On August 24, 2025, Lex Fridman hosted Scott Horton, a prominent anti-war advocate, director of the Libertarian Institute, and host of *The Scott Horton Show*, for a marathon 10-hour conversation on the Lex Fridman Podcast episode #478, titled “The Case Against War and the Military Industrial Complex.”
Horton, a vocal critic of U.S. military interventionism for over three decades, delivered a sweeping critique of American foreign policy, dissecting wars, false flags, and the economic machinations fueling global conflict.
The episode, a tour de force of historical analysis and libertarian perspective, unraveled the intricate web of U.S. military actions from the Cold War to the present, with a sharp focus on the military-industrial complex’s role in perpetuating war for profit.
The conversation traced U.S. interventionism from the post-Vietnam era through the War on Terror, covering pivotal conflicts like the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq Wars I, II, and III, as well as interventions in Syria, Somalia, and tensions with Iran and Israel-Palestine. Horton argued that these wars were often justified by misleading narratives, including false flag operations—deliberate deceptions to provoke military action.
For instance, he scrutinized the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam, suggesting it was based on exaggerated or fabricated reports of North Vietnamese attacks. Similarly, he questioned the official narrative around 9/11 and Osama bin Laden, arguing that the U.S. response in Afghanistan was less about justice and more about geopolitical strategy, with intelligence agencies potentially overlooking warnings to justify intervention.
A central theme was the military-industrial complex, which Horton described as a self-perpetuating system where defense contractors, politicians, and military officials collude to funnel capital into endless wars. He detailed how companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon profit immensely from government contracts, with the Pentagon’s budget ballooning to over $800 billion annually. Horton argued that this system incentivizes conflict, as wars create demand for weapons, surveillance tech, and reconstruction projects, often funded by taxpayer dollars. He highlighted the Iraq War II, where faulty intelligence about weapons of mass destruction was used to justify invasion, costing trillions while enriching defense firms and destabilizing the region.
Horton also delved into lesser-known conflicts, like U.S. involvement in Somalia, where drone strikes and covert operations have fueled insurgency rather than curbed it. On Iran, he accused the U.S. government of fabricating threats to maintain sanctions and justify military buildup, referencing his earlier debate with Mark Dubowitz on episode #473. Regarding Israel-Palestine, Horton critiqued U.S. support for Israel’s actions, arguing it inflames regional tensions for strategic gain, with capital flowing to arms manufacturers.
The discussion wasn’t just historical; Horton warned of a “Cold War 2.0” with China and Russia, driven by similar economic and political motives. He emphasized that false flags—whether real or exaggerated—serve as pretexts to rally public support for wars that primarily benefit elites. Horton’s libertarian lens framed these interventions as violations of sovereignty and human rights, with the U.S. acting as an imperial power under the guise of democracy.
This episode, a “masterpiece” as one listener called it, challenged listeners to question official narratives and consider the economic incentives behind war. Horton’s meticulous research, backed by his work at Antiwar.com and books like Fool’s Errand, provided a sobering counterpoint to mainstream foreign policy discourse, making it a must-listen for those seeking to understand the hidden drivers of global conflict.
Very well written!