Scott Horton | The Libertarian Institute

12/4/20 Danny Sjursen: The Case Against Jake Sullivan

by Scott Horton | Dec 6, 2020 | The Scott Horton Show

Danny Sjursen is back for a look at Biden's foreign policy team, in particular his new National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan. Sjursen says that Sullivan fits right in with many of Biden's other cabinet picks: extremely talented, well-credentialed, respectable people who use their talents to advance horrible policies while deflecting criticism for them. Sullivan, a war hawk, worked closely with Hillary Clinton during Obama's presidency, especially on the intervention in Libya. He appears to favor all the same foreign policies from those years now that he's a part of the Biden...

12/4/20 Grant Smith on the Jonathan Pollard Exception

by Scott Horton | Dec 5, 2020 | The Scott Horton Show

Scott talks to Grant Smith about the case of Jonathan Pollard, an American intelligence analyst who pled guilty to espionage on behalf of Israel in the 1980s. Pollard has been imprisoned for his crimes since then, until he was recently released on parole by the Trump administration. For years working in intelligence, Pollard stole secret documents for the Israeli government, something other American figures have done in recent memory, but for which few other than Pollard have been punished. Now Pollard is on the verge of joining those others who walked free for their crimes. Discussed on the...

12/4/20 Gilbert Doctorow: Will Antony Blinken’s Past Catch Up With Him?

by Scott Horton | Dec 5, 2020 | The Scott Horton Show

Gilbert Doctorow talks about Biden's pick for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, particularly his famous stepfather, Samuel Pisar. Pisar is well-known these days for being a holocaust survivor rescued by American GIs during World War II, but is less known for his decorated international career afterward. Doctorow brings up Pisar's past because of his prominent role as a representative for American companies in Europe, and especially in the Soviet Union. Pisar's view was that commerce is an important feature of peaceful diplomatic relations, even with semi-hostile countries. Doctorow hopes...

12/3/20 Gareth Porter on the Assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

by Scott Horton | Dec 5, 2020 | The Scott Horton Show

Gareth Porter discusses the recent assassination of Iranian defense official Mohsen Fakhrizadeh by the Israeli government, which continues to claim that Fakhrizadeh was a "top nuclear scientist" in Iran. In reality, explains Porter, Fakhrizadeh was not a nuclear scientist, and this assassination is part of a years-long campaign to convince the world that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. No doubt the assassination was intended to provoke some kind of response from the Iranians before President Trump leaves the White House. It will also make it harder, he says, for President Biden to...

There is No Such Thing as ‘Law’ in America

by Scott Horton | Nov 30, 2020 | Blog

Drug Dealer Cop Gets Off Scott Free.

11/27/20 Stephen Zunes on Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy

by Scott Horton | Nov 29, 2020 | The Scott Horton Show

Scott talks to Stephen Zunes about Joe Biden's track record on foreign policy, and its potential implications for his presidency. Zunes rehashes some of the bad parts of Biden's record, beginning with his support for the invasion of Iraq. Although many Democrats voted for the war, Biden specifically and energetically advocated for it. Zunes worries that Biden is a true believer in the American empire, whereas President Trump doesn't really have firm beliefs about anything. This made Trump unpredictable, but also probably less dangerous on the issue of foreign wars. Zunes speculates that...

11/27/20 Frank Ledwidge on Losing the War in Afghanistan

by Scott Horton | Nov 29, 2020 | The Scott Horton Show

Frank Ledwidge, a British former intelligence officer, discusses the futility of the war in Afghanistan (and the rest of the terror wars), which many of the world's countries have now been mired in for nearly two decades. Ledwidge begins by reminding us just how much the Afghans hate foreign armies. Like most people, they don't take kindly to an occupying military force telling them how to live; unlike most people, a huge percentage of the rural villagers, especially in the Helmand Province, have never even heard of 9/11 or the war on terror. The goal of "winning hearts and minds" in a place...