Syrian peace talks begin with accusations, deep divisions

Syrian peace talks begin with accusations, deep divisions

On Wednesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem rejected calls from the Syrian opposition and Secretary of State John Kerry for a transitional government.

We will hear two perspectives:

Nick Schifrin @NickSchifrin 
Al Jazeera America correspondent, reporting from Montreux, Switzerland.

Amb. Ryan Crocker
Former U.S. ambassador to Syria under President Bill Clinton, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq under President George W. Bush, and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan under President Barack Obama. Dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

Read more about the Geneva II peace talks, via Al Jazeera America.

The US may be the greatest military power in the world, but has it forgotten how to "win" its conflicts?

Guest:

Andrew Bacevich
Professor of international relations and history at Boston University

Read Bacevich's article, via The Los Angeles Times.

Should rap lyrics be used as evidence in a criminal trial?

Guest:

Erik Nielson @ErikNielson 
Assistant professor of liberal arts at the University of Richmond. He also served as an expert witness on rap lyrics in a recent California case.

Read an op-ed co-written by Nielson, via The New York Times.  

America's decline has been a political talking point for years, but do we have it all wrong?

Guest:

Charles Kenny @charlesjkenny 
Senior fellow at the Center for Global Development.

Read an article adapted from Kenny's book, "The Upside of Down: Why the Rise of the Rest is Great for the West," via Politico.

Why has Richard Sherman's post game speech caused so much outrage?

The Seattle Seahawks cornerback faced criticism for his postgame interview with FOX Sports' Erin Andrews after he clinched victory for his team in Sunday's NFC championship game.

Guest:

Dave Zirin @EdgeOfSports 
Sports editor for The Nation, host of Edge of Sports Radio.

Read Sherman's defense of his post-game interview, via Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback site, and Zirin's take on the interview, via The Nation.

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