Gas prices don’t rise in a vacuum. They rise when chokepoints tighten, reserves drain, and officials pretend the pain will stay contained. We sit down with Larry Johnson of Sonar21 to pressure-test the story you’re being sold about the war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and why “it’s only $4 a gallon” can quickly turn into a very different reality when global oil supply, diesel, and aviation fuel get squeezed. From there, we connect the dots to US military readiness in plain terms: reports of Iran downing a large number of US Reaper drones, the growing strain on air and missile defenses, and
Download Audio. Scott interviews Arta Moeini of The Institute for Peace & Diplomacy about several articles he’s written recently digging into the true risk of Trump’s decision to kill Iran’s supreme leader and launch this regional war in the Middle East. Discussed on the show: “The dangerous martyrdom of Khamenei” (Unherd) Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins by Andrew Cockburn “Welcome to Fortress Iran” (Unherd) “Trump can forge a new Middle East” (Unherd) “The virtue of America First” (Unherd) “The Coming Multi-World: A New Civilizational Theory of International Relations” (The In
Download Audio. Scott brings Tim Shorrock back on the show to dig into the latest developments between Trump and the leaders of both South Korea and North Korea. They discuss the specifics and the broader historical context behind these latest moves. Discussed on the show: Empire Blues with Tim Shorrock Tim Shorrock is the author of Spies For Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing and a regular contributor to The Nation and the Korea Center for Investigative Reporting. Follow him on Twitter @TimothyS and subscribe to his Substack. Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Pol
A US aircraft carrier packed with 5,000 sailors is not supposed to become a story about empty shelves, broken plumbing, and desperate messages to families. We start there because the USS Abraham Lincoln reports don’t just raise moral alarms, they raise a strategic one: if extended deployments are pushing crews to the edge, what does that say about America’s ability to sustain a long pressure campaign and naval blockade tied to the US-Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz? From that human reality, we widen the lens to the region’s shifting center of gravity. We dig into the Mecca Agreement and what
This episode is a segment from the big Patreon Supporters-Only Bonus DHP episode CJ is currently working on, “Wooden Walls on the Water,” which will be a multi-hour deep-dive into virtually everything we know about Greek navies (especially the Athenian navy, about which we know the most) in the 5th century BC, including – but not limited to: the design & construction of triremes, the logistical & financial burdens of building & maintaining a large fleet of them, the experience of the crew, & the tactics & experience of battle, with some historical examples of important Greek naval engagements.
Hybrid warfare Is a can of worms, a fascinating conjoining of kinetic and non-kinetic means of achieving victory or stale between warring nations. This first episode tries to lay the ground work of what it is and in the next two episodes we will examine an historical and a contemporary example of hybrid warfare in meat-space. References: Report to Congress on Russian Hybrid Warfare in Europe 11 August 2026 The Future of Hybrid Warfare Hybrid Warfare: How to Escape the Conceptual Gray-Zone The Evolution of Hybrid Warfare: Implications for Strategy and the Military Profession Richard Feynman Car
A president who craves praise is easy to steer, and Charles Goyette argues that’s exactly the danger facing US foreign policy right now. I’m joined by the New York Times best-selling author and Libertarian Institute writer to unpack his “mousetrapped” thesis: how Benjamin Netanyahu can use flattery, timing, and intelligence claims to nudge Donald Trump toward bigger risks in the Iran conflict. We walk through the mechanics of influence, including a reported decoy travel maneuver and why low-confidence intelligence can still change presidential behavior when fear and ego are involved. From the
Trump says the war is going great and the “bully of the Middle East” is no longer in charge. We’re not buying slogans, so we pull the thread on what “going great” is supposed to mean when U.S. munitions stockpiles are thinning, regional bases are taking hits, and the Strait of Hormuz still looks anything but normal for global shipping. If you care about U.S. foreign policy, oil prices, and the real costs of escalation with Iran, this conversation is built for you. I’m joined by writer Nolan Denaro, whose recent reporting cuts through the talking points. We unpack why polling shows this conflic
Download Audio. Ron Paul joins the show to talk about Iran, the economy, Flock cameras and the prospects for liberty in the years ahead. Discussed on the show: The Ron Paul Institute Former congressman and American hero Ron Paul is the host of the Ron Paul Liberty Report and director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Dr. Paul is the author of numerous books, including Swords into Plowshares and The Revolution: A Manifesto. Follow him on Twitter, @RonPaul. Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Che
