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John and I discuss the evils of men, changing ourselves, and reading the preface to Ordinary Men.

I further examine the strategic deficit disorder that absolutely dominates the US and western military establishments. America has a singular inability to execute large and complex wars without failing in a spectacular fashion. I speak to the tools and critical thinking modalities that could spark and encourage competent martial imagination. Moral courage is necessary to tell the flag officer dullards and their Senior Executive Service (SES) necromancers that the emperor has no clothes. Recommended Listening: On Strategic Empathy Recommended Reading: Michael Mazarr Leap of Faith: Hubris, Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy Williamson Murray The Making of Strategy: Rulers, States, and War Frans Osinga Science, Strategy and War (Strategy and History) Stephen Robinson The Blind Strategist: John Boyd and the American Art of War Christian Madsbjerg Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm Johnson and Abbe Developing Strategic Empathy and Perspective Taking in Military Zachary Shore A Sense of the Enemy: The High Stakes History of Reading Your Rival’s Mind Dave Snowden Cynefin – Weaving Sense-Making into the Fabric of Our World US Army Center of Military History My Substack Email at [email protected]

A single yes or no question can expose an entire political strategy. We sit down with activist and independent journalist Misty Winston to unpack why so many Democratic leaders can’t answer plainly when Israel and Palestine comes up, especially on the hardest point: do Palestinians have a right to resist an occupying military, and what standard should apply when civilians versus soldiers are involved? We react to the viral independent media grilling of Rep. Ro Khanna and talk about why long form interviews on YouTube are changing the game. Misty breaks down the generational split inside the Democratic Party, how younger voters are processing Gaza in real time, and why double standards on “self defense” keep collapsing under scrutiny. From there, we take on Gavin Newsom’s attempt to frame the crisis as a Netanyahu problem, and why that explanation dodges deeper issues tied to Zionism, occupation, and apartheid. Then we turn to the policy lever that actually matters: weapons. We analyze AOC’s careful language on an arms embargo and whether progressive rhetoric translates into votes that would cut off arms transfers to Israel. Finally, we shift to a domestic civil liberties warning sign with huge stakes: Flock cameras and ALPR automated license plate readers spreading across the country, the surveillance add-ons that go far beyond plates, and why groups like dflock.org are mapping deployments as public resistance grows. If you care about 2028 Democratic politics, Israel Palestine debate, Gaza policy, and the future of privacy rights under mass surveillance, this one is built to challenge your assumptions. Subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review with the question you think politicians should be forced to answer next.

A 500% tariff on anyone who does business with Russia sounds like “strength” until you follow the blast radius. We walk through the revived Graham sanctions bill and why secondary sanctions can punish far more than the intended target, from US partners and global trade to everyday Americans who feel the ripple in prices, shipping, and energy markets. Along the way, we ask a blunt question that Washington often dodges: if sanctions are supposed to change behavior, what do we do when years of draconian restrictions don’t end the war or deliver a settlement? Kelly joins me to unpack how sanctions can harden conflict politics by turning diplomacy into a taboo and negotiations into surrender. We talk about Russia’s ability to adapt, the way black markets and workarounds form, and the risk of Congress mandating sanctions so tightly that any president trying to cut a deal would need lawmakers to unwind the very “leverage” everyone claims to want. Then we zoom out to the bigger escalation picture, where financial warfare increasingly bleeds into kinetic actions at sea and around ports, raising the chance of miscalculation and broader confrontation. The second half pivots to the Middle East as the US and Iran trade blows again and threats expand to civilian infrastructure. We weigh the costs, the strain on missile defenses and stockpiles, and the “whipsaw” problem of foreign policy announcements that reverse within hours. We close with JD Vance’s comments on the Joe Rogan Experience and a hard look at the legality and ethics claims around presidential war-making, the War Powers Act, and Congress’s responsibility. If you find this breakdown useful, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find it.

The official story is simple. The timeline is not. We take a hard look at the reporting around Senator Lindsey Graham’s death and ask a basic question that gets skipped too often in political news: does the schedule even work. With Larry Johnson back on the show, we walk through the travel route to Kyiv, the time zone math, and why conflicting accounts keep surfacing when high profile foreign policy figures are involved. Then the focus shifts to the West Bank after Representative Ro Khanna says he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with American made rifles, with the IDF continuing the detention. We react to Netanyahu’s public explanation, talk about accountability, and dig into what this moment suggests about Israeli settler violence, US political support, and how “ally” can start to sound like a branding exercise instead of a reality. We close with the rapidly deteriorating US Iran situation, including the Strait of Hormuz fight, claims about who controls safe passage, and what that means for global energy markets. Larry lays out a nuts and bolts case for why sour crude constraints, refinery design, diesel supply, aviation fuel demand, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve drawdown could collide into a very real economic shock if escalation continues. If you value clear analysis over talking points, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Calling it a “lab leak” makes the story feel tidy, but the real scandal might be the system that makes lab-origin disasters plausible in the first place. We sit down with independent journalist Sam Husseini to unpack gain-of-function research, why “potentially pandemic pathogens” are funded and defended, and how a small circle of incentives, prestige, and national security framing can turn high-risk virology into business as usual. We also dig into why Sam avoids the word “unintentional” and why the most important question isn’t only where a virus started, but what oversight failed and what evidence still hasn’t been disclosed. We talk through the stakes in plain terms: biosafety risk, biosecurity risk, and why scenarios involving smallpox retention, Ebola work, or a weaponized bird flu should terrify policymakers and the public alike. We also examine the transparency gap, including how Freedom of Information Act delays can stall accountability for years, leaving journalists and citizens unable to evaluate funding streams, conflicts of interest, and decision-making inside institutions tied to NIH, Fauci-era priorities, and international lab networks. Then we pivot to foreign policy and apply the same skepticism to war narratives. Sam lays out a “strategic patience” view of the Middle East, arguing that a 1990s Iraq-style pressure campaign could be repurposed against Iran, with shifting pretexts and timed escalations that shape headlines and push Gaza off the agenda. If you care about gain-of-function research, biowarfare history, pandemic origins, and how information control works in both science and war, this conversation is for you.

 Download Audio. Scott interviews John Mearsheimer. They take a step back and take a big picture look at both the conflict with Iran and the ongoing war in Ukraine. They then take an even bigger step back and consider whether the escalating great power competition we’re in right now was ever inevitable. Discussed on the show: Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Robert Pape US Strikes on Iran Intended to Create Options for Trump to Escalate Conflict (Libertarian Institute) John Mearsheimer is an American political scientist and international relations scholar. He is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. He is the author of several books such as The Tragedy of Great Power Politics and The Israel Lobby. Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; Expat Money https://expatmoney.com/scott; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

A US president casually threatening to cut off trade with Spain is not normal “tough talk” it’s a signal flare for how unstable alliance management can get when policy is driven by impulse. We walk through Trump’s comments from the NATO summit and what a real break with a NATO partner would mean, then zoom out to the deeper issue underneath the drama: the attempt to force allies toward a 5% of GDP defense spending target and the reality that most countries cannot reach it without huge political and economic fallout. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson joins us to connect the dots between Europe’s long reliance on the US security backstop, Spain’s willingness to act independently on the world stage, and why Washington’s pressure campaigns often produce the opposite of compliance. From there, we shift to Iran and the question that hangs over everything in the Middle East right now: what matters more in negotiations, the nuclear program or the Strait of Hormuz? Wilkerson argues Iran’s leverage over global energy transit lanes can dominate the timeline, the price of oil, and the choices available to the United States. We also dig into the Ukraine war and the limits of wishful thinking in defense industry policy, including claims about letting Ukraine “make Patriots” and what it actually takes to build advanced air defense production under wartime conditions. The conversation ends with a hard look at NATO Article V risks, nuclear escalation scenarios, and how propaganda narratives cannot replace battlefield realities. If you care about NATO, US foreign policy, the Strait of Hormuz, the Iran conflict, and the future of the Ukraine war, this is a must-listen. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who follows geopolitics, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.

Trump goes from ceasefire language to “it’s over” in a matter of hours, and the Strait of Hormuz becomes the pressure point again. Host Kyle Anzalone and guest LtCOL Karen Kwiatkowski walk through the reports of Iranian shots at transiting ships, the follow-on CENTCOM strikes, and what it means when a president talks like a full-scale war is on the table while the Pentagon still faces real constraints in ships, air defense, and weapons stockpiles. If you’re trying to understand Iran, US military posture, and how quickly an MOU can unravel, this conversation lays out the incentives and the red flags in plain terms. We also pull on the thread most people miss: oil prices and energy security. We talk about why tanker flow does not snap back to “normal,” why insurance markets matter as much as missiles, and how Strategic Petroleum Reserve decisions can collide with the public story being told about stability. When leaders float the word “blockade,” shipping firms and underwriters do the math, and the result can be higher costs, slower trade, and more opportunity for miscalculation. Then we widen the map to Syria and Lebanon, including the stunning normalization of Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, and the idea of sending battle-hardened fighters toward Hezbollah. From there, we get into Israel’s brewing conflict with Turkey, Trump’s openness to F-35 sales to Erdogan, and why the jet is as much about control and lock-in as it is about performance. We close with a domestic warning about NDAA Section 219 and why calling Congress may be one of the few levers the public still has.

Ukraine’s air defenses are hitting a wall, and the numbers are terrifying. We walk through Zelensky’s warning that Patriot interceptors are running short, why ballistic missiles are a different problem than drones and cruise missiles, and what it means when Ukraine says it could not stop any of a recent wave of Russian ballistic strikes. The hard question isn’t whether Kyiv “needs more,” it’s whether the US and Europe actually have more to give without leaving themselves exposed elsewhere. From there, we zoom out to the NATO summit and the politics shaping the war’s next phase. We talk about why NATO leaders appear ready to downplay Ukraine, how Trump’s fallout with allies after the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz energy fears changed the mood in Europe, and why “we’ll replenish later” rings hollow when Patriot missile production timelines stretch years. We also weigh Trump’s renewed claims that peace is close against evidence that sanctions, weapons pipelines, and intelligence support still push the conflict farther from a settlement. Then we shift to the Middle East and the rhetoric that makes escalation easier. We react to Netanyahu rejecting the idea of Israel living in a permanent state of war, challenge the “peace deal” framing around the Abraham Accords, and lay out how war talk in Washington slides into something darker, including a public call to bomb a Tehran funeral and a member of Congress denying Palestinians even exist. We close with Mike Johnson’s attempt to spark a new red scare and why war powers and foreign entanglements are the real accountability test. If this breakdown helps, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more people can find it.

John and I finish reading Rules for Radicals.

