The Scott Horton Show from The Libertarian Institute

Trevor Aaronson discusses some of the FBI's egregious abuses of its power over American citizens, most recently brought to light by their use of an informant to investigate a law-abiding militia group in California for years. Although the FBI claims to be concerned with acts of violence alone, and not ideology, cases like this are clear examples of their willingness to go after people only for their views, and despite the absence of any wrongdoing whatsoever. Most of the supposedly foiled terrorist plots of recent years, in fact, are FBI entrapments to begin with, as Aaronson documents in his book, The Terror Factory.

Discussed on the show:

"Informant Reveals FBI’s Already Vast Powers to Investigate Right-wing Extremists" (The Intercept)

"In Search of John Doe No. 2: The Story the Feds Never Told About the Oklahoma City Bombing" (Mother Jones)

ATF gunwalking scandal

Trevor Aaronson is a contributing writer for The Intercept and executive director of the nonprofit Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. He is the author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism. Find him on Twitter @trevoraaronson.

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 Charles Glass about America's long involvement in Syria, starting with the Obama administration's support for the insurgent side in the country's civil war in 2011. This move, made partly with the intent to limit the influence of Iran and Russia in the Middle East, has actually ended up strengthening them, as their positions have been vindicated by the failure to overthrow the Assad regime. Glass outlines the many times the U.S. has used the Kurds for their own devices and then betrayed them when it became convenient.

Discussed on the show:

"Tell Me How This Ends" (Harper's Magazine)

Going to Tehran: Why America Must Accept the Islamic Republic of Iran

Operation Timber Sycamore

The Northern Front: A Wartime Diary

Charles Glass was Chief Middle East Correspondent for ABC News from 1983 to 1993. He is a regular contributor to TIME magazine, the Guardian, Rolling Stone, the Intercept, and many others. His most recent book is called They Fought Alone: The True Story of the Starr Brothers, British Secret Agents in Nazi-Occupied France.

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 Charles Glass about America's long involvement in Syria, starting with the Obama administration's support for the insurgent side in the country's civil war in 2011. This move, made partly with the intent to limit the influence of Iran and Russia in the Middle East, has actually ended up strengthening them, as their positions have been vindicated by the failure to overthrow the Assad regime. Glass outlines the many times the U.S. has used the Kurds for their own devices and then betrayed them when it became convenient.

Discussed on the show:

"Tell Me How This Ends" (Harper's Magazine)

Going to Tehran: Why America Must Accept the Islamic Republic of Iran

Operation Timber Sycamore

The Northern Front: A Wartime Diary

Charles Glass was Chief Middle East Correspondent for ABC News from 1983 to 1993. He is a regular contributor to TIME magazine, the Guardian, Rolling Stone, the Intercept, and many others. His most recent book is called They Fought Alone: The True Story of the Starr Brothers, British Secret Agents in Nazi-Occupied France.

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 talks to Patrick Cockburn about the situation with the Kurds in Syria. Scott calls Syria a win-win-win-win: The Kurds have negotiated a deal with Assad that will give them some autonomy and protection from Turkey, Turkey gets a roughly 30-mile border buffer with Syria, the American people get a partial withdrawal from an unnecessary theater of war, and the Russians see their support for Assad more or less affirmed. The only real losers are those who want to see a perpetual American presence in the region and an ouster of Assad—though Cockburn is quick to remind us about the many tragic deaths and displacements that have arisen from the war as a whole. Scott and Cockburn go on to briefly discuss U.S. policy in the rest of the Middle East.

Discussed on the show:

"Turkey’s Syria invasion rapidly backfiring for Ankara amid unexpected international condemnation" (Independent)

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Patrick Cockburn is the Middle East correspondent for The Independent and the author of The Age of Jihad and Chaos & Caliphate.

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 talks to Patrick Cockburn about the situation with the Kurds in Syria. Scott calls Syria a win-win-win-win: The Kurds have negotiated a deal with Assad that will give them some autonomy and protection from Turkey, Turkey gets a roughly 30-mile border buffer with Syria, the American people get a partial withdrawal from an unnecessary theater of war, and the Russians see their support for Assad more or less affirmed. The only real losers are those who want to see a perpetual American presence in the region and an ouster of Assad—though Cockburn is quick to remind us about the many tragic deaths and displacements that have arisen from the war as a whole. Scott and Cockburn go on to briefly discuss U.S. policy in the rest of the Middle East.

Discussed on the show:

"Turkey’s Syria invasion rapidly backfiring for Ankara amid unexpected international condemnation" (Independent)

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Patrick Cockburn is the Middle East correspondent for The Independent and the author of The Age of Jihad and Chaos & Caliphate.

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 Peter Van Buren about his recent article in The American Conservative, "Finding a Vaccine for the Impeachment Derangement Virus." Van Buren argues that whatever President Trump's real crimes might be—most notably continuing to help the Saudis prosecute a war of genocide in Yemen—nothing that the Democrats have tried to nail him with is actually convincing at all. Of course, if Trump's political opponents were serious about holding him accountable to the law, they would also be forced to indict Obama (and just about every other modern president) for the same war crimes and abuses of executive power. Instead, says Van Buren, they will play political theater, pretending to be outraged about things that most voters simply don't care about. He worries about what this kind of standard will mean for America's political future once Trump leaves office.

Discussed on the show:

"Finding a Vaccine for the Impeachment Derangement Virus" (The American Conservative)

"Opinion | Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President" (The New York Times)

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.

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 Peter Van Buren about his recent article in The American Conservative, "Finding a Vaccine for the Impeachment Derangement Virus." Van Buren argues that whatever President Trump's real crimes might be—most notably continuing to help the Saudis prosecute a war of genocide in Yemen—nothing that the Democrats have tried to nail him with is actually convincing at all. Of course, if Trump's political opponents were serious about holding him accountable to the law, they would also be forced to indict Obama (and just about every other modern president) for the same war crimes and abuses of executive power. Instead, says Van Buren, they will play political theater, pretending to be outraged about things that most voters simply don't care about. He worries about what this kind of standard will mean for America's political future once Trump leaves office.

Discussed on the show:

"Finding a Vaccine for the Impeachment Derangement Virus" (The American Conservative)

"Opinion | Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President" (The New York Times)

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.

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.

Doug Bandow comes back on the show to explain the importance of America taking a backseat with Ukraine, particularly with respect to its dispute with Russia over Crimea. Bandow reminds us that Crimea has historically always been a part of Russia, and that it was seized back from Ukraine with relatively little violence and general support of the population. Bandow sees it as oddly selective to vehemently oppose Russia's authoritarianism when the U.S. seems perfectly willing to support other oppressive governments, like Saudi Arabia, and thinks it's extremely dangerous to stoke up essentially unnecessary conflicts with nuclear-armed countries.

Discussed on the show:

"Time to Extricate From Ukraine" (The American Conservative)

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a regular contributor at Forbes Magazine, the National Interest, and elsewhere. He’s on Twitter @Doug_Bandow.

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.

Doug Bandow comes back on the show to explain the importance of America taking a backseat with Ukraine, particularly with respect to its dispute with Russia over Crimea. Bandow reminds us that Crimea has historically always been a part of Russia, and that it was seized back from Ukraine with relatively little violence and general support of the population. Bandow sees it as oddly selective to vehemently oppose Russia's authoritarianism when the U.S. seems perfectly willing to support other oppressive governments, like Saudi Arabia, and thinks it's extremely dangerous to stoke up essentially unnecessary conflicts with nuclear-armed countries.

Discussed on the show:

"Time to Extricate From Ukraine" (The American Conservative)

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a regular contributor at Forbes Magazine, the National Interest, and elsewhere. He’s on Twitter @Doug_Bandow.

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 talks to Dan McAdams about the U.S. withdrawal from northeastern Syria, and the ensuing negotiations between Assad, the Kurds, and Turkey. McAdams reminds us that the whole crisis was only precipitated by America's decision to intervene in Syria's civil war, a thinly-veiled attempt to overthrow the Assad regime. Scott reminds us that, as usual, it's really all about limiting Iran's influence in the Middle East.

Discussed on the show:

"Veterans doubt value of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan in new poll" (Military Times)

Daniel McAdams is the executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and the co-host of the Ron Paul Liberty Report. Follow him on Twitter @DanielLMcAdams and read all of his work over 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.