The Libertarian Institute - All Podcasts

Danny Sjursen advocates for a reclaiming of Veterans Day and a return to the principles of the holiday originally known as Armistice Day. Armistice Day celebrated the end to one of the bloodiest wars in world history, and Sjursen reminds us how eminently worthy of celebration that occasion is. But the modern Veterans Day is not only meaningless and soulless, he says, it also implies that there will always be veterans to celebrate. This attitude helps enable acceptance of America's forever wars in the Middle East, and makes it more difficult to spread the antiwar cause he has dedicated himself to.

Discussed on the show:

"Opinion | ‘Democracy Doesn’t Come in a Box’" (The New York Times)

"The Armistice We Need: Time for Vets To Reclaim Veterans' Day" (Antiwar.com Original)

"11/4/19 Dan McKnight on the Fight to Bring Our Troops Home" (The Libertarian Institute)

Danny Sjursen is a retired U.S. army major and former history instructor at West Point. He writes regularly for TomDispatch.com and he’s the author of “Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge.” Follow him on Twitter @SkepticalVet.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

Danny Sjursen advocates for a reclaiming of Veterans Day and a return to the principles of the holiday originally known as Armistice Day. Armistice Day celebrated the end to one of the bloodiest wars in world history, and Sjursen reminds us how eminently worthy of celebration that occasion is. But the modern Veterans Day is not only meaningless and soulless, he says, it also implies that there will always be veterans to celebrate. This attitude helps enable acceptance of America's forever wars in the Middle East, and makes it more difficult to spread the antiwar cause he has dedicated himself to.

Discussed on the show:

"Opinion | ‘Democracy Doesn’t Come in a Box’" (The New York Times)

"The Armistice We Need: Time for Vets To Reclaim Veterans' Day" (Antiwar.com Original)

"11/4/19 Dan McKnight on the Fight to Bring Our Troops Home" (The Libertarian Institute)

Danny Sjursen is a retired U.S. army major and former history instructor at West Point. He writes regularly for TomDispatch.com and he’s the author of “Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge.” Follow him on Twitter @SkepticalVet.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvzB9C0gRo

It was a busy news week this past week - from Graham deciding he in fact does not want to read transcripts, to Rand's whistleblower rant, to ABC crapping the bed, to Kentucky's gubernatorial race and what it means for libertarians

Will Porter returns to Foreign Policy Focus to discuss his recent work on Assange, Syria, and Yemen. Kyle and Will talk about the dangers of Assange's condition and solitary confinement. Will explains how the formerly US-backed Syrian rebels are now committing crimes against the Syrian Kurds. Will looks at some of the recent developments in Yemen, including more US weapons arriving. 

Will Porter is a staff writer at RT. He has published articles at Consortium News, Antiwar.com, and the Libertarian Institute. 

Links

POGO  - solitary confinement

Will Porter - US weapons in Yemen

Will Porter returns to Foreign Policy Focus to discuss his recent work on Assange, Syria, and Yemen. Kyle and Will talk about the dangers of Assange's condition and solitary confinement. Will explains how the formerly US-backed Syrian rebels are now committing crimes against the Syrian Kurds. Will looks at some of the recent developments in Yemen, including more US weapons arriving. 

Will Porter is a staff writer at RT. He has published articles at Consortium News, Antiwar.com, and the Libertarian Institute. 

Links

POGO  - solitary confinement

Will Porter - US weapons in Yemen

Scott interviews Ron Enzweiler about President Trump trying to keep troops in Syria in order to seize their oil fields for American use. Enzweiler says that apart from this being illegal under international law, Syria's oil fields amount to about 0.2% of the global supply, and the cost of keeping U.S. troops and infrastructure there is orders of magnitude greater than the potential revenues. Enzweiler says Trump's statements are really about promoting Israel's interests—since a military presence in Syria is seen as a defense for Israel against Iran—and in so doing, win the political support of American evangelicals.