Col Chris Wyatt joined me to discuss South Africa and the refugees from South Africa entering the US. Col Chris Wyatt YouTube Tommysalmons.com YouTube @YearZeroPod

The Fourth of July is supposed to feel like a reset, but it hits differently when people look around and see a country that can fund anything abroad while families cut back at home. We start with a viral political message about America’s contradictions, then challenge the instinct to turn Independence Day into a scolding session. For us, the better move is to separate the ideals worth celebrating from the government actions worth opposing and to ask what it would take to return the American empire to a constitutional republic. From there, we dig into the economic anxiety behind the anger. When millions feel like they have no prospects, politics becomes a fight over villains instead of a fight for opportunity. We talk about the opioid crisis, fentanyl overdoses, and suicides as brutal signals that parts of the country have lost hope. The key question is not whether wealth exists, but whether regular people can realistically climb, start businesses, and build stable lives. That leads to the heart of our argument: corporate welfare and regulatory capture. Government contracts, subsidies, and a sprawling regulatory code reward the biggest players and punish everyone else. If only giant corporations can afford compliance, lawyers, and lobbying, “free markets” become a slogan while competition quietly dies. We then connect the domestic squeeze to US foreign policy: NATO burden sharing, the Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz, and a Ukraine poll showing strong public preference for negotiations. Power is shifting, allies are saying “no,” and Washington cannot paper over reality with talking points. If this conversation adds value, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review. What’s one change you think would do the most to rebuild freedom and opportunity?

Putin says Russia is in a “challenging period,” but the more revealing question is what comes next when a war stops feeling like a crisis and starts running on autopilot. We unpack why Russia can look simultaneously steady and stuck: not prone to emotional swings, yet still locked into a slow, costly grind where drone strikes reach deep targets, NATO proximity raises the stakes, and every month of fighting makes the eventual political settlement harder to swallow. From there, we zoom in on the Ukraine endgame that rarely gets discussed honestly. If Russia holds territory in the east and south, what happens to the remaining Ukrainian politics when the most Russia-leaning constituencies are effectively removed from future elections? We talk about why that dynamic can empower hardliners, including the rise of Andriy Biletsky and the institutional growth of the former Azov network, and why a “freeze the lines” ceasefire can simply set the stage for the next phase across the Dnieper. We also connect the dots to Washington’s incentives, including the explicit “Afghanistan” framing some prominent voices used before and after the invasion, and how that mindset treats Ukrainians as expendable inputs in a long proxy war. Then we pivot to the Middle East, breaking down reports and proposals that point toward pressuring Lebanon in ways that could spark a dangerous confrontation with Hezbollah and push a fragile country closer to civil conflict. If you care about Ukraine, Russia, NATO escalation, neocon strategy, and Middle East spillover risks, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review, and tell us what you think: is the world sleepwalking into a wider war?

 Download Audio. Scott interviews Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center about his new book about how the efforts and accomplishments of the American revolutionaries have been betrayed, bringing about a system of government that is effectively identical to the one they fought a war to overthrow. Discussed on the show: The Revolution Betrayed by Michael Boldin Michael Boldin is the founder and executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center, which advocates state nullification as a means of local resistance to unjust federal laws. Follow him on X @michaelboldin.  Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; Expat Money https://expatmoney.com/scott; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

 Download Audio. Scott brings Kyle Anzalone on the show to run through where things stand with the fighting in Lebanon, the talks between the US and Iran, the flare-up between the Houthis and the Saudis, the unending suffering of the people of Gaza and more. Discussed on the show: The Libertarian Institute Substack Kyle Anzalone is news editor of the Libertarian Institute, opinion editor of Antiwar.com, co-host of Conflicts of Interest and host of The Kyle Anzalone Show. Follow him on Twitter @KyleAnzalone_  Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; Expat Money https://expatmoney.com/scott; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

Calling everything “communism” might win a news cycle, but it doesn’t explain why so many Americans feel the ladder to a stable life is disappearing. Kyle sits down with Jim Webb to sort propaganda from incentives, starting with Trump’s warnings about socialist takeover and asking the blunt question: are there even enough communists in the United States to matter? We argue the bigger threat looks more like crony capitalism, captured regulation, and an economy where people who followed the rules still can’t buy a home near where they grew up. From there, we get specific about why the democratic socialist message is landing right now. We talk about wage gaps, wealth concentration, and the way housing affordability has become a political accelerator. Jim lays out how populist energy moves across party lines when promises fail, and why younger, high-energy candidates with working-class credibility can outperform polished messaging when voters are hungry for someone who sounds real. Then we pivot hard to foreign policy: JD Vance’s “victory” framing, what “denuclearization of Iran” can realistically mean, and why vague language can be used to claim a win while the hard parts remain unresolved. We dig into the memorandum of understanding, sanctions relief, the Strait of Hormuz, and the biggest obstacles to a durable ceasefire, including Congress and Israel’s actions in Gaza. If you care about US foreign policy, Middle East security, and the domestic costs of permanent war, this conversation connects the dots. Subscribe, share this with a friend who argues politics in good faith, and leave a review with the one point you most agree or disagree with so we can respond next time.

I discuss the possibilities of America relinquishing its global ambition to reduce its footprint to a regional hegemon in the Western hemisphere. The new technologies of AI, UAVs and hypersonics rather easily challenge the spending paradigms and mission architecture of the American armed forces. There are no near-peer competitors, every nation on Earth is now a peer to modern western war machines. America boasts a magnificent 20th century war machine is not fit for purpose for 21st century peer warfare. The crossroads is chock-full of landmines. References: Christian Brose The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare Qiao Liang & Wang Xiangsui Unrestricted Warfare: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America Martin van Creveld The Transformation of War: The Most Radical Reinterpretation of Armed Conflict Since Clausewitz Fighting Power: German and U.S. Army Performance, 1939-1945 Colin Gray Strategy and History: Essays on Theory and Practice Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy William Lind Maneuver Warfare Handbook John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Michael Weiner Legacy of Ashes: History of the CIA John Prado The Ghosts of Langley: Into the CIA’s Heart of DarknessSun Tzu The Art of War Carl von Clausewitz On War Miyamoto Musashi A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy H. John Poole The Last Hundred Yards: The NCO’s Contribution to Warfare My Substack Email at [email protected]

