Scott talks to Doug Bandow about the recent assassination of Haiti’s president and the ensuing calls for U.S. intervention. Bandow warns about the perils of interventions like this, even when they are seemingly justified by the noble cause of humanitarianism. In Haiti in particular, he says, a history of disastrous foreign intervention is fresh in people’s minds, and any military response is likely to backfire. Luckily, Bandow doesn’t think Biden is especially keen on responding to the calls for intervention in this case. Similarly, in the case of China, where the more hawkish members of America’s foreign policy establishment have been beating the war drum, Bandow believes Biden has no real desire for war. Unfortunately, with pressure shifting from the Middle East toward Russia and China, tensions could escalate quickly and even an accidental provocation could escalate to full-scale war if the world’s governments aren’t firmly and carefully committed to maintaining peace.

Discussed on the show:

• “The Tragedy of Haiti: Washington Should Keep Its Troops at Home” (Cato Institute)
• “State Department Cables” (WikiLeaks)
• “Wolf Warrior (2015)” (IMDb)

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a regular contributor at Forbes Magazine, the National Interest, and elsewhere. He’s on Twitter @Doug_Bandow.

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; Zippix Toothpicks and Listen and Think Audio.

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