Download Episode.

Douglas Macgregor is back on the show to talk about the war in Ukraine. Macgregor gives his assessment of where things stand on the ground. They talk about the astounding casualty numbers and the horrifying nature of the battle over Bakhmut. Macgregor then gives some predictions for the next stages of the war. They talk about the rising tension with China. They agree there is no need to go to war with China but discuss what may explain the sudden attention shift towards Beijing. Lastly, they talk about the effects of cronyism in the weapons industry and the probability of a nuclear war. 

Discussed on the show:

• “This Time It’s Different” (The American Conservative)
• “Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut: ‘Our troops are not being protected’” (Kyiv Independent)

Douglas Macgregor, Col. (ret.) is a senior fellow with The American Conservative, the former advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration, a decorated combat veteran, and the author of five books.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY

Gareth Porter, an award-winning independent journalist and historian, continues yesterday’s discussion of the August 2013 sarin gas attack in Syria and parses the conflicting opinions of bloggers and experts on who was responsible for the attack and what really happened.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Gareth Porter, an award-winning independent journalist and historian, discusses the new evidence that casts doubt on the official story of the August 2013 sarin gas attack in Syria.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus, discusses the Obama administration’s troubled Asia-Pacific Pivot plan; the new military agreement on US bases and troops in the Philippines; and why the US is backing Japan in a controversial island dispute with China.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sheldon Richman, vice president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his (sort of) defense of John Kerry‘s statement on securing a two-state solution to prevent an apartheid Israel; the oft-repeated historical myth of “a land without a people for a people without a land;” and the facts on the ground that show Israel is already an apartheid state.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Karen Greenberg, editor of The Torture Papers: The Road to Abu Ghraib, discusses the 10-year anniversary of the Abu Ghraib torture scandal and why the Bush administration got away with it; and how the Senate Intelligence Committee report threatens to undermine all the legal and practical justifications for Bush-era torture programs.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

David Rohde, an investigative reporter for Reuters and a contributing editor for The Atlantic, discusses his article “How America Lost Vladimir Putin;” rifts in the US-Russia relationship since Putin’s offer of assistance after 9/11; Putin’s fear that his government was targeted for the next pro-democracy NGO-backed color-coded revolution; and why it’s hard to differentiate between the “will of the people” and foreign agitators in Ukraine’s civil strife.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sheldon Richman, vice president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses how libertarians can win friends and influence people (to the cause of peace and liberty); popular myths on economics and the role of government; the bureaucratic roadblocks to operating a small business and earning a living; and whether Rand Paul is a true champion of liberty.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Ray McGovern, a retired CIA officer turned political activist, discusses former State Department think-tank director Anne-Marie Slaughter’s op-ed advising bombing Syria to intimidate Russia; John Kerry’s poor performance compared to his Russian counterpart; how US aggression is pushing China and Russia closer together; and the widespread confusion on who is responsible for the chemical attacks in Syria.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download