Perhaps the most threatening aspect of our current election campaigns is an outing of the extent to which close historical affinity between the United States and Israel is being subverted by open Islamic interference.This troubling situation raises the question of whether diplomatic and trade relations with nations in which government and religion are barely distinguishable can be normalized.Vocal and potentially disruptive factions on both sides are potentially disruptive to our own governance, a new dimension of philosophical globalism. Broadened Middle Eastern presence in America’s higher education system and international investment activity have led to immigration, uncommon factionalization and friction in our historical “melting pot” society. Deeply rooted ethnic and religious confrontation elsewhere is not easily dispelled, and our unwise subsidization of Iran’s obvious territorial ambitions has clearly been counter-productive. The looming Presidential election offers opportunity to chart a clear course in both domestic and international affairs.The distinction between candidate personalities, performance, patronage and programs is quickly becoming unmistakable. Phil Osifer