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Attorney Leonard Goodman returns to the show to talk about the government’s case against his clients in the Uhuru Movement. These left-wing activists have been tied up in court, fighting ridiculous charges that allege they were working for the Russians when they spoke out against the war in Ukraine shortly after it broke out. The trial wrapped up recently. Goodman updates Scott on the results and the likely next steps in this important legal battle for free speech. 

Discussed on the show:

• Scott’s previous interview with Goodman

Leonard Goodman is a criminal defense lawyer, a columnist and an Adjunct Professor of Law at DePaul. Follow him on Twitter @GoodmanLen

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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Scott interviews Shuja Paul about his forthcoming documentary, Waiting to Explode: Forgotten Bombs of a Secret War Continue to Kill. Paul’s film tells the little-known story of the thousands of undetonated cluster bombs dropped by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, which continue to plague the people of Laos to this day. Although Laos didn’t receive the brunt of the bombing during the war, Paul says that that country has suffered more than anyone in the decades since, largely because it has remained an impoverished country of subsistence farmers, who lack the technological, medical and financial resources that some of their neighbors have. Laos has also received far less attention in the intervening years, leaving their people to suffer in obscurity. Paul hopes that by telling a few of the tragic stories from the more than 20,000 Laotians who have been killed by these bombs, he can help to bring international attention to this deadly humanitarian crisis.

Discussed on the show:

• “Fred Branfman, Who Exposed Bombing of Laos, Dies at 72” (The New York Times)
• “Vietnam: American Holocaust” (IMDb)

Shuja Paul is an actor, writer and director, currently working on the documentary Waiting to Explode: Forgotten Bombs of a Secret War Continue to Kill.

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.

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

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Steve Ellner discusses the economic and political situation in Venezuela, and the U.S. role in pushing the country to where it is today. Ellner dispels a common misconception, which is that foreign influence has had little to do with Venezuela’s recent problems compared to mismanagement by the socialist governments of Chavez and Maduro. This has certainly played some role, Ellner concedes, as have falling oil prices, but he insists that by far the greater factor has been U.S. meddling during the Obama and Trump administrations. Under the Trump administration in particular, says Ellner, multiple coup attempts and the constant threat of military force have scared international companies out of Venezuela, on top of official sanctions on things like Venezuelan gold and the cryptocurrency they tried to develop when the bolivar collapsed. Ellner argues that the Trump administration was uniquely bad on Venezuela policy, and hopes that Biden’s presidency will bring a change for the better—but with Biden appearing to still endorse the radically unpopular opposition government of Juan Guaidó, he’s off to a less than promising start.

Steve Ellner is Associate Managing Editor of Latin American Perspectives and the editor of Latin America’s Pink Tide: Breakthroughs and Shortcomings.

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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Scott interviews Gareth Porter about the competing attitudes toward Iran in American foreign policy. During his presidency, Trump was sometimes the voice of restraint against those who favored a more aggressive stance toward Iran and in some cases even advocated outright war. In particular, says Porter, CENTCOM chief General Kenneth McKenzie was constantly moving to keep troops on the ground in Iraq and American ships in surrounding waters, all to demonstrate U.S. power and increase tensions with Iran. Trump was able to curb some of this, but was ultimately ineffective when it came to defying the intelligence state and the military. It remains to be seen whether President Biden will be able to do so.

Discussed on the show:

• “How CENTCOM Chief McKenzie Manufactured an Iran Crisis to Increase His Power” (Antiwar.com Original)
• The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History
  

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.

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

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Hassan El-Tayyab discusses the prospects for an end to the war in Yemen under the incoming Biden administration. President Biden and Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken have both signaled that they’d like to end U.S. participation in the war right away, though as of this interview, the new administration hasn’t made any moves yet. Still, opponents of the war are hopeful that Biden will follow through on his promise, especially given the renewed efforts in Congress to end both the war and the U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia that make such conflicts possible. Whereas Trump could resist these congressional efforts, it will be politically very difficult for Biden to do so, given his public stance on the war, and the fact that it is mainly Democrat representatives leading the way. Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with severe famine, cholera and polio on top of the covid pandemic that the whole world is facing.

Discussed on the show:

• “Biden Must Address Yemen on Day One and Move Immediately to Prevent Future Wars” (Truthout)
• H.J.Res.15
• “War Crime Risk Grows for U.S. Over Saudi Strikes in Yemen” (The New York Times)
• “In Strategic Shift, U.S. Draws Closer to Yemeni Rebels” (WSJ)
• “Biden’s Defense Secretary Pick Lloyd Austin Isn’t Who You Think” (Foreign Policy)

Hassan El-Tayyab is a musician and peace activist, who works as the lead lobbyist on Middle East policy for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

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.

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

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Scott talks to Matt Agorist about police violence in America. Agorist is adamant that although police brutality is disproportionately a problem in black communities, this is an issue that affects us all, and Americans should be unified in opposition to growing police power. If anything, movements like Black Lives Matter end up deflecting the blame from where it should be aimed: rather than admitting that there’s a widespread problem with the way police are empowered to abuse Americans without consequences, opponents to systemic reform can simply claim that the problem is a few racist apples. Moreover, it has become easy for bad actors to intentionally stir up animosity between the right and the left, when really both sides of the political spectrum should be united against a small group of oppressors.

Discussed on the show:

• “Prosecuting Trump for Incitement Would Set a Dangerous Precedent” (Reason)
• “Cops Go Back to Where They Killed Elijah McClain, Take Photos Sadistically ‘Reenacting’ His Murder” (The Free Thought Project)
• “Police Release Heavily Edited, Propagandized Video to Justify Killing Unarmed Dad in Front Yard” (The Free Thought Project)

Matt Agorist is an independent journalist and Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. He is also a former marine and NSA intelligence operator. Follow him on Twitter @MattAgorist.

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.

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

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David Swanson discusses the foreign policy of the incoming Biden administration. On the positive side, he thinks there’s a good likelihood of ending U.S. support for the war in Yemen, lifting some of America’s oppressive economic sanctions and better relations with Iran and Cuba. But on the other hand, many of Biden’s key appointments have been people who support more war and international hegemony for the United States at any cost. In particular, this means expanding NATO even farther into Eastern Europe and challenging China for global economic supremacy. Peaceful relations with both Russia and China, Scott reminds us, are absolutely crucial not just for America, but for the future of the human race itself. Any policy that threatens this peace must be energetically opposed.

Discussed on the show:

• “11/11/20 David Swanson: Leaving World War II Behind” (The Libertarian Institute)
• “Nyet Means Nyet: Russia’s Nato Enlargement Redlines” (WikiLeaks)
• “Pope’s Words in Open Letter to Joe Biden” (Let’s Try Democracy)
• “Toward a Neo-Reaganite Foreign Policy” (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
• “How America Should Deal With Russia” (Foreign Affairs)
• “Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call” (BBC News)

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. He is the author of War is a Lie, When the World Outlawed War and Leaving World War II Behind. Find him on Twitter @davidcnswanson.

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.

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

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Scott interviews journalist Andrew Quilty about his recent piece for the Intercept, which details the horrific violence being carried out in Afghanistan by U.S.-backed militia groups. In several recent attacks, these “death squads” have raided religious boarding schools known as madrassas, and murdered dozens of the boys who studied there. Although these madrassas are sometimes thought to be Taliban recruiting grounds, Quilty explains that this kind of violence only drives regular Afghans closer to the Taliban. Quilty and Scott expect that night raids, drone strikes and support for anti-Taliban militant groups will continue under the Biden administration, just as they ramped up under Obama and increased even further under Trump. Sadly, says Quilty, these indirect tactics tend to be politically popular in America, since their enormous costs are hidden from voters at home.

Discussed on the show:

• “The CIA’s Afghan Death Squads” (The Intercept)

Andrew Quilty is an Australian freelance photojournalist and reporter. A winner of Polk and World Press Photo awards, he has been based in Kabul since 2013. Follow him on Twitter or at andrewquilty.com.

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.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

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Scott talks to Kelley Vlahos about America’s 30-year nonstop bombing campaign of Iraq, and the prospects for ending it. The destruction of Iraq, says Vlahos, has followed a familiar trend: American politicians sell the public on the need to get involved in some country with what looks to be a brutal dictator in charge, then the military intervenes, usually by bombing indiscriminately, and finally the country is left far worse than it was before. In recent memory, America has done this to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, though Iraq is perhaps the most egregious example. And while Scott and Vlahos hold out some hope for Joe Biden’s willingness to make peace in Yemen and Afghanistan, they are skeptical that he will do anything to disentangle America from its role in Iraq.

Discussed on the show:

• “Iraq today is a nightmare that Americans largely sleep through” (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft)
• “In Iraqi camps, refugees of ISIS war fear going home” (The Washington Post)
• “Iraq’s Post-ISIS Campaign of Revenge” (The New Yorker)
• “‘We Think the Price Is Worth It’” (FAIR)

Kelley B. Vlahos is the executive editor of The American Conservative. Follow her on Twitter @KelleyBVlahos.

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.

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

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