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Eli Clifton returns to the show to talk about some of the recent reporting he’s done at Responsible Statecraft. They start with a couple of reports Clifton highlights about the status of nuclear weapons around the world today and how much of our money is being spent to produce and maintain them. They then move on to money in politics, discussing AIPAC’s funding of Jamal Bownman’s primary defeat and the concerning group set to become Donald Trump’s biggest donors.

Discussed on the show:

• “World spending on nukes explodes to more than $90 billion” (Responsible Statecraft)
• Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
• “Bowman crushed by GOP-fueled AIPAC cash” (Responsible Statecraft)
• “TikTok investor Jeff Yass wants to shape US foreign policy too” (Responsible Statecraft)

Eli Clifton is a senior advisor at the Quincy Institute and Investigative-Journalist-at-Large at Responsible Statecraft. Follow him on Twitter @EliClifton.

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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Max Blumenthal comes on the show to talk about his new book, The Management of Savagery: How America’s National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump. He explains not only the familar narrative of U.S. support for rebel groups in the Middle East creating bloody civil wars and general unrest, but also how mainstream, centrist marginalization of unorthodox views has fueled polarization and allowed for the rise of an extreme and dangerous political right.

Discussed on the show:

• The Management of Savagery: How America’s National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump
• Fascism: A Warning
• The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
• “Madeleine Albright says 500,000 dead Iraqi Children was “worth it” wins Medal of Freedom” (YouTube)
• Devil’s Game
• “Tomgram: Max Blumenthal, The Great Fear” (TomDispatch)
• “The Redirection” (The New Yorker)

Director and writer of “Killing Gaza,” Max Blumenthal is a senior editor of the Grayzone Project and the author Goliath, Republican Gomorrah, and The 51 Day War. Follow Max on Twitter @MaxBlumenthal.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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Scott talks to William Van Wagenen about his latest article for the Libertarian Institute, “A Brief History of the Destruction of Yarmouk,” which traces the story of the Palestinian refugee camp at Yarmouk. Much of the blame for the horrible conditions there fell on the Syrian government, when in reality much of the fault lies with rebels, who were killing refugees and deliberately preventing food and aid from getting in. This skewed reporting, of course, contributed to the anti-Assad bias of the Western media and U.S. government, and downplayed the government’s own role in backing those same rebels. Scott and Van Wagenen also discuss the many failed regime change tactics of the American military in general.

Discussed on the show:

• “A Brief History of the Destruction of Yarmouk” (Libertarian Institute)
• “The Myth of US ‘Inaction’ in Syria” (Libertarian Institute)
• “There is No FSA, There is Only Al-Qaeda” (Libertarian Institute)
• “Why Does Assad Buy Oil From ISIS?” (Libertarian Institute)
• Nakba Day
• Naksa Day
• “Jihadists Receiving Most Arms Sent to Syrian Rebels” (The New York Times)
• “The Jihad Next Door” (POLITICO Magazine)
• The Management of Savagery: How America’s National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump
• “Trump Ends Timber Sycamore, Covert CIA Program To Arm Syrian Rebels” (Mint Press News)

William Van Wagenen has a BA in German literature From Brigham Young University and an MA in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. You can read more of his writings at the Libertarian Institute. Follow him on Twitter @wvanwagenen.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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Scott talks to Daniel Lazare about the story of George Papadopoulos, the young man at the center of the FBI’s investigation into Donald Trump. Lazare recently reviewed Papadopolous’s book, in which he claims to be completely innocent of any wrongdoing and merely a convenient target for the FBI.

Discussed on the show:

• “The Tale of a ‘Deep State Target’” (Consortiumnews)
• Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump

Daniel Lazare is the author of The Frozen Republic: How the constitution is Paralyzing Democracy and a regular contributor at Consortium News. Find all of his work at his website and follow him on Twitter @dhlazare.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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Matthew Hoh joins Scott for an update on the peace talks in Afghanistan. There are some reasons for optimism, says Hoh, but he cautions that without a plan for careful withdrawal of troops, the country could quickly be plunged into brutal civil and tribal warfare in the resulting power vacuum.

Discussed on the show:

• “How Wartime Washington Lives in Luxury” (The American Conservative)

Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Hoh is a member of the Board of Directors for Council for a Livable World and is an Advisory Board Member for Expose Facts. He writes on issues of war, peace and post-traumatic stress disorder recovery at matthewhoh.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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Eric Margolis comes back on the show to give an update on the revolutions brewing in Africa. The forces at work during the Arab Spring are still at play in countries like Algeria, and elsewhere in Africa, America has deliberately fomented political unrest for its own ends.

Discussed on the show:

• “Waiting for the Second Algerian Revolution, by Eric Margolis” (The Unz Review)
• Colour revolution
• “General Wesley Clark: Wars Were Planned – Seven Countries In Five Years” (YouTube)

Eric Margolis is a foreign affairs correspondent and author of War at the Top of the World and American Raj. Follow him on Twitter @EricMargolis and visit his website, ericmargolis.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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James Carden joins the show to talk about the obsolescence of NATO as the organization turns 70 this year. Far from Russia expanding its influence westward, as was feared, Carden explains how the U.S. has actually been the one to expand eastward, largely by including more European countries in NATO. The new Cold War that has come about as a result is a danger to pretty much everyone, except for the military-industrial complex.

Discussed on the show:

• “NATO Turns 70” (The Nation)
• The Management of Savagery: How America’s National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump

James Carden is the executive editor for the American Committee for East-West Accord and former adviser on Russia policy at the US State Department. He is a contributing writer at The Nation.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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Janine Jackson talks about Chelsea Mannings re-incarceration for her refusal to testify in Julian Assange’s Wikileaks case. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her leaking of classified state department information, but had her sentence commuted by President Obama after seven years, still the longest sentence served by any whistleblower in America. Jackson lambasts the mainstream media for their failure to support Manning and Assange, since the real purpose of journalism should be to hold the powerful accountable, even if exposing their crimes sometimes involves publishing leaked information.

Discussed on the show:

• “Chelsea Manning Again Takes Fall for Defending Public’s Right to Know” (FAIR)
• July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike
• Pentagon Papers
• United States diplomatic cables leak
• Collateral Murder
• “The Guantanamo Files” (Wikileaks)

Janine Jackson is the program director of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, and the host and producer of FAIR’s syndicated radio show CounterSpin. She has appeared on ABC’s Nightline and CNN Headline News, among other outlets, and has testified to the Senate Communications Subcommittee on budget reauthorization for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Follow her work at fair.org.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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Joe Lauria joins the show for an update on Julian Assange, who was arrested this morning at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Lauria explains why it’s so dangerous for governments to prosecute Wikileaks, which is nothing more than a platform for information. This precedent would open any media outlet that publishes government information to prosecution.

Discussed on the show:

• “Risk (2016)” (IMDb)

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: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.

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

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