#163 - Scott Horton - How Debt, Inflation and War Are All Connected

In this incisive episode of The Peter McCormack Show, guest Scott Horton delivers a scathing critique of the interconnected systems of national debt, inflation, and perpetual war that sustain the U.S. military-industrial complex. Horton argues that the U.S. government’s $40 trillion national debt—exacerbated by unfunded liabilities—now forces the federal budget to allocate more to interest payments than to the entire global military empire. He traces this fiscal crisis to a deeply entrenched 'iron triangle' of arms manufacturers, Congress, and media, all of whom profit from ongoing conflict. Drawing on historical parallels to Orwell’s 1984, Horton suggests that perpetual war serves not just strategic interests but a psychological mechanism to keep citizens desperate and compliant. He exposes the hypocrisy of U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, where support for groups like Al-Qaeda in Syria was justified as backing 'moderate rebels' despite their extremist ties, while Iran and Hezbollah are falsely labeled as the 'greatest state sponsors of terrorism.' Horton also dismantles the narrative that Israel’s security justifies endless U.S. intervention, arguing instead that American foreign policy is increasingly dictated by a Zionist lobby and the self-serving interests of a captured political class. He concludes with a call to end the war, quit the military empire, and recognize that military might does not equate to strategic success—especially when the enemy is not a conventional state but a self-inflicted escalation trap. Despite the bleak outlook, Horton finds hope in the growing number of independent voices challenging the status quo, proving that the antiwar movement is no longer dependent on any single figure. Key takeaways include: (1) The U.S. spends more on interest payments than on its entire global military presence; (2) The 'iron triangle' of arms manufacturers, Congress, and media creates a self-sustaining war economy; (3) U.S. foreign policy is often driven by the interests of Israel and the military-industrial complex, not American national interest; (4) The narrative around Iran and terrorism is largely manufactured to justify war; (5) Military power without strategy leads to endless, unwinnable conflicts; