On Conscription by Daniel Webster 1814

The House had under consideration a bill proposing to draft men for service in the War of 1812. MR. Webster: Mr. Chairman: After the best reflection which I have been able to bestow on the subject of the bill before you, I am of the opinion that its principles are not warranted by any provision of the constitution. It appears to me to partake of the nature of those other propositions for military measures, which this session, so fertile in invention, has produced. It is of the same class with...

07/04/13 – Robert Higgs – The Scott Horton Show

Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy at The Independent Institute, discusses his classic The Transformation of the American Economy 1865-1914; the July 4th celebration of statism and American mythology; the real motivations of our founding fathers; and the heroic individuals who aren't included in mainstream history books.

07/04/13 – Adam Morrow – The Scott Horton Show

IPS News journalist Adam Morrow discusses the Egyptian military coup against Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi; undoing Egypt's democratic elections that resulted in Islamist parties dominating government; and doubts about the military's promise of new elections in six months, with Egyptians more polarized than ever before.

07/04/13 – The Other Scott Horton – The Scott Horton Show

The Other Scott Horton, "No Comment" blogger for Harper's Magazine, discusses how the NSA's surveillance program could threaten the Atlantic Alliance; the illegal US-led hijacking of the Bolivian president's airplane in Europe on suspicion whistleblower Edward Snowden was aboard; and the US media's coverage of Snowden himself, rather than the damning information he leaked about massive government spying.

07/03/13 – Jason Leopold – The Scott Horton Show

Al Jazeera journalist Jason Leopold discusses the widespread breakdown of safeguards at Gitmo that contributed to prisoner Adnan Latif's death in 2012; the Guantanamo policy changes that brought on the prisoner hunger strike; and the bipartisan political opportunism that kept Latif imprisoned despite being cleared for release by the Bush and Obama administrations.

07/03/13 – Will Grigg – The Scott Horton Show

Will Grigg, author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses the FOX propaganda line on NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and Russia's extradition refusal; why the US more closely resembles an evil Leninist empire than does Russia; our above-the-law, "soft totalitarian" government; and the European sky-piracy carried out against Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Stupidity or Plan?

By Scott Horton Future of Freedom Foundation Are America’s disasters abroad a result of stupidity or some elaborate plan? An observer of modern U.S. foreign policy can be torn on that one. It makes sense that generals, contractors, and other national-security state types will invent and follow a deliberate policy of divide and rule, as well as to create crises to move on to the next big job. But if one looks closely, it does begin to seem that perhaps narrow-minded, shortsighted stupidity is...

07/01/13 – Philip Weiss – The Scott Horton Show

Philip Weiss, founder and co-editor of Mondoweiss, discusses Secretary of State John Kerry's persistent yet futile push for peace talks in Israel; the never-ending colonization of the West Bank; why most Americans have never heard of the Nakba; and mainstream recognition that a Jewish state isn't really necessary.

07/01/13 – Adam Morrow – The Scott Horton Show

IPS News journalist Adam Morrow discusses the huge protests against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi; the Egyptian military's demand that a political settlement be reached within 48 hours, or else; and why the secular Egyptian opposition looks ready to vote for another military dictatorship only two years after deposing Hosni Mubarak.