Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses how (relatively) peaceful and quick Arab uprisings make Al Qaeda’s brand of violent revolution even less appealing; the slippery slope of interventions started with Libya, where there is no logical stopping point (why not Iran, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, etc.); blaming Iran for all the popular uprisings against US-allied dictators; and efforts to reassert US influence in Egypt, especially regarding continued cooperation with Israel on Gaza.
03/30/11 – Noah Shachtman – The Scott Horton Show
Noah Shachtman, editor of WIRED magazine’s Danger Room blog, discusses his article, “Anthrax Redux: Did the Feds Nab the Wrong Guy?” revisiting the FBI’s case against Bruce Ivins; the compelling circumstantial evidence despite the many crucial unknowns, such as motive and opportunity; FBI pressure brought to bear on Ivins and his family, leading to his seemingly-credible suicide (though no autopsy was performed); his coworkers’ near-unanimous opinion of his innocence; and how anthrax hysteria...
03/29/11 – Thomas E. Woods – The Scott Horton Show
Thomas E. Woods, author of Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse, discusses the actual constitutional war-making powers of the president; why UN mandates do not override the sovereignty of national governments; the “imminent attack” exception to a congressional authorization of war (though somehow FDR found the time after Pearl Harbor to ask for and receive a formal declaration); why the US Constitution is better off in the junk yard than the repair shop; and the...
03/29/11 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show
Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses how the joint congressional testimony of Gen. Petraeus and Michele Flournoy betrays the Obama administration’s intent to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely; why a never-ending military presence greatly hinders negotiations with the Taliban; why pipeline politics remain a peripheral issue in US war-making decisions; the resilience of loyal Obama supporters who still see hope and change in this train wreck of a presidency;...
03/29/11 – Stephen M. Walt – The Scott Horton Show
Stephen M. Walt, professor of international affairs at Harvard University and co-author of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, discusses the liberal interventionists and neoconservatives uniting in support of war in Libya; how the mission to protect Libyan civilians almost immediately became a mandate for regime change – despite claims to the contrary; fighting a preventative war based on anticipated massacres and imagined regional repercussions; the risk of moral hazard, where any and...
03/28/11 – Haroon Siddiqui – The Scott Horton Show
Haroon Siddiqui, editorial writer for the Toronto Star, discusses the disparaging reference to Middle Eastern public opinion as “word from the Arab street;” how the scenes from Egypt’s revolution differed from the stereotypical images of Arabs imagined by Americans; the shaky foundations of countries invented by post-colonial European bureaucrats; why Arab monarchs are described as “moderates” because they cooperate with the US, not because they are remotely democratic; the large number of...
03/28/11 – Grant F. Smith – The Scott Horton Show
Grant F. Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C., discusses the Council on Foreign Relations book Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle; the idea that the Israeli socialist Sparta makes an exemplary model for economic growth, where national conscription breeds cohesiveness and innovation; how the CFR conveniently ignores the transfer of military technology, industrial espionage and favorable trade agreements; and the divide...
03/28/11 – Jason Ditz – The Scott Horton Show
Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the lengthening Libya intervention from “days not weeks” to an open ended commitment with no end in sight – despite Robert Gates’s assertion that Libya poses no threat to the US; how the Bahrain issue has driven a (real or invented) wedge between the US and Saudi Arabia; Yemeni protests coming to a head and spelling the end of President Saleh’s rule; protests in Syria gaining enough momentum to possibly force the end to an emergency...
03/25/11 – Jennifer Van Bergen – The Scott Horton Show
Jennifer Van Bergen, a journalist, author and law lecturer, discusses the reasons why Guantanamo prisoners aren’t being tried in federal courts; how the Miranda warning – established by the Supreme Court to protect constitutional rights – has been eviscerated by Executive branch policy changes; why a parallel legal system for terrorism cases is not necessary; and how the “public safety” exception to Miranda provides all the flexibility needed to interrogate and prosecute...
03/25/11 – Sheldon Richman – The Scott Horton Show
Sheldon Richman, senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses “Obama’s Imperial Adventure” in Libya; the many Democrats and leftists falling over themselves to defend Obama; why the UN mandate to protect Libyan civilians isn’t possible with the supposedly limited “no-fly” zone; and why Congress couldn’t delegate war-making powers to the UN even if wanted to.
03/25/11 – Jason Leopold and Michael Kerns – The Scott Horton Show
This recording is from the KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles broadcast of March 25th. The KPFK archive is here. Investigative reporter Jason Leopold and retired Air Force Capt. Michael Kearns discuss the Truthout article “CIA Psychologist’s Notes Reveal True Purpose Behind Bush’s Torture Program;” how psychologically exploited prisoners were used to generate terror-war propaganda, make false confessions and “collaborate” with interrogators; how torture program architect Dr. Bruce Jessen “reverse...
03/25/11 – George Donnelly – The Scott Horton Show
Libertarian activist George Donnelly discusses the libertarian online streaming video Agorist Unconference this weekend, March 25-27; working to establish a free market and alternate currencies outside the bounds of state control; and a sample of unconference speakers, ranging from whole milk farmers to pirate radio operators to New Hampshire free-staters. Scott Horton and Antiwar Radio producer Angela Keaton are also schedule to speak.
03/24/11 – James Ridgeway – The Scott Horton Show
James Ridgeway, Senior Washington Correspondent for Mother Jones, discusses the general detainment conditions in US prisons, in light of Bradley Manning’s mistreatment; the “Angola 3” prisoners held in solitary confinement for almost four decades; the forgotten Eighth Amendment to the Constitution; using solitary confinement as a baseline condition, rather than a temporary punitive measure; why prison culture is indicative of extreme American ignorance or just barbarism; and the few...
03/24/11 – Barrett Brown – The Scott Horton Show
Barrett Brown, journalist and sometimes-spokesman for Anonymous, discusses the loosely affiliated hacker collective known as Anonymous; contributing to the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond; the internet’s use as a tool of liberation and of repressive surveillance; the danger of private companies developing software (dubbed “Metal Gear” by Anonymous) to infiltrate and manipulate social networks – especially those used to aid popular revolutions; and how the anti-Ben Bernanke Anonymous...
03/24/11 – John V. Walsh – The Scott Horton Show
John V. Walsh, frequent contributor to Counterpunch.org, discusses his article “Impeach Obama: A Challenge to Tea Partiers and Antiwar Liberals;” the two-party partisan trap that causes incessant infighting and diverts attention from the real problems; how Obama’s decision to militarily intervene in yet another Sunni Muslim country virtually guarantees more blowback; looking at the UN Libya vote in terms of the represented populations for and against intervention, which turns the 10-5 vote on...
