Peter Van Buren joins the show for an update on the aftermath of the Mueller report. Although some commentators are claiming that the report’s findings are inconclusive with respect to President Trump’s conduct during the campaign, Van Buren reminds us that the question was, all along, whether Trump or members of his team colluded with Russians to swing the election in his favor. The report concludes that there’s no evidence of this, nor for obstruction of justice. So Van Buren wants to know:...
4/19/19 Max Blumenthal on Assange, Manning, and Venezuela
Max Blumenthal talks whistleblowers, the middle east, and regime change in Venezuela. In particular, he and Scott lament all the journalists who are critical of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange, in which case their mentality must be “if the government doesn’t want me to know this, I don’t have any right to”—not the proper role of a journalist, needless to say. Blumenthal also describes the region-wide catastrophe that could result if the U.S. intervenes in Venezuela, and is shocked that...
4/19/19 Matt Taibbi on This Generation’s ‘WMD’
Scott talks to Matt Taibbi about his new book, Hate Inc, written in the aftermath of the media malfeasence around Russiagate. But the media’s problems go much deeper, explains Taibbi. Mainstream discussion used to take place in a tightly controlled middle ground between two “extremes”, which were actually both very moderate and centrist. Today, internet and cable journalism allows the opposite: a specific set of views highly catered to what each of us wants to see on TV, on our Twitter feeds,...
4/19/19 Jason Ditz with an Update on Libya
Jason Ditz, news editor at antiwar.com, joins the show for an update on Libya and lots of other recent foreign policy news. Discussed on the show: “Libyan Unity Govt Bombs, Then Recaptures Tripoli Airport” (Antiwar.com) “Qatari official: Afghan talks postponed indefinitely” (AP News) “Iran’s Rouhani: US Should Suspend Sanctions Because of Flooding Crisis” (Antiwar.com) Jason Ditz is the news editor of Antiwar.com. Read all of his work at news.antiwar.comand follow him on Twitter @jasonditz....
4/12/19 Philip Weiss on Right-wing Politics in Israel
Scott talks to Philip Weiss about Israeli politics in light of Netanyahu’s recent victory in the election for prime minister. Israeli society, explains Weiss, leans heavily right wing, especially the young people, and this creates serious barriers to negotiations for peace with the Palestinians. In yet another setback, President Trump recently “promised” the Golan Heights to Israel, something that is not his to give. We are reminded of Horton’s Law: A politician will break all of his good...
4/12/19 Max Blumenthal on the National Security State’s Manufactured Extremism
Max Blumenthal comes on the show to talk about his new book, The Management of Savagery: How America’s National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump. He explains not only the familar narrative of U.S. support for rebel groups in the Middle East creating bloody civil wars and general unrest, but also how mainstream, centrist marginalization of unorthodox views has fueled polarization and allowed for the rise of an extreme and dangerous political right. Discussed on...
4/12/19 William Van Wagenen on the Destruction of Yarmouk
Scott talks to William Van Wagenen about his latest article for the Libertarian Institute, “A Brief History of the Destruction of Yarmouk,” which traces the story of the Palestinian refugee camp at Yarmouk. Much of the blame for the horrible conditions there fell on the Syrian government, when in reality much of the fault lies with rebels, who were killing refugees and deliberately preventing food and aid from getting in. This skewed reporting, of course, contributed to the anti-Assad bias of...
4/12/19 Daniel Lazare on the Plot to Use George Papadopolous to Get to Trump
Scott talks to Daniel Lazare about the story of George Papadopoulos, the young man at the center of the FBI’s investigation into Donald Trump. Lazare recently reviewed Papadopolous’s book, in which he claims to be completely innocent of any wrongdoing and merely a convenient target for the FBI. Discussed on the show: “The Tale of a ‘Deep State Target’” (Consortiumnews) Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump Daniel Lazare is the author...
4/12/19 Matthew Hoh on the Afghanistan Peace Talks
Matthew Hoh joins Scott for an update on the peace talks in Afghanistan. There are some reasons for optimism, says Hoh, but he cautions that without a plan for careful withdrawal of troops, the country could quickly be plunged into brutal civil and tribal warfare in the resulting power vacuum. Discussed on the show: “How Wartime Washington Lives in Luxury” (The American Conservative) Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State...
4/12/19 Eric Margolis is Waiting for the Second Algerian Revolution
Eric Margolis comes back on the show to give an update on the revolutions brewing in Africa. The forces at work during the Arab Spring are still at play in countries like Algeria, and elsewhere in Africa, America has deliberately fomented political unrest for its own ends. Discussed on the show: “Waiting for the Second Algerian Revolution, by Eric Margolis” (The Unz Review) Colour revolution “General Wesley Clark: Wars Were Planned – Seven Countries In Five Years” (YouTube) Eric Margolis is a...
4/12/19 James Carden on America’s New Cold War with Russia
James Carden joins the show to talk about the obsolescence of NATO as the organization turns 70 this year. Far from Russia expanding its influence westward, as was feared, Carden explains how the U.S. has actually been the one to expand eastward, largely by including more European countries in NATO. The new Cold War that has come about as a result is a danger to pretty much everyone, except for the military-industrial complex. Discussed on the show: “NATO Turns 70” (The Nation) The Management...
4/12/19 Janine Jackson on Defending the Public’s Right to Know
Janine Jackson talks about Chelsea Mannings re-incarceration for her refusal to testify in Julian Assange’s Wikileaks case. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her leaking of classified state department information, but had her sentence commuted by President Obama after seven years, still the longest sentence served by any whistleblower in America. Jackson lambasts the mainstream media for their failure to support Manning and Assange, since the real purpose of journalism should be...
4/11/19 Joe Lauria on Julian Assange’s Arrest
Joe Lauria joins the show for an update on Julian Assange, who was arrested this morning at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Lauria explains why it’s so dangerous for governments to prosecute Wikileaks, which is nothing more than a platform for information. This precedent would open any media outlet that publishes government information to prosecution. Discussed on the show: “Risk (2016)” (IMDb) Joe Lauria is the editor-in-chief at Consortium News. He is a former UN correspondent and wrote at...
4/8/19 Ramzy Baroud on the Great March of Return
Scott talks to Ramzy Baroud about the Palestinians’ March of Return and their broader struggle for civil rights in Israel. Discussed on the show: “‘The Essence of Being Palestinian’: What the Great March of Return is Really About” (Counterpunch) Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict “Netanyahu Unaware of the Camera ‘America can easily be moved'” (YouTube) Oslo Accords Ramzy Baroud is a US-Arab journalist and is the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle. He is...
4/8/19 John Kiriakou on Chelsea Manning’s ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ Moment
Scott talks to John Kiriakou about Chelsea Manning, who is refusing to testify against Wikileaks. Kiriakou explains that she probably doesn’t want to incriminate herself by forgetting things while rehashing details of previous testimony. Scott and Kiriakou both agree that the prosecution of Wikileaks as an intelligence organization is extremely dangerous for the ability to hold government accountable. Discussed on the show: “Chelsea Manning’s ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ Moment” (The American...