Believe it or not, CJ has been doing the Dangerous History Podcast for 12 years now! Despite many trials & tribulations that have caused him to be slowed down or even knocked down, he has always staggered back up to his feet, wiped the blood out of his eyes, and resumed fighting the good fight of spreading brushfires of freedom via historical samizdat; and, with your help, he intends to keep doing it for at least another dozen (or couple dozen) years more! To commemorate this anniversary, in this episode, CJ shares & expounds upon a dozen of his many favorite quotes from the early 20th century American writer & social critic H.L. Mencken, including the quote that inspired the title of the DHP. (He also opens & closes the episode with inspirational poems by Edgar Albert Guest that encourage perseverance.) Like this episode? Please consider supporting the show via Patreon! You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Support the DHP via Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!) The Collected Works of Edgar A. Guest (“Don’t Quit” & “See it Through,” the poems that CJ read at the beginning & end of this episode, respectively, are by Edgar Albert Guest, who is one of CJ’s favorite poets & who is tragically underappreciated today) Notes on Democracy by H.L. Mencken A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writings The Vintage Mencken: The Finest and Fiercest Essays of the Great Literary Iconoclast The Underground History of American Education: An Intimate Investigation into the Prison of Modern Schooling by John Taylor Gatto Falling Down (1993, starring Michael Douglas) Additional Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon! Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box address) Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel “The Ultimate History Lesson: A Weekend with John Taylor Gatto” (an extended, in-depth interview of the late, great critic of institutional schooling, conducted by Richard Grove of Tragedy & Hope)

John and I continue reading and commentary on Rules for Radicals

A ceasefire memo is supposed to stop wars, not rename them. We start with the weekend’s flashpoint in the Strait of Hormuz and ask a blunt question: if the MOU bans initiating military operations and the threat or use of force, how do we end up with drone attacks, retaliation, and Washington “making rough rules as it goes along”? Larry Johnson walks us through Iran’s claimed legal authority to regulate commercial passage via its Persian Gulf Strait Authority protocols and why enforcement hinges on which ships are tied to Israel. Then we zoom out to the diplomacy theater: Trump posts that a Doha meeting is happening, the White House says envoys are headed to Qatar, and Iran says it never agreed. That contradiction matters because it shapes everything else on the table, from nuclear negotiations to whether the MOU gets implemented in full. We also dig into Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s messaging with GCC foreign ministers and why it looks like a deliberate attempt to undercut the deal’s core premise. The back half connects regional shifts to hard politics: Gulf states reassessing US bases like Al Udeid and the Fifth Fleet footprint, talk of a new security framework with Iran, and the limits of trust for partners tied into the Abraham Accords. We also confront Israel’s stated plans for West Bank settlement expansion and Gaza displacement, plus the growing US public backlash that still hasn’t translated into policy change. We close by interrogating America’s favorite smear word “communist” and what defense contractor capture and the F-35 readiness saga say about power in the United States. Subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review, then tell us which part of this story you think gets ignored the most.

 Download Audio. Scott interviews geopolitical analyst and author Brandon Weichert about the Iran war. They begin by reviewing the various reasons they’re pessimistic about Trump’s ongoing attempt to reach a lasting ceasefire. They then zoom out and reflect on how Trump and Netanyahu’s decision to launch this war is likely to change the geopolitical dynamic in the Middle East going forward. Discussed on the show: “How a $45 Million Donation Brought Larry Ellison Deeper Into Trump’s Circle” (Wall Street Journal) Brandon J. Weichert is a geopolitical analyst and author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life and A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine. Follow him on X @WeTheBrandon Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; Expat Money https://expatmoney.com/scott; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

 Download Audio. Scott interviews attorney Bud Cummins about Bryan Malinowski, a man who was killed by ATF agents in a poorly planned and entirely unnecessary pre-dawn raid in 2024. Two years later, no government officials have been held accountable, or have even adequately explained what happened. Cummins is representing Malinowski’s wife in a lawsuit that seeks to change that. Bud Cummins is an American attorney, businessman and politician. He served as United States Attorney with five years of service from 2001 to 2006 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.  Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; Expat Money https://expatmoney.com/scott; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

Tucker Carlson saying “I’m out” on the Republican Party is not just a headline, it is a stress test for how American voters think about loyalty, war, and who our politics actually serves. I walk through why his break is landing with millions of people, how Israel and Gaza are reshaping old partisan habits, and why the only real leverage in a democracy is the willingness to withhold your vote when neither party represents you. Then I dig into a major flashpoint in the Middle East: the Strait of Hormuz. We unpack reports of Iranian drone attacks, what a ceasefire violation does and does not change, and why the fight over tolls and shipping lanes is really about power at the negotiating table. I also get into the tension between public messaging from Washington and what appears to be happening behind closed doors, including the Rubio-GCC statement, the role of Oman, and signs that Iran is forcing a US recalculation. Finally, we pivot to Ukraine and Europe’s role in keeping the war going. I react to EU officials defending restrictions on Ukrainian men of fighting age and connect it to conscription pressure, propaganda claims, and the brutal human cost of a war that leaders still refuse to settle at the negotiating table. We close with thoughts on Belarus, Putin and Lukashenko, and how escalation can happen without anyone admitting they chose it. If you found this breakdown useful, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Something big is shifting in the Middle East, and you can hear it in the gap between what US officials say publicly and what regional actors are doing quietly. We walk through the latest reporting and remarks around Iran, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and a possible new security framework that could sideline the Abraham Accords model of Gulf-Israel alignment. From our perspective, the key question is simple: after a catastrophic war, are Gulf states concluding that stability comes from de-escalation with Tehran rather than deeper integration with Washington’s military posture? We then dig into the most concrete leverage point on the map: the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s push to charge ships a “fee” or “toll” for transit is more than a talking point, it’s a test of maritime security, energy trade, and sanctions relief. We break down why sanctions relief matters to any deal that lasts, why comparisons to the JCPOA keep resurfacing, and how China could become the practical referee for payments, disputes, and enforcement as US influence declines. From there we widen out to Syria and Lebanon, where talk of confronting Hezbollah through Syrian forces risks opening a new front and possibly even a wider internal conflict. We also analyze Marco Rubio’s comments on NATO bases and the blunt reality of alliance politics, then close with a look at Netanyahu’s stark “the strong survive” framing and what it reveals about the moral stakes of power-first strategy. If you want clear, grounded analysis on Middle East geopolitics, Iran negotiations, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review with your take on where this heads next.

