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Mike Swanson returns to the show to talk about the state of the economy. He fills Scott in on some of the work he’s done analyzing how economies fare once the national debt-to-GDP ratio reaches a certain height. What he’s found is that serious issues tend to kick in right at the level the US is projected to hit in 2026. He and Scott discuss this and other topics related to the American economy.

Discussed on the show:

• This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly by Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff
• Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises by Ray Dalio
• Soylent Green (IMDb)

Mike Swanson provides investment advice at wallstreetwindow.com and is the author of The War State: The Cold War Origins Of The Military-Industrial Complex And The Power Elite. He also works with the Neopolis Media Group, a group of historians, educators, authors, researchers, and free speech advocates who endeavor to provide original and engaging content, including The Ochelli Effect, and The Lone Gunman Podcast. 

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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Rose Massett is the director, producer and director of photography of a new documentary, “Refugee Is Not My Name.” In her discussion with Scott, Massett explains the scope of the project, the goal of which was to put a face and a story to the millions of displaced people who have been singularly identified with the refugee crisis. Massett worked with a pair of teams who went to Greece to help NGOs and make “Refugee Is Not My Name” by telling the stories of refugees and volunteers. Massett then describes the challenges many refugees face after they receive asylum. For more, watch the trailer for “Refugee Is Not My Name” here and help support the project by donating to its GoFundMe page.

Rose Massett is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a degree in Film and Television production.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern returns to the show to follow up on Russia-United States relations in the aftermath of Vladimir Putin’s recent speech in which he unveiled new nuclear weapons. McGovern details the history of Russian-American relations, dating back to the days of the USSR from World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the lead up to the Vladimir Putin years of the present. McGovern draws parallels between the Cuban Missile Crisis and the current escalation of tensions and explains how close the United States and Russia came to a full nuclear disarmament during the Reagan years. Scott and McGovern then discuss how American intervention in Ukraine over the past five years has provided flint for the fire today. Finally, McGovern tells Scott the message he pleaded with George HW Bush to pass on to his son in the lead up to the Iraq War.

Ray McGovern is the co-creator of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the former chief of the CIA’s Soviet analysts division. Read all of his work at his website: raymcgovern.com.

Discussed on the show:

• “Putin Announces New Generation of Nuclear Weapons,” by Scott Horton (Libertarian Institute)
• Tommy Thompson
• Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
• Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)
• “Putin’s ‘Invincible’ Missile Is Aimed at U.S. Vulnerabilities,” by David Sanger (The New York Times)
• Mikhail Gorbachev
• Fritz Ermarth
• “Ronald Reagan’s Disarmament Dream” (The Atlantic)
• “Gorbachev Told NATO Wouldn’t Move Past East German Border” (The National Interest)
• “McCain: Rand Paul ‘working for Vladimir Putin’” (The Hill)
• Jack Matlock: “The source of missile deployment in Eastern Europe is to create jobs for American manufacturers and employees” (YouTube)
• Jack Matlock
• “09/03/14 – Jack Matlock – The Scott Horton Show” (ScottHorton.org)
• “Ukraine conflict: US ‘may supply arms to Ukraine’” (BBC)
• “Russian mercenaries said to be killed by U.S. airstrike in Syria” (Washington Post)
• Israeli consul general in New York to Jodi Rudoren “Let them both bleed, hemorrhage to death” (New York Times)
• Brent Scowcroft
• “Don’t Attack Saddam,” by Brent Scowcroft
• Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy, by Andrew Cockburn
• The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, by John Mearshimer and Stephen Walt
• “Putin: I Kept Trying to Tell You; You Wouldn’t Listen,” by Ray McGovern (RayMcgovern.com)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Peter Van Buren returns to the show to discuss Donald Trump’s decision to meet with Kim Jung-Un to open relations between the United States and North Korea. Van Buren explains why he thinks this is a monumental decision and why there’s real reason for (cautious) optimism and wonders whether this could be Trump’s Nixon-goes-to-China moment. Van Buren then addresses the number one issue on the table: is North Korea actually willing to discuss giving up their nuclear weapons? Van Buren gives a detailed look behind the curtain into the process and workings of the state department and his former colleagues in Seoul, South Korea. Scott and Van Buren then discuss the pitfalls of the Bush and Obama administrations’ approach to diplomacy with North Korea. And before he signs off Van Buren tells Scott why he thinks more is being made out of Russia’s newest nuclear weapons than is really there.
Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People” and the novel “Hooper’s War.” He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. Follow him on Twitter @WeMeantWell.
This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.
Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern returns to the show to discuss the merits of Russian interference in American democracy, explaining what he thinks prompted the Russia scandal and why he’s convinced the supposed hack was in fact a leak. McGovern does what he can to analyze the U.S.-Russia tensions from the perspective of Vladimir Putin. McGovern then explains what he means when he says “Deep State” and why he thinks the Carter Page memo is revelatory. Why does this all matter? According to McGovern, the U.S.-Russia relations are as frayed and combustible as they have been at any point since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Ray McGovern is the co-creator of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the former chief of the CIA’s Soviet analysts division. Read all of his work at his website: raymcgovern.com.

Discussed on the show:

• Robbert Parry, Russia (Consortium News)
• William Binney
• “On Russia, We Need More Reason and Less Frenzy,” by Katrina vanden Heuvel (The Nation)
• “But, Mr. Putin, You Just Don’t Understand,” by David Swanson (Washington’s Blog)
• “Pope Francis to Congress: Arms industry ‘drenched in blood’” (United Press International)
• Caspar Weinberger
• “Khan Sheikhoun, Syria: The Nerve Agent Attack that Did Not Occur,” by Theodore Postol (Global Research)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Grant F. Smith returns to the show to promote his upcoming conference The Israel Lobby and American Policy 2018 on Friday, March 2nd in Washington, D.C. Smith explains why this remains such an important issue for Americans and Israelis alike and details the numerous, compelling speakers slated to present.

Grant F. Smith is the author of a number of books including “Big Israel: How Israel’s Lobby Moves America” and “Divert!”. He is director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C.

Discussed on the show:

• American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
• “How the Israel Anti-Boycott Act Threatens First Amendment Rights” (ACLU)
• “The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act would damage free speech rights on campus” (LA Times)
• “Author Lecture: Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan” (Eventbrite)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Scott interviews surviving Branch Davidian David Thibodeau on the 25 year anniversary of the Waco Massacre and the new TV miniseries partly based on Thibodeau’s book, A Place Called Waco. Thibodeau discusses the merits of the television show, gives his personal history of how he joined the Branch Davidians, and explains how David Koresh attracted people from all over the world with his biblical teachings. Thibodeau describes the day of the raid and how the crucial pieces of evidence that corroborate the Davidians’ stories were “lost.” Scott then prompts Thibodeau: “Tell me about the fire.” Thibodeau concludes with what he’s learned from his experience, reflections, and review of the evidence that’s been uncovered in the years since the tragedy.

David Thibodeau is a surviving member of the Branch Davidians and the author of A Place Called Waco. A new television miniseries, Waco is based in part on Thibodeau’s book.

Discussed on the show:

• Mike McNulty
• Waco: The Rules of Engagement
• Davidian Massacre: Disturbing Questions About Waco Which Must Be Answered by Carol Moore
• Henry Clay (WikiQuote)
• “Shedding light on the use of SWAT teams,” by Radley Balko (The Washington Post)
• Waco: Messiah or Madman (A&E)
• “The Waco Massacre,” by Scott Horton (Libertarian Institute)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Cato’s Ted Galen Carpenter joins Scott to discuss his article for The American Conservative “Will the U.S. Go to War With China Over Taiwan?” Carpenter starts of with an overview of the history of the conflict between China and Taiwan and the role the United States has played from the beginning. Carpenter explains how the Taiwanese deserve our sympathies generally, but not if it risks outright nuclear war.

Ted Galen Carpenter is a senior fellow for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. Carpenter has written 10 books including “America’s Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan” and is a contributing editor at The American Conservative Magazine and the National Interest.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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The ACLU’s John Hafetz returns to the show to discuss the American citizen and alleged ISIS fighter being held without charge in Iraq. Hafetz explains how a judge granted the man access to a lawyer through the ACLU and how Hafetz and others have been fighting to get the man to court. Hafetz then discusses the former cases under the Bush administration when Americans were charged as enemy combatants. According to Hafetz the case will hinge on whether the AUMF allows Americans to be detained without charge and whether it can be extended to a group like ISIS that wasn’t originally included in the AUMF.

Jonathan Hafetz is a senior staff attorney at the ACLU Center for Democracy. He teaches at Seton Hall Law School and has published many books. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanHafetz.

Discussed on the show:

• “American ISIS Suspect Held in Iraq Has Right to Lawyer, Judge Rules” (New York Times)
• Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
• Jose Padilla
• Yaser Esam Hamdi
• Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF)
• National Defense Authorization Act (2012)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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