The Libertarian Institute

A president on camera says only his own morality can stop him. That single line sets the tone for a high-stakes hour where we track real-time war signals around Iran, interrogate the Greenland fantasy, and examine how power bends rules when no one close is willing to say no. We connect the dots between rhetoric, logistics, and escalating options—from sanctions and cyber operations to reports of potential strikes on non-military targets in Tehran—while reading the tea leaves of embassy closures, airspace changes, and force posture moves across the region.

We also unpack the prot...

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In an effort to quell concerns that US bombs would soon be falling on Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she received assurance from Washington that there would be no military flights over Mexico.

On Monday, Sheinbaum explained she had received “written” assurance from the US that no military flights would take place over Mexico. She added that Washington pledged to inform Mexico City of any military operations before they take place.

Sheinbaum’s remarks followed warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to civilian aircraft to wa...

The Greenland debacle is bringing the NATO relationship into better focus on just how bad the EU/SSR has become.

America should take a non-interventionist pause and get its internal house in order before standing astride the world again and lighting fires that never go away and continuously make things worse.

Stop the madness.

Recent episodes on NATO.

First part here: Ep 009 “Fixing Fight Club: Just Say No to NATO: Part One”

Second part here: Ep 016 “Fixing Fight Club: Just Say No to NATO: Part Two”

Refere...



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Scott brought Daniel McAdams back on the show to talk about the prospects of Trump taking over Greenland, the capture of Maduro, protests in Iran and the status of America’s antiwar movement more broadly.  

Discussed on the show:

Daniel McAdams is the executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and the co-host of the Ron Paul Liberty Report. Follow him on Twi...

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A call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced President Donald Trump not to order an attack on Iran last week. Netanyahu was concerned that the attack would not be decisive, and Israel would be unable to repel an Iranian counterattack without more American military support.

On Wednesday, American diplomats and military officials in the Middle East were convinced they would receive orders from President Trump to strike Iran. Expectations for a US attack on Iran were built over the previous two weeks as Trump threatened the Is...



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Max Blumenthal returns to the show to discuss what’s been happening in Iran and what may come to pass as the US and Israel continue to escalate their effort to overthrow the current government in Iran.  

Discussed on the show:

Max Blumenthal is a senior editor of the Grayzone Project and the author Goliath, Republican Gomorrah and The 51 Day War. Follow him on Twitter @MaxBlumenthal.

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We discuss Trump’s ideology (or lack thereof) and watch the 2nd presidential debate of 1992.

Missed signals are costly; misplaced confidence is worse. We open by unpacking the concrete indicators that war planners watch—carrier deployments, airspace changes, and last‑minute strike deliberations—and what they tell us about the real likelihood of a U.S. hit on Iran. From there, the conversation widens to a quieter battlefield: development frameworks that trade normalization for access. Our guest, Matt Wolfson of the Libertarian Institute, explains how the Isaac Accords mirror the Abraham Accords across Latin America, offering water tech, finance, and modernization while pulling states into a specific geopolitical lane.

We trace...

What happens when war becomes a market and foreign policy turns into an odds board? We dive into the uneasy world of prediction platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi, where traders place bets on battlefield maps, covert raids, and even the exact words politicians will say. With researcher Nick Cleveland Stout from the Quincy Institute, we unpack how a briefly altered Ukraine map preceded a major payout, why a $400,000 win hit just hours before a surprise operation in Venezuela, and how these signals can tip off adversaries long before headlines catch up.

Together we explore the...

A young woman lies dead on a Minneapolis street, an ICE officer pulled the trigger, and the official story leans on power instead of necessity. We open with what the footage actually shows, why the shot trajectory matters, and how a federal investigation shifts accountability away from local control. The human loss is personal and visceral—and the reaction is telling. When partisan voices celebrate lethal force as a message, we all lose a piece of our democratic soul.

From there we follow the thread to Venezuela, where a brazen kidnapping of a foreign leader an...



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Tom Eddlem returns to the show to talk about Trump’s intervention in Venezuela. He and Scott discuss the actual problems with Maduro and the big-government “Chavismo” establishment in Venezuela as well as how every attempt by the US to intervene there makes the situation worse for Venezuelans and Americans alike.  

Discussed on the show:

Thomas R. Eddlem is the William Norman Grigg Fellow at the Libertarian Institute, an economist and a freelance writer. He has written th...



