The Scott Horton Show from The Libertarian Institute

Patrick Cockburn discusses the recent attacks on a Saudi oil facility, an American drone, and two Japanese tankers, all of which have been pinned to various degrees on Iran. It's unclear to what extent Iran actually was involved—it's always possible that this is a false narrative being used to gin up tensions and cause a war—but no matter who was responsible, these attacks demonstrate the extent to which countries like Iran and Yemen could wage asymmetrical war on more powerful countries like the U.S., severely hurting their adversaries with little cost and no risk. With this in mind, those in power need be extremely cautious about America's relationship with Iran and in the rest of the region.

Discussed on the show:

"The drone attacks in Saudi Arabia have changed the nature of global warfare" (Independent)

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 Sheldon Richman about his new book, a collection of essays on the history of Israel and Palestine. He explains that almost everything we've heard about the official narrative of the founding of Israel is wrong—far from a country of peaceful Jews constantly under threat of being pushed into the sea by a bunch of hateful Arabs, Richman says the Israelis continues to exist only by occupation, colonization, and removal of Palestinians from land that their families have occupied for years. Richman addresses another popular point of argument, which is the biblical justification for the Jewish right of return to the land. Even if you're a fan of that argument, he says, the non-Jews in the Middle East probably have a better claim to the land than Jews who live in Europe and America, since today's Middle Easterners are the ones that are actually descended from the Jews who were kicked out by the Romans 2000 years ago. Richman's book is the place to go to understand this history and many other arguments around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Discussed on the show:

Coming to Palestine

""Ancient History": U.S. Conduct in the Middle East Since World War II and the Folly of Intervention" (Cato Institute)

Six-Day War

The Invention of the Jewish People

The Thirteenth Tribe

Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History

"The Myth of the U.N. Creation of Israel" (Foreign Policy Journal)

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: 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 Sheldon Richman about his new book, a collection of essays on the history of Israel and Palestine. He explains that almost everything we've heard about the official narrative of the founding of Israel is wrong—far from a country of peaceful Jews constantly under threat of being pushed into the sea by a bunch of hateful Arabs, Richman says the Israelis continues to exist only by occupation, colonization, and removal of Palestinians from land that their families have occupied for years. Richman addresses another popular point of argument, which is the biblical justification for the Jewish right of return to the land. Even if you're a fan of that argument, he says, the non-Jews in the Middle East probably have a better claim to the land than Jews who live in Europe and America, since today's Middle Easterners are the ones that are actually descended from the Jews who were kicked out by the Romans 2000 years ago. Richman's book is the place to go to understand this history and many other arguments around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Discussed on the show:

Coming to Palestine

""Ancient History": U.S. Conduct in the Middle East Since World War II and the Folly of Intervention" (Cato Institute)

Six-Day War

The Invention of the Jewish People

The Thirteenth Tribe

Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History

"The Myth of the U.N. Creation of Israel" (Foreign Policy Journal)

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: 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.

Nasser Arrabyee comes back for an update on the war in Yemen. Saudi forces continue to bomb Yemeni cities, and American neocons continue to insist that the war is being justly prosecuted against the Iran-backed Houthis. Arrabyee says these claims of Iranian support are overblown. As usual, the American media ignores most of the history and nuances of the war altogether.

Discussed on the show:

"Saudis Pound Yemen After Houthis' Truce Offer" (News From Antiwar.com)

"Saudi-led coalition launches 27 airstrikes on Yemen in 24 hours: Houthi spokesman" (China.org)

"Saudi Arabia begins new operation against Yemen’s Houthi rebels near Hodeidah" (The Defense Post)

Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of yemen-now.com. You can follow him on Twitter @narrabyee.

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.

Nasser Arrabyee comes back for an update on the war in Yemen. Saudi forces continue to bomb Yemeni cities, and American neocons continue to insist that the war is being justly prosecuted against the Iran-backed Houthis. Arrabyee says these claims of Iranian support are overblown. As usual, the American media ignores most of the history and nuances of the war altogether.

Discussed on the show:

"Saudis Pound Yemen After Houthis' Truce Offer" (News From Antiwar.com)

"Saudi-led coalition launches 27 airstrikes on Yemen in 24 hours: Houthi spokesman" (China.org)

"Saudi Arabia begins new operation against Yemen’s Houthi rebels near Hodeidah" (The Defense Post)

Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of yemen-now.com. You can follow him on Twitter @narrabyee.

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 Hannah Cox, from Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, who explains why anyone who favors smaller government should oppose the death penalty. Among the problems she cites: one in nine death penalty convicts are later outright exonerated, not to mention many more who are released due to potential innocence or procedural issues; the fact that it costs up to $1 million more to execute someone than if they were given life without parole; and that the defendants who get death penalty convictions are often not the ones who committed the most heinous crimes, but simply the ones with the least effective lawyers. Cox urges all lovers of liberty to join her in support of total abolition of the death penalty.

Discussed on the show:

"The Right Way: More Republican lawmakers championing death penalty repeal" (Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty)

Hannah Cox is National Manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. Follow her on Twitter @HannahCox7.

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 Hannah Cox, from Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, who explains why anyone who favors smaller government should oppose the death penalty. Among the problems she cites: one in nine death penalty convicts are later outright exonerated, not to mention many more who are released due to potential innocence or procedural issues; the fact that it costs up to $1 million more to execute someone than if they were given life without parole; and that the defendants who get death penalty convictions are often not the ones who committed the most heinous crimes, but simply the ones with the least effective lawyers. Cox urges all lovers of liberty to join her in support of total abolition of the death penalty.

Discussed on the show:

"The Right Way: More Republican lawmakers championing death penalty repeal" (Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty)

Hannah Cox is National Manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. Follow her on Twitter @HannahCox7.

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.

David Stockman talks about the recent drone strike on a Saudi Arabian oil facility and America's sanctions war in Iran. For some reason, everything in the Middle East seems to be about Iran, as far as American neocons are concerned. They will do anything to turn a situation into an excuse to push for war with Iran, or to hurt them in a less violent but in some ways more horrific manner, like with economic sanctions. Stockman hopes that Trump will realize how advantageous it would be if we could get along with Iran, and take steps to institute a new nuclear agreement—or even reinstate the old one, call it something else, and take credit for his magnificent negotiating skills.

Discussed on the show:

"Locked and Loaded on Behalf of Empire First" (Antiwar.com Original)

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; 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.

David Stockman talks about the recent drone strike on a Saudi Arabian oil facility and America's sanctions war in Iran. For some reason, everything in the Middle East seems to be about Iran, as far as American neocons are concerned. They will do anything to turn a situation into an excuse to push for war with Iran, or to hurt them in a less violent but in some ways more horrific manner, like with economic sanctions. Stockman hopes that Trump will realize how advantageous it would be if we could get along with Iran, and take steps to institute a new nuclear agreement—or even reinstate the old one, call it something else, and take credit for his magnificent negotiating skills.

Discussed on the show:

"Locked and Loaded on Behalf of Empire First" (Antiwar.com Original)

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; 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.

Max Blumenthal recounts his recent trip to Syria, where he witnessed firsthand the destruction wrought by the proxy war fought there with the support of the U.S. To this day, willingness to negotiate with the Assad regime makes you a pariah in Washington, as we've seen from Tulsi Gabbard's presidential campaign. Blumenthal also talks about America's economic war on Iran, which, like all sanctions, hurts only a country's people and rarely does anything to accomplish the supposed political ends.

Discussed on the show:

"Meet the militantly pro-Israel Trump official directing the economic war on Iran" (The Grayzone)

WFTU

"Commentary: I just visited Iran. Here’s what I heard about the U.S." (Reuters)

Director and writer of “Killing Gaza,” Max Blumenthal is a senior editor of the Grayzone Project and the author Goliath, Republican Gomorrah, and The 51 Day War. Follow Max on Twitter @MaxBlumenthal.

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.