Pat Buchanan

War on hold?

[audio:http://wiredispatch.com/charles/12-04awpatbuchanan.mp3]

Pat Buchanan, author of the new book, Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed Are Tearing America Apart, his belief that the new Iran NIE has significantly weakened Bush’s case for war, the battle between the War Party and the “realists,” U.S. use of Pejak and MEK terrorists against Iran, the costs of the Iraq war, the neocons’ efforts to create a new Cold War with Russia, his analysis of the presidential race, his affection for Ron Paul, Israel’s nuke program, why he doubts Iran would even want nukes and the peace offer of 2003.

MP3 here. (22:07)

Patrick J. Buchanan was twice a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and the Reform Party’s candidate in 2000. He is also a founder and editor of the new magazine, The American Conservative. Now a commentator and columnist, he served three presidents in the White House, was a founding panelist of three national television shows, and is the author of seven books.

Jonathan Schell

No Nukes!

[audio:http://wiredispatch.com/charles/12-03awjonathanschell.mp3]

Jonathan Schell, columnist for the Nation and author of The Fate of the Earth, The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of Nuclear Danger, discusses his view that the people of earth are in great danger from nuclear weapons, his fear of Iran’s nuclear program and belief that bombing them is the worst way to keep them from making nukes, the theory of mutual assured destruction as applied to Iran, the call for a “preemptive” first strike on China back in the 60s and the U.S. and USSR’s pledge to disarm their nukes under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

MP3 here. (19:55)

Jonathan Schell is the author of The Fate of the Earth, among other books, and the just-published The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of Nuclear Danger. He is the Harold Willens Peace Fellow at The Nation Institute, and a visiting lecturer at Yale University.

Anatol Leven and John Hulsman

Imperial Overstretch

[audio:http://wiredispatch.com/charles/12-03awanatollievenandjohnhulsman.mp3]

Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman discuss their new book Ethical Realism: A Vision for America’s Role in the World, the damage done by the hubris of those in control of the U.S. government, the bipartisan consensus around the U.S.’s aggressive foreign policy, the insane policy in the Middle East, belligerence toward Russia and U.S. policy makers’ inability to imagine if the shoe were on the other foot.

MP3 here. (15:18)

Anatol Lieven, a former senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, previously covered Central Europe for The Financial Times; Pakistan, Afghanistan, the former Soviet Union, and Russia for The Times (London), and India as a freelance journalist. He was also an editor at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, where he also worked for the Eastern Services of the BBC.

John Hulsman examines European security and NATO affairs, the European Union, U.S.-European trade and economic relations, the war on terror, Iraq, Iran and the Middle-East peace process for the Heritage Foundation. Hulsman is a frequent commentator on all aspects of transatlantic relations, global geopolitics, and international cooperation in fighting terrorism. He makes regular appearances with major media outlets such as ABC, CBS, Fox News, CNN, CNNfn, MSNBC, CNBC, PBS and the BBC.

Ron Paul Vindicated on Iran

Ron Paul is the only non-Armageddon presidential candidate among the Republicans.  He is the only person who staunchly opposes a massive first strike against Iran because of  its alleged nuclear program.  He has long been ridiculed for his aversion to preemptive genocide in the Middle East.

The National Intelligence Estimate yesterday reported that Iran abandoned its nuclear weapons program in 2003.  This blows to pieces the Bush-Neoconservative case for war.

Bush knew this for at least the last 5 or 6 months, but he continued rattling his missiles and warning of World War III if Iran did not kowtow to U.S. demands.   Cheney has been even more bloodthirsty, as usual. 

Top Bush supporters like Norman Podhoretz are wailing that the intelligence agencies are cheating them out of another U.S. government-orchestrated slaughter of Muslims.  Not exactly “Presidential Medal” Podhoretz’s words, but that’s the soul of the complaint.

In the Fall of 2002, Ron Paul stood almost alone denouncing the “phantom weapons” claims the Bush team was invoking to attack Iraq.   Once again, he has been proven right.

Ray McGovern

See? No Iranian Nuke Weapons Program

[audio:http://wiredispatch.com/charles/aw20071204raymcgovern.mp3]

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern discusses the CIA’s new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, his belief that Adm. Fallon probably convinced Adm. McConnell to release it after Cheney kept it from being put out for the last year, ElBaradei’s reports that he’d found no “indication” that Iran, the value of the Charles Goyette show, the president’s lowered threshold for war, Sen. Webb’s bill reminding Bush that he has no authority to start a war and administration claims that Iran is behind the killing of U.S. troops in Iraq.

MP3 here. (16:19)

Ray McGovern was a CIA analyst for 27 years – from the John F. Kennedy administration to that of George H. W. Bush. He is a co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

Robert Higgs In Oakland, CA, on Thu, Dec 6

The great Robert Higgs, author of many books and classic articles on political economy, and longtime opponent of the U.S. government’s policy of imperial war, will be speaking at the Independent Institute in Oakland, CA, this Thursday, December 6. The reception is at 6:30 and the talk begins at 7. There will be Q and A and a book signing.

In light of his recent book, Neither Liberty Nor Safety, the Higgs presentation will be called “Why Are Politicians Always Trying to Scare Us?” Antiwar.com readers would also be interested in his book, Resurgence of the Warfare State.

Every day, politicians, the media, and interest groups warn of imminent “crises” and “emergencies” which they claim only government can solve by wielding massive new powers. Too often, such purported crises — particularly in the realm of foreign policy — are later proven to have been exaggerated, erroneous or even fabricated. However, such knowledge usually comes well after the new harms created by the government’s “crisis” programs have taken their toll. Higgs has long stood up against the fearmongering warfare state, and has done so with the highest level of scholarship and dedication to principle.

If you’re in the Bay Area, you won’t want to miss it!