Mel Frykberg, journalist with Inter Press Service, discusses her article, “War Clouds Back Over Gaza;” the escalation of violence with rockets fired into Israel, the assassination of Hamas commanders and the fruitless back-and-forth on “who started it;” Gaza farmers and fishermen shot at while working in “buffer zones;” how Israel’s constant changes to Gaza’s banned goods list confounds NGOs bringing aid; and how a united Palestinian front could force the United Nations or European Union to...
04/18/11 – Nick Mottern – The Scott Horton Show
Nick Mottern, director of Consumers for Peace, discusses his article “Lobbying Report: Drones Fly Through Congress to Enter US Skies;” the technical differences of flying drones in the clear skies of Afghanistan versus the heavily trafficked air corridors in the US; the surefire trickle-down of military technology to civilian law enforcement agencies; the impersonal experience of a remote pilot – whether he is shooting missiles at Pakistanis or playing guard dog along the Canada and Mexico...
04/15/11 – Michael T. Heaney – The Scott Horton Show
Michael T. Heaney, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, discusses his study (with Fabio Rojas) “The Partisan Dynamics of Contention: Demobilization of the Antiwar Movement in the United States, 2007-2009;” how Democrats abandoned the antiwar movement to fawn over the “nonthreatening” Obama; and the on-the-ground research behind the study, consisting of 5,398 surveys of demonstrators at antiwar protests held in major American cities over the course of three...
04/15/11 – Alan J. Kuperman – The Scott Horton Show
Alan J. Kuperman, Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin, discusses his op-ed “False pretense for war in Libya?” in the Boston Globe; how low civilian casualty figures in other recaptured rebel-held cities make the supposedly imminent danger of a Benghazi massacre seem far-fetched; Obama’s misleading quotation of Gadhafi’s “no mercy” comment that was directed at rebel fighters who wouldn’t surrender, not civilians; and why the NATO bombing of retreating...
04/15/11 – James Bovard – The Scott Horton Show
James Bovard, author of Attention Deficit Democracy, discusses his article, “Uncle Sam’s big plans for your hard-earned tax dollars;” the two-party “consensus of rascals” on US foreign policy; the “best and brightest” government policymakers who are blinded by arrogance, tunnel vision and echo chambers; and the confusion about whether disastrous foreign policy decisions are made by design, incompetence, or some combination thereof.
04/15/11 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show
This recording is from the KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles broadcast of April 15th. In a partial reprisal of his recent Antiwar Radio interview, Gareth Porter discusses Pakistan’s condemnation of out-of-control US drone strikes and espionage in the wake of the Raymond Davis affair; the surprisingly expansive US spy network in Pakistan; targeted drone assassinations that serve little purpose in the “war on terror;” and how a military coup against Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki might help the...
04/14/11 – Matt Southworth – The Scott Horton Show
Matt Southworth, Campaigns Program Assistant at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), discusses his transition from Army soldier to peace activist; the work done by the diverse membership of the Friends Committee (they aren’t necessarily Quakers); the Congressional Research Service’s report “The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11;” how a diversion of war funds for one year could pay off all US state deficits; why it’s hard to...
04/14/11 – Ahmed AL Omran – The Scott Horton Show
Ahmed Al Omran, creator of the Saudi Jeans blog, discusses his Guardian article, “Saudi Arabia unrest: a blogger’s view;” the Shiite protesters in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province seeking the release of political prisoners; the negligible protests in Jeddah and Riyadh; the risks of protesting against the government, considering it has been forbidden by religious edict; why the Saudi monarchy is economically unsustainable long-term, yet still largely respected by the people; and how the internet...
04/14/11 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show
Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses his article “Pakistan Moves to Curb More Aggressive US Drone Strikes, Spying;” the expansion of US drone strikes – initially limited to Al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban – to groups allied with the Pakistani military; why a post-occupation Afghanistan would be far more open to political reconciliation than it is at present; how US economic conditions will force military budget cuts and curtail the “empire of bases;” the...
04/13/11 – Ari Gharib – The Scott Horton Show
Ali Gharib, New York-based journalist on U.S. foreign policy and LobeLog writer, discusses the neocon effort to keep war with Iran on the front burner, while the news cycle overwhelms their tired talking points; the old propaganda line that Iranians want us to bomb them, to give them a chance for regime change; the WikiLeaks documents that show Israel’s threats to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites (if the US doesn’t) are just hot air; and how observing the fates of N. Korea and Libya could lead Iran...
04/13/11 – Pepe Escobar – The Scott Horton Show
Pepe Escobar, Asia Times columnist and author of the article “If the US Doesn’t Pull Every Soldier from Iraq by Midnight, Dec. 31, 2011, Expect Serious Trouble,” discusses the endgame in Iraq, where the US can either acquiesce to the people’s will, or restart the war all over again; how a stable post-occupation Iraq depends on Saudi Arabia not funding/arming another Sunni insurgency; the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia playing out in the Gulf states; a little lesson on politics and the...
04/13/11 – Rep. Aaron Libby – The Scott Horton Show
Rep. Aaron Libby, State Representative of House District 139 in Maine, discusses LD 1305, “An Act To Limit the Use of the National Guard to Situations Specifically Authorized by the United States Constitution;” the growing momentum of Tenth Amendment-based resistance to federal programs like the REAL ID Act and Guard deployments; and why the US Constitution should be amended properly, not changed by simply ignoring particular sections until precedence is set.
04/13/11 – Robert P. Murphy – The Scott Horton Show
Robert P. Murphy, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism, discusses why the old adage “war is good for the economy” is simply not true; the hidden costs in “trickle down” benefits from large government and military expenditures (like the highway system and communications infrastructure); the Obama administration’s inconsistent policy on large government deficits; and how US money creation prompts other countries to follow suit, debasing currencies around the world and leading...
04/12/11 – Anthony Gregory – The Scott Horton Show
Anthony Gregory, Editor in Chief of Campaign for Liberty, discusses the case for anarcho-capitalism – pushing beyond “limited government” to eliminate the last vestiges of “essential” state functions like police, courts and national defense; the possible market alternatives that, while theoretical and uncertain, could only be an improvement on state-run institutions; the disastrous war on drugs that has failed to reduce crime or eliminate drug use – but has boosted and militarized the ranks of...
04/12/11 – Johann Hari – The Scott Horton Show
Johann Hari, columnist for the London Independent, discusses his article, “We’re not being told the truth on Libya;” the weapons deals with Mideast dictators pushed by David Cameron, Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama right up through the “Arab Spring;” the US drone attacks in Pakistan that have killed thousands of civilians, yet failed to elicit calls for a protective no-fly zone like Libya’s; the brutal war in Congo, propelled by western corporations extracting rare earth minerals, that could...
