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#478 – Scott Horton: The Case Against War and the Military Industrial Complex

whatshot 1033 snips

Aug 24, 2025

Guest

Scott Horton

Scott Horton, director of the Libertarian Institute and a veteran antiwar voice, dives deep into the pitfalls of U.S. military interventionism. He critiques the military-industrial complex and highlights the historical implications of U.S. foreign policy decisions, like support for authoritarian regimes. Horton discusses the vital role of whistleblowers in promoting transparency, and reflects on the costs of war, arguing for the power of education and awareness in shaping antiwar sentiments.

10:35:13

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ADVICE

Question Threat Claims Before Supporting War

Demand transparency and skepticism when governments claim imminent threats to justify war.
Horton repeatedly urges citizens to question official narratives and seek independent reporting.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

On-Air Confrontation And Editing

Horton recounts getting into a heated TV debate with Mark Dubowitz where his comments were partially edited out.
He describes being angered by accusations that he 'hates Jews' and the omission of his rebuttals.

insights

INSIGHT

Israel’s Strategic Shifts Shape U.S. Policy

Israel's strategic shifts (periphery doctrine → regional deals) repeatedly changed U.S. alignments.
Horton traces Israeli policy changes (Rabin vs. Netanyahu) and how U.S. partners adapted.

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Time to End the War on Terrorism

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Scott Horton is the director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com, host of The Scott Horton Show, co-host of Provoked, and for the past three decades a staunch critic of U.S. military interventionism.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep478-sc
See below for timestamps, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

CONTACT LEX:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Supplemental Notes & Corrections: https://lexfridman.com/scott-horton-links-and-notes/
Scott’s X: https://x.com/scotthortonshow
Scott Horton Show: https://youtube.com/@scotthortonshow
Provoked Show: https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show
Scott’s Substack: https://scotthortonshow.com/
Scott’s Website: https://scotthorton.org/
Scott’s Books: https://amzn.to/3T9Qg7y
Libertarian Institute: https://libertarianinstitute.org/
Antiwar.com: https://antiwar.com/

SPONSORS:
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OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:35) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(09:14) – From the Cold War to the War on Terror
(1:02:13) – Iraq War 1
(1:30:17) – Bin Laden
(2:29:39) – Afghanistan War
(2:44:35) – Iraq War 2
(3:10:59) – Military Industrial Complex
(3:50:25) – Scott’s life story
(4:20:15) – Iraq War 2 (continued)
(5:11:43) – Syria
(6:05:01) – Iraq War 3
(6:17:28) – Somalia
(6:22:56) – Iran
(7:12:41) – Israel-Palestine
(9:02:19) – Cold War 2.0

PODCAST LINKS:
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