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Author and whistleblower Peter van Buren returns to the show to discuss Rex Tillerson's apparent impending firing/resignation, how Americans have been fooled into thinking they have a Donald Trump problem and not an empire problem, and what the role of the State Department is supposed to be vs. the reality of what it is. Van Buren details the core problems facing the state department, including why its power and influence abroad are severely curtailed by the Pentagon, CIA, and American militarism generally. Van Buren then turns to North Korea and Iran. He explains why the North Korean state believes nuclear weapons are essential to their safety and potential prosperity and why war with either North Korea or Iran would be devastating. Finally, Scott asks van Buren what he knows about the latest developments in Yemen.

Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People” and the novel "Hooper's War." He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. Follow him on Twitter @WeMeantWell.

Discussed on the show:

* "Dismantling the Foreign Service," by Nicholas Burns (New York Times)

* The Sorrows of Empire, Chalmers Johnson

* Islam Karimov

* "Throwing H20 on the Pompeo to State Move," by Marcy Wheeler (emptywheel)

* "White House Plans Tillerson Ouster From State Dept., to Be Replaced by Pompeo" (New York Times)

* State vs. Defense: The Battle to Define America's Empire, by Stephen Glain

* "Intelligence veterans blast Tom Cotton as pro-torture, 'partisan,' and 'wholly unfit' to lead the CIA" (Business Insider)

* "'Abused' Tillerson loses clout on world stage, diplomats say" (Politico)

* Operation Mockingbird

* "Talk To, Don't Provoke, North Korea," by Sheldon Richman (Antiwar.com)

* 2017 Global Thinker: Haider al-Abadi (ForeignPolicy)

* Garet Garrett

Quote of the show: "I have a feeling if you and I were roommates, Scott, we'd both end up as alcoholics in about a week." —Peter van Buren

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT,

Legendary journalist Eric Margolis returns to the show to discuss the escalated tensions in North Korea. Margolis explains why the threat of nuclear war is all the greater with Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Margolis says that tension with North Korea really demonstrates that South Korea is just a vassal of American foreign policy. According to Margolis the road to peace requires the U.S. to officially end the Korean War, end economic sanctions, agree to a non-aggression treaty, and, finally, open serious diplomatic relations between the two countries. Scott then pivots to the breaking news from Yemen, where former president Ali Abdullah Saleh was assassinated, and the latest news out of Afghanistan.

Eric Margolis is a foreign affairs correspondent and author of “War at the Top of the World” and “American Raj.” Follow him on Twitter @EricMargolis and visit his website, ericmargolis.com.

Discussed on the show:

* "Clinton says U.S. could 'totally obliterate' Iran" (Reuters)

* "U.S. Air Force 'Hundred Percent' Ready to Strike North Korea, Commander Says" (Newsweek)

* "How safe is the U.S. from a North Korea nuclear attack?" (USA Today)

* “A grand bargain with China could remove North Korea’s nuclear threat — but it would destroy America’s global influence” (LA Times)

* Korean Armistice Agreement

* "Houthi Forces Kill Former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh," by Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com)

* Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

* "No Longer a Haven for International Terrorists" (New York Times)

* Anastasio Somoza García

* "No One Man Should Be Able to Trigger Nuclear War," by Eric Margolis (Unz.com)

* "Brand New: Washington Runs Amok While Kim Smiles," by Eric  Margolis (Unz.com)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.

Dr. Ron Paul returns to the show to discuss his most recent book "The Revolution at Ten Years." Scott explains why Ron Paul's "Giuliani moment" is the reason why millions of people have become libertarians. Scott asks whether American strength of markets and wealth can overcome the welfare/warfare state for a considerable time longer; Dr. Paul makes the case why the debt is the reason the current American way cannot be sustained. Paul then explains the importance of sound money and how monetary policy leads to the creation of artificial bubbles and regular market crashes. Finally, Paul says that libertarians should bolster the anti-war movement through coalitions with progressives.

Former congressman and American hero Ron Paul is the host of the Ron Paul Liberty Report and director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Dr. Paul is the author of numerous books, including Swords into Plowshares and The Revolution: A Manifesto. Follow him on Twitter, @RonPaul.

Show Notes:

* "Terrorism: Ron Paul vs. Giuliani @ SC Debate" (YouTube)

* Mises Institute

* End the Fed, by Ron Paul

* Monetary policy

* Henry Hazlitt

* Ludwig von Mises

* Friedrich Hayek

* Bretton Woods System

* "The Monetary Breakdown of the West" (Mises.org)

* Bob Murphy

* Mark Thornton

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Darrin’s Coffee.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

President of the Future of Freedom Foundation Jacob Hornberger returns to the show to discuss the welfare/warfare state and the harm it's done to the country. Hornberger makes the case that today's national security state is a post-World War II creation to fight the Soviet Unions and totalitarianism, and not inherent to what the United States has been. Hornberger and Scott then discuss the role of the UN in building the American empire, what libertarians need to do to convince the left and the right to care about state violence, and the tremendous opportunity cost of the money and brainpower spent on the military. Finally Hornberger discusses his article "What Good are Domestic Military Bases?"

Jacob Hornberger is the founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation. He's written numerous books on freedom, peace, and the JFK assassination. Follow him on Twitter @JacobHornberger.

Discussed on the show:

* "Do You Hate The State," by Murray Rothbard (Mises Institute)

* "11/7/17 Congressman Walter Jones on his fight for H.Con.Res.81 and against the War Party" (Scott Horton Show)

* "Madeleine Albright: 'The price is worth it'" (YouTube)

* "‘She Goes Not Abroad in Search of Monsters to Destroy’," by John Quincy Adams (The American Conservative)

* "From North Korea, With Dread" (New York Times)

* "The Dangers of a Standing Army," by Jacob Hornberger (FFF.org)

* "Video footage of migrants sold in apparent slave auction in Libya provokes outrage" (The Independent)

* "For U.S. foreign policy, it's time to look again at the founding fathers' 'Great Rule'," by Elizabeth Cobbs (LA Times)

* Laredo Air Force Base

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Darrin’s Coffee.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Reese Erlich joins Scott to discuss Saudi Arabia and their new de facto King, Mohamed Bin Salman, the story behind Lebanon prime minister Saad al-Hariri's resignation and subsequent un-resignation, and the deep discord in Trump's state department over it all. Erlich and Scott then discuss Trump's heightened tension with Iran, how the Iraq War was a major gift to the Iranians, and why the concern for control of the global oil supply has determined much of U.S. foreign policy. Lastly, Erlich discusses the situation in Yemen.

Reese Erlich is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect. Erlich’s revised edition of his book ”The Iran Agenda” will be published in 2018. In the meantime read his work at his website and follow him on Twitter.

Discussed on the show:

* Mohammad bin Salman

* Confessionalism

* "The Unresignation of Saad al-Hariri" (Slate)

* Hassan Nasrallah

* "Did Kushner Keep Tillerson in the Dark on Saudi-Lebanon Move?" by Mark Perry (The American Conservative)

* "Jared Kushner, Mohammed bin Salman, and Benjamin Netanyahu Are Up to Something" (Foreign Policy)

* "Long Divided, Iran Unites Against Trump and Saudis in a Nationalist Fervor" (New York Times)

* "How Ahmed Chalabi conned the neocons" (Salon)

* "The Redirection," by Seymour Hersh (The New Yorker)

* Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn't Tell You by Rees Elrich & Normon Solomon

* New York Times Helene Cooper: Saudis have been backing the Taliban in Pakistan

* Strait of Hormuz

* "Dick Cheney Was for the Iran Deal Before He Was Against It" (Foreign Policy)

* "Defending Liberty in a Global Economy," by Dick Cheney (CATO)

* "Saudi Crown Prince’s Mass Purge Upends a Longstanding System" (New York Times)

* "Saudi Crackdown Targets Up to $800 Billion in Assets" (Wall Street Journal)

* "The '28 Pages' Explained," by Larisa Alexandrovna (

Aniqa Raihan joins Scott to discuss her article for Foreign Policy in Focus, "A Beginner's Guide to the Unrecognized Villages of Israel." Raihan explains how the bedouins of Israel—who are citizens—have been continually deprived of their homes, land, and other vital resources. The Bedouin people are regularly forced from their homes and villages, many of which are unrecognized by the state of Israel and reappropriated for other purposes. Scott then asks about the BDS movement; Raihan explains the goals and origins of the movement and how it's scaring the Israeli establishment.

Aniqa Raihan is a former Next Leader at the Institute for Policy Studies and a past member of Students for Justice in Palestine at George Washington University. Follow her on Twitter @niqray.

Discussed on the show:

* Bedouins

* Unrecognized Bedouin villages in Israel

* Negev Desert

* Adalah.org

* "Israeli Supreme Court allows state to replace Bedouin village with Jewish one" (Palestine Monitor)

* "The Cases of the Villages Atir and Umm al-Hiran" (Amnesty International)

* Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)

* "Reagan Outlines His Stand on Jewish Settlements" (New York Times)

* "U.S. Finalizes Deal to Give Israel $38 Billion in Military Aid" (New York Times)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Darrin’s Coffee.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Investigative journalist Gareth Porter returns to the show to discuss his article for The American Conservative, "Translated Doc Debunks Narrative of Al Qaeda-Iran ‘Alliance’." Porter explains how Americans are manufacturing a nonexistent relationship between Iran and Al Qaeda in much the same way they did with Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein in the lead up to the Iraq war. Porter then details the specifics of the document and the context in which it was written. Scott and Porter discuss at length how Iran and Al Qaeda have been conflated previously, diverting attention away from Al Qaeda in the lead up to 9/11. Lastly the two turn to Porter's second article, "Israel’s Ploy Selling a Syrian Nuke Strike," which unearths the lies underlying Israel's 2007 bombing of Syria.

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state and author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. Follow him on Twitter @GarethPorter and listen to Gareth’s previous appearances on the Scott Horton Show.

Discussed on the show:

* Long War Journal

* "Burnt Offering," by Gareth Porter (The American Prospect)

* "Iran Proposal to U.S. Offered Peace with Israel," by Gareth Porter (IPS News Agency)

* People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK)

* Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

* "Questions Mount Over Failure to Hit Zarqawi's Camp" (Wall Street Journal)

* "Avoiding Attacking Suspected Terrorist Mastermind" (NBC News)

* 1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan

*

Khobar Towers bombing

* "Khobar Towers Investigated: How a Saudi Deception Protected Osama bin Laden" (Part 1), by Gareth Porter (IPS News Agency)

* Saif al-Adel

* "US intelligence does not show Syrian nuclear weapons program, officials say," by Larisa Alexandrovna (Raw Story)

* "US, Israel refuse to cooperate with inquest into Syria strike," by Larisa Alexandrovna (Raw Story)

* Olli Heinonen

* Mohamed ElBaradei

* "How Syrian Nuke Evidence was Faked," by Gareth Porter (Consortium News)

Today’s show is sponsored by: 

Michael Klare joins Scott to discuss his latest article for TomDispatch.com "The Trump Doctrine: Making Nuclear Weapons Usable Again." Klare describes how the U.S. nuclear weapons stock has been upgraded, making them operational in any possible scenario. According to Klare the Americans and the Russians are racing to upgrade their nuclear weapons to make them more flexible—all of which increases the threat of nuclear war. There's a great paradox at work here: Trump is on the one hand being accused of being too friendly with Vladimir Putin while on the other refusing to negotiate with the Russians on nuclear weapons. Klare and Scott then discuss whether the U.S. could attempt to use tactical nuclear weapons in North Korea—and why doing so would result in disaster. Scott reviews Barack Obama's record on nuclear weapons—one of the few areas he wasn't always awful. Finally Scott and Klare consider the atrocities of nuclear war and the subsequent fall out.

Michael Klare is the author of "The Race for What's Left." He is a regular contributor at TomDispatch.com.