Trump says Iran is “being very nice” and “agreeing to everything,” but that sales pitch doesn’t survive contact with the actual reporting. We sit down with Antiwar.com’s Dave DeCamp to sort out what the US Iran memorandum of understanding seems to concede, why both governments are trying to frame the same document as a win, and how the memory of being bombed during earlier negotiations hangs over every new round of talks. We also dig into the most confusing public talking point: nuclear inspections. JD Vance claims Iran agreed to let IAEA inspectors back in, Trump talks like inspections last forever, and Iran pushes back hard. Dave walks through what inspectors were already doing, what access Iran has suspended since the June 2025 strikes, and why any lasting nuclear deal likely comes down to verification, uranium downblending, and whether Washington has quietly dropped some of its biggest demands. Then we widen the lens to the real spoiler: Lebanon. Rubio’s line is that Israel is there because of Hezbollah, but a ceasefire without an Israeli withdrawal risks being a ceasefire in name only. We connect that to the Strait of Hormuz fight over tolls and shipping fees, the political backlash from neocons inside the GOP, and a rare congressional move a concurrent War Powers resolution that could strengthen the legal case against restarting an unauthorized Iran war. Finally, we unpack CNN’s report of Iranian drone swarms described as a “jellyfish formation,” and why battlefield realities may be driving diplomacy more than anyone wants to admit. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with your take: pause or peace?

Netanyahu says Israel will stay in a security zone in South Lebanon as long as it takes. That single line turns out to be a stress test for everything else happening at once: the Trump administration’s Iran talks, the push for a Lebanon ceasefire, and the question of whether Washington can restrain an ally when the price shows up in casualties, oil markets, and diplomatic credibility. We walk through what Trump can actually threaten behind the scenes, what he chooses to say publicly, and why the gap between those two matters. When Trump posts late-night warnings about “hitting Iran very hard,” we look at how that kind of bluster lands in Tehran after prior attacks occurred during negotiations. JD Vance tries to frame it as “trash talk” while claiming progress, but we argue the real issue is predictability: if no one can read the signal, every actor plans for the worst-case scenario. Then we get concrete about the deal’s reported pillars and the unglamorous details that decide whether any agreement works. We dig into the Strait of Hormuz reality check: minefields, clearance timelines, insurance constraints, ships stuck in corrosive water for months, and the downstream impact on the global oil market, diesel and jet fuel supplies, and sanctions enforcement. We also discuss IAEA inspectors, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, and why the U.S. may have less leverage than it claims. Finally, we pivot to Ukraine and the escalation map: drone warfare, Russia’s advances, UK long-range missile plans, China’s rare earth minerals leverage, and Belarus as a nuclear doctrine tripwire. If you care about U.S. foreign policy, Middle East security, energy prices, and the future of the Ukraine war, this is the connective tissue people skip. Subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review with the one point you think policymakers are still missing.

John and I finish reading the chapter on tactics from Rules for Radicals

 Download Audio. Scott interviews Trita Parsi about the deal Trump has apparently made with the Iranians to end the war. They discuss the panic we’re seeing about it from the Israelis and what Trump must do to rein them in and prevent Tel Aviv from sabotaging the peace process. They also discuss Parsi’s recent appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show and The Free Press story that tried to start a deportation scare about him. Discussed on the show: Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States by Trita Parsi A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran by Trita Parsi Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy by Trita Parsi Parsi’s interview with Tucker Carlson Trita Parsi is the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy. Parsi is the recipient of the 2010 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Follow him on Twitter @tparsi   Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; Expat Money https://expatmoney.com/; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow

 Download Audio. Scott brings Jason Jones of the Vulnerable Peoples Project back on the show for an update on life for Christians living under the thumb of the IDF and Zionist settlers in the West Bank. Jones cites his personal experience and recent anecdotes from his organization. The two also discuss how the people of Gaza are faring. Discussed on the show: savewestbankchristians.com Jason Jones is a film producer, author, activist, popular podcast host, and dedicated human rights worker. And he is the founder and president of The Vulnerable People Project. Subscribe to his Substack.  Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow

I give my take of the UFC Whitehouse event and the politics surrounding the even YouTube @YearZeroPod tommysalmons.com

Trump says he wants a deal with Iran. Netanyahu hints the real goal is regime change anyway. That contradiction is where diplomacy goes to die, and it is also where Americans get dragged into a war they did not vote for. We roll solo and ask the blunt question a lot of people are thinking but few say out loud: is Trump still representing the United States, or is he effectively acting as Israel’s president on the Iran war? We unpack Netanyahu’s media strategy and why he may be one of the most effective political operators in modern U.S. history, able to keep influence across parties and across administrations. From there, we get specific about the Iran nuclear program: what “enrichment” actually means, why civilian nuclear energy and medical isotopes matter, and how redefining enrichment as a weapons program guarantees a stalled negotiation. We also compare the coherence of Iranian messaging with the whiplash of American statements on ceasefires, blockades, and end goals. Then we zoom out to the battlefield map and the economy. The Strait of Hormuz, tanker attacks, and regional retaliation all raise the risk of a wider Middle East escalation and higher oil prices that hit U.S. households fast. We close with the House War Powers resolution, why Washington calls it “symbolic,” and why that should worry anyone who still believes Congress is supposed to decide when America goes to war. If you want more clear-eyed analysis of U.S. foreign policy, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review with your take on where this is headed.

