The Scott Horton Show from The Libertarian Institute

Scott interviews Eli Clifton about the U.S. sanctions regime against Iran. These sanctions were already having a severe impact on the ability of Iranian civilians to conduct business and buy necessary goods, and in the face of coronavirus they could turn an already bad situation into a humanitarian disaster. None of this has deterred the sanctions hawks in the Trump administration from sticking to their idea that by pressuring a country's population you can weaken its government. This has almost never borne out in practice, and simply hurts thousands of innocents while the elites remain more or less untouched.

Discussed on the show:

"Hawkish Group Targets Medicine Sales to Iran Amid Coronavirus Crisis" (The Intercept)

"Collective punishment has always been the stated goal of Iran sanctions hawks" (Responsible Statecraft)

Eli Clifton is a reporting fellow with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute and a contributing editor for Lobe Log. Follow him on Twitter @EliClifton.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JXxhIsAh4

Charlie Davis talks about his project, Skate Palestine, which is trying to spread the sport of skateboarding to Palestinians in the West Bank. He says that Palestinians, already perceived by the state of Israel as outsiders in their own homeland, are in some ways perfectly suited to skateboarding culture, which historically has also attracted outsiders and misfits. He even hopes that skateboarding can provide an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian youth to meet on neutral terms and build friendships over a shared interest.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bug26dpBhOY

Scott interviews Reese Erlich about his latest antiwar.com column, which describes the dangerous game being played by the war hawks in Washington as they ratchet up tensions with Iran. The Trump administration has retaliated several times against Kataib Hezbollah targets in Iraq for alleged attacks on U.S. military bases there, and of course ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in January. These acts of force could easily blossom into full-scale war, but even if they don't, they still put American troops in unnecessary danger. The safest thing for these soldiers, and for the rest of the country, would be to end all hostilities and bring everyone home.

Discussed on the show:

"US Beats War Drums in Middle East" (Antiwar.com Original)

"How To Lose An Army" (The American Conservative)

Reese Erlich is a freelance journalist who has reported from the Middle East for decades. His nationally distributed column, Foreign Correspondent, appears every two weeks. He is the author of The Iran Agenda Today: the Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis. Find him on Twitter at @ReeseErlich or at his website.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD3w4maqYJk

Patrick Jaicomo of the Institute for Justice discusses the (brief) history of the "qualified immunity" doctrine, which makes it very difficult for civilians to sue government agents for constitutional rights violations. Jaicomo breaks down the different types of legal immunity, and the ways in which it's still possible, sometimes, to seek redress for unjust killings, thefts, and other abuses by government officials. Usually, however, the state protects its own, at the expense of ordinary citizens.

Discussed on the show:

"Police Stole $225k in Cash and Coins, and the Courts Said “Okay”" (Institute for Justice)

"Tamir Rice’s Basically Reasonable Murder" (Simple Justice)

Patrick Jaicomo is an attorney with the Institute for Justice. You can follow his work on Twitter @pjaicomo.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Les_P9A7pR4

Scott talks to David Stockman about the fate of the economy after the coronavirus-induced shutdown and the multi-trillion dollar bailouts being undertaken by the U.S. government. Stockman is much more concerned about the economic ramifications than about the virus itself, and not because businesses are being forced to close for a few weeks, but primarily because we've been living under a crony capitalist regime of corporate welfare and unsound money for decades on end. The only solution any of the central planners understand, he explains, is to pump more money into the financial markets, which provides the illusion of short term relief at the expense of real long term damage. The current stimulus will only inflate asset bubbles even further and eventually bring about an even worse crash. All of this, of course, will be blamed on free market capitalism, which is the system most people think we have. Such a backlash is likely to lead to even greater socialization of our government and economy.

Discussed on the show:

"The Money Printing Gods Have Failed!" (David Stockman's Contra Corner)

David Stockman is the ultimate Washington insider turned iconoclast. He began his career in Washington as a young man and quickly rose through the ranks of the Republican Party to become the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. After leaving the White House, Stockman had a 20-year career on Wall Street. He is the author of Trumped!, The Triumph of Politics, and his history of the financial crisis, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Yn3WjzcGs

Mike Swanson offers his take on the current virus-induced stock market downturn. What has surprised him most so far is the fact that assets are down across the board, unlike previous recessions, which might see a decline in stocks offset by a jump in precious metals. This suggests that the real panic hasn't actually hit yet, and that we are likely to see a lull before another big downturn. He and Scott are worried for the economy, but knew even before the coronavirus that something like this was inevitable thanks to decades of interference by the Federal Reserve and other central planners.

Discussed on the show:

Big Debt Crises

The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory

Mike Swanson provides investment advice at wallstreetwindow.com and is the author of The War State: The Cold War Origins Of The Military-Industrial Complex And The Power Elite. He also works with the Neopolis Media Group, a group of historians, educators, authors, researchers, and free speech advocates who endeavor to provide original and engaging content, including The Ochelli Effect, and The Lone Gunman Podcast.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKH006etGF8

Scott Paul discusses the looming cholera outbreak in Yemen as the country prepares for yet another rainy season. Thanks to U.S.-backed Saudi bombing of critical infrastructure, the people of Yemen lack the tools to fight cholera: basic nutrition and clean water. Paul describes the state of the overrun, under-equipped Yemeni hospitals, warning of their inability to deal with the current crisis, let alone what could happen if the coronavirus spreads there. Scott reminds the audience that President Trump could pretty much end this war with a single phone call, but instead continues to placate Saudi Arabia.

Discussed on the show:

"Rainy season threatens huge cholera spike in Yemen as conflict hampers efforts to address forgotten crisis" (Oxfam International)

Scott Paul leads Oxfam America’s policy advocacy on a number of emergencies and cross-cutting humanitarian issues. He is a frequent media commentator with outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and Al Jazeera and has testified before Congress. Follow him on Twitter @ScottTPaul.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9BhTYianK0

Scott talks to Philip Weiss about the latest in Israeli politics, where Benjamin Netanyahu still has neither been removed from power in a decisive election, nor tried for his corruption charges. His main opponent, Benny Gantz, may now be offered the chance to form a minority government, but if he cannot, there could be yet another round of elections. But with the global coronavirus outbreak, Weiss explains that Netanyahu's approval ratings are now as high as ever—he and Scott think there's little chance he will be ousted any time soon. Meanwhile, there is great concern for the health of the Palestinians living in ghetto-like conditions on the West Bank, but whom the Israeli government seems to have little interest in helping.

Philip Weiss is the long-time editor of Mondoweiss.net. Follow him on Twitter @PhilWeiss.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S5sukRM4Aw

Tim Shorrock shares what might be a positive side to the global coronavirus outbreak: a chance for the U.S. government to relax sanctions on Iran and North Korea. Shorrock thinks it would be easy for President Trump to announce that these sanctions will no longer be enforced, if he wanted to, and that Congress is unlikely to prevent such a move. A crisis like the coronavirus helps demonstrate how awful it is to victimize the civilians of a foreign country with economic sanctions, which can contribute to shortages of necessary supplies even during normal times. Scott wishes Trump would follow the example of Richard Nixon in feeling that it was worthwhile to go negotiate with even the world's worst rulers in the name of world peace.

Discussed on the show:

"Washington Hawks Are Softening Their Hard Line on Sanctions Against North Korea" (The Nation)

"CDC, FDA: The Enemy" (The Libertarian Institute)

"Tucker Carlson on How He Brought His Coronavirus Message to Mar-a-Lago" (Vanity Fair)

Tim Shorrock is the author of Spies For Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing and a regular contributor to The Nation and the Korea Center for Investigative Reporting. Follow him on Twitter @TimothyS.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKGS26FVv3U

Scott talks to Gareth Porter about the New York Times' continued efforts to bolster the story that Russia both interfered in the 2016 presidential election and continues to do so in the lead up to the 2020 election. This time around, they allege, Russian actors are working on behalf of both President Trump, and also Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary race. Porter reviews some of the reasons why these claims are spurious, and he and Scott rehash a few of the Times' other great blunders.

Discussed on the show:

"The New York Times’ Insidious Ongoing Disinformation Campaign on Russia & Elections" (Consortium News)

"The Plot to Subvert an Election: Unraveling the Russia Story So Far" (The New York Times)

"Same Goal, Different Playbook: Why Russia Would Support Trump and Sanders" (The New York Times)

"Pompeo and Netanyahu paved a path to war with Iran, and they're pushing Trump again" (The Grayzone)

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.

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; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbf0eKuK2DQ