

Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews
Scott Horton
This podcast is for individual interviews on the Scott Horton Show. See the Q & A show feed to hear Scott answer listener questions and for the full show archives.Scott Horton is the author of Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan, and is the host of the Scott Horton Show podcast. He has conducted over 5,500 interviews with authors, journalists, activists, and whistleblowers on the most important foreign policy issues since 2003.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 2, 2022 • 1h 20min
10/31/22 Lyle Goldstein on the Danger of Fighting over Ukraine and Taiwan
Scott interviews Lyle Goldstein about the danger posed by escalating conflicts in Europe and the Pacific. First Goldstein, who correctly predicted the February invasion, gives his account of where the war in Ukraine stands today and where it’s likely to go. He and Scott then talk about some of the important details for listeners to understand about nuclear weapons and nuclear war. Lastly, they discuss the growing tension over Taiwan. Goldstein is worried that the war in Ukraine mixed with the promise of greater western military aid for Taiwan years down the road will convince Beijing that now is the best time to invade the island. Discussed on the show:
“Threat Inflation, Russian Military Weakness, and the Resulting Nuclear Paradox: Implications of the War in Ukraine for U.S. Military Spending” (Cost of War Project)
“Don’t Rule Out Diplomacy in Ukraine” (Foreign Affairs)
Thirteen Days (2000)
Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy by Andrew Cockburn
“The Scary War Game Over Taiwan That the U.S. Loses Again and Again” (Real Clear Investigations)
Lyle J. Goldstein is the Director of Asia Engagement at Defense Priorities. He is the author of Meeting China Halfway: How to Defuse the Emerging US-China Rivalry. Follow his work at The National Interest.This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 2, 2022 • 1h 39min
10/28/22 John Robb on the Geopolitical Ramifications of Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover
Scott talks with John Robb about the major consequences of Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter. Robb has written about how the internet created a global geopolitical environment determined chiefly by the network effect. Notably, the hysteria surrounding the war in Ukraine is brought about by this network effect in both a top-down and bottom-up fashion. It seems that Musk intends to end the top-down suppression of dissent against the NATO narrative of the war. Scott and Robb discuss possible consequences and examine the broader effect this network has on American politics and foreign policy. Discussed on the show:
Global Guerillas
Apocalypse Now
Hate Inc by Matt Taibbi
John Robb is a former special operator who now writes the Global Guerrillas Report which examines the world at the intersection of war, technology and politics. Follow him on Twitter @johnrobbThis episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2022 • 33min
10/27/22 Kyle Anzalone on Washington’s Incompetent Imperialism
Kyle Anzalone joins Scott this week on Antiwar Radio to provide a quick insight into the status of the American empire’s foreign adventurism. They first look to North Korea, where the Biden administration has reversed Trump’s policy of de-escalation and is instead undertaking nuclear brinksmanship for no good reason. Next, they turn to Taiwan and examine the push in Congress to abandon the stable status quo. They then look to Iran where the JCPOA is dead and Washington ineptly drives its enemies together in pursuit of world hegemony. They talk briefly about Yemen where the humanitarian crisis is picking back up post-ceasefire. Finally, they look to Ukraine where both sides are gearing up for a battle over the southern city of Kherson. Discussed on the show:
“Sanctions Relief and the 'Defensive Crouch'” (Substack)
“Yemen facing worst food crisis in four years” (The Cradle)
1833stopwar.com
Kyle Anzalone is news editor of the Libertarian Institute, opinion editor of Antiwar.com and co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Will Porter and Connor Freeman. Follow him on Twitter @KyleAnzalone_This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 27, 2022 • 34min
10/24/22 Ted Snider on America's Obligation to Stop the War in Ukraine
Scott talks with Ted Snider about some of his recent articles at Antiwar.com. Snider makes the argument that, by deliberately ignoring off-ramps, the U.S. bears just as much responsibility for the ongoing war as any other party. But beyond that, Scott and Snider examine the ways the U.S. and NATO sabotaged Russo-Ukrainian negotiations shortly after the invasion — which Snider argues gives the U.S. an obligation to stop the war before more blood is needlessly spilled. Discussed on the show:
“The Back Door to NATO” (Antiwar.com)
“Choosing Sides in the New Cold War” (Antiwar.com)
“Who Stopped the War in Ukraine?” (Antiwar.com)
“Defense Secretary Tells Ukraine It Will Have ‘What It Needs to Defeat’ Russia” (Antiwar.com)
Ted Snider has a graduate degree in philosophy and writes on analyzing patterns in U.S. foreign policy and history. He is a regular writer for Truthout, MondoWeiss and antiwar.com.This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 26, 2022 • 39min
10/22/22 Patrick MacFarlane on the Populist Right’s Taiwan Hypocrisy
Scott is joined by Patrick MacFarlane, the Justin Raimondo Fellow at the Libertarian Institute, to discuss an article he wrote recently as well as the new direction he’s taking his podcast Vital Dissent. Scott and MacFarlane first dig into the growing tension between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan's sovereignty. MacFarlane points out that some of the best opposition to both the policies that provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and NATO’s subsequent response is from populist right-wingers. But those very same people throw all their logic out the window when the topic turns from Russia to China. Discussed on the show:
“Nothing But Welfare Queens: American Aid to Zelensky and Tsai Ing-wen” (Libertarian Institute)
Vital Dissent
