Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses America’s decline from shining beacon of freedom to torture-loving police state; how libertarianism helps people break through nationalist propaganda and public school indoctrination; why Americans should make haste toward limited government before another terrorist attack marks the end of the republic; and the many non-Muslim groups around the world with serious grievances against the US.
07/21/11 – John Tirman – The Scott Horton Show
John Tirman, Executive Director and a Principal Research Scientist at MIT’s Center for International Studies, discusses his article “1 Million Dead in Iraq? 6 Reasons the Media Hide the True Human Toll of War — And Why We Let Them” at AlterNet; the reputable studies done in Iraq to arrive at the approximately 1 million “excess death” toll; why the media consistently low-balls with a “tens of thousands” figure; and the powerful argument (to some) at stake: that at least Iraq is “better off now...
07/20/11 – Kelley B. Vlahos – The Scott Horton Show
Kelley B. Vlahos, featured Antiwar.com columnist and contributing editor for The American Conservative magazine, discusses her article “What Really Goes on in Afghanistan?” at Antiwar.com; how the US military plays down the severity and effectiveness of Taliban attacks; the great uncertainty of events in Afghanistan, owing to the minimal media presence; and why it’s pretty obvious there will be no Karzai government “stepping up” if/when US forces step down.
07/20/11 – Roy Guthman – The Scott Horton Show
Roy Gutman, Baghdad Bureau Chief for McClatchy Newspapers, discusses his article “Kirkuk is a ‘land mine’ where all sides want U.S. to stay;” why the majority of Iraq’s elite in government and the military want the US to remain as a stabilizing force; striking a balance on training Iraqi troops, so they are competent enough to repel foreign attacks (nevermind that their country is currently occupied by a foreign army) but not too strong to threaten regional powers; and why Moqtada al-Sadr’s...
07/20/11 – Philip Giraldi – The Scott Horton Show
Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses the Iranian government’s claim of shooting down a US drone near a nuclear enrichment facility; former CIA officer Robert Baer’s warning about an Israeli-instigated war with Iran, designed to disrupt the September UN vote on a Palestinian state; the Congress’s unconditional support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s every move, no matter how crazy or belligerent; and why Obama doesn’t have the guts to defy Congress and AIPAC by making Israel fight its own...
07/19/11 – Will Grigg – The Scott Horton Show
Will Grigg, blogger and author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses the “Character First” program spun off from Bill Gothard’s increasingly popular Christian ministry (or authoritarian cult) that advocates abject deference to a military-style hierarchy in all human interactions; parallels with prewar Germany’s rising authoritarianism; and why true character (like Bradley Manning’s) is revealed through bravely opposing unjust authority, not blindly following orders.
07/18/11 – Stephan Salisbury – The Scott Horton Show
Stephan Salisbury, author of Mohamed’s Ghosts: An American Story of Love and Fear in the Homeland, discusses his article “Islam-Baiting Doesn’t Work” at tomdispatch.com; the increased popularity of Islam-bashing in political campaigns – despite the fact most practitioners in 2010 lost their elections; the real facts on Sharia law “taking over” the US justice system (and if you’re still scared, get out of the bunker, take a look outside and be comforted by the lack of marauding religious...
07/18/11 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show
John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses his revitalization of Antiwar.com’s long-neglected blog; the many obstacles “on the ground” obstructing a complete US withdrawal from Iraq; how Obama has managed to get the US involved in six simultaneous wars; and why public apathy, though understandable from the deluge of bad news, means the government has us exactly where they want us.
07/15/11 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show
This interview is also available (here) in a version packaged for broadcast on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, with an introductory summary of foreign policy news and Antiwar Radio interviews from the week of July 11-15. Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses his article “What Is Sadr’s Game on Future US Troop Presence?” at antiwar.com, about Moqtada al-Sadr trying to have it both ways, by privately agreeing to an extended US troop presence (and getting free...
07/15/11 – Glenn Greenwald – The Scott Horton Show
Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com blogger and author of With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful, discusses WIRED magazine’s much-delayed release of the full Bradley Manning/Adrian Lamo chat logs; the lies and omissions from Lamo and WIRED editors Evan Hansen and Kevin Poulsen; newly revealed information that could aid Manning’s legal defense (like Lamo’s claim of confidentiality); and the very weak connection between Manning and WikiLeaks’...
07/14/11 – Fred Branfman – The Scott Horton Show
Fred Branfman, a writer and longtime activist, discusses his article “Obama’s Secret Wars: How Our Shady Counter-Terrorism Policies Are More Dangerous Than Terrorism” at AlterNet; the “industrial-sized” US killing machine, purportedly used to win the war on terrorism, that strikes with impunity the world over; how drone strikes and assassinations create new enemies far faster than “terrorists” are killed, with the added bonus of destabilizing allied governments; the lack of a cohesive US...
07/14/11 – Jeremy Scahill – The Scott Horton Show
Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, discusses his article “The CIA’s Secret Sites in Somalia” at The Nation; why Somalia’s very weak central government would quickly fall to Al Shabab without support from the US and African Union; the latest discovered secret CIA prison/training facility “black site” in Mogadishu; a reminder that US intervention didn’t start yesterday, and that previous efforts have led to the disaster unfolding today;...
07/13/11 – Eric Margolis – The Scott Horton Show
Eric Margolis, foreign correspondent and author of War at the Top of the World and American Raj, discusses why France and the US are working in tandem against the Assad regime in Syria; how Syria’s dissolution would cause massive regional upheaval, and should cause the West and Israel to rethink regime change plans; the public relations trappings that disguise naked imperialism by the US/NATO; the “low IQ” hawks in Congress who shout “send in the troops!” but don’t know Syria from Senegal; and...
07/13/11 – Adam Morrow – The Scott Horton Show
Adam Morrow, journalist with IPS News, discusses the return of million-man demonstrations in Egypt’s Tahrir Square; the powerful forces allied against successful Egyptian democratization; why world leaders, especially the autocratic ones tenuously holding power, are very worried about Hosni Mubarak’s prosecution; and the end of the honeymoon between Egypt’s protesters and the once-beloved army.
07/12/11 – Laura Pitter – The Scott Horton Show
Laura Pitter, counterterrorism advisor in Human Rights Watch’s Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program, discusses the HRW report “Getting Away With Torture;” why the Bush administration should be criminally investigated for its torture program; giving compensation to torture victims who cannot bring suit in court due to state secrets privilege; the illegality of holding prisoners incommunicado in “black sites,” even if they are otherwise treated humanely; why federal courts are more fair and...