Discussed on the show:

"Absurdity of the Neocons' Syrian Oil Narrative" (Antiwar.com)

"When Will We Learn?" (Antiwar.com)

"11/1/19 Sheldon Richman on the True History of Israel" (The Libertarian Institute)

Ronald Enzweiler is an air force veteran and worked for USAID in Iraq for seven years. He is the author of When Will We Ever Learn. You can follow his writing at Antiwar.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

Scott interviews Ron Enzweiler about President Trump trying to keep troops in Syria in order to seize their oil fields for American use. Enzweiler says that apart from this being illegal under international law, Syria's oil fields amount to about 0.2% of the global supply, and the cost of keeping U.S. troops and infrastructure there is orders of magnitude greater than the potential revenues. Enzweiler says Trump's statements are really about promoting Israel's interests—since a military presence in Syria is seen as a defense for Israel against Iran—and in so doing, win the political support of American evangelicals.

Discussed on the show:

"Absurdity of the Neocons' Syrian Oil Narrative" (Antiwar.com)

"When Will We Learn?" (Antiwar.com)

"11/1/19 Sheldon Richman on the True History of Israel" (The Libertarian Institute)

Ronald Enzweiler is an air force veteran and worked for USAID in Iraq for seven years. He is the author of When Will We Ever Learn. You can follow his writing at Antiwar.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DtwvL7QgAU

Scott interviews Francis Boyle about his attempts to help Liz McAlister and the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 in their legal battle for what he views as justified civil resistance. McAlister helped break into the Kings Bay nuclear base in order to peacefully and symbolically protest America's illegal possession of warheads that could end all life on the planet. Boyle was part of a team of advisers and expert witnesses with experience getting acquittals in previous cases like this, but the night before the trial they were blocked from testifying, essentially guaranteeing McAlister and the other defendants a conviction. They are awaiting sentencing on numerous charges.

Discussed on the show:

"Francis A. Boyle in Defense of Kings Bay Plowshare 7 Activists" (Accuracy.Org)

Draft Declaration of Francis A. Boyle

"10/18/19 Elizabeth McAlister on Nuclear Winter and the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 | The Libertarian Institute" (Libertarian Institute)

The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner

Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Francis Boyle is a human rights lawyer and a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He is the author of Defending Civil Resistance Under International Law and Protesting Power: War, Resistance, And Law.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

Scott interviews Francis Boyle about his attempts to help Liz McAlister and the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 in their legal battle for what he views as justified civil resistance. McAlister helped break into the Kings Bay nuclear base in order to peacefully and symbolically protest America's illegal possession of warheads that could end all life on the planet. Boyle was part of a team of advisers and expert witnesses with experience getting acquittals in previous cases like this, but the night before the trial they were blocked from testifying, essentially guaranteeing McAlister and the other defendants a conviction. They are awaiting sentencing on numerous charges.

Discussed on the show:

"Francis A. Boyle in Defense of Kings Bay Plowshare 7 Activists" (Accuracy.Org)

Draft Declaration of Francis A. Boyle

"10/18/19 Elizabeth McAlister on Nuclear Winter and the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 | The Libertarian Institute" (Libertarian Institute)

The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner

Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Francis Boyle is a human rights lawyer and a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He is the author of Defending Civil Resistance Under International Law and Protesting Power: War, Resistance, And Law.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boO9F9aCVkU

Matthew Hoh discusses the extraordinary difficulties in resolving the complex political and ethnic tensions in Afghanistan, something that the U.S. military has been trying to do for going on 20 years. Hoh says that during his time there he saw lots of practices by the Kabul government that clearly weren't any better than tribal or Taliban rule, like bribery, extrajudicial killings, and women treated as second-class citizens. It's no wonder that the Afghan people, particularly Pashtuns, are less than thrilled with the American-backed central government. Hoh also shares some of the difficulties in attracting a coalition of principled antiwar activists across left and right in America.

Discussed on the show:

Life under the Taliban shadow government

"The Shattered Afghan Dream of Peace" (The New Yorker)

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction

Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Hoh is a member of the Board of Directors for Council for a Livable World and is an Advisory Board Member for Expose Facts. He writes on issues of war, peace and post-traumatic stress disorder recovery at matthewhoh.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.