Investigative columnist Jim Bovard returns to the show to discuss his latest piece for The Hill, “Time for the US to end democracy promotion flim-flams.” Bovard makes the case for  why cutting spending to “pro-democratic organizations” would be a good thing, and explains what the consequences would be. Bovard and Scott then discuss the rule of Vladimir Putin and his perception in the United States before finishing with a rundown of the latest events in Syria.

Jim Bovard is a columnist for USA Today and a prolific writer who has written numerous books. Find all of his books and read his work on his website and follow him on Twitter @JimBovard.

Discussed on the show:

• Scott Horton on C-SPAN
• National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
• “Abolish the National Endowment for Democracy,” by Jim Bovard (Libertarian Institute)
• Carl Gershman
• Allen Weinstein
• “James Woolsey on the Russians’ efforts to disrupt elections” (Fox News)
• “Former Soviet states stand up to Russia. Will the U.S.?” by Carl Gershman (Washington Post)
• “Trump must expose Obama-era power grabs,” by Jim Bovard (USA Today)
• August 2012 DIA report

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Christian Appy, author of “American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity,” joins Scott to reflect on 50 years since the Mai Lai Massacre. Appy sets the conditions for the My Lai massacre and explains why it shocked the country from its previously steadfast belief in its exceptionalism. Appy further explains how anti-Asian racism played a role both in the My Lai massacre and in the Vietnam War more broadly and in U.S. foreign policy at large.

Christian Appy is a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is the author of three books about the American War in Vietnam and the editor of a book series called “Culture, Politics, and the Cold War.” Follow him on Twitter @ChristianGAppy.

Discussed on the show:

• My Lai Massacre
• Tet Offensive
• Free-Fire Zone
• “Martin Luther King, Jr.,’s Searing Antiwar Speech, Fifty Years Later” (The New Yorker)
• “For America, Life Was Cheap in Vietnam,” by Nick Turse (The New York Times)
• Hearts and Minds, by Peter Davis (Vimeo)
• Hugh Thompson Jr.
• William Calley
• “Battle Hymn Of Lt. Calley” (YouTube)
• Operation Speedy Express
• Julian Ewell
• Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam, by Nick Turse
• Domino Theory
• Pol Pot

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Reporter Mark Perry returns to the show to discuss his latest article for The American Conservative, “The Political Forces Behind Rex Tillerson’s Firing.” Perry begins by breaking down what he calls the “Qatar Fiasco” and the role that Israel and its friendly American think tanks played in the increasing tensions between Qatar and the other Arab states. Perry then explains why he thinks the real investigation by Robert Mueller that will bear fruit is Jared Kushner’s potential “Pay For Play” with Saudi Arabia and the other Emirati states. Scott and Perry then turn to the Iran Deal and the potential fall out from Trump ripping up Obama’s work. Finally Scott asks Mark Perry: Is John Bolton going to be the next National Security Advisor?

Mark Perry is the author of Talking to Terrorists: Why America Must Engage with its Enemies and The Most Dangerous Man in America: The Making of Douglas MacArthur. His most recent book, The Pentagon’s Wars was released in October. Read his work at The American Conservative Magazine and follow him on Twitter @MarkPerryDC.

Discussed on the show:

• Foundation for Defense for Democracies
• Ahrar al-Sham
• Muslim Brotherhood
• “Mueller team asking if Kushner foreign business ties influenced Trump policy” (AOL)
• “No, Iran Does Not Have an ICBM Program” (War on the Rocks)
• John Bolton
• Keith Kellogg

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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John Kiriakou returns to the show to discuss Trump’s nomination of Gina Haspel as the new head of the CIA. Kiriakou begins by clarifying what’s fact from fiction about Abu Zubaydah and Haspel’s role in the CIA torture program. Scott and Kiriakou then re-live the propaganda and lies that led to the Iraq War and the role that torture played in the grand deception. Finally Scott and Kiriakou discuss whether Haspel will face any real opposition in her confirmation process.

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and author of The Convenient Terrorist: Two Whistleblowers’ Stories of Torture, Terror, Secret Wars, and CIA Lies and Doing Time Like A Spy. He is the host of Loud and Clear on Sputnik Radio. Follow him on Twitter @JohnKiriakou.

Discussed on the show:

• “Gina Haspel Should Be in the Dock at the Hague,” by John Kiriakou (Reader Supported News)
• “Evaluating The Potential New CIA Director” (NPR)
• “I went to prison for disclosing the CIA’s torture. Gina Haspel helped cover it up.” by John Kiriakou (Washington Post)
• Abu Zubaydah
• “Transcript: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed confesses 9/11 role” (CNN)
• Abu Anas al-Libi
• Jose Rodriguez
• “CIA admits it broke into Senate computers; senators call for spy chief’s ouster” (McClatchy)
• “Rand Paul Issues Filibuster Threat on Trump’s State and CIA Nominees” (Bloomberg)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Eli Clifton joins Scott to discuss his latest piece with Jim Lobe, “Pompeo: Springtime For Irano/Islamophobes.” Clifton describes how the neocons have direct access to the Trump presidency and how they’ve whipped up a consistent stream of Islamaphobia in the United States. Clifton then details how Mike Pompeo has framed Middle East conflict in the terms of a Christian holy war and why his appointment to Secretary of State is foreboding.