Trump didn’t just get “frustrated” with Netanyahu. He confirmed he told him, “Are you effing crazy,” and that single moment raises a bigger question: if the White House is truly fed up, why does the region still look like it’s sliding toward wider war? Jim Webb joins me to break down what matters beneath the gossip-cycle headlines. We talk about Israel’s expanding operations in Lebanon, Iran’s promise to respond harder than tit-for-tat, and the messy reality behind CENTCOM messaging and casualty reporting after attacks tied to Kuwait and Bahrain. If you’ve been wondering whether a ceasefire exists when missiles and drones still fly, we define the terms in plain English and map out where escalation pressures are coming from. We also go where Washington loves to hedge: Israel’s nuclear “non-position” and the legal and political incentives that keep it that way, even though everyone on Capitol Hill knows the score. From there, we connect foreign policy directly to your wallet, from fuel shocks and the Strait of Hormuz risk to what prolonged conflict could mean for inflation and household budgets. Finally, we dig into domestic politics, including the Thomas Massie primary and what massive outside spending signals to every other member of Congress. If you care about US military aid, the Israel lobby, ending the Iran war, and how this all hits the midterms, this is the connective tissue. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a rating and review, what do you think is the one move that would actually change US policy?

 Download Audio. Ken Silva joins Darryl Cooper and Scott Horton on Provoked to discuss his new book on the Trump assassination plots, and more. Ken Silva has been a reporter for more than 10 years, working in places such as the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the United States. Follow him on Twitter @JD_Cashless For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Incorporated https://rrbi.co Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow

 Download Audio. Scott interviews Trita Parsi about the state of negotiations between the US and Iranian governments, as the ceasefire is frequently broken and the Strait remains largely closed. Parsi explains where he thinks the real sticking points lie and the two consider how Israel is complicating the process. Discussed on the show: Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States by Trita Parsi “Iran’s New Grand Strategy” (Foreign Affairs) TritaParsi.substack.com Trita Parsi is the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy. Parsi is the recipient of the 2010 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Follow him on Twitter @tparsi  Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Incorporated https://rrbi.co Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow

A deal with Iran sounds simple until you read the fine print. We dig into the reports of a memorandum of understanding that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift parts of the pressure campaign, then ask the uncomfortable question: is this “freedom of navigation,” or is it a new normal where Iran and Oman set the rules and the fees at the world’s most important oil chokepoint? From there, we get specific about the nuclear issue that could make or break everything. What does it actually mean to “destroy” enriched uranium, and what options exist that are technically real, verifiable, and compatible with the Non-Proliferation Treaty? We talk through downblending, fuel grade caps, IAEA oversight, and why political slogans can’t replace inspection regimes. We also push back on the postwar victory narrative and the attempt to relitigate the JCPOA instead of facing what changed on the ground. Then we move to the part many leaders try to bracket off, but can’t: Lebanon and Gaza. If a ceasefire is supposed to apply to Lebanon, does that require Israel to stop bombing and withdraw from the south? And when an Israeli soldier describes Gaza with no meaningful civilian rules of engagement, alongside UN reporting on detainee abuse, what does that demand from U.S. policy and public honesty?

Congress is hollowing out, and the consequences show up first in foreign policy. Dan McAdams returns to talk with us about what Thomas Massie’s primary loss signals for antiwar oversight, why the Ron Paul era of forcing floor debates through appropriations fights is largely gone, and how that vacuum makes it easier for Washington to slide into the next conflict without friction. We dig into Iran and the so-called ceasefire: the strikes, the responses, and the familiar pattern of narrative manipulation where the U.S. can provoke, then rebrand escalation as “defense.” We also unpack the latest claims of a draft Trump Iran deal, why leak-driven reporting deserves extra skepticism, and how media pipelines can function like message distribution for competing interests rather than real journalism. From there we move to Israel and Gaza, including Netanyahu’s comments that point toward annexation, the U.S. role in funding and arming the campaign, and the way Lebanon and Hezbollah complicate any regional settlement. We also discuss harrowing firsthand accounts of Gaza’s blockade and a political paradox: anti-intervention voices are breaking through culturally, but votes and power haven’t caught up yet. Finally, we zoom out to Latin America, from Javier Milei and BRICS anxiety to U.S. drug war strikes in Guatemala and the danger of normalizing kill-first policy without due process.

John and I skip reading Rules for Radicals this week and discuss ideas that have been bogging us down for the last few months.

A ceasefire is supposed to lower the temperature, not provide new vocabulary for the same war. We unpack reports that the U.S. bombed targets in Iran after a ceasefire and why calling it “self-defense” can still function as a direct escalation. I walk through what those strikes signal, how each side tries to define the rules midstream, and why Iran may tolerate only so many “limited” hits before choosing a bigger response. From there, we get specific about the hard constraints behind the headlines: weapons stockpiles, interceptor burn rates, and how long it can take to replace key munitions. That context changes everything about threats, deterrence, and the realism of returning to a high-intensity U.S. Iran war. We also break down Marco Rubio’s public talking points on Iran’s nuclear program, what U.S. intelligence and international monitoring have said, and the reported outlines of a possible memorandum of understanding that touches sanctions relief, frozen assets, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s White House remarks add another layer, including talk about Hormuz control and a shocking shot at Oman, one of the most important mediators in U.S. Iran diplomacy. We connect that to the bigger regional picture, including Israel, Lebanon, and the Washington voices pushing to keep the fight going. Finally, we pivot to Jill Biden saying she feared Joe Biden was “having a stroke” during the 2024 debate and what that raises about cognitive decline, transparency, and the massive war powers concentrated in the presidency.

