Scott interviews Andrew Cockburn about the steady growth of unconstitutional powers that the federal government—and the president in particular—can summon during “emergencies.” Some of these powers are well-known, like extraordinary law enforcement and surveillance techniques that have been justified by the war on terror and the war on drugs. Others are more secretive, and the American public has basically no way of finding out about such powers until the government decides to use them. Cockburn points out the ways that unprecedented powers have already been summoned during the covid pandemic, and fears the situation could get even worse if there is a disputed election.

Discussed on the show:

• “The Enemies Briefcase” (Harper’s Magazine)
• “4/17/20 William Arkin on the Secret Military Task Force Preparing to Secure Washington D.C.” (The Libertarian Institute)
• Out of control: The story of the Reagan administration’s secret war in Nicaragua, the illegal arms pipeline, and the Contra drug connection
  
• Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy
  
• Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die
  
• “The Problem of Free Speech in an Age of Disinformation” (The New York Times)
• “Trump could refuse to concede” (The Washington Post)

Andrew Cockburn is the Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine and the author of Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins. Follow him on Twitter @andrewmcockburn.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

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