Dr. Ron Paul returns to the show to discuss his most recent book "The Revolution at Ten Years." Scott explains why Ron Paul's "Giuliani moment" is the reason why millions of people have become libertarians. Scott asks whether American strength of markets and wealth can overcome the welfare/warfare state for a considerable time longer; Dr. Paul makes the case why the debt is the reason the current American way cannot be sustained. Paul then explains the importance of sound money and how monetary policy leads to the creation of artificial bubbles and regular market crashes. Finally, Paul says...
11/29/17 Jacob Hornberger on abolishing the U.S. national security state
President of the Future of Freedom Foundation Jacob Hornberger returns to the show to discuss the welfare/warfare state and the harm it's done to the country. Hornberger makes the case that today's national security state is a post-World War II creation to fight the Soviet Unions and totalitarianism, and not inherent to what the United States has been. Hornberger and Scott then discuss the role of the UN in building the American empire, what libertarians need to do to convince the left and the right to care about state violence, and the tremendous opportunity cost of the money and brainpower...
11/29/17 Reese Erlich on Saudi Arabia’s expanding role in the Middle East
Reese Erlich joins Scott to discuss Saudi Arabia and their new de facto King, Mohamed Bin Salman, the story behind Lebanon prime minister Saad al-Hariri's resignation and subsequent un-resignation, and the deep discord in Trump's state department over it all. Erlich and Scott then discuss Trump's heightened tension with Iran, how the Iraq War was a major gift to the Iranians, and why the concern for control of the global oil supply has determined much of U.S. foreign policy. Lastly, Erlich discusses the situation in Yemen. Reese Erlich is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author...
11/29/17 Reese Erlich on Saudi Arabia's expanding role in the Middle East
Reese Erlich joins Scott to discuss Saudi Arabia and their new de facto King, Mohamed Bin Salman, the story behind Lebanon prime minister Saad al-Hariri's resignation and subsequent un-resignation, and the deep discord in Trump's state department over it all. Erlich and Scott then discuss Trump's heightened tension with Iran, how the Iraq War was a major gift to the Iranians, and why the concern for control of the global oil supply has determined much of U.S. foreign policy. Lastly, Erlich discusses the situation in Yemen. Reese Erlich is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author...
11/27/17 Aniqa Raihan on the unrecognized Bedouin villages of Israel
Aniqa Raihan joins Scott to discuss her article for Foreign Policy in Focus, "A Beginner's Guide to the Unrecognized Villages of Israel." Raihan explains how the bedouins of Israel—who are citizens—have been continually deprived of their homes, land, and other vital resources. The Bedouin people are regularly forced from their homes and villages, many of which are unrecognized by the state of Israel and reappropriated for other purposes. Scott then asks about the BDS movement; Raihan explains the goals and origins of the movement and how it's scaring the Israeli establishment. Aniqa Raihan...
11/22/17 Gareth Porter on the latest bogus Iran-Al Qaeda claims
Investigative journalist Gareth Porter returns to the show to discuss his article for The American Conservative, "Translated Doc Debunks Narrative of Al Qaeda-Iran ‘Alliance’." Porter explains how Americans are manufacturing a nonexistent relationship between Iran and Al Qaeda in much the same way they did with Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein in the lead up to the Iraq war. Porter then details the specifics of the document and the context in which it was written. Scott and Porter discuss at length how Iran and Al Qaeda have been conflated previously, diverting attention away from Al Qaeda in the...
11/22/17 Michael Klare: the Threat of War with North Korea
Michael Klare joins Scott to discuss his latest article for TomDispatch.com "The Trump Doctrine: Making Nuclear Weapons Usable Again." Klare describes how the U.S. nuclear weapons stock has been upgraded, making them operational in any possible scenario. According to Klare the Americans and the Russians are racing to upgrade their nuclear weapons to make them more flexible—all of which increases the threat of nuclear war. There's a great paradox at work here: Trump is on the one hand being accused of being too friendly with Vladimir Putin while on the other refusing to negotiate with the...
11/22/17 Phil Giraldi on the deal struck between ISIS and the U.S. in Raqqa
Phil Giraldi is the executive director for the Council for the National Interest. His latest article for UNZ.com is "Boy Is This Stupid or What?" Giraldi details how the fight against ISIS in east Syria took a strange turn after the U.S. and coalition forces had reduced Raqqa, the capital of the caliphate, to rubble. After backing ISIS into a corner the coalition struck a deal with the remaining local fighters to leave under a conditional truce. Scott worries that scattered ISIS fighters—many of whom returned to their home countries—only makes blowback likelier. Giraldi then addresses the...