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Scott interviews Libertarian Institute William Norman Grigg Fellow Thomas Eddlem about two articles he recently wrote. The first focuses on how the Fed’s artificial price inflation is harming those who do and will rely on Social Security. The second examines how the Fed-created housing crisis traps people in poverty.

Discussed on the show:

• “The Trillion Dollar Social Security Trust Fund Robbery” (Libertarian Institute)
• “Home Ownership Crisis: How the Fed Creates a Financial Underclass” (Libertarian Institute)

Thomas R. Eddlem is the William Norman Grigg Fellow at the Libertarian Institute, an economist and a freelance writer published by more than 20 periodicals and websites. 

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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David Stockman discusses the outrage that has followed President Trump’s movement of a few dozen troops out of northeastern Syria. Stockman is quick to clarify that this is not even a withdrawal of troops, just a relocation from one part of the country into another, safer area. With this much hand-wringing from the mainstream media and the Israel lobby, how could Trump ever actually end a war? Scott and Stockman agree that the situation certainly looks grim, but remind us that Trump really does seem to have a knack for popular politics, meaning that he might realize his best avenue toward a second term would be steadily withdrawing U.S. troops around the world between now and the election.

Discussed on the show:

• “Bravo Donald! A War Washington Might Finally Leave” (Antiwar.com Original)
• “Can Israel trust the U.S. after Syria withdrawal?” (Jerusalem Post)
• “Sen. Lindsey Graham calls troop withdrawal from northern Syria a ‘nightmare for Israel’” (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
• “Israel uneasy over Trump’s refusal to stand by Kurds” (Reuters)
• “Israelis Watch U.S. Abandon Kurds, and Worry: Who’s Next?” (The New York Times)

David Stockman is the ultimate Washington insider turned iconoclast. He began his career in Washington as a young man and quickly rose through the ranks of the Republican Party to become the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. After leaving the White House, Stockman had a 20-year career on Wall Street. He is the author of Trumped!, The Triumph of Politics, and his history of the financial crisis, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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Scott interviews Joe Lauria about his recent Consortium News piece calling out the failures of The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer and the rest of the mainstream media’s “investigative journalists” to actually do any investigative journalism with respect to the Ukraine impeachment inquiry. Lauria points out that at the very least, Joe Biden is guilty of a level of nepotism that should be totally unacceptable—and he recently even admitted this himself. But Lauria also reminds us that the Obama administration backed a neo-Nazi coup in Ukraine in 2014, and then placed multiple friendly Americans in high-level government and business positions. Mayer’s “investigation” points none of this out, opting instead to dismiss all concerns as wild conspiracy theory. Like “Russiagate” before, she and the rest of the mainstream media show little interest in discovering the truth behind “Ukrainegate”, happy instead to let their own partisanship get in the way of what should be their jobs.

Discussed on the show:

• “The New Yorker’s Partisan Attempt to Refute Its Claim of Partisan Disinformation on Biden and Ukraine” (Consortium News)
• “The Invention of the Conspiracy Theory on Biden and Ukraine” (The New Yorker)
• The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals
• Warren Commission
• “Assistant Secretary Nuland Comments on Ukraine” (YouTube)
• “Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier” (The New Yorker)
• “State Department Official Caught on Tape Saying “F-ck the EU”” (The Atlantic)

Joe Lauria is the editor-in-chief at Consortium News. He is a former UN correspondent and wrote at the Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal. You can follow him on Twitter @unjoe.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.Audio Player

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Matt Taibbi talks about the bizarre origins of the Ukraine impeachment inquiry being conducted in Congress. He carefully explains the distinction between real whistleblowers like Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning, who risked their lives and freedom to expose genuine atrocities, and this anonymous, possibly coordinated, leak, where the figures in question face little consequence, and in fact have strong political incentive to side with those who might come to power as a result of their actions. Like Scott, Taibbi is no fan of Trump, but he is adamant that we should all criticize the president for what he’s actually doing wrong—like the genocide in Yemen—and not made-up deep state schemes to oust a man that they find personally odious.

Discussed on the show:

• “The Ukrainegate ‘Whisteblower’ Isn’t a Real Whistleblower” (Rolling Stone)
• “We’re in a Permanent Coup” (Substack)

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.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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Scott talks to Danny Sjursen about President Trump’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, which Sjursen views as the first instance of him actually following through on a major promise made on Twitter. Sjursen says that to surprise the generals and war planners with this kind of announcement is exactly what they deserve, and may be the only way Trump can actually pull back from any of our military operations without getting stymied by the deep state. Sjursen reminds us that what the neocon outcry is really about, of course, is keeping an American base in Syria to “check Iran.” He adds that although we often hear claims about the need to protect women and minority rights in places like Afghanistan, the same arguments are not made with respect to Syria, where Assad is clearly a better steward of these causes than his enemies would be.

