pulling up to the Four Seasons in Cairo, however, Clinton encountered a number of surprising allegations.

Of all the amendments that need to be made to foreign policy, expunging the harmful myth of non-alignment from the vocabulary of Indian diplomacy should be the starting point for today’s visionaries. Such ambitions cannot be achieved without a more astute policy toward the world’s most powerful nation.

As the diverse background of the panelists suggests, the issue of sovereignty, borders, and rights to resources in the South China Sea is contentious and has many different sides.

President Obama must really wish that foreign voters were included in the Electoral College. After all, numerous polls demonstrate the wide preference gap he holds over Romney amongst foreigners.

The impassioned manner in which Zizek debates reminds us that this is what politics is supposed to be: real debate, real radicalism, and real ideas.

It is certainly not very far-fetched to foresee the rise of a far right party in Germany today taking advantage of the skepticism surrounding the euro that is prevalent in Germany today. Anyone with a sense of history should realize this. Thus, this is a time for greater European solidarity. Instead of isolating and incessantly criticizing Germany, we must cooperate with it before it is too late.