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Will Porter returns to FPF to discuss Trump's statement on the Khashoggi murder. The statement is critical of Iran and highlights the benefits of maintaining the US/Saudi relationship status quo. Will breaks down the statement and debunks Trump's lies. 

A recent Wall Street Journal examines John Bolton's influence over Trump's foreign policy. We give our analysis on Bolton's policies on Iran, North Korea, and Russia. 

Will Porter is a freelance journalist. His work has been published in Consortium News, Antiwar.Com, and The Libertarian Institute.

Link

Trump's Statement

Bolton's White House Influence

Patrick Martin, of the World Socialist Web Site, comes back on the show for an update on his last appearance. 11 of the democratic candidates he mentioned last time won their congressional races, and 7 more came very close, which he says is a fairly strong performance but probably not quite the one they had hoped for. These new representatives all come from backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies, and instead of using their experience as a principled basis for opposing war, they are strong supporters of the U.S.'s military endeavors abroad. Martin laments the generally sad state of affairs on the American left when it comes to compromising on war, even among many so-called socialists.

Discussed on the show:

"10/10/18 Patrick Martin on the Military Wing of the Democratic Party" (Libertarian Institute)

"Mehring Books publishes The CIA Democrats" (World Socialist Web Site)

VoteVets.org

WithHonor.org

Ray McGovern

Tulsi Gabbard

Max Shachtman

Alternative for Germany

Patrick Martin is the senior national political writer for the World Socialist Web Site, where he is the author of numerous articles.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Zen Cash; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

John Feffer joins the show for an update on the peace talks between North and South Korea. He optimistically describes the nascent process of dismantling parts of the DMZ, including guard towers and mine fields, and also establishing a no-fly zone there. As usual, the American media is happy to ignore all of this. Feffer reminds us that South Korean President Moon Jae-in is really the driving force behind the negotiations, but he seems happy to give lots of credit to President Trump, who probably really only deserves a little credit. All of this progress toward peace is reversible, explains Feffer, but one positive sign is that land prices around the DMZ have started to increase, signaling belief from entrepreneurs that the land will soon be usable.

Discussed on the show:

"Is Korea’s Cold War About to End?" (Foreign Policy In Focus)

September 2018 inter-Korean summit

David E. Sanger

CSIS on Korea

"How ‘The New York Times’ Deceived the Public on North Korea" (The Nation)

Agreed Framework

Six-party talks

Proliferation Security Initiative

Axis of evil

John Feffer is the co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus and author of the dystopian novel Splinterlands. Follow Feffer on Twitter @JohnFeffer.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Zen Cash; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

On FPF #273, I discuss the US policy in Syria. US envoy to the Syrian conflict James Jeffery recently gave a press conference on the US goals. I explain the myths the US government believes in that leads to unrealistic goals. 

Links

Minds.com Immersion News

James Jeffery

Intercept - Yemen Vote

Moon of Alabama - Syrian sitrep

Sheldon Richman talks about his latest article for the Libertarian Institute, in which he spotlights a new documentary exposing the smear efforts of various pro-Israel groups against anyone standing up for the rights of Palestinians, particularly on American college campuses. These groups conflate anti-Zionism—which itself has allies among many secular and religious Jews—with outright anti-semitism or pro-terrorism. Never mind the fact that Palestinians are also a Semitic people, and that most real anti-semites hate the Palestinians as well as the Jews, this comparison is extremely dishonest and fairly improbable. Even the Jewish student organizations on many campuses have come forward to defend the pro-Palestinian groups from false accusations of hatred toward Jews.

Discussed on the show:

"TGIF: The Art of the Smear — The Israel Lobby Busted" (Libertarian Institute)

Electronic Intifada

Sheldon Richman is the executive editor of the Libertarian Institute and the author of America’s Counter-Revolution: The Constitution Revisited. Follow him on Twitter @SheldonRichman.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Zen Cash; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

On FPF #272, I discuss the House killing a bill that would invoke the War Powers Act to bring the US support for the genocidal Yemen War to an end. The House attached a sentence to a bill about grey wolves to strip the Yemen bill of its privilege to be brought to a vote. I explain what the US role in the war is and how Yemenis would be better off if the US ended support for the Saudi led coalition. 

I also break down the US drone war in Yemen.

Links

Scott Horton Show - Martha Mundy

Scott Horton Show - Scott Paul

Miami Herald - Drone War

The great Tom Woods joins the show in honor of the hundred-year anniversary of Armistice Day to give a rundown of World War I. Decades of complex alliances and arms races, he explains, led to the powder keg that erupted catastrophically in 1914 with a single assassination. After many bloody months with little to show for it, the countries of Europe were on the breaking point, and a "peace without victory" looked imminent...that is, until the U.S. entered the war. Because the politics of Europe so clearly had nothing to do with America, it took a massive propaganda campaign to solidify American involvement. This allowed an overwhelming victory for the allies and the disastrous peace agreement that followed. So much of the ensuing horror of the 20th century, Scott and Woods contend, resulted directly from Wilson's foreign policy.

Discussed on the show:

Sinking of the RMS Lusitania

Zimmermann Telegram

Russian Provisional Government

AIG Bailout

G. Edward Griffin with Norman Dodd

"World War I as Fulfillment: Power and the Intellectuals" (Mises Institute)

"11/5/18 Stephen Walt on a Realist Foreign Policy" (libertarian Institute)

J. P. Morgan

Thomas W. Lamont

The War for Righteousness: Progressive Christianity, the Great War, and the Rise of the Messianic Nation

Beer Hall Putsch

Fourteen Points

Blockade of Germany

Wilson's War: How Woodrow Wilson's Great Blunder Led to Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, and World War II

Domino theory

Tom Woods is the host of the Tom Woods Show and the author of numerous books including Real Dissent. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasEWoods.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Zen Cash; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

On FPF #271, Joanne Leon joins the show to discuss the antiwar movement and the Democratic Party. Joanne gives a recent history of the Democratic Party and the divisions within the party. Joanne explains who is who in the party and what factions of the party may be allies with the antiwar movement. Joanne and Kyle review the midterm election results on the left side of the aisle and the firing of Jeff Sessions. 

Joanne is the host of the Around the Empire Podcast.

Links

FPF #211 - Russiagate guests Dan Wright & Joanne Leon

Cenk Uyger on the Democratic Party

On FPF #270, I discuss how Veterans Day is used to celebrate war. Veterans Day started as Armistice Day to celebrate the end of WWI. I argue Veterans Day has become a day to promote wars and is not about helping vets. 

I update the US role in the War in Yemen. The US has announced an end to the mid-air refueling of Saudi bomber. The US Congress is pushing bills to end the US assistance to Saudi Arabia. 

Links

Scott Horton Show - Hassan El-Tayyab

Andrea Carboni from ACLED Data comes on the show to talk about their casualty estimates for the war in Yemen. "10,000" is the number that has been used for the last few years, but that's exactly why it can't possibly be right. ACLED estimates that there have actually been at least 50,000 combatant plus civilian deaths, but that is a very conservative estimate and the number is likely much higher, perhaps around 80,000. Of course, accurate counts are difficult, particularly in remote and rural parts of the country.

Discussed on the show:

"1/5/18 The UN’s Jamie McGoldrick on the state of affairs in Yemen" (Libertarian Institute)

Iraq Body Count

"Targeting Islamists: Assassinations In South Yemen" (ACLED)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Zen Cash; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.