Discussed on the show:

* "Ronald Reagan’s Disarmament Dream" (The Atlantic)

* "How Russia Hawks Are Selling Trump On Sending Weapons To Ukraine" (BuzzFeed)

* James Mattis

* "War with North Korea would be 'catastrophic,' Defense Secretary Mattis says" (CBS News)

* "How Washington hard-liners helped to create the North Korean crisis" (Washington Post)

* "Remarks By President Barack Obama In Prague As Delivered" (White House)

* New START (Treaty)

* The Doomsday Machine, by Daniel Ellsberg

* "Foreign policy journalists are questioning a report claiming Trump's national-security adviser said he has the intelligence of a 'kindergartner'" (Business Insider)

* "Trump's Nuclear Experience" (Slate)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and 

Phil Giraldi is the executive director for the Council for the National Interest. His latest article for UNZ.com is "Boy Is This Stupid or What?" Giraldi details how the fight against ISIS in east Syria took a strange turn after the U.S. and coalition forces had reduced Raqqa, the capital of the caliphate, to rubble. After backing ISIS into a corner the coalition struck a deal with the remaining local fighters to leave under a conditional truce. Scott worries that scattered ISIS fighters—many of whom returned to their home countries—only makes blowback likelier. Giraldi then addresses the wild situation in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia where the Prime Minister resigned under clear pressure from Saudi Arabia, all of serves only to increase the simmering tensions in the region.

Phil Giraldi is a former CIA Case Officer and Army Intelligence Officer who spent twenty years overseas in Europe and the Middle East working terrorism cases. He is the executive director for the Council for the National Interest and writes regularly for The American Conservative magazine and Antiwar.com.

Discussed on the show:

* "Raqqa's Dirty Secret" (BBC)

* "Lost in reverie: Mattis claims UN let US intervene in Syria, although it never did" (RT)

* Washington's Secret Wars, by Phil Giraldi (Antiwar.com)

* NATO vs. Syria, by Phil Giraldi (The American Conservative)

* "Trump erroneously says Lebanon is 'on the front lines' fighting Hezbollah, a partner in the Lebanese government" (Chicago Tribune)

* "Arab League designates Hezbollah as terrorist organisation, increasing regional tensions" (The Independent)

* "Lebanon PM forced by Saudis to resign, says Hezbollah" (BBC)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Darrin’s Coffee.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Representative John Duncan from the 2nd district of Tennessee joins Scott to discuss his impending retirement, his close friendship with Ron Paul, and how his antiwar views developed during his time in Congress. Duncan recalls his meetings leading up to the Iraq War with Condoleezza Rice and George Tennant and reflects on how his vote against the Iraq War went from being his least popular vote to his most popular vote. Duncan then discusses his article "There's Nothing Patriotic or Conservative About our Bloated Defense Budget."

Congressman John Duncan has represented the 2nd District of Tennessee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter @RepJohnDuncanJr.

Discussed on the show:

* Lawrence Lindsey

* "Conservatives Against a War with Iraq," by John Duncan (Antiwar.com)

* "Don't Attack Saddam," by Brent Scowcroft (Wall Street Journal)

* Coleen Rowley

* "F.B.I. Whistle-Blower Colleen Rowley Says No to Occupation" (Democracy Now!)

* "GOP Lawmakers Who Voted Against Iraq War Stand Their Ground 10 Years Later" (Huffington Post)

* "No Fiscal Conservatives at the Pentagon," by John Duncan (LewRockwell.com)

* "Vote against Iraq War proves popular in hindsight," by John Duncan (The Tennessean)

* "1,000 from Tennessee National Guard to deploy to Poland in 2018" (AZ Central)

* "Rep. John Duncan On Opposing New Russia Sanctions" (NPR)

* Wilson, by A. Scott Berg

* "Obama’s Trillion-Dollar Nuclear-Arms Train Wreck" (Democracy Now!)

* "A Return to the Peace Party," by John Duncan (The American Conservative)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Darrin’s Coffee.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.