Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews

Ethan Siegel joins Scott to discuss the science behind the temperature of thermonuclear explosions. Scott is putting together a new book that argues for the abolition of nuclear weapons called Hotter Than The Sun. He wanted to talk with an expert who can actually explain how the bombs are able to reach temperatures that far exceed the center of the Sun. Siegel wrote an article on that exact topic a few years ago, so he’s the perfect person to answer that question. At the end, they also talk about some of the things to avoid if you find yourself in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion.       Discussed on the show:“Ask Ethan: How Can A Nuclear Bomb Be Hotter Than The Center Of Our Sun?” (Forbes)Ethan Siegel is an astrophysicist, author, professor and science communicator. He’s won numerous awards for science writing since he began blogging in 2008. His blog Starts With A Bang is now housed at Forbes. Follow him on Twitter @StartsWithABang.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Jason Ditz, senior editor of Antiwar.com, joins the show to provide an update on what’s been happening in Iraq. They start with a look at Iraqi politics. An election was held in October, but the numerous factions have hit a wall in their attempt to form a government. That being said, Ditz does not think anyone is inclined to unilaterally seize power any time soon. Next, they turn to the recent Turkish offensive against the PKK in northern Iraq. Turkey claims they have the support of Iraqi officials, yet those same officials quickly came out against the campaign. Lastly, they touch on some intra-Shi’ite violence concerning gravesites that Ditz has been reporting on at Antiwar.com.     NOTE: After recording the above episode, Iraq's political situation continues to deteriorate with Sadr now ruling out a consensus government. Read Jason Ditz's latest on the situation here.Discussed on the show: “Tensions Lead to Iraq Intra-Shi’ite Violence” (Antiwar.com) news.antiwar.com  Jason Ditz is senior editor of Antiwar.com. Read all of his work at news.antiwar.com and follow him on Twitter @jasonditz.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Scott talks with John Quigley about Crimea, the Donbas and other regions in Eastern Europe with heavy ties to Russia. In the mid-90s, Quigley was tasked with leading talks between the new Ukrainian government and the people of Crimea and the Donbas who saw themselves as Russian. Scott and Quigley go through the history of these regions and examine the issues with today's Eastern Eruopean borders.  Discussed on the show:“I led talks on Donbas and Crimea in the 90s. Here’s how the war should end” (Responsible Statecraft)John Quigley was CSCE expert on Crimea 1994-95. A specialist in international law, he is Professor Emeritus at the Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Dave DeCamp is back on Antiwar Radio this week to provide another update on the war in Ukraine. They begin by talking about the new bill set to transfer $40 billion to Ukraine. Rand Paul requested an inspector general to oversee the funds, similar to how money was tracked during the war in Afghanistan. Paul’s request will not be included in the bill, but his attempt did push the passage of the bill back about a week. Scott and DeCamp point out how every single Democrat in national office has fallen in line to support this war. They then dig into the risk of nuclear war breaking out. Both agree that we are clearly on a bad trajectory with the express goals of western governments being to weaken or total overthrow the Russian regime — the top scenario nuclear war experts say will lead to a purposeful first strike. DeCamp points out that the only interest in negotiation seems to come from inside the military. Political leaders are outright discouraging talks. Scott and DeCamp end with a discussion of Finland and Sweden’s plans to join NATO and the Lithuanian Foreign Minister’s call for regime change in Moscow.   Discussed on the show: Mearsheimer’s short debate on PBS “For the U.S., a Tenuous Balance in Confronting Russia” (New York Times) “NATO says Ukraine to decide on peace deal with Russia — within limits” (Washington Post) Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Scott interviews David Stockman about the war in Ukraine and the American economy. They begin by discussing the war in Ukraine. Stockman argues that the irrational motivator behind Washington’s actions is Trump-Derangement Syndrome — that Putin is a surrogate for Trump and you need to demonstrate blind hatred for him to be accepted. Next, they turn to the economy. Stockman recounts the trouble the American economy was in before the pandemic and war in Eastern Europe came about to make everything worse. Scott and Stockman end by discussing the painful path ahead.Discussed on the show: Mearsheimer’s short debate on PBS Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country by William Greider David Stockman is the ultimate Washington insider turned iconoclast. He began his career in Washington as a young man and quickly rose through the ranks of the Republican Party to become the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. After leaving the White House, Stockman had a 20-year career on Wall Street. He is the author of Trumped!, The Triumph of Politics, and his history of the financial crisis, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Scott is joined by activist and podcast host Misty Winston to discuss the case of Leonard Peltier, an American Indian Movement member who was charged with killing two FBI agents in 1975. Supporters of Peltier argue that he was charged without sufficient proof and has thus been illegally held in a maximum-security