CJ decided he needed a break from modern US history as he continues to recover & reset his life, so this is the first episode of a new DHP miniseries set during the Peloponnesian War in 5th century BC Greece. The series will primarily focus on a famous Athenian military expedition to Sicily that occurred right in the middle of that conflict, an expedition that, to CJ, is eerily similar in some ways to the current war with Iran. This first episode, though, is backstory & world-building, setting the stage for the massive, complex & costly Peloponnesian War of 431-404 BC during which the Sicilian expedition occurred. Join CJ as he discusses: A brief overview of ancient Greek history, from the Bronze Age through the Persian invasions of 490 & 480 BC. The growing rivalries & tensions between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) & the Delian League (led by Athens) in the aftermath of the Persian Wars, including Athens’ increasingly aggressive & destabilizing imperialism, & Sparta’s fears about it The rise of Pericles & the construction of the Athenian Long Walls The ‘first’ Peloponnesian War of ~460 BC-445 BC, which ended with a treaty known as “The Thirty Years’ Peace” The rising tensions & conflicts that caused the Thirty Years’ Peace to only last about half as long as it was intended to The ancient Greek historian Thucydides The escalating conflicts that led, in 431 BC, to the outbreak of the Second Peloponnesian War (sometimes just referred to as “The Peloponnesian War”), a conflict that would end up dwarfing the previous war in duration, cost, death & destruction Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!) The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan The Life of Greece: The Story of Civilization, Vol. II by Will Durant Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event Other ways to support the show

Memorial Day brings out a lot of scripted lines, but we want to talk about the part that gets avoided: what American wars actually cost, who pays, and how often the public is left holding the bill while elites chase ideology, influence, and profit. We start by looking at the human consequences for service members and veterans, and why so many deployments overseas end with the same problems still on the table, just with more graves and more resentment. Then we shift into the biggest moving story right now: Iran negotiations, the Iran nuclear program, and why the phrase “on the brink of a deal” can be more propaganda than reality. We break down uranium enrichment in plain language, what the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allows, and why demanding “zero enrichment” is not a technical detail but a deal-killer. We also explain how Lebanon and Hezbollah change the endgame, why escalations in southern Lebanon can function as sabotage, and how the Strait of Hormuz becomes real leverage that reshapes every calculation. We also react to Trump’s messaging, including his push to fold Iran into the Abraham Accords, what those normalization deals have meant in practice, and how they can drive an arms race while adding impossible complexity to already fragile diplomacy. Along the way, we play and respond to clips featuring Cory Booker, plus a debate moment where Mearsheimer and Walt confront Pompeo and Nuland’s talking points, and we close with a quick look at Thomas Massie signaling a possible national run.

Trump says he wants “few people killed,” then talks like bombing Iran is a weekly calendar event. That contradiction is where we start, because the public narrative around the Iran war keeps snapping from all-out threats to last-minute “negotiations” as deadlines magically extend. I walk through why that cycle looks less like strategy and more like a president boxed in by bad options, public messaging, and allies with their own priorities. From there, we get into the part most outlets blur: the difference between political victory laps and what US intelligence and reporting suggest on the ground. If Iran can rebuild its drone program faster than expected and still holds a large share of missile and launcher capacity, then “we crippled them” becomes a dangerous story to believe. We also talk about what Iran likely learned from recent strikes and why modern drone warfare and air defense evolve at a pace that makes simple claims obsolete. Then we widen the lens to the power side of the equation: can Trump actually control Netanyahu, or is Washington being pulled by Israeli pressure through Congress? I connect that to a Washington Post-reported defense strategy that burns through American interceptor stockpiles, and to the Thomas Massie primary loss, where massive spending and media targeting mattered more than most people want to admit. If you want clear Iran war analysis, Strait of Hormuz leverage, uranium enrichment stakes, and the US politics that shape it all, hit play. Subscribe, share the show, and leave a review, what’s the one detail you think the mainstream story keeps avoiding?

Dave joins me to discuss his rediscovery of faith, how it supports his work, and the wars America is involved in. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/christians-and-hezbollah-unite-against-epstein-empire/ar-AA1ZcAt2

A professor makes a $500 campaign donation and suddenly gets cast as the “most important man in America” pulling congressional strings. That absurd story is the perfect doorway into what we really care about here: how narratives get manufactured, why propaganda works, and what it’s doing to both domestic politics and foreign policy. We start with science diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, the old-school idea that researchers, students, artists, and athletes can keep human ties alive even when governments can’t stand each other. Joe explains how that cooperative model is being redefined across the West into something closer to state leverage, where technology sharing and academic exchange are treated as tools to punish rivals. We connect that to a broader post-truth media environment, where sound bites beat evidence, repetition beats nuance, and voters can be segmented by where they get their news. Then we move to North Korea and try to replace slogans with incentives. We talk Kim Jong-un’s regime survival logic, the strategic reasons nuclear deterrence persists, and why US policy whiplash makes long-term deals hard to trust. We also dig into North Korea’s tightening relationship with Russia, China’s concern about influence and instability on its border, and how sanctions can push sanctioned states into deeper trade and technology cooperation. Finally, we touch on rare earth minerals and why they could matter in the next phase of Korean Peninsula geopolitics. If you want a clearer framework for understanding science diplomacy, misinformation, and North Korea strategy, listen through and share it with someone who only sees headlines. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what you think credible peace and credible reporting should look like.

Trump’s China summit gets sold as strength, but the details tell a different story. We dig into what the U.S. says it achieved versus what China actually signals afterward, especially on Iran and regional security. From our seat, the big issue is leverage: if Beijing won’t bend and Washington can’t compel, the talking points don’t matter much. That gap shows up immediately in the most unglamorous place possible, supply chains and rare earth minerals that can quietly slow U.S. weapons production. We also get into Taiwan and the argument you hear everywhere: microchips, economic survival, and the idea that the U.S. has no choice but to confront China. We challenge that framing with a hard look at policy commitments, strategic ambiguity, and whether arms sales mean anything if the industrial base can’t deliver on time. If you care about U.S. China relations, Taiwan strategy, and the real limits of military power, this part connects the dots in plain language. Then we turn to Iran and the “short, powerful strike” narrative. We walk through the operational reality: aircraft range, KC-135 air refueling, basing in the Gulf, and why Saudi, Qatari, and Kuwaiti cooperation can effectively veto a plan. We also talk escalation, the Strait of Hormuz, and how regional actors could widen the conflict fast. Finally, we bring it home to U.S. politics with the Israel lobby debate and the high-stakes Thomas Massey primary as a test of money, influence, and war policy. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review telling us what you think we got right or wrong.

  I discuss the darker side of celebrating war and the moral injury of wars of choice. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and an existential wake.This day is about the ashes of victory and blood lakes of defeat. I show how the American way of war is far more brutal and murderous than the usual suspects let on.***This episode is not for the squeamish or faint of heart.***U.S. WAR CRIMES IN THE PHILIPPINESJames M. Scott Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of ManilaHoward Jones My Lai: Vietnam, 1968, and the Descent into DarknessKarl Marlantes What It Is Like to Go to WarBill Russel Edmonds God is Not Here: A Soldier’s Struggle with Torture, Trauma, and the Moral Injuries of WarClark Savage King of All Things: A Guide to Man’s Martial PurposeDick Couch A Tactical Ethic: Moral Conduct in the Insurgent BattlespaceAndrew Bacevich Paths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak Out Against America’s Misguided WarsShauna Springer WARRIOR: How to Support Those Who Protect UsJonathan Shay Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of CharacterJonathan Shay Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of HomecomingAnother podcast:Martyrmade: Anything That Moves – The My Lai Massacre (w/History on Fire)Email me at [email protected] Substack    

 Download Audio. Scott brings Dave DeCamp back on the show to run through some of the biggest foreign policy news. They start with Trump’s trip to meet with Xi in China which may have had some implications for US policy towards Taiwan. They then discuss whether Trump is really planning to bomb Iran again if talks continue to get nowhere. DeCamp then provides an update on the chaos and violence that has kicked off in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza as a result of Trump and Netanyahu’s decision to launch their regional war. Discussed on the show: “Trump Says He Decided To ‘Hold Off’ on Plans To Attack Iran on Tuesday Due To Request From Gulf Arab Allies” (Antiwar.com) “Israeli Strikes Kill Seven in Lebanon, Overall War Toll Passes 3,000 Killed” (Antiwar.com) “Israeli Strike on Gaza City Kills One Palestinian as Constant IDF Ceasefire Violations Continue” (Antiwar.com) Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com and the host of Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave  Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Incorporated https://rrbi.co Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com You can also support Scott’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow

John and I continue commentary and reading Rules for Radicals

A president calling reporters “treasonous” isn’t just a hot take, it’s a warning sign. Harrison Berger joins me to break down how that rhetoric is being used to police debate around the Iran war, and why it echoes years of reckless “traitor” accusations aimed at anyone who questions America’s national security consensus. We start with the Israel lobby and J Street, the organization often marketed as the reasonable, liberal alternative to AIPAC. Harrison explains what J Street is, who it appeals to, and why its “pro-Israel and pro-democracy” framing is colliding with shifting US public opinion after the Gaza war. We also talk about the idea of a new antiwar center forming across party lines, where younger voters and non-interventionists are increasingly skeptical of endless foreign aid packages and blank-check military policy. From there we get specific about the Iran conflict: what claims of “total victory” leave out, how the Strait of Hormuz and regional ceasefire demands shape leverage, and why negotiations bog down when Washington stays fixated on narrow talking points while Iran prioritizes sanctions relief and non-aggression guarantees. We close on Taiwan and China, where Trump’s walkback gestures toward de-escalation, but Congress, arms sales pipelines, and defense procurement inertia may keep pushing the US toward another dangerous commitment. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who cares about foreign policy, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Trump comes back from Beijing claiming he got a major concession from Xi on Iran, but what happens when the key details are private, unverifiable, and packaged for headlines? We walk through the public messaging, the contradictions, and the incentives on both sides, then ask the blunt question: was this diplomacy, or was it theater designed to look like leverage? We also dig into Xi’s unusually direct framing about a world “at a crossroads” and the Thucydides Trap, and why that language matters for U.S.-China relations, great power competition, and the risk of conflict over Taiwan. From there, we zoom out to the uncomfortable economics underneath the politics: the U.S. fixation on zero-sum thinking, the role of finance and corporate power, and why sanctions and “decoupling” rhetoric keep colliding with the reality that American industry still wants access to China’s market. Then the conversation turns to Middle East geopolitics where the leverage is tangible. We break down Iran’s position in the Strait of Hormuz, what it means when Chinese shipping can keep moving, and why Gulf states like Saudi Arabia are floating non-aggression ideas that could quietly constrain U.S. basing and overflight options across the GCC. We close by looking at China’s growing role as a facilitator, the UAE as an outlier, and what a post-U.S.-dominant regional order might look like. If you want clearer thinking on Trump foreign policy, Xi Jinping diplomacy, Iran strategy, and the shifting balance of power, hit play, subscribe, and share the episode with a friend. After you listen, what do you think is the biggest misread Washington makes about China right now?