1/13/22 Andy Worthington on the Twenty Years of Abuse at Guantanamo Bay

Scott is joined by Andy Worthington, author of Guantanamo Files to discuss the status of the prison two decades after it opened. Worthington explains who remains detained at the prison, where detainees stand regarding trials and the developments that have happened under Biden so far. Scott and Worthington also discuss the shameful history of the illegal prison. Discussed on the show: Art from Guantanamo Bay Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist (IMDb) Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and...

1/13/22 Trita Parsi on the American Public’s Influence on US Foreign Policy

Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute recently wrote a piece in a German publication arguing that the noninterventionist sentiment of the Trump years was not an arbitration. So Scott brought him on to talk about it. They discuss Parsi’s expectations for the future of Europe’s security structure. They then get into whether or not public opinion has any impact on American foreign policy. Next, they discuss how global perceptions of Biden’s political situation are affecting the Iran deal...

1/7/22 Daniel McAdams on the Unfolding Revolution in Kazakhstan

Scott interviews Daniel McAdams about the uprisings in Kazakhstan this week on Antiwar Radio. McAdams explains why these violent protests broke out. He then points to how this has all the markings of a western-backed color-coded revolution. Scott and McAdams discuss the geopolitical importance of Kazakhstan and the “coalition of interests” with their eyes on the country.  Discussed on the show: “The U.S. Directed Rebellion in Kazakhstan May Well Strengthen Russia” (Moon of Alabama) ASB News /...

1/7/22 Bill Ottman on Alternative Social Networks and the Future of the Internet

Scott is joined by Bill Ottman, the co-founder and CEO of Minds — a blockchain-based social network. After Twitter banned Dr. Robert Malone for spreading alleged medical misinformation, many have been voicing frustration with the major social networks. And although some alternatives have been gaining in popularity, nothing has taken off as the new place as of yet. Ottman and Scott discuss the landscape of alternative social networks, the features these networks are offering and what we can...

12/30/21 Ray McGovern on the Dumb but Dangerous Tension With Russia Over Ukraine

Scott interviews Ray McGovern in this extended version of Antiwar Radio. They discuss the recent tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine. Both Scott and McGovern agree that there is no impending Russian invasion, despite how hard the American media are trying to push that narrative. McGovern gives a thorough explanation of post-Cold War U.S. Russia relations to provide important context often omitted.  Discussed on the show: “What! No Russian Invasion of Ukraine?” (Antiwar.com) Shock...

12/30/21 Grant F. Smith on Israel’s Evolving Strategy to Sway American Politics

Scott is joined by Grant F. Smith to talk about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) new strategy for reaching U.S. politicians. AIPAC has largely operated as a lobbying group on behalf of the State of Israel. But, as Smith explains, they are now working to set up a network of Political Action Committees. This will give them more freedom to fund candidates they like, and support the opponents of candidates they don’t. Scott and Smith give possible reasons for the evolving...

12/30/21 Darren Beattie on the Mysterious Men Who Breached the Capitol

Scott interviews Darren J. Beattie of Revolver News about the in-depth articles he’s written about the riot at the Capitol last January. Beattie’s reporting uses video and photo evidence to highlight a number of individuals who were instrumental in breaching the Capitol grounds and in directing rally-goers towards the building. But while hundreds of attendees have been charged for their actions that day, this group of instigators has remained virtually untouched by federal investigators. Scott...

Listeners Love Kyle Anzalone’s Conflicts of Interest

Via email: Hi, I just wanted to say that I am amazed by your COI podcast; I never found any other podcast as informative as yours without political or social instrumentalization. Thank you so much for your work. I wish I could be involved one day. I was in Tigray last summer, and I listened to your podcast, which was the most accurate for people who were not on the ground, and I was impressed. I am now heading to Sana’a in a week, and I am grateful for all your updates about Yemen. If...

Listeners Love Kyle Anzalone’s Conflicts of Interest

Via email: Hi, I just wanted to say that I am amazed by your COI podcast; I never found any other podcast as informative as yours without political or social instrumentalization. Thank you so much for your work. I wish I could be involved one day. I was in Tigray last summer, and I listened to your podcast, which was the most accurate for people who were not on the ground, and I was impressed. I am now heading to Sana’a in a week, and I am grateful for all your updates about Yemen. If...

12/30/21 Basir Bita on the Economic Crisis in Afghanistan

Scott interviews activist Basir Bita about the economic calamity that’s hit Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal this past summer. With the U.S. and IMF freezing Afghan government funds as well as widespread market corrections after the fall of the previous regime, Afghanistan has been thrown into turmoil. Food prices have tripled since the summer and many Afghans face issues with food security. Bita argues that the Biden Administration and others should get over their hesitation to work with...

12/30/21 Daniel Larison: US Militarism Should Have Died With the Soviet Union

Scott is joined by Antiwar.com contributing editor Daniel Larison to discuss his most recent piece. Larison argues that the period following the peaceful breakup of the USSR was the best moment for the U.S. to shed the militaristic blob it had built up in the name of fighting communism. Instead, the military-industrial-congressional complex scrambled to find a new enemy. And the next thirty years of meddling in the Middle East and Eastern Europe have resulted in today’s messy geopolitical...

Pete Quiñones is Leaving the Institute

As some of you may have already learned, managing editor Pete Quiñones will be leaving the Institute on December 31st. Personally, I still love the guy and plan on remaining good friends. (And for the record, I do not blame him for the recent doxing of a couple of our fellow libertarians. He denied involvement to me and I believe him. So this is not due directly to that.) It’s only that lately our paths are diverging and it’s better for all involved if we go our own directions...

12/22/21 Gareth Porter on Iran and Afghanistan

Scott celebrates eleven years on the radio by interviewing Gareth Porter about Biden’s first year in office. They discuss the negotiations between the Administration and Iran over a return to the JCPOA. Despite many crossovers with the team that reached an agreement with Iran back in the Obama years, Biden’s people appear set on squeezing more concessions out of the Iranians. But Porter points out that, as he had predicted, the U.S. reluctance to return to the deal led to hardliner victories...