Download Audio. Dave DeCamp returns to the show to run through the latest foreign policy news. He and Scott discuss Israel’s ongoing, ceasefire-violating strikes in Gaza, the risks of another escalation between the US and Iran, the regional dynamic of the war, the risk of a nuclear strike on Iran and Washington’s never-ending air campaign in Somalia. Discussed on the show: “Iran’s Secret Plan to Escalate the War” (Wall Street Journal) “Another Failed 20-Year War: America vs. Somalia” (Antiwar.com) Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com and the host of Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp. Foll
A threat is not a strategy, and it definitely is not a negotiating position. We sit down with Ambassador Chas Freeman to unpack why talk of “decapitation,” demands for compensation, and shifting US red lines do not move Iran toward a deal, they push everything toward attrition and escalation. Freeman argues credibility is the real […]
The fastest way to understand a crisis is to stop arguing about talking points and look at what is physically happening. Today we do exactly that with Larry Johnson as LtCol. Karen Kwiatkowski fills in for Kyle, starting with the Strait of Hormuz and the hard question behind every headline: is it actually open, and […]
“Golden age” is an easy line to sell. Living through the consequences of a war of choice is harder. We’re joined by Col. Lawrence Wilkerson for a blunt look at where the United States stands as the Iran conflict drags on, and why the economy, the military, and public trust can’t be separated when policy […]
If you’ve ever watched an AI tool answer a complicated question with total confidence, you’ve felt the power problem hiding in plain sight. We sit down with journalist Nick Cleveland-Stout of Responsible Statecraft and Drop Site News to trace how Israeli influence operations are pushing narratives about Gaza directly into the systems people now use […]
A progressive primary upset turns into something much bigger when you follow the money and the message. We’re rolling solo and starting with what last night’s results suggest about where U.S. politics is heading: foreign policy is no longer a side issue. When wars drag on, when Israel and Iran dominate headlines, and when voters […]
“We don’t want regime change… but the regime has to change.” That line tells you almost everything about how Washington talks itself into bigger wars, and why the US Iran conflict keeps drifting from one stated goal to the next. We sit down with Lt Col Karen Kwiatkowski to sort out what’s real, what’s posturing, […]
A viral interview raises an uncomfortable question: what does it mean when a high-profile US political influencer sits down with a commander tied to the Azov movement and the “clean up the optics” answer is basically no? We take that clip seriously, not as clickbait, but as a window into how the Ukraine war is […]
Download Audio. Joe Kent joins the show again to discuss the risk of a major terrorist attack against Americans. He and Scott go through all the major Islamist groups around right now and weigh who poses the biggest risks of carrying out blowback terrorism. Discussed on the show: “The Islamic State in ‘Khorasan’: How […]
Download Audio. Scott brings Robert Pape back on the show. They discuss the difficult situation Trump is in as he tries to find a face-saving way out of his war with Iran. But first, Scott and Pape look back at Pape’s career and previous conflicts like Iraq War I and Bosnia to assess how […]
Download Audio. Journalist Lindsey Snell returns to the show to talk about Syria. She first recounts her experience getting kidnapped by the Jihadists who now control the country. Scott and Snell then debunk all the propaganda we’re being fed about Jolani and the rest of his “moderate” rebels who now, with Western backing, are […]
Missiles in the air, oil markets on edge, and a White House that still can’t answer the simplest question: what’s the plan? We start with reporting from foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on US forces having only minutes to intercept incoming Iranian ballistic missiles, then I lay out why “shock” at Iranian retaliation doesn’t make sense […]
The story most people miss about a widening Middle East war isn’t just who fires the next missile, it’s who can absorb the retaliation after they do. I’m solo today, moving fast through the latest escalations and then slowing down where it matters: the strategic constraints that make “hit them harder” sound simple while turning […]
Here it is, FINALLY — the third installment of ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest’ series, about the Athenian expedition to Sicily during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC. Enjoy! Join CJ as he discusses: The Syracusan reaction to news of a huge, inbound Athenian expeditionary force, including the wise advice of Hermocrates (that […]
Download Audio. Glenn Greenwald joins the show to discuss the recent victories of several anti-establishment left-wing candidates in Democratic primaries and the shifts in American politics more broadly. Discussed on the show: “Robert Kagan: Sometimes US intervention is worth blowback” (Responsible Statecraft) Glenn Greenwald is an American journalist, author, and former lawyer. Subscribe to […]
Download Audio. Scott interviews economist Robert Murphy about inflation, the Austrian school of economics, the Federal Reserve and the state of the economy today. Discussed on the show: The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New […]