Eli Clifton is a reporting fellow with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute and a contributing editor for Lobe Log. Follow him on Twitter @EliClifton.

Discussed on the show:

• Frank Gaffney
• “Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” by Eli Clifton (Center for American Progress)
• “He wanted to build Trump’s border wall. He was just charged in the bombing of a Minnesota mosque.” (Washington Post)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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Associate member of Veterans for Peace Chris Smiley joins Scott to discuss his new documentary “U.S. Veterans Witness Brutal Reality for Ahed Tamimi and Palestinians.” Smiley details the scope of the documentary, which shows what life is like for the people of the town of Nabi Salih, which borders an Israeli settlement. Scott and Smiley begin by discussing the details of Ahed Tamimi. Scott then makes the case for Palestinian property rights and Smiley juxtaposes the right of return in Israel and Palestine.

Smiley co-hosts and produces the Peace Report and works on If Americans Knew. He is the creator of the new documentary “U.S. Veterans Witness Brutal Reality for Ahed Tamimi and Palestinians.” Check out all of his work at his website.

Discussed on the show:

• Nabi Salih
• Halamish
• Nakba Day
• Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:31 — 27.9MB)

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Tim Shorrock returns to the show to discuss Trump’s decision to negotiate with North Korea. According to Shorrock the media has largely completely ignored the role South Korean Moon Jae-in has played in making diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea possible. Shorrock then describes the threats North Korea has faced from the United States since the Korean War, and why ending U.S. hostilities is a necessary precondition for real diplomacy. Finally Shorrock discusses the militaristic streak among liberals.

Tim Shorrock is the author of “Spies For Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing” and a regular contributor to The Nation and the Korea Center for Investigative Reporting. Follow him on Twitter @TimothyS.

Discussed on the show:

• Moon Jae-in
• Sunshine Policy
• “North Korea Says It Might Negotiate on Nuclear Weapons. But the Washington Post Isn’t Reporting That.” by John Schwartz (The Intercept)
• Agreed Framework
• “How Cheney and His Allies Created the North Korea Nuclear Missile Crisis,” by Gareth Porter (Truth-Out.org)
• Love Me, I’m a Liberal by Phil Ochs

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:14 — 35.9MB)

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Executive editor of the Libertarian Institute Sheldon Richman returns to the show to discuss Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum. According to Richman the major damage of Trump’s tariffs will be felt by downstream producers and the disruption to the price system. Richman details how, contrary to popular belief, technology has increased factory output in the United States while reducing factory jobs—and that the Chinese, the Mexicans, etc. are scapegoats for useful idiots. Richman then tears apart the argument that trade deficits are a bad thing. His advice? “Read Bastiat.” Scott and Richman then elucidate how trade between people makes war much less likely.

Sheldon Richman is the executive editor of the Libertarian Institute and the author of America’s Counter-Revolution: The Constitution Revisited. Follow him on Twitter @SheldonRichman.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:03 — 53.1MB)

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Peter Van Buren returns to the show to discuss Donald Trump’s decision to meet with Kim Jung-Un to open relations between the United States and North Korea. Van Buren explains why he thinks this is a monumental decision and why there’s real reason for (cautious) optimism and wonders whether this could be Trump’s Nixon-goes-to-China moment. Van Buren then addresses the number one issue on the table: is North Korea actually willing to discuss giving up their nuclear weapons? Van Buren gives a detailed look behind the curtain into the process and workings of the state department and his former colleagues in Seoul, South Korea. Scott and Van Buren then discuss the pitfalls of the Bush and Obama administrations’ approach to diplomacy with North Korea. And before he signs off Van Buren tells Scott why he thinks more is being made out of Russia’s newest nuclear weapons than is really there.

Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People” and the novel “Hooper’s War.” He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. Follow him on Twitter @WeMeantWell.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:29 — 38.0MB)

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Eric Eikenberry of the Yemen Peace Project joins Scott to discuss Senate Joint Resolution 54, which invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to end U.S. aid and support the bombardment of Yemen by coalition forces. Eikenberry explains why, in addition to ending the catastrophic bombardment of Yemen, the invocation of the War Powers Resolution is so significant—it’s never happened before. Eikenberry then explains why the AUMF gets tied up in the language of Joint Senate Resolution 54 and has stopped Rand Paul in particular from sponsoring the bill.

To support Senate Joint Resolution 54 the number to call is: 1-833-786-7927.

Eric Eikenberry is the Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Yemen Peace Project and an advocacy associate at Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain. Follow him on Twitter @eric_eikenberry.

Discussed on the show:

•  “S.J.Res.54 – A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress” (Congress.gov)
• Todd Young
• “GOP Senator Once Critical Of Yemen War Helps Trump Block Senate Debate On It” (Huffington Post)
• “10/26/17 Kate Kizer on H.Con.Res.81 and how to end the war in Yemen” (The Scott Horton Show)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:22 — 19.6MB)

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