Max Blumenthal joins Scott to talk about his recent viral interaction with Biden Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Blumenthal talks about using the Secretary’s final press conference as an opportunity to tell him what he really needed to hear, explains the blatant falsehoods in the official narrative about the effort to reach a ceasefire and talks with Scott about where he sees things in Palestine going from here.

Discussed on the show:

The clip of Blumenthal in the briefing room

Max Blumenthal is a senior editor of the Grayzone Project and the author Goliath, Republican Gomorrah and The 51 Day War. Follow him on Twitter @MaxBlumenthal.

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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2/19/21 Gareth Porter on the Misleading Data Behind Uyghur Genocide Claims

Scott interviews Gareth Porter about his coverage of the recent and widespread claims of a Chinese genocide of the Uyghurs. Many of these accusations have relied on the work of one man, Adrian Zenz, whose research Porter calls into question. Porter wrote a piece with Grayzone collaborator Max Blumenthal covering the many instances of data manipulation on Zenz’s part, all of which undermine the case that the Chinese government is perpetrating a genocide. To be clear, says Porter, China is an authoritarian regime with many instances of mistreatment of all its citizens. And the Uyghurs have, in some cases, borne a disproportionate amount of that abuse. But we have to be very careful in distinguishing truth from exaggerated claims by partisans and ideologues, who may have reasons for deliberately inflaming tensions between China and the U.S. Peace between these two countries, he reminds us, is absolutely vital for global security.

Discussed on the show:

“US State Department accusation of China ‘genocide’ relied on data abuse and baseless claims by far-right ideologue” (The Grayzone)

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state. He is the author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare and, with John Kiriakou, The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis. Follow him on Twitter @GarethPorter and listen to Gareth’s previous appearances on the Scott Horton Show.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

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2/19/21 Ben Wizner on the Dangerous Precedent of the Assange Prosecution

Scott talks to Ben Wizner of the ACLU about the ongoing Julian Assange saga. Assange’s attempted prosecution under the Espionage Act is practically unprecedented, says Wizner. While it’s true that many leakers of government secrets have been charged for violations of secrecy agreements, no journalist or publisher has ever been successfully prosecuted for putting those secrets out to the public. The Obama administration considered going after Assange, but realized that to do so would set a precedent that would also encapsulate the New York Times, the Washington Post and any other outlet that claims to conduct national security journalism. The Trump administration, on the other hand, apparently wasn’t concerned with that problem, and went after Assange anyway. Wizner and Scott just hope that mainstream journalists will realize what a problem it would be if Assange were convicted, not just for their livelihoods, but for American liberal democracy as we know it.

Discussed on the show:

“Baghdad War Diary” (WikiLeaks)
“Kabul War Diary” (WikiLeaks)
“State Department Cables” (WikiLeaks)

Ben Wizner is an American lawyer, writer, and civil liberties advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union. Follow him on Twitter @benwizner.

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2/18/21 Nathan J. Robinson on the Crackdown on Critics of Israel

Nathan Robinson shares his story of being fired from the Guardian after posting a sarcastic tweet about Israel. After joking about the amount of military aid the U.S. government sends to Israel, Robinson was immediately labeled an anti-semite and swiftly fired from his position as a columnist at the Guardian. He is hardly the first to endure such treatment. Robinson points out how ironic the favorable treatment of the state of Israel is by world governments and the mainstream media, all while it is guilty of serious and ongoing abuses against the Palestinians. Criticism of Israel, on the other hand, even on the grounds of its human rights abuses, is quickly silenced.

Discussed on the show:

“How the Media Cracks Down on Critics of Israel” (Current Affairs)

Nathan J. Robinson is Editor-in-Chief of Current Affairs and a former columnist for the Guardian. Follow him on Twitter @NathanJRobinson.

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2/18/21 Phil Weiss on BDS, Biden and Israel’s Apartheid State

Phil Weiss is back to discuss Israel, beginning with the observation us that now that the two-state solution is essentially off the table for good, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Israel is an apartheid state that has enshrined in law its subjugation of the Palestinians. Part of this growth in Israel’s boldness can be lain at the feet of Donald Trump, who was unusually loyal to Israel, even by the standards of American politics. But Weiss doesn’t expect much in America’s Israel policy to change under President Biden, who has long been known as one of Israel’s best friends in Washington. Whatever Biden’s personal feelings about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s lobby simply wields too much power in domestic politics for one president to change the whole system.

Discussed on the show:

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid
“Arkansas’ anti-BDS law violates the First Amendment, says court” (Mondoweiss)
“Israeli Jewish ‘leftists’ will vote for far-right Sa’ar to oust Netanyahu” (Mondoweiss)
“Pressure mounts on State Dep’t: If Navalny deserves support, why not Issa Amro?” (Mondoweiss)

Philip Weiss is the long-time editor of Mondoweiss.net. Follow him on Twitter @PhilWeiss.

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2/17/21 Mike Swanson on the Fragile and Distorted American Economy

Scott talks to Mike Swanson about some of the problems in the U.S. economy and what we can expect in the near future. Scott points out the emerging real estate booms in places like Austin, Texas, as wealthy residents of states with severe lockdowns seek relief in states with less strict policies. These price spikes represent real demand, no doubt, but they come at the expense of local residents who can no longer afford to live in their home cities. Swanson adds that the real unemployment levels are much higher than official figures indicate, thanks to people who have been out of work so long they’re no longer actively looking for jobs. Historically, he says, this level of unemployment has led to social turmoil in the form of strikes, protests and even riots. He wonders to what degree the unrest seen over the summer and at the U.S. Capitol last month are related to the economic hardship that Americans have been facing for 11 months now. Unfortunately, explains Swanson, all the tools that the government has for addressing problems like unemployment and inflation only lead to even worse problems. Whatever form the eventual devastation takes, Americans must be prepared for more instability and hardship.

Discussed on the show:

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.

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2/16/21 Nasser Arrabyee on the Continued Suffering and Devastation in Yemen

Nasser Arrabyee discusses the heavy fighting going on outside of Ma’rib, the last stronghold of the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. The Houthi “rebels” are closing in on the city, says Arrabyee, and may capture it within a few days—doing so could give them the bargaining chip they need to finally negotiate an end to Saudi aggression against their country and their people. Arrabyee hails the recent announcement of an end to American support for Saudi “offensive operations” as very good news, but insists that the suffering will not end until the Saudi blockade is abolished. Most of the deaths in Yemen have not been due to direct fighting, but instead to starvation and easily-preventable illnesses like cholera. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, at least, have died from these factors—many of them children—and hundreds of thousands more are at risk for as long as the blockade continues.

Discussed on the show:

“‘Serious’ questions over SAS involvement in Yemen war” (The Guardian)
“UN Warns 400,000 Yemeni Children May Starve To Death In 2021” (Forbes)

Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of yemen-now.com. You can follow him on Twitter @narrabyee.

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2/12/21 Patrick Jaicomo on Qualified Immunity and the Case of José Oliva

Scott interviews Patrick Jaicomo of the Institute for Justice about the case of José Oliva, a Vietnam veteran who was assaulted by police officers at a VA hospital in 2016. Because of doctrines like qualified immunity, it has taken years just to reach the point where Oliva can make his case against the officers in civil court. In America, government officials are virtually immune from civil prosecution, even in cases like this that seem so obviously unjust. Jaicomo and his group work tirelessly to try to change this.

Discussed on the show:

“Veteran Beaten by Police in Unprovoked Assault at VA Hospital Appeals Case to U.S. Supreme Court” (Institute for Justice)
“Tamir Rice’s Basically Reasonable Murder” (Simple Justice)
“Jaicomo presents case to Supreme Court” (The Herald Republican)

Patrick Jaicomo is an attorney with the Institute for Justice. You can follow his work on Twitter @pjaicomo.

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2/12/21 John Kiriakou on the Government’s Dangerous Reaction to the Capitol Storming

John Kiriakou discusses an alarming new trend in the government and the media, in which the American right is freely compared to some kind of domestic terrorist or insurgent movement. Kiriakou describes the way that a small group of radicals like those who stormed the U.S. Capitol in January are being used to justify a crackdown on anyone on the right. So far this crackdown has manifested mostly in the controlling of speech online and calls for Donald Trump and his allies to be held directly accountable for the actions of a few. But Kiriakou warns that the situation could get even worse. Several high-ranking intelligence officials have recently made public statements likening Americans on “the far right” to insurgent groups that the U.S. military has fought in the war on terror, and implying that the same techniques ought to be used at home. Kiriakou is horrified by this suggestion, reminding us just what those tactics are: spying, no-knock raids, warrantless arrests and even torture and assassination.

Discussed on the show: