Scott talks with Weimin Chen about his recent article on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The pipeline will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany. Chen explains that these two countries have a long history of conflict, so we should see increased economic engagement as a triumph. But of course, that’s not how many in the U.S. government see it. Chen explains that those involved with the project have had to deal with U.S. sanctions since the Obama Administration. Washington has opposed the project both in the name of protecting American gas companies from competition and as a way to avoid giving Russia leverage over Europe. However, the Biden Administration has stopped the sanctions, signaling a change in the American position. Some Europeans themselves oppose the pipeline on environmental grounds. And others are upset they’ll make less collecting fees on gas traveling through their borders. But both Scott and Chen agree that all sides need to consider the risk of thermonuclear war when advocating against economic engagement. 

Discussed on the show:

• “Nord Stream 2: The Value of German-Russian Cooperation” (Austrian Economics Center)

Weimin Chen is a research assistant at the Austrian Economics Center and is a manager and project/events coordinator at the International Student Center’s Arts for Peace Initiative in New York City.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; EasyShip; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt; Lorenzotti Coffee and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Juan Cole, author of Engaging the Muslim World, discusses the civil war in the Mandate for Palestine after the British Empire’s dissolution in the late 1940s, Gaza’s transformation into a blockaded prison, Israeli officials implicated in Gaza war crimes who risk arrest if they travel abroad, Egypt’s complicity in detaining human rights activists bringing aid to the occupied territories, the lingering effects of WWII devastation that are evident in the geopolitical passivity of European countries and why Obama deserves credit for an improved US image abroad and positive policy changes.

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Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the Iran ‘nuclear trigger’ documents published in the Times of London that are only remade excerpts of an unknown original, how Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh went from university lecturer to purported head of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, loss of US interest in diplomacy with Iran while internal strife makes regime change possible and how Iran is purposefully creating uncertainty about its nuclear facilities to deter airstrikes against them.

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Michael Scheuer, author of Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq, discusses why he thinks the al Qaeda threat will continue to grow while the US occupies Muslim countries, why the Israel/Palestine dispute isn’t worth sacrificing American blood or treasure for, how US disengagement from the Middle East will allow Muslims to concentrate on their own considerable internal problems, humanitarian warmongers on the Left who are pushing for intervention in Africa, al Qaeda’s thorough infiltration of Yemen and why the US practice of torturing terrorism suspects should continue until more effective methods can be found.

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Karen Kwiatkowski, columnist at LewRockwell.com and retired USAF lieutenant colonel, discusses the dogged determination of Bush supporters who still believe the Iraq war lies, the laser-like neoconservative focus on Middle East policy, how several well-placed neocons hijacked the US government and started the war in Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld’s ultimate success at establishing military outpost ‘lily pads’ and how George W. Bush let loose the neocon ‘crazies in the basement’ his father warned about.

Background articles on Karen Kwiatkowski’s interaction with Douglas Feith’s Office of Special Plans:

‘The new Pentagon papers‘

2006 CSPAN interview by Brian Lamb

‘Career Officer Does Eye-Opening Stint Inside Pentagon‘

‘The Lie Factory‘

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Matthew Harwood, author of the article  ‘New Year’s resolution for Guantanamo,’ discusses some of the positive steps Obama has taken to restore constitutional government, the US public’s simultaneous distrust of the government and adoration of the military, the seldom discussed Military Commissions Act of 2009 and how the US culture of fear and paranoia is stoked by politicians and the media.

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Former CIA and DIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses the likely circumstances that allowed a Jordanian triple-agent to kill seven CIA operatives in Afghanistan, how the CIA’s limited ability to overcome cultural and language barriers forces a dangerous reliance on foreign intelligence services, Hillary Clinton’s declaration that Yemen is now a threat to the whole world, growing foreign and domestic opposition to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, newly discovered problems with the Iranian documents published by the Times of London, the massive disinformation campaign to provoke wars in Iran and Yemen and why Iran’s perfectly reasonable proposal to swap low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel rods will probably be rejected by the US.

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