Will Iraq, Afghanistan be able to stabilize without US involvement?

Will Iraq, Afghanistan be able to stabilize without US involvement?

Guest:

Amb. Kurt Volker @kvolker 
Former U.S. ambassador to NATO and executive director of The McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University.

Read more about the U.S. reportedly sending military aid to Iraq and the unclear deadline for a deal to keep American troops in Afghanistan, via The New York Times. 

Egyptian government labels the Muslim Brotherhood a "terrorist organization"

Guest:
Jim Walsh @DrJimWalshMIT 
International security expert and research associate at MIT's Security Studies Program.

Read more about Egyptian authorities' crackdown on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, via Reuters.  

What impact has Edward Snowden had on the NSA and surveillance? 

Guest:

Thomas Drake @Thomas_Drake1  
A former National Security Agency official, who was prosecuted under the Espionage Act in 2010 for allegedly leaking information about the NSA's Trailblazer surveillance project. Drake later accepted a misdemeanor plea. 

Read more about Snowden's latest video statement released on Christmas, via The New York Times. 

Should there be plus-sized Barbie dolls?

A "plus-size" modeling agency has sparked a debate by asking this question and posting a picture of an overweight Barbie doll on Facebook.

Guest:

Tricia Campbell @triciaglam
Plus-size model.

Why are British TV shows like "Sherlock," "Downtown Abbey" popular among American viewers?

Guest: 

Bill Wyman @hitsville
Al Jazeera America culture critic, former arts editor at NPR. 

Wyman will also discuss 19-year-old pop star Justin Bieber announcing his "retirement" and the larger trend of child stars' transitions into adulthood. Read more about Bieber's announcement, via USA Today. 

Note: Tonight our guest host is Adam May, correspondent for Al Jazeera America. Antonio Mora will return on Dec. 31.

Tune in to Consider This at 10pm ET/7pm PT on Al Jazeera America. Join the conversation during the show by following our social accounts: @AJConsiderThis, @HermelaTV, and @AMoraTV.