The Scott Horton Show from The Libertarian Institute

Trita Parsi talks about the possibility of diplomatic talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which he views as a consequence of the Biden administration's somewhat less aggressive stance toward the Middle East. People often allege that American military involvement abroad keeps the world safer; in reality, Parsi explains, it is only when the U.S. pulls back from conflict that countries must resort instead to diplomacy. He hopes Biden will make a commitment to ending some of America's forever wars and, above all, find a solution to the desperate humanitarian crisis in Yemen that America helped cause.

Discussed on the show:

"Why Mohammed bin Salman Suddenly Wants to Talk to Iran" (Foreign Policy)

"The Houthis Are Not Hezbollah – Foreign Policy" (Foreign Policy)

Trita Parsi is the president of the National Iranian American Council and the author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy. Parsi is the recipient of the 2010 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Follow him on Twitter @tparsi.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wapSkTm1g8g

Scott talks to Tom Collina about the alarming plan to expand America's nuclear arsenal. The $2 trillion package, Collina explains, would include a large investment in what's known as the "nuclear sponge": a collection of ICBMs in America's heartland designed to draw a nuclear attack from America's enemies, rather than one targeted at Washington D.C. or other major cities. But this policy actually makes things far more dangerous, says Collina, since there's then tremendous pressure to fire these land-based ICBMs before they're struck. And if that strike turns out to be a false alarm, the U.S. could accidentally start a full-scale nuclear war. This kind of accident, Collina insists, and not a preemptive strike, presents the greatest danger of nuclear war.

Discussed on the show:

"$264B for ICBMs That Would Be Destroyed in the Ground? No, Thanks" (Defense One)

The Putin Interviews

My Journey at the Nuclear Brink

The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump

The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner

This Is the Way the World Ends

"Opinion | Foreign Affairs; Now a Word From X" (The New York Times)

Tom Collina is Director of Policy for the Ploughshares Fund, a nonprofit combatting the spread of nuclear weapons. Collina writes for The National Interest, The Independent, Defense One, and many other publications. Find him on Twitter @TomCollina.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eUi-PBThao

Aisha Jumaan discusses the situation in Yemen. Although the Biden administration claimed earlier this year that it would end American support for Saudi "offensive operations" in Yemen, they have recently announced that certain support functions—like providing maintenance and spare parts for the Saudi air force—will continue. But this bald-faced reversal, says Jumaan, isn't even the main issue. Yes, the Saudis are killing innocent Yemenis in air strikes and other direct attacks, but by far the biggest threat to the health and safety of Yemeni civilians today is the Saudi blockade, which continues to stop critical goods like food and medicine from getting into the country. Those who care about ending this U.S.-sponsored humanitarian crisis must forcefully oppose continued American support for the war in all its forms.

Discussed on the show:

"Biden "Continues to Support Saudi Aggression on the People of Yemen"" (accuracy.org)

"In Yemen 'Diplomacy is Back.' What Next?" (Newsweek)

"Murphy Chairs First Subcommittee Hearing on Yemen" (murphy.senate.gov)

"Quiet Support for Saudis Entangles U.S. in Yemen" (The New York Times)

"‘We Think the Price Is Worth It’" (FAIR)

Dr. Aisha Jumaan is an epidemiologist and the founder and president of the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation. Find her on Twitter @AishaJumaan.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8L6gQ9RvKY

Scott interviews Andy Worthington about Guantanamo Bay, America's secret black site prison, where 40 men are still being held, some of them without ever having been charged with a crime. President Obama famously campaigned on closing Guantanamo, but ultimately was unable (or unwilling) to do so. President Trump, too, allowed the atrocious human rights abuses to continue throughout his administration. Worthington is optimistic about the possibility of change, but if the American people continue to turn a blind eye to this issue, things may simply carry on indefinitely.

Discussed on the show:

"The Obama GITMO myth" (Salon)

"The Guantanamo Files" (WikiLeaks)

"State Department Cables" (WikiLeaks)

"Baghdad War Diary" (WikiLeaks)

"Kabul War Diary" (WikiLeaks)

Boumediene v. Bush

Andy Worthington is the author of Guantanamo Files and the director of "Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo." Read his work at the Future of Freedom Foundation and AndyWorthington.co.uk and follow him on Twitter @GuantanamoAndy.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms_2RIPozqg

Scott talks to Dan Gifford, producer of the famous film, Waco: The Rules of Engagement, about the tragedy of the Waco siege, all the government and media lies to cover it up and what really happened behind the scenes. Gifford shares his decades of experience looking into this topic, including all the times when the government tried to shut him up.

Discussed on the show:

"What Really Happened At Waco And The Establishment Collusion to Cover It Up" (Dan Gifford)

"Will ABC really tell us what happened at Waco?" (Patch)

"Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)" (IMDb)

"Waco: A New Revelation (2000)" (IMDb)

"The F.L.I.R Project (Video 2001)" (IMDb)

The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation

"How the Government Covered Up the Waco Massacre" (The Libertarian Institute)

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany

Dan Gifford is a national Emmy-winning film producer and former reporter for CNN, The MacNeil Lehrer News Hour and ABC News. Check out his work on IMDb or his website, DanGifford.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC2LKyDJJNU

Gareth Porter discusses the recent announcement that the Biden administration will withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year. This is obviously a violation of the May 1 withdrawal agreement made under the Trump administration, but Porter is optimistic that Biden and his team are serious about getting out by this fall. Scott and Porter also talk about the latest negotiations in Vienna regarding American sanctions and the Iran nuclear deal. Porter worries that the U.S. is taking too hard a line, thinking they can get away with continued sanctions, and that the negotiations may fall apart as a result.

