Scott brought Matthew Hoh on Antiwar Radio to talk about his experience discovering the truth about what Israel is doing to the Palestinians and his recent experience traveling to the border of Gaza.

Discussed on the show:

“These Last Eight Days in Palestine” (Substack)

Matthew Hoh is associate director at the Eisenhower Media Network and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Subscribe to his Substack and follow him on Twitter @MatthewPHoh

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Robers Brokerage Incorporated; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; Libertas Bella; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

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11/11/20 David Swanson: Leaving World War II Behind

Scott interviews author and peace activist David Swanson in honor of Veterans’ Day, or Armistice Day, as it was originally known. Swanson begins by describing the way World War II has become the justification for just about every use of military force by the United States since then. This particular part of American history has made an impression on many people that war can be necessary and good, and that America can be the world’s police force. In a new book, Swanson tries to shift that conversation, both taking his readers back to the circumstances that gave rise to World War II, and also dispelling many of the myths about the war. In particular, he tells the little-known history of U.S. indifference toward—and, even worse, cooperation with—the worst of the Nazi regime, arguing that the real reasons for fighting the war were much less noble. Finally, even if the unique evil of Hitler and the Nazis could justify World War II (an argument Swanson doesn’t buy), that still wouldn’t validate the arguments for why America has to join in any other wars, which clearly fall short of the unique circumstances of Nazi Germany.

Discussed on the show:

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. He is the author of War is a Lie, When the World Outlawed War and Leaving World War II Behind. Find him on Twitter @davidcnswanson.

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; and Listen and Think Audio.

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11/6/20 Dave DeCamp on the Foreign Policy of a Biden Administration

With Joe Biden apparently poised to be America’s next president, Scott talks to Dave DeCamp about some possible foreign policy changes under the new administration. To begin with, DeCamp worries that Biden will use a recent uptick in violence as an excuse to keep American troops in Afghanistan indefinitely, basically the strategy he advocated as Vice President. On Israel, DeCamp says that Biden was known as one of the strongest zionists in Washington until Trump showed up, and so we can expect very little positive change on that front either. Finally, Scott and DeCamp discuss the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and its implications for the rest of the world.

Discussed on the show:

“Biden says US must maintain small force in Middle East, has no plans for major Defense cuts” (Stars and Stripes)
“The US is secretly helping the Taliban fight ISIS in Afghanistan” (Washington Post)

Dave DeCamp is the assistant news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.

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11/6/20 Jeff Deist on the Cancerous Growth of America’s Federal Government

Jeff Deist discusses the idea that the best path forward for America may be some kind of peaceful breakup. He reminds us that America has never truly been one country, the way that, for instance, many small European nations are—and indeed the United States was never really supposed to be a single unified monolith. With such a diversity of culture over such a huge geographical area, a federal government was meant to serve a very limited purpose while leaving most decisions up to the individual states. Deist and Scott see today’s culture war as a symptom of an unhealthy and unconstitutional growth of executive and federal power, which turns every national political debate into a fight for absolute control. Deist hopes that we can find an answer to America’s division in the form of decentralization or peaceful secession before it comes to any kind of open ciil war—an outcome that nobody wants to see.

Discussed on the show:

“When Will Americans Realize They Aren’t ‘One Nation’?” (The Libertarian Institute)
Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century

Jeff Deist is president of the Mises Institute, where he serves as a writer, public speaker, and advocate for property, markets, and civil society. He previously worked as a longtime advisor and chief of staff to Congressman Ron Paul, for whom he wrote hundreds of articles and speeches. Follow him on Twitter @jeffdeist.

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10/31/20 Nicolas Davies: Bolivia Repudiates Yet Another Western Coup Attempt

Nicolas Davies joins the show for an update on the situation in Bolivia, where President Evo Morales was forced to flee the country last year after allegations that his party fixed the elections to give him another term. Davies argues that the elections probably were fair after all, but at the time these allegations were enough to set in motion a military coup that saw the installation of an interim government more aligned with America’s interests. Interim President Jeanine Áñez twice delayed a promised round of new elections, prompting widespread protests from Bolivian citizens. When elections were finally held, Morales’ party took back power in a landslide victory, which Davies considers a clear repudiation of what amounted to a Western-backed coup attempt last year. He says that the United States government must stop trying to interfere this way all over the world if it wants to maintain any of its former credibility as a beacon of freedom and democracy.

Discussed on the show:

“Ending Regime Change — in Bolivia and the World” (Antiwar.com Original)
“10/2/20 Nicolas Davies on America’s Culpability for the War in Yemen” (The Libertarian Institute)

Nicolas J.S. Davies is the author of Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq. Follow him on Twitter @NicolasJSDavies.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

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10/30/20 Matt Taibbi on Tech Censorship, Glenn Greenwald and the Hunter Biden Laptop Story

Matt Taibbi discusses the controversial new developments surrounding possible corruption in the Biden family. Taibbi takes us back to the original controversy of Biden’s supposed pressure on the Ukrainian government to dismiss prosecutor Viktor Shokin when Biden was Vice President. The mainstream press, says Taibbi, remains united in their view on this issue: the dismissal had nothing to do with Hunter Biden’s activities on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, and anyone claiming otherwise is just spouting right-wing talking points. In his latest series of articles, Taibbi reexamines some of the circumstances surrounding this story. He also ties it to more recent revelations about Hunter Biden’s laptop, a story that has received even more disdain from the mainstream media. Taibbi is deeply concerned about tech company censorship of news organizations, fearing that this could signal a trend that spells the loss of a free press in America.

Discussed on the show:

“10 Ways to Call Something Russian Disinformation Without Evidence” (Reporting by Matt Taibbi)
“Glenn Greenwald On His Resignation From The Intercept” (Reporting by Matt Taibbi)
“With the Hunter Biden Expose, Suppression is a Bigger Scandal Than The Actual Story” (Reporting by Matt Taibbi)
“Facebook and Twitter’s Intervention Highlights Dangerous New Double Standard” (Reporting by Matt Taibbi)
“Article on Joe and Hunter Biden Censored By The Intercept” (Greenwald)
“Biden Faces Conflict of Interest Questions That Are Being Promoted by Trump and Allies” (The New York Times)
“Email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian biz man to dad” (New York Post)
“Told You So: After Supporting Censorship of Others, Mother Jones Now on the Receiving End of It” (The Free Thought Project)
Collateral Murder
The Good Soldiers
“All the President’s Men (1976)” (IMDb)
Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus
“The Insider (1999)” (IMDb)

Matt Taibbi is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and winner of the 2008 National Magazine Award for columns and commentary. He is the author of numerous books, including I Can’t Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street and Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus. Follow him at taibbi.substack.com or on Twitter @mtaibbi.

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10/30/20 Giorgio Cafiero on the Normalization of Israel-Sudan Relations

Scott talks to Giorgio Cafiero about the latest push for Sudan to join the group of countries officially normalizing ties with Israel. Cafiero thinks these official normalization deals are somewhat significant, but reminds us that none of the countries to sign such deals have actually been at war with Israel, and so the deals do not accomplish nearly as much as the Trump administration claims that they do. In Sudan in particular, Cafiero fears that a new deal with Isreal could jeopardize an uneasy peace only recently established after huge protests in 2018 and 2019 resulted in the overthrow of Sudan’s decades-long dictatorship. Cafiero says these deals are mostly a ploy to improve Trump’s image ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

Discussed on the show:

“Trump administration twists Sudan’s arm to establish new Israel ties” (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft)
“The US push for Sudan to normalize relations with Israel won’t be so easy” (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft)
“Oman plays it safe on Israel” (Middle East Institute)
“Biden and the Saudi quagmire in Yemen ” (Al-Araby)

Giorgio Cafiero is the CEO and founder of Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC. He writes regularly for the Middle East Institute, The National Interest, and LobeLog. Find him on Twitter @GiorgioCafiero.

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10/23/20 Danny Sjursen on Nagorno-Karabakh and America’s Failed Afghanistan Strategy

Scott talks to Danny Sjursen about the latest in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where Sjursen says about 5,000 people have likely been killed. The media narrative about this situation, explains Sjursen, has always been that Russia is providing material support to Armenia, and encourages the fighting for their own geopolitical purposes. In reality though, Russia supports both sides to some extent, and really only has an interest in peace, since these countries are so close to Russia’s own borders. Most of the existing peace talks during this decades-long conflict, in fact, have been brokered by the Russian government. Scott also asks about Sjursen’s time in Afghanistan, and the ineffective strategy the U.S. has tried to employ against the Taliban throughout the war, despite failure after failure.

Discussed on the show:

“10/9/20 Daniel Davis on the Failures of American Foreign Policy Since the Gulf War” (The Libertarian Institute)
“19h Anniversary of Boots on the Ground in Afghanistan: With Danny Sjursen, Dan McKnight, and Scott Horton” (Antiwar.com Blog)
War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America’s Most Decorated Soldier
“10/2/20 Danny Sjursen on the Latest Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict” (The Libertarian Institute)
“The US is Covertly Helping the Taliban Fight ISIS in Afghanistan” (News From Antiwar.com)
“The U.S. is secretly helping the Taliban fight ISIS in Afghanistan” (The Hour)
Eleventh Hour in 2020 America: How America’s foreign policy got jacked up – and how the next Administration can fix it
“The Hunt for Red October (1990)” (IMDb)
Fear: Trump in the White House

Danny Sjursen is a retired U.S. army major and former history instructor at West Point. He is the author of Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge and Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War. Follow him on Twitter @SkepticalVet.

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10/23/20 Daniel Davis: Trump vs. Biden on Foreign Policy

Daniel Davis is back, this time for a discussion of Trump and Biden’s foreign policy positions in light of last night’s presidential debate. Overall Davis thinks it’s good that Trump hasn’t started any new wars—unlike all of his recent predecessors—but is disappointed by the extent to which he has been unable to put his antiwar campaign promises into practice. Davis think Trump made good strides toward peace with North Korea, something that Biden predictably attacked him for during the debate. This is one signal that Biden, along with the rest of the establishment, would seek a return to “normalcy” should he win the presidency—meaning a return to the disastrous and hawkish foreign policy consensus that has been getting America into so much trouble for decades.

Discussed on the show: