The Libertarian Institute - All Podcasts

Download Audio.

Scott interviews author and scholar Robert Pape about the insights he’s gained from his decades of extensive research into the strategic effectiveness of air power in war. Pape argues that, while modern precision bombs are remarkable at carrying out their tactical functions, they alone are not enough to win wars. And further, the obsession with tactical bombing campaigns can distract decision-makers from the political dynamics that primarily determine how wars end.

Discussed on the show:

• Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War by Robert A. Pape
• The Escalation Trap

Robert A. Pape is Professor of Political Science and Director of the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats and the author of Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War. Follow him on Twitter @ProfessorPape

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

Download Audio.

Scott interviews Matthew Hoh about an article he just wrote debunking the old lie, that is being pushed once again, that the Iranian government helped kill hundreds of American soldiers by supplying critical parts for armor-piercing roadside IEDs. He and Scott also discuss how insane Trump’s decision to attack Iran is.

Discussed on the show:

• “They Are Still Lying About Iraq” (Antiwar.com)
• The Occupation: War and Resistance in Iraq by Patrick Cockburn
• “Iraq War II, Part 10: Soda Straws and EFPs” (Substack)

Matthew Hoh is associate director at the Eisenhower Media Network and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Subscribe to his Substack and follow him on Twitter @MatthewPHoh

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

War rarely begins with a single decision; it grows from motives, misreads, and momentum. We sit down with Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson to map how a promised era of “no new wars” gave way to a high-stakes confrontation with Iran that could redraw the strategic landscape. He unpacks an unsettling mix of incentives—profit for well-connected investors, donor appeasement, and domestic distraction—that, layered atop alliance politics with Israel, pushed Washington onto an escalation ladder with few exit ramps.

We walk through the hard realities of deterrence, from Netanyahu’s saber-rattling and nuclear ambiguity to the very real prospect of great-power entanglement. If a nuclear-armed state strikes a non-nuclear Iran, global norms shatter and condemnation surges, while Russia and China, already tightening ties to Tehran, weigh their leverage. Wilkerson explains why even “limited” nuclear use becomes a civilization-scale risk once the United States, Russia, and China—each with thousands of advanced warheads—are forced into a confrontational posture. That alone should demand humility and restraint.

Beyond headlines about missiles and speeches, the logistics are grim. Iran’s layered strategy of cheap drones and rockets is designed to drain expensive Patriot and naval interceptors, opening windows for heavier strikes. Maritime chokepoints—Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb—become economic pressure valves, where selective disruption could upend oil flows, food shipments, and global trade. Quiet diesel-electric submarines operating in the acoustically favorable North Arabian Sea complicate any escort mission and raise the chance of a sudden, costly loss. And talk of U.S. ground forces? A recipe for a grinding, urban-and-mountain war that repeats the most painful lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan.

We close on the long tail: how mass casualties, perceived impunity, and widening fronts unify otherwise divided communities, supercharge extremist recruitment, and tempt desperate states toward nuclear proliferation. Power isn’t just force; it’s legitimacy, alliances, and foresight. If we want stability, we have to rebuild credibility with clear aims, disciplined strategy, and diplomacy that matches the stakes. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest question about de-escalation—we’ll tackle it in a future show.