Afghan war whistleblower Matthew Hoh returns to discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan, recalls his thought process when he blew the whistle in the lead up to Obama’s surge, and describes the perverse incentives created by the military for advancement. Hoh then discusses the brand new Trump security strategy and how it relates to the Untied States’ nuclear rivals, China and Russia. Hoh concludes by pointing out that, as delusional and malleable as Trump appears, his outlook on the world is really no different from those of presidents.

Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Hoh is a member of the Board of Directors for Council for a Livable World and is an Advisory Board Member for Expose Facts. He writes on issues of war, peace and post-traumatic stress disorder recovery at matthewhoh.com.

Discussed on the show:

• Karl Eikenberry
• Richard Holbrooke
• “U.S. official resigns over Afghan war,” by Karen DeYoung (Washington Post)
• Korangal Valley
• No Good Men Among the Living, by Anand Gopal
• Matthew Hoh addresses the democratic caucus Nov. 2009 Merth (PA)
• Obama’s Wars, Bob Woodward
• The Best and the Brightest, by David Halberstam
• A Bright Shining Lie, by Neil Sheehan
• Public Choice Theory
• “Hillary Clinton, ‘Smart Power’ and a Dictator’s Fall,” by Scott Shane (New York Times)
• “Finnish NATO membership would lead to crisis with Russia: government report” (Reuters)
• “Don’t Forget About The Red Swan,” by David Stockman (Daily Reckoning)
• Austrian Business Cycle Theory
• “China’s ‘Fake’ Cities Are Eerie Replicas of Paris, London and Jackson Hole, Wyoming” (ABC News)
• The Coming War on China, by John Pilger
• “There Is Still Time to Develop a Solution to the North Korea Crisis,” by Doug Bandow (CATO)
• “Omnicide,” by Daniel Ellsberg (Harper’s)

Today’s show is sponsored by: 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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