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As we hit the twenty-fourth anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay “detention center,” Scott brings Andy Worthington on the show to discuss the history of this illegal prison and the status of the men still being held there.

Discussed on the show:

Andy Worthington is the author of Guantanamo Files and the director...

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President Donald Trump has a more limited range of options for attacking Iran now than he did in June. The US has moved military assets out of the Middle East in recent months, including moving an aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean. 

Since the US and Israel’s war against Iran last year, the US has moved two aircraft carrier strike groups out of the Middle East. The USS Nimitz is now at a US port, and the USS Gerald R. Ford is in Latin America...

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There are multiple indicators that the US will soon launch an attack on Iran. Iran and the US appear to be positioning their military for war, and a Western military official warned that an attack could be imminent. 

A Western official told Reuters on Wednesday, “All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy.”

The US appears to be on the brink of war wi...

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President Donald Trump called on Iranians to continue protesting. Rights groups say at least 500 people have been killed since demonstrations began over two weeks ago. 

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers,” the President wrote on Truth Social Tuesday. “They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!”

Trump and Senator Lindsey Graham have sported hats that say “Make Iran...

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The UK is attempting to build a new tactical missile for Ukraine that will have a range of over 300 miles. 

The initiative, dubbed “Project Nightfall,” aims to develop a ground-launched tactical ballistic missile with a range of 310 miles and a 450-pound warhead. If that metric is met, it will be one of the longest-range weapons the West has provided to Ukraine. 

The project will come with a substantial price tag for London and likely take years before the missiles are operational. The UK has awarded th...



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Scott interviews writer Chris Brunet about Paul Singer, American oil companies and everyone else who stands to benefit from what Trump is doing in Venezuela.  

Discussed on the show:

Christopher Brunet is an investigative journalist. He began his career as an economist for the Canadian government before moving into conservative media. He now writes full-time on Substack. Follow him on X @chrisbrunet

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The Russian Defense Ministry said an Oreshnik hypersonic missile strike hit a military site in western Ukraine. 

“On the night of January 9th, the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant was put out of action by the Oreshnik mobile ground-based missile system,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. It added that an airfield and a drone warehouse were also destroyed. Kiev claimed the hypersonic missile hit a civilian target. 

The Oreshnik is one of Russia’s most advanced missiles. Friday’s attack is the second public us...

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President Donald Trump invoked the National Emergencies Act to ensure he controls the funds generated from selling stolen Venezuelan oil.

“The attachment or the imposition of other judicial process against the Foreign Government Deposit Funds will substantially interfere with our critical efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela,” the executive action signed by Trump on Friday stated. “The failure of these critical efforts would jeopardize major foreign policy objectives of the United States.”

After ordering the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3...

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President Donald Trump threatened that he was willing to take control of Greenland the “hard way.”

“I’m not talking about money for Greenland yet. I might talk about that. But right now we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” the President said Friday. “I would like to make a deal. You know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.”

Trump’s plan to take over Greenl...

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Senior Department of War officials have told President Donald Trump they need more time to consolidate American troops deployed to the Middle East before the US launches an attack on Iran.

According to The Telegraph, “Trump has been warned that the US military needs more time to prepare for strikes against Iran.” Military commanders in the Middle East stated they need to “consolidate US military positions and prepare defences” in anticipation of an Iranian retaliatory attack.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that if it attacks Ir...

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US forces boarded and took control of an oil tanker in the Caribbean on Friday. The Olina is the fifth ship seized by the US in recent weeks.

“In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea without incident,” a statement from US Southern Command explained.

SOUTHCOM claimed the raid was in defense of “our homeland by ending il...

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Multiple outlets report that Israeli leaders are drawing up military plans to launch an invasion of Gaza City in March.

The Wall Street Journal spoke with people familiar with the planning in Tel Aviv, who explained that the IDF has new battle plans for ground operations in Gaza. A ground invasion in Gaza would destroy the ceasefire and peace deal that was brokered by President Donald Trump.

Israel has violated the truce over 1,000 times in three months and blocked aid from entering Gaza. While over...

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Scott interviews journalist Ramzy Baroud about what’s happening in Gaza, how the so-called “ceasefire” has impacted how many Palestinians Israel kills every day, the broader moves towards ethnic cleansing and more.  

