8/4/23 Scott Horton Speech YAL Revolution 2023: Provoking Al Qaeda, Russia and China
Summary
In this episode, Scott Horton discusses his upcoming book, *Provoked*, which argues that the US government has consistently provoked its adversaries into conflict. He traces this history from the Cold War and the creation of Al Qaeda to the expansion of NATO into Eastern Europe and the arming of Ukraine. Horton contends that these actions, including the 2008 Bucharest Summit and the refusal to honor Minsk agreements, forced Russia into the current war. He concludes by warning that similar US policies regarding Taiwan are escalating tensions with China, creating a dangerous path toward poten…
Topics discussed
Introduction and the concept of 'provoked' adversaries
How US support for Afghan mujahideen led to Al-Qaeda
Iraq War, the 1991 uprising, and the path to 9/11
Broken promises to Gorbachev and NATO expansion
Clinton's shock therapy and support for Bin Laden in Bosnia
Bush Jr: ABM Treaty, color revolutions, and NATO expansion
Kaliningrad tensions and the Bush-NATO prank call
2008 Bucharest Summit and the Georgia War crisis
Obama: Ukraine coup, Minsk agreements, and hot mic moment
Trump: Russia hoax, impeachment, and constrained policy
Biden: CIA calibration of weapons and refusal to negotiate
Putin's 'now or never' calculus and US war strategy
Double standards on Taiwan and the rules-based order
Economic decoupling and the military-industrial complex
Military realities of a Taiwan conflict and nuclear risk
Conclusion: Renouncing the doctrine of global dominance
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