Patrick MacFarlane is the Justin Raimondo Fellow at the Libertarian Institute where he advocates a noninterventionist foreign policy. He is a Wisconsin attorney in private practice. His work has appeared on antiwar.com and Zerohedge. Follow him on Twitter @patmacfarlane_This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 25, 2022 • 33min
10/21/22 James Carden on the Need for Strategic Empathy
This week on Antiwar Radio, Scott talked with James Carden about an article he co-wrote recently with Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation. The article compares the current level of tension between the U.S. and Russia with the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis sixty years ago. They argue that two factors make today’s flare-up more dangerous: a lack of communication channels and an absence of empathy for the other side. Carden explains why we do not need to sympathize with the Russian invasion to recognize that there is room for diplomacy. Discussed on the show:
“How did we avoid a Cuban Missile ‘Armageddon’? Strategic empathy.” (Responsible Statecraft)
American Committee for US-Russia Accord
James Carden is the executive editor for the American Committee for US-Russia Accord and former adviser on Russia policy at the US State Department. He is a contributing writer at The Nation.This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2022 • 32min
10/21/22 Annelle Sheline: Mad at the Saudis? End the War in Yemen
Scott talks with Quincy Institute research fellow Annelle Sheline about the recent anti-Saudi sentiment in the Democratic Party and the effort to end the war in Yemen. After some tension between the Biden Administration and OPEC+, many Democrats have been directing anger toward the Saudi Regime. Scott and Sheline discuss how this came about and why the energy should be directed toward ending the war in Yemen. Discussed on the show:
“Five ways Biden can ‘re-evaluate’ the Saudi relationship now” (Responsible Statecraft)
1833stopwar.com
Annelle Sheline is a Research Fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute and an expert on religious and political authority in the Middle East and North Africa. Follow her on Twitter @AnnelleSheline.This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 2022 • 33min
10/21/22 Daniel Davis on the Looming Battle for Kherson
Scott talks with Daniel Davis about the evolving situation on the ground in Ukraine. Davis has his eyes on the southern city of Kherson where the Russian forces are digging in for a Ukrainian attack. Clearly the Ukrainian forces have benefited from NATO weapons, but Davis thinks they’re in for a tough winter as Russia gets reinforcements and Ukraine’s armored divisions wither away. And so he expects the Ukrainians to try and take control of as much ground as possible before December. Scott and Davis also discuss how Russia’s annexations have changed the dynamic of this war. Discussed on the show:
“Biden’s Ukraine Strategy Could Start A Nuclear War With Russia” (19FortyFive)
“Inside the U.S. Effort to Arm Ukraine” (The New Yorker)
Daniel Davis did multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan during his time in the army. He is a Senior Fellow at Defense Priorities and is the author of the reports “Dereliction of Duty II: Senior Military Leaders’ Loss of Integrity Wounds Afghan War Effort” and “Go Big or Go Deep: An Analysis of Strategy Options on Afghanistan.” Find him on Twitter @DanielLDavis1.This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 22, 2022 • 1h 14min
10/20/22 Peter Van Buren: How Close to the Brink Are We Really?
Scott interviews Peter Van Buren to talk through the risk of a nuclear detonation related to the war in Ukraine. Both Scott and Van Buren think the use of nuclear weapons is unlikely, but they dig into the differences in their views of the situation. They also explore how a conventional escalation could play out. Lastly, they turn to North Korea where Van Buren sees the greatest chance of nuclear disaster originating. Discussed on the show:
“Nuclear Chicken Is Overrated” (The American Conservative)
“Inside the U.S. Effort to Arm Ukraine” (The New Yorker)
“NATO Expansion: What Gorbachev Heard” (National Security Archive)
Fail Safe (1964)
“What Jefferson's Critics Miss” (The American Conservative)
“Who is Winning the War in Ukraine?” (The American Conservative)
Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People and the novel Hooper’s War. He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine.This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 20, 2022 • 1h 45min
10/17/22 Richard Booth on Why the OKC Bombing is Still Important
Richard Booth joins Scott to discuss the Oklahoma City bombing. The two go back to the beginning and talk about what originally got them interested in the bombing and how they later joined up to create the largest online archive of relevant documents. They then dig into why this story remains important almost thirty years later. Scott plays a number of audio clips to help the listener understand why there is clearly more to the story than the official conclusion would have us believe. But they also talk about instances where other researchers have gone too far with their assertions. This interview is a good jumping-off point for those who want to start learning about the bombing. Discussed on the show:
Oklahoma City Bombing Archive - The Libertarian Institute
Oklahoma City by Andrew Gumbel and Roger G. Charles
Aberration in the Heartland of the Real by Wendy Painting
Scott’s interview with Boltzmann Booty
“The Oklahoma City Bombing Surveiled: What Do the Videos Show?” (Libertarian Institute)
Tainting Evidence by Phillip Wearne and John Kelly
The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Politics of Terror by David Hoffman
The Final Report by Charles Key
The Secret Life of Bill Clinton by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Richard Booth is an independent citizen journalist and member of the Constitution First Amendment Press Association (CFAPA). You can find Richard's journalism at The Libertarian Institute, and on his page at Medium.comThis episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot.Get Scott’s interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack.Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices