The ouster of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is an expression of the growth of tensions within the administration amidst a series of foreign policy crises.

More... (http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/11/25/hage-n25.html)

American politics has acquired an ever more byzantine character, where life-and-death decisions are made behind closed doors through methods of intrigue and provocation, calculated leaks and deliberate misinformation. The American people are entirely excluded from this process.

The Trots nailed this one.
Who did not know that the "no boots on the ground" pledge was a lie?
How far will NATO go against Russia?
China says that it fully supports Russia - how solid is that support?
The EU seems to be spiraling down the toilet and Nazism is on the rise.
The US is fighting and supporting the same groups, in different countries, some of which countries the US supports and some that the US is against - but the US being "for" or "against" something appears to have meanings that are indecipherable to any "normal" person.
Obama has lost any grip on things he may once have had. The US Empire looks to be flailing at such a joint-wrenching speed, that nobody knows what will happen next or why.
The BRICS (being the current leaders of the not-too-insane-world) have got to be scared out of their wits. What is this Empire of Imbeciles going to do next? What won't they do next?
I know that conditions drive everything, but how can one even begin to describe current conditions? How can anyone get a secure grip on just exactly what the hell is going on?
Inside the Empire, cops are murdering people in the streets with impunity. The poverty rate is soaring, wages are going down, class antagonisms (fueled by racism) is growing harsher by the day. I wish there was something to say on a positive note - you know, with the holidays coming and all - but there seems to be only one solution to any of this.
We need an organized, engaged working class and we need it now.