Discussed on the show:

"Opinion | Is Leaving Afghanistan the Right Move?" (The New York Times)

"Osama's Prodigal Son" (Rolling Stone)

"General: Afghan military will collapse without some US help" (AP News)

"Vienna talks reveal Biden team's attachment to sanctions that would torpedo Iran deal" (The Grayzone)

"Israeli officials will object to restoration of Iran deal in D.C. visit" (Axios)

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state. He is the author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare and, with John Kiriakou, The CIA Insider's Guide to the Iran Crisis. 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: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTmi6GRElPI

Scott interviews Edward Hasbrouck about the effort to finally abolish America's "selective service" requirement, the modern-day remains of what was once the draft. Hasbrouck explains how, after Nixon abolished the draft in the 1960s, Jimmy Carter reinstituted the system we have today, partially to combat national anxiety over the Iranian revolution and hostage crisis. Hasbrouck says that what the draft really is is an assurance to America's war planners that there will always be an unlimited supply of infantry troops to fight any war the government decides to wage. Taking this power away means putting some of the power to decide when the U.S. will actually fight a war back in the hands of the American people, where it belongs.

Discussed on the show:

"'Selective Service Repeal Act' Introduced in Congress" (Antiwar.com)

"Red Dawn (1984)" (IMDb)

Bill Texts: US SB1139

Edward Hasbrouck is a regular writer at Antiwar.com and maintains the blog, Resisters.info.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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

Scott interviews Ray McGovern about America's perilous foreign policy stance in Eastern Europe. Over the last few years, the U.S. has increasingly thrown its support behind Ukraine—and specifically the pro-Western, anti-Russian forces in that country. This policy has shown itself to be extremely dangerous, given Russia's clear willingness to go to war to defend its interests in Crimea and on its own border. Luckily, explains McGovern, the Biden administration seems to have backed down for the time being from a commitment to a full defense of Ukraine against Russia.

Discussed on the show:

"Biden and Blinken Blink on Ukraine" (Antiwar.com)

"White House: Intel on Russian 'bounties' on US troops shaky" (wfmz.com)

"Our Work with the DNC: Setting the record straight" (CrowdStrike)

The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

"Why America Can't End Its 'Forever Wars'" (Newsweek)

"[Letter from Washington] | A Very Perfect Instrument, by Andrew Cockburn" (Harper's Magazine)

"In Midst of War, Ukraine Becomes Gateway for Jihad" (The Intercept)

"Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call" (BBC News)

""F the EU!" - Victoria Nuland phoning with Geoffrey Pyatt" (YouTube)

"Nyet Means Nyet" (WikiLeaks)

Ray McGovern is the co-creator of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the former chief of the CIA’s Soviet analysts division. Read all of his work at his website: raymcgovern.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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

William Arkin discusses the changing nature of America's military, specifically the way that operations have shifted away from traditional "boots on the ground" and toward drone strikes, special forces, civilian contractors and intelligence analysts. In fact, for every soldier on the ground in the Middle East today, Arkin estimates that there are at least one hundred other people around the world to support that soldier. This has led to a Faustian bargain for the American people: the number of American troops getting killed and injured overseas is relatively low—on the other hand, this hugely built-up military complex makes it almost impossible to unwind any of our country's forever wars. In the latest case of Biden's supposed withdrawal from Afghanistan, Arkin thinks that this, too, is mostly theater: even if all "combat troops" come home, the U.S. will stay heavily involved in Afghanistan in other ways for years and years to come.

Discussed on the show:

The Generals Have No Clothes: The Untold Story of Our Endless Wars

"Why America Can't End Its 'Forever Wars'" (Newsweek)

"Facing the Facts of War with Russia" (The American Conservative)

William Arkin is a military intelligence analyst, activist, author, journalist, academic and consultant. His award-winning reporting has appeared on the front pages of The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. He is the author of American Coup: How a Terrified Government Is Destroying the Constitution and The Generals Have No Clothes: The Untold Story of Our Endless Wars. Follow him on Twitter @warkin.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzM5Eqw5lU4

Dan McKnight talks about the “Defend the Guard” movement, a set of bills that would mandate that a state’s national guard troops not be deployed overseas without an official declaration of war from congress. The legislation has sponsors in 31 states so far, and that number is growing. None of this, McKnight stresses, is a radical reinterpretation American law—it is just an attempt to follow the process that the constitution already lays out. It’s ridiculous, he says, that national guard troops are spending their time helping the American empire occupy countries halfway across the globe when their own states already need help.

Dan McKnight is the founder and Chairman of Idahoans to Bring Our Troops Home. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, three years active duty with the U.S. Army and ten years with the Idaho Army National Guard, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in 2006.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJQm2pVDhpQ