Scott interviews Trita Parsi about Biden’s bizarre approach to JCPOA negotiations. When Biden came into office, the Iranians wanted to work out some mechanism to limit any future President’s ability to pull out of the JCPOA in a similar fashion to Trump. The U.S. said no, so the Iranians said they would settle for a binding commitment for the rest of Biden’s first term, but even that was rejected by the Americans. Parsi explains that stability is necessary for sanctions relief to work. He also says Iran’s status as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty is at risk if the U.S. keeps refusing to move forward.
Scott interviews Trita Parsi about his paper concerning the intervention of Middle East powers over the last decade. Parsi and his coauthor Matthew Petti found that, contrary to the picture often painted of one malign actor driving all the instability, there are really six Middle Eastern countries engaging in a lot of foreign intervention. Iran, which is currently the U.S. foreign policy establishment’s favorite villain, is no more interventionist than the other five. And that most instability in the modern Middle East can be traced back to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Finally, Parsi talks about the Iran Nuclear Deal, which he says was gravely threatened when Biden dragged his feet at the beginning of his presidency.
Discussed on the show:
“No Clean Hands: The Interventions of Middle Eastern Powers, 2010-2020” (Quincy Institute)
“How to Make Iran Trust a New Nuclear Deal” (Foreign Policy)
Trita Parsi talks about the possibility of diplomatic talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which he views as a consequence of the Biden administration’s somewhat less aggressive stance toward the Middle East. People often allege that American military involvement abroad keeps the world safer; in reality, Parsi explains, it is only when the U.S. pulls back from conflict that countries must resort instead to diplomacy. He hopes Biden will make a commitment to ending some of America’s forever wars and, above all, find a solution to the desperate humanitarian crisis in Yemen that America helped cause.
Discussed on the show:
“Why Mohammed bin Salman Suddenly Wants to Talk to Iran” (Foreign Policy)
“The Houthis Are Not Hezbollah – Foreign Policy” (Foreign Policy)
Trita Parsi talks about the state of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. President Trump, of course, made a point of withdrawing from the JCPOA and increasing hostilities with Iran, deliberately parting ways with one of President Obama’s signature issues. But the Biden administration, says Parsi, seems serious about reestablishing diplomatic relationships with Iran, especially as they continue to demonstrate advanced nuclear capabilities. Contrary to the common narrative, Parsi explains, it isn’t America’s cruel and futile sanctions regime that brings the Iranian government to the negotiating table, it is the Iranian nuclear program that brings America to the table. Naturally, peace between any nuclear armed countries is good for global safety.
Discussed on the show:
“Biden Team Seeks a Way Out of Nuclear Standoff With Iran” (Foreign Policy)
Trita Parsi discusses President Trump’s recent announcement of a troop withdrawal from Iraq. Parsi is hesitant to fully endorse this move, explaining that while troop reductions are obviously good, such individual tactical moves, in order to be truly effective, must be part of a larger strategy of peace. Trump, instead, has repeatedly escalated tensions in other regions, even as he withdraws troops elsewhere, with the result that his foreign policy often results in, at best, a net wash for detente.
Trita Parsi discusses John Bolton’s tenure in the Trump administration, during which time he worked tirelessly to sabotage any form of negotiation between the United States and Iran. Bolton is a fierce advocate for America’s alliance with Israel, says Parsi, which often means acting in ways that are actually quite harmful to American interests. Netanyahu, Parsi explains, worries that any peace between the U.S. and Iran would threaten Israel’s position as the dominant superpower in the Middle East, and it would no longer be so easy for them to accomplish the things the Netanyahu government wants to do, like annexing more and more Palestinian territory. Unless you have the warped neocon worldview, however, Scott and Parsi agree that attempted American hegemony in the Middle East can only mean disaster for the true interests of the American people.
Trita Parsi comes back on the show to recap the Quincy Institute’s recent conference in Washington D.C., which put pro-restraint and pro-interventionist figures on panels together to debate the merits of America’s foreign policy status quo. Some from the antiwar movement have been critical of Parsi’s organization for not being radical enough, but Parsi reiterates that an “inside game” is going to look different from an “outside game”, and that while the absolutely pure antiwar position is valuable to the movement, it’s also important to engage with those on the inside of American policymaking in a way that actually allows the ideas from both sides to be openly debated. Parsi and Scott consider the conference a success, and look forward to more events of the same type in the future.
