Anti-war activist Scott Horton pulls back the curtain on how America got locked into its cycle of endless wars—and the political shifts that made it possible. He shares his own political awakening during the first Gulf War, then connects the dots through decades of U.S. militarism that still define our foreign policy today.

With sharp insight, Horton shows how both major parties have played a role in this. Democrats who once distrusted the CIA and FBI during the Vietnam era suddenly embraced them during the Trump years. Republicans who railed against big government under Clinton eagerly backed the surveillance state and endless military expansion after 9/11. The pattern is clear: principles get tossed aside whenever it’s politically convenient.

The conversation digs even deeper when it turns to the economics of empire. The U.S. keeps more than 800 military bases around the world and spends about a trillion dollars a year on defense. It’s a staggering price tag—yet few politicians ever question it. Why? Because the system is designed to feed itself. Defense contractors get rich, politicians get campaign cash, and bureaucrats build careers off permanent war. No surprise the wealthiest counties in America are clustered around Washington, D.C.

But Horton doesn’t just critique—he offers a vision for something better. He imagines a post-imperial America, one that accepts a multipolar world instead of trying to dominate it. By pulling back, focusing on true defense, and redirecting resources toward problems at home, the U.S. could build a future that’s safer, more prosperous, and less destructive abroad.

This conversation is provocative, eye-opening, and necessary. If you’re tired of the same old foreign policy playbook, tune in—then subscribe, share, and be part of the movement that’s daring to question the wisdom of perpetual war.

Our theme music, Adventures In Jazz, was used with permission. Composed and performed by Bob Mamet.