The Current Discussion: Protests over the Olympic torch relay have led to a crackdown in Tibet. Is Tibetan independence a lost cause? If not, what should its supporters do to win it?

Tibet's plight is not just about the sadness and loss of country that Tibetans feel - it is a constant reminder of the lack of a moral stance that countries have on this issue. World riots over the Olympic torch merely highlight the world's enthusiasm for showing they do not agree with the Chinese government. This is a message that is not getting to the governments, which continue to behave as if there is no problem with Tibet. There is no second thoughts about the fact that Tibet was invaded by the Chinese, albeit decades ago. There seems to be a suggestion that since the takeover of Tibet happened so long ago, it might as well be considered a lost cause.

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Food riots are not only the language of the unheard but today also the language of the hungry. It is not only that human footprint has far outgrown the resource footprint needed to sustain it, but more importantly that the resource footprint of sustainable food supplies has shrunk. In the case of Africa, alone it is estimated that by 2025 the continent’s available food resources will sustain only 25% of the population. More than 40% degradation of arable land has taken place over the past few decades, during which a combination of droughts, soil contamination and mismanagement has led to a structural crisis separate from the food crisis. Lately, some people are suggesting that alternate bio-fuel production is also competing for grains as a source of supply in the age of rocketing oil prices. Together, all these factors pushed wheat prices up 58% and soybean prices up 32% in the past year alone.

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To negotiate is always a better option for all sides then to lob rockets or send in tanks in retaliation.

The one fundamental thing we all forget is that Hamas won the election. While its philosophy and actions may not be particularly conducive to the peace process, Hamas has offered a ceasefire, and is the elected government of Palestine. It is time for all parties to bring them into the fold of a dialog.

To say that Hamas is against the State of Israel is effectively to limit the possibility of peace. It glosses over the fact that the PLO itself was a sworn enemy of Israel. And it overlooks the reality that Israel has not helped the peace process by its use of excessive force.

Unfortunately, we tend to forget that the root cause of the problem is as much a mistake of Israel as it is the intolerance of the Hamas. The economic blockade of Gaza has hurt the process and created a humanitarian crises that makes dialog all the more difficult. Israel's settlement policy has to be changed and the forceful eviction of Arabs from their homes has to be stopped.

The world is at a crossroad where the chances for peace cannot be simply be put aside on the pretext that one does not wish to include an element of political society that is a reality.

To argue that only the PLO and the Israelis can broker a peace ignores the political reality of elections. Dick Cheney's understanding of the region is appallingly bad and the way the American administration handled Iraq speaks for itself. Halevy is a realist: He understands that the political will has to back the need for peace and this means Hamas must be at the table. I believe this is that moment for a proper peace to be brokered and both sides will have to give in to the needs of the moment.

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The U.S. State Department needs to get its head examined. Who in their right mind would say that China has turned the corner and become a state that has respect for human rights? The brutality of the Chinese government towards the people of Tibet, the massacre of its people and the total indignity with which it conducts it affairs on the issue of Tibet is nothing but a reflection of its sad and dismal track record. It’s no surprise that the U.S. State Department has been soft on China for decades, given the need to uphold business interests there. The U.S. government honors the Honorable Dalai Lama on one hand, and on the other hand turns a blind eye to the way the Chinese government conducts itself in Tibet.

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So what if the Governor of New York hired a prostitute? Did he force her? Not pay her for the service? If so, then that might be an issue. Perhaps it’s illegal, but then how can you regulate the oldest profession in the world? I am against human trafficking, and forcing people against their will. But the question is not what he did – the real question is, because of who he is, should he have done it? Does being with a prostitute impair his ability to govern the State of New York? Probably not.

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The Current Discussion: With the Israeli re-invasion of Gaza, it's clear that the "Annapolis Peace Process" is collapsing. Does it matter? Who's to blame?

The events in Gaza represent all that is going wrong with the way the “peace process” is being handled. Hamas feels frustrated having won an election fair and square (so much for wanting more elections in this climate) and resorted to force to take over the Gaza strip. As much as one puts the blame on Hamas, which is not ill-deserved, one must also blame those who have said they will not deal in a political process with Hamas. If the argument is that since Hamas is hell-bent on destroying Israel and hence, is not dealing with Israel, then let us not forget the PLO charter that stated the same and how they are today bedfellows in a faulted peace process.

In my recent book, I argued that the region expects fairness from the U.S. and the U.N., which implies that Israel should receive the same condemnations a rocket-launching Hamas or suicide bomber would receive. Both extremes, whether they be the overkill of Israeli forces or the madness of suicide bombers, are wrong. One can either sit and try to analyze who fired the first shot, or as sensible humans we can ask both sides to disengage, accept that Hamas has a political mandate, and deal with them, the PLO and the Israelis on ONE platform for peace. It would be totally unwise to even think that a peace process that ignores the chosen party of the electorate of Palestine can be a workable peace.

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The Current Discussion: Are the U.S. and Europe right to recognize Kosovo and continue to poke Russia with a stick?

The U.S. and European policies on Kosovo and the Balkans have been rare in seeking to protect and stabilize the region. While the idea of independent countries being carved out of the former Yugoslavia is difficult to swallow for federal-minded observers, the fact remains that the ethnic cleansing of the region resulted in the need for a comprehensive solution. Though some may argue that U.S. and European self-interest might well be driving their policy there can be no denying that in Kosovo and others in the Balkans, it was the right thing to do. If there is to be a triumph of U.S. policy, then this is clearly it.

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The Current Discussion: With Castro gone, will Cuba become America's 51st state?

America's obsession with Cuba is an interesting study of how the U.S. responds to those who stand up to it. Throughout the Bay of Pigs incident, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the even since the fall of Soviet Union, Fidel Castro's dogged determination not to let Cuba change has been a constant irritation to Washington. Fidel Castro belonged to an era of revolutionaries, and there’s no doubt he and Che fought a dictatorial government. One wonders the course of Cuba-U.S. relations would have been different if, during Castro’s visit to Washington in April 1959, President Eisenhower had met him instead of going off to play golf. Perhaps things wouldn’t have changed much, as Castro's nationalization of private property had put him on a collision course with free enterprise. His repression of former Batista supporters meant there was not much to cheer about for the Castro camp.

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The Current Discussion: For Valentine’s Day, this question: What is the future of love?

Although our moderators asked this question in the interest of lightening up the debate, it comes across somewhat like asking as to the future of global warming, or the future of the U.S. economy. Perhaps our approach to life, love and happiness is too stunted to consider the esoteric elements of life anymore; is it in earnestness that we have commercialized Valentine’s Day and Christmas?

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I come from a tribal family from Pakistan and was brought up to respect the religious wishes and inclinations of all people. This meant that my mother and sisters never wore the veil, and even when my mother visited the tribal areas for the first time in 1942 and wanted to wear a veil, my father told her she should not wear it if she did not wish to. My uncles and aunts were initially shocked by my mother turning up in a sari and no veil, to which my father replied that religion was a personal matter.

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