Scott talks to Trita Parsi about an event being hosted next week by Parsi’s organization, the Quincy Institute, which will pit advocates of a restrained foreign policy against war hawks in a series of panel discussions. The event is Wednesday, February 26 in Washington D.C. Parsi says that although much of the American populace favors a restrained foreign policy, the beltway is dominated by pro-war neoconservatives. Valuable as it is to have outsider writers and activists calling for change, Parsi also wants to be sure there are people on the inside advocating the same thing. His institute seeks to do so.
Trita Parsi explains why he thinks that President Trump’s clear signal that he doesn’t want to go to war with Iran has sent a message to American allies like Saudi Arabia that they should now pursue diplomacy instead of war. Some assume that without a strong U.S. military presence in the Middle East, the region will fall apart. Parsi says it is quite the opposite, and that these countries are perfectly capable of getting along with each other without our involvement. Most recently, the Iraqi government has voted to kick American troops out, as they desperately want to avoid becoming the battlefield for a war between the U.S. and Iran.
Discussed on the show:
“As the Assassination of Iran’s Suleimani Shows, the United States Is the Main Spoiler of Peace in the Middle East” (Foreign Policy)
Trita Parsi assesses the current risk of America going to war with Iran, given all the recent pressure from President Trump’s advisers to do so. Parsi reminds us that America has no real reason to fear Iran’s civilian nuclear program, since they were already signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty long before President Obama’s JCPOA. The pressure to attack them simply comes from wanting to appease the strategic interests of Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Discussed on the show:
“Ret. Col. Macgregor: Attacking Iran Would Provoke a War, Create a Coalition Of The Willing Against Us” (RealClearPolitics)
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.
US News New York City will require all companies to have a vaccine mandate by December 27th. The city’s mayor announced that children 5-12 will need one dose of a vaccine to dine at a restaurant. [Link] The WHO says an additional 70,000 people died from malaria due to...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMoJE7pxh4 Join Dr. Ron Paul and Tom Woods, plus very special guest Glenn Greenwald in Texas for an event you won't want to miss! Ron Paul's two campaigns for president (2008 and 2012) were watershed moments for liberty-minded people...
We don’t need “the global village”; we need a “globe of villages”. And when I say need here I don’t mean it in an ethical, or moral, or aesthetic sense. I mean it in the most practical sense: in order to survive we must re-localize. The global village idea is a...
From their state most people demand – at least – protection of life, liberty and property. In exchange, they are willing to pay for it. So why not put the relationship between citizen and state on a purely contractual basis? Such a Citizen Contract would offer much...
Jon Schwarz wrote an article for the Intercept last month that stirred up quite a buzz. In the piece, Schwarz makes the argument that, because it’s hurting creditors and shrinking the real value of debt, inflation should be viewed as good news for most people. Scott...
Scott was joined by Gilbert Doctorow on Antiwar Radio Sunday to talk about Russia and Ukraine. The recent Russian build-up of forces on its border with Ukraine’s Donbas Region has been highly publicized in American media, but the greater context has been all but...
Scott is joined by journalist and primary source documentarian Ford Fischer to discuss the recently released footage of Johnny Hurley’s death at the hands of an Arvada police officer. Fischer made a short documentary about the tragedy shortly after it occurred this...
Scott interviews Patricia Hynes about a piece she wrote back in 2017 highlighting the devastation caused by burn pits on American military bases over the last thirty years. Scott wanted to discuss this now because the Federal Government has finally started looking for...
87 Minutes PG-13 Scott and Pete livestreamed episode 7 of their new podcast, The End of the Empire. Dave Smith joined for the second half to discuss Omicron and whether he believes this tyranny will continue, or switch focuses. Sponsors Soho Forum Discover 2022 THC...
90 Minutes PG-13 Stephen Carson is the host of the Radical Liberation channel on YouTube Pete asked Stephen to come on after seeing a discussion he was having about Democracy vs. Monarchy to talk about classical liberalism, democracy, monarchy and the eventual...
79 Minutes PG-13 L.B. Muniz is the proprietor of BeenAwakedotcom and the author of the article "The Post-Libertarian Moment" L.B. joins Pete to talk a little about his article "The Post-Libertarian Moment" but mostly to talk about how people who adopt an ideology have...
58 Minutes Some Strong Language Aaron is one of the hosts of the Timeline Earth podcast. Aaron and Pete complete their series reading the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski's, Manifesto, "Industrial Society and Its Future" while commenting on it. Soho Forum Discover 2022 THC...
Scott and Pete discuss the most recent guests on the Scott Horton Show, Gilbert Doctorow and the War Nerd podcast guys. They talk about Johnny Hurley who confronted a cop killer and then himself was killed by cops, and the Ukraine unrest with Russia. Antony Blinken...
Scott and Pete returned on Thursday for End of the Empire episode six. Pete gives an explanation of Evergrande, the Chinese real estate company that is just barely avoiding default thanks to the CCP. They then discuss Scott’s recent interview with geopolitical author...
Scott and Pete are back for episode 5 of End of the Empire. The two discuss the legacy of the great Will Grigg. Just about all of Will’s work can be found at the Libertarian Institute website and is absolutely worth checking out. Scott and Pete also have a lengthy...
Pete and Scott returned Thursday to record episode 4 of their new show End of the Empire. They discuss China, vaccine mandates, anti-mandate mandates and libertarian strategy. A recording of the live stream can be found on the Libertarian Institute’s Youtube Channel. ...
On COI #197, Kyle Anzalone breaks down the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The World Bank and UN are attempting to deliver aid to the Afghans. However, U.S. sanctions continue to prevent the aid from reaching suffering people. Back in Washington., Biden is...
On COI #196, Dave DeCamp - News Editor at Antiwar.com - returns to explain escalating tensions with Russia over Ukraine. In recent weeks the US has engaged in military drills along Russia’s western border while encouraging a Ukrainian military build-up. The result has...
On COI #195, Kyle Anzalone and Connor Freeman discuss recent developments in the new Cold War with China as well as the resumed JCPOA talks in Vienna. Kyle details recent reports about how Taiwan, eyeing China, is building its own submarine fleet with assistance from...
On COI #194, Kyle Anzalone breaks down the growing tensions in Eastern Europe. The US is simulating nuclear war with Russia, conducting war games in Latvia, and deploying warships to the Black Sea. Meanwhile, Ukraine is engaging in military build-ups/drills on its...
https://youtu.be/SeDZ5YqEpaI Justifications, rationalizations, for butchery and mass murder have been served up by every State and cheerfully adopted by the over whelming majority of their citizens. Murray N. Rothbard, Ph.D., Left and Right, p. 449 Find Bird Archist...
https://youtu.be/nvzjyJuXqy0 It was Stalin who had invaded six western neighbors between 1939 and 1941, alarming the Germans and other neighbors who were afraid of being devoured next. The Soviet invasions of Finland and Romania had backfired spectacularly, as these...
https://youtu.be/C2Mys-HO54Q The only means to raise wage rates permanently for all those eager to earn wages is to raise the productivity of labor by increasing the per-head quota of capital invested and improving the methods of production. The better the tools are...
https://youtu.be/lDtN9wat_IE Ideology has always been vital to the continued existence of the State, as attested by the systematic use of ideology since the ancient Oriental empires. The specific content of the ideology has, of course, changed over time, in accordance...
https://youtu.be/QvMlgKvR0Bw Researcher Adam Fitzgerald joins me to discuss his recent video on Psychological Operations (Psyops) and mind control from MK Ultra to the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. We define Psyops, discuss who perpetrates them and how, and give examples....
https://youtu.be/5AhHXy2aZZU This week, I invited Monica Perez and Brad Binkley on to discuss one of their Rokfin deep dive episodes. We address several topics including DARPA brain mapping, conditioning soldiers to kill with implants, the future of warfare, and the...
https://youtu.be/WHI187hU8bY I've often heard it said that we are living through unprecedented times. History, however, provides a parallel for many of the events unfolding today. In this weeks episode, I brought on CD McRae to help us make sense of the Kyle...
https://youtu.be/h-QMxXAwRk8 Hunter DeRensis joins me to discuss his recent featured article at the American Conservative. This piece tells the little remembered story of a congressional inquest into war profiteering during the first World War. Hunter's piece also...
UncleTed joined me to discuss frustration with the predominate culture and politics. Libertarian Institute 19 Skills Pdf Autonomy Course Critical Thinking Course Donate Patreon RyanBunting.com
Reed joined me once again. This episode we stay awake and hav a lively discussion about supply chains, current events, and post libertarians. Reed Twitter Naturalist Capitalist Libertarian Institute 19 Skills Pdf Autonomy Course Critical Thinking Course Donate Patreon...
Legalman came back on the show to discuss the prosecutor’s malfeasance in the Rittenhouse trial. Legalman Twitter The Quash Libertarian Institute 19 Skills Pdf Autonomy Course Critical Thinking Course Donate Patreon RyanBunting.com
Michael Boldin of The Tenth Amendment Center joined me to discuss moving local communities in such a way that the local legislation nullifies federal powers and enforcement. Michael Boldin Twitter Tenth Amendment Center Libertarian Institute 19 Skills Pdf Autonomy...