prison for almost 47 years. Winston gives some background on Peltier’s case, the political and historical context that he was charged under and finally the effort to get him a presidential pardon— or at least a new trial. Winston directs the audience to some resources to learn more and also explains this week’s campaign to fill up the White House’s comment phone line with calls to pardon Leonard Peltier. Discussed on the show: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info  Leonard: Political Prisoner Podcast Leonard: Political Prisoner Twitter Contact the White House (202-456-1111) Misty Winston is co-host of Facts on the Ground and Action 4 Assange. She also hosts her own show The Misty Winston Show. Follow her on Twitter @SarcasmStardustThis 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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Stephen Walt joined Scott for Antiwar Radio this week to give his view of the war in Ukraine. Walt is one of the leaders of the doctrine known as “foreign policy realism.” He starts by explaining what separates the realists from other schools of thought in the foreign policy space. He then ties those insights into the current war Russia has launched on Ukraine. He ends by explaining what will lead to escalation, and what has to happen in order for the war to end.Discussed on the show: The Israel Lobby The Hell of Good Intentions Stephen Walt is Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, and the author of Taming American Power: The Global Response to U.S. Primacy. He is a regular contributor to ForeignPolicy.com. Follow him on Twitter @stephenWalt.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Scott is joined by CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou to discuss the recent uptick in deplatforming efforts against alternative media sites like Consortium News and MintPress News. They discuss the hold that the Intelligence Community has over establishment national security “journalists.” The example of Ken Dilanian comes up, the journalist who reported on the CIA, but who sent every draft to the CIA for approval before even sending it to his own editor. Meanwhile, alternative websites like The Grayzone, Consortium News, MintPress News and Antiwar.com get no access and are quickly labeled as unstable conspiracy theorists. Recently, the deplatforming attempts against these sites have ramped up with the new “misinformation” labeling group NewsGuard. Scott and Kiriakou agree that this is the logical consequence of the attempt to ruin Jullian Assange, but also that it could be an act of desperation.Discussed on the show: John Kiriakou’s books OKC Bombing Archive NewsGuard Radley Balko at the Washington Post “Ken Dilanian CIA” Google Search MintPress News John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and author of The Convenient Terrorist: Two Whistleblowers’ Stories of Torture, Terror, Secret Wars, and CIA Lies and Doing Time Like A Spy. He is the host of Loud and Clear on Sputnik Radio. Follow him on Twitter @JohnKiriakou.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Scott interviews Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor about the war in Ukraine. Scott recently interviewed William Arkin who believes the Russians are actually losing this war. Macgregor has a very different take, and Scott gives him the opportunity to address Arkin’s argument. Macgregor shares his view of how the war has unfolded so far and how he expects it to evolve. He believes the Russians will pivot and attempt to occupy Eastern and Southern Ukraine. He thinks a battle for Odessa is looming and that the Russians will succeed in this endeavor. Scott then asks about reports about the Biden Administration’s new overt intentions to fund another color revolution in Belarus. Macgregor gives his take on how it may happen and then predicts that the Kremlin will respond with similar attempts in Latin America. Lastly, Scott and Macgregor talk about some of the institutional barriers facing those who want to change the foreign policy status quo in Washington. Discussed on the show: Scott’s Interview with William Arkin Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky Douglas Macgregor, Col. (ret.) is a senior fellow with The American Conservative, the former advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration, a decorated combat veteran, and the author of five books.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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

Scott is joined by investigative journalist Jordan Smith to discuss Melissa Lucio, a Texas woman awaiting execution. Smith walks us through Lucio’s case where the tragic death of her child was immediately assumed by police and prosecutors to be foul play. Smith’s reporting has uncovered the ways Lucio was misled and manipulated into falsely incriminating herself only hours after losing her child. Lucio narrowly avoided execution last week, but she still has a long fight ahead of her to avoid being killed by the State of Texas. Smith explains where things stand for Lucio going forward. Discussed on the show: “Melissa Lucio’s Life Was Spared At The Last Minute, What Happens Now?” (The Intercept) “How the flawed ‘science’ of bite mark analysis has sent innocent people to prison” (Washington Post) Jordan Smith is an investigative journalist based in Austin, Texas. She has covered criminal justice for 20 years and is regarded as one of the best investigative reporters in Texas. A longtime staff writer for the Austin Chronicle, she now writes for The Intercept.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; EasyShip; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt and Listen and Think Audio.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