Discussed on the show:

Ramzy Baroud is a US-Arab journalist and is the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of My Father Was A Freedom Fighter: The Untold Story of Gaza and The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story, These Chains Will Be Broken: Pal...

I discuss the current state of the economy, how Trump is attempting to recover a nation of vitality, and we watch the 1992 presidential debate.

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Following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to restart Israel’s aggressive war against Iran, the Iranian Foreign Minister said the Islamic Republic is prepared for conflict. 

“America and Israel have tested their attack on Iran, and this attack and strategy faced extreme failure. If they repeat it, they will face the same results,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday. “We are ready for any choice. We don’t desire a war but we are ready for it.”

In June, Israel attacked Iran wit...

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Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least ten people, including children. One Israeli strike hit a school. 

Journalist Osama Abu Rabee reported on Thursday that the Abu Hussein School in northern Gaza was hit with an Israeli strike, killing one person. The school was being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians. 

Preliminary reports indicate one martyr and several injuries following Israeli shelling of Abu Hussein School, which shelters displaced people, in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. pic.twitter.com/0VoCYuxWHB

— Os...

A president is kidnapped, the government remains, and we’re told it isn’t regime change. We pull back the curtain on what our guest calls “regime changeover,” a strategy that uses spectacle and lawfare to force leverage without admitting occupation. From sanctions that harden national unity to a reworked indictment against Nicolás Maduro that quietly retreats from early cartel claims, we dissect how narratives are built, sold, and then reshaped when facts don’t fit the script.

We get specific about why Venezuela resists the usual playbook. The Bolivarian civil-military structure blunts elite-driven coups, and...

It’s been quite some time since I have responded to “mail” so I have curated five questions to address:.

References:

Soryu (16SS) class Attack Submarine – SSK

Robert Gaudi African Kaiser: General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and the Great War in Africa, 1914-1918

David Sm...

A pre-dawn post, a capital in darkness, and a president in cuffs aboard a U.S. ship—what started as a “one-night raid” is already morphing into something far bigger. We unpack how the strike on Venezuela unfolded, why the official story leaves key gaps, and what it means when the White House says, without hesitation, that we’ll “run the country” until a “judicious transition.” If that sounds like regime change and occupation, it’s because that’s exactly how it’s being sold.

We walk through the mechanics of the operation—air defenses knocked out, a citywide...

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In an interview, a senior Israeli security analyst said that Iran is attempting to avoid war and conflict with the US and Israel. 

“Stability serves [Iran] well, because even when there is no immediate existential threat, instability makes the regime feel challenged,” Danny Citrinowicz, a fellow in the Iran Program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and a former head of the Iran desk in the IDF Intelligence Directorate, told yNet

He continued, “The first objective is to restore order, and to do that, it...

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North Korea claimed it conducted a successful test of a hypersonic missile. 

“A sub-unit under a major firing strike group of the Korean People’s Army conducted a missile launching drill on January 4,” a statement in North Korean state media said. “The drill was conducted as part of the operational evaluation of the sustainability, effectiveness, and operation of the DPRK’s war deterrent while evaluating the readiness of the hypersonic weapon system, verifying and confirming its capability for fulfilling mission and developing the missile soldiers’ firing capability.”

COI #863, Kyle Anzalone breaks down the latest news in Venezuela, Ukraine, and Israel.



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Scott interviews Jason Jones from the Vulnerable People Project about why American Christians are wrong to see the Israeli government as an ally.  

Discussed on the show:

Jason Jones is a film producer, author, activist, popular podcast host, and dedicated human rights worker. And he is the founder and president of The Vulnerable People Project. Subscribe to his Substack.

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On Jan 3, 2026 the US sent forces into Venezuela to arrest Maduro and in the process sent a message to the world-global power dynamics have changed.

The Delta Doctrine

Headlines shout certainty, but the fine print tells a different story. We dig into three flashpoints—Gaza, Venezuela, and Ukraine—where big claims mask unresolved terms, blurred red lines, and mounting risks that rarely make the chyron.

First, Gaza. The soundbite that Hamas “agreed to disarm” collapses a phased, conditional process into a false binary. Negotiators accepted a ceasefire and hostage exchange while leaving timelines, enforcement, and political conditions open. We unpack what mediators said at the time, why U.S. officials flagged unanswered questions, and how that gap has been spun to score points rather t...