Matthew Hoh talks about why ending the war in Afghanistan has been so difficult. For one thing, even though many of the soldiers on the ground realize the war is both immoral and unwinnable, the war planners don’t necessarily know that. For another, generals and other military advisers to the president will pretty much always counsel in favor of war, and how to fight a war effectively, since that’s their craft. For this reason Hoh stresses the necessity of civilian oversight of the military,...
2/15/19 James Bamford on Maria Butina, the Spy who Wasn’t
James Bamford talks about the case of Maria Butina, a young Russian woman educated in the U.S. who was accused of spying for the Russians and sabotaging the 2016 presidential election. Butina was indicted and spent months in solitary confinement, which is technically classified as a form of torture. Bamford believes the case was a set up from the very beginning. Discussed on the show: “The Russian Spy Who Wasn’t” (The New Republic) “2/15/19 Daniel McAdams on the Death of Congressman Walter...
2/15/19 Sheldon Richman Asks ‘Who Owns You?’
Scott interviews Sheldon Richman about his latest TGIF article, “Who Owns You?”, which explores the history of medical authority as justification for the violation of individual rights in America, including up to today, with government agencies arbitrarily banning certain types of voluntary behavior on purely collectivist and paternalistic grounds. Discussed on the show: “TGIF: Who Owns You?” (The Libertarian Institute) Our Right To Drugs: The Case for a Free Market Ceremonial Chemistry: The...
2/15/19 Daniel McAdams on the Death of Congressman Walter Jones
Daniel McAdams remembers Congressman Walter Jones, who passed away last week. Jones initially supported the War in Iraq, but after realizing his mistake began trying everything in his power to atone for it. He wrote over 12,000 letters to killed and wounded soldiers and their families, and was a vocal opponent of subsequent wars. Jones’ efforts were crucial in getting the House of Representatives to vote on ending U.S. support for the war in Yemen. Discussed on the show: A Pretext for War:...
2/15/19 Ali Abunimah on the Israel Lobby’s Double Standard
Ali Abunimah comments on the recent controversy surrounding Minnesota’s Representative Ilhan Omar and her tweets about the Israel lobby’s influence in American politics. Unlike virtually any other lobby, explains Abunimah, AIPAC seems to be off limits in the public discourse. Even after fairly mild comments, like Omar’s, the outrage runs rampant and backtracking and apologies are demanded. Scott and Abunimah wish Omar would have stuck to her guns instead. Discussed on the show: “Ilhan Omar...
2/15/19 Kate Gould on Ending US Participation in the War in Yemen
Kate Gould joins the show to talk about her work with the Friends Committee on National Legislation lobbying for an end to U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The house just passed a resolution invoking the War Powers Act, which should send the motion to the president’s desk for the first time since the act’s creation in 1973. The senate is expected to pass the resolution in the coming days as well. Discussed on the show: “End the Illegal U.S. War in Yemen” (Friends Committee on...
2/15/19 Gareth Porter on the FBI Putsch Against Trump
Gareth Porter gives an update on the "Russiagate" investigation, which he has long maintained is nothing more than a thinly-veiled ploy to remove President Trump from office. Recent reports on the investigation have only confirmed Porter's suspicions that the intelligence officials involved in the proceedings have been out to get Trump from the beginning. Discussed on the show: "The Real Motive Behind the FBI Plan to Investigate Trump as a Russian Agent" (Consortium News) "Mueller may submit...
2/8/19 Tom Eddlem on Venezuela’s ‘Free and Fair’ Elections
Libertarian Institute contributor Tom Eddlem gives some of Venezuela’s recent history, focusing on the elections of Chavez and Maduro, and most recently Juan Guaido’s self-proclamation as the country’s legitimate leader. Scott and Eddlem debate the validity of the United States weighing in on Venezuelan politics in the first place, but agree that the motivations for military intervention are highly suspect. Discussed on the show: “1/25/19 Daniel McAdams on US Support for Regime Change in...
2/8/19 Trita Parsi on the Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel, and the US
Trita Parsi talks about his book, Treacherous Alliance, which details the complicated political dealings of Iran, Israel, and the United States in the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s. Most of us forget how closely aligned Israel and Iran were before Bush Jr. and Obama’s “redirection,” after which Iran is seen as the ultimate evil power in the Middle East. Discussed on the show: Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States Alliance of the periphery Iran–Contra...
2/8/19 Sheldon Richman on the FDA’s War on Tobacco, Part 3
Sheldon Richman joins the show for part three of his series on the FDA’s increasingly domineering control of tobacco products. Check out parts 1 and 2. Discussed on the show: “TGIF: The FDA’s Assault on Tobacco Consumers, Part 3” (The Libertarian Institute) “1/25/19 Sheldon Richman on the FDA’s War on Tobacco” (The Libertarian Institute) “2/1/19 Sheldon Richman on the FDA’s War on Tobacco, Part 2” (The Libertarian Institute) hobbynothabit.blog “Brazil (1985)” (IMDb) Sheldon Richman is the...
2/8/19 Muhammad Sahimi on Iran’s ‘Fake Opposition’
Muhammad Sahimi talks about the delicate state of Iranian politics and the necessity of avoiding war there. Discussed on the show: “Pompeo, Bolton, And Iran’s “Fake Opposition”” (LobeLog) Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Going to Tehran: Why America Must Accept the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Sahimi is a professor of chemical engineering at USC, Iranian expatriate, and expert on Iranian and U.S. foreign policy. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by...
2/8/19 Philip Weiss on the Democratic Split over Zionism
Philip Weiss talks about the opposing camps of the democratic party, one that’s close with the Zionist Israel lobby, and the other, younger one that views the plight of the Palestinians as a civil rights issue echoing America’s own. Most American Jews support a two state solution and equal rights for Palestinians, says Weiss, so it may be hard for liberal Zionists to continue winning political support in the future. Discussed on the show: “Pay No Attention to Tlaib and Omar, says Pelosi – But...
2/4/19 David Stockman on the Waning American Empire
David Stockman joins the show to talk about his new book, Peak Trump: The Undrainable Swamp And The Fantasy of MAGA. Stockman explains how the U.S. has painted itself into a corner with both its unwinnable wars in the middle east, and its unsustainable fiscal and monetary policy at home. Sooner or later, he says, Americans are going to pay the price for all of this. Discussed on the show: Peak Trump: The Undrainable Swamp And The Fantasy Of MAGA Iran–Contra affair “The Skeptics” (The National...
2/1/19 Jon Schwarz on Elliott Abrams’ Bloody History in Latin America
The Intercept’s Jon Schwarz joins the show to talk about Elliott Abrams, President Trump’s new pick as special envoy to Venezuela. Abrams comes from a long line of neocons with a history of supporting regime change, often resulting in massive civilian casualties and billions of U.S. dollars going to support human rights abusers beyond our borders. Schwarz fears Abrams has the same plan in mind for Venezuela. Discussed on the show: “Elliott Abrams Isn’t Going to Bring “Democracy” to Venezuela”...
2/1/19 Sheldon Richman on the FDA’s War on Tobacco, Part 2
Sheldon Richman comes on the show for part two of his series on the FDA’s recent moves to control tobacco products even more tightly. Not only is the agency allowed to regulate all products containing tobacco, they can now determine what constitutes a “tobacco product,” extending the definition to include things like pipes and non-tobacco nicotine replacements. Clearly, says Richman, this isn’t actually about getting people to stop smoking, because if they wanted that, they would embrace safer...