Discussed on the show:

• “The United States of Betrayal” (Antiwar.com Original)
• “Secretary of Defense, Incorporated” (Truthdig)
• “IDF chief finally acknowledges that Israel supplied weapons to Syrian rebels | The Times of Israel” (Times of Israel)
• Donald J. Trump on Twitter: “The hardest thing I have to do as President…… “

Danny Sjursen is a retired U.S. army major and former history instructor at West Point. He writes regularly for TomDispatch.com and he’s the author of “Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge.” Follow him on Twitter @SkepticalVet.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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Chas Freeman talks about America’s relationship with Taiwan, which the U.S. has long considered an official part of China. Since 2018, however, our stance has begun to change in what Freeman considers a dangerous way. Because American policy prevents direct arms sales to China, it’s in the interest of the military-industrial complex to promote Taiwan as a sovereign entity. This might be fine if all one cares about is democracy and self-governance, but it could be extremely hazardous in the event of a war between Taiwan and mainland China, where the U.S. has pledged military support to Taiwan. Freeman says the domestic unpopularity such a war would vastly eclipse Vietnam, with the added problem that China has nuclear weapons capable of hitting any American city.

Discussed on the show:

• “Taiwan Arms Sales and the Erosion of US-Sino Diplomacy” (Antiwar.com Original)
• Taiwan Relations Act
• Taiwan Travel Act

Chas W. Freeman was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1993-94 and served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Follow him at his website, chasfreeman.net.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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Daniel Davis discusses President Trump’s recent announcement that he wants to withdraw American troops from Syria. He made a similar announcement a year ago, and just like back then, he’s now being met with fierce opposition, along with claims that to leave now would mean abandoning our allies in the region. What Trump’s critics really mean, say Davis and Scott, is that this move could strengthen Iran’s power in the Middle East, which is the worst nightmare of all neocons. Davis says that despite their concern, 1,000 troops in Syria will do absolutely nothing to check Iran’s influence, nor would 10,000 troops, like we have on their eastern border in Afghanistan.

Discussed on the show:

• “Withdrawal of all US troops from Syria — not a partial repositioning — should be American policy” (The Hill)
• Donald J. Trump on Twitter: “The hardest thing I have to do as President…”

Daniel Davis did multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan during his time in the army. He writes a weekly column for National Interest and is the author of the reports “Dereliction of Duty II: Senior Military Leaders’ Loss of Integrity Wounds Afghan War Effort” and “Go Big or Go Deep: An Analysis of Strategy Options on Afghanistan.” Find him on Twitter @DanielLDavis1.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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Dan McKnight joins Scott to discuss his very important organization, Bring Our Troops Home, which argues against America’s endless wars in the Middle East from a constitutional conservative position. Scott explains how the left has always been pretty good on the war issue, as is the older generation of Vietnam-era veterans who have turned anti-war. What we really need in order to change U.S. foreign policy is for the large base of younger republicans, including veterans of the current wars, to realize that a limited, defensive military policy really is the correct conservative stance. McKnight’s group, and others in the same movement, aim to galvanize this demographic.

Discussed on the show:

• “Bring Our Troops Home movement growing, and Risch says he agrees” (Idaho State Journal)
• “Pew report: Most veterans say the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were not worth fighting – Veterans” (Stars and Stripes)
• “Defend the Guard Legislation” (Tenth Amendment Center)
• Concerned Veterans for America

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: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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Scott interviews Reese Erlich about the situation in Turkey, where the government is beginning to carry out a plan to get rid of the country’s Kurdish population in a kind of soft genocide that consists mostly in displacing native Kurds with Syrian refugees. Scott and Erlich also discuss the current protests against Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Discussed on the show:

• “Foreign Correspondent: Turkey Plans an Attack on Syrian Kurds” (Progressive.org)
• Coping with Crumbling States
• Warren Commission

Reese Erlich is a freelance journalist who has reported from the Middle East for decades. His nationally distributed column, Foreign Correspondent, appears every two weeks. He is the author of The Iran Agenda Today: the Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis. Find him on Twitter at @ReeseErlich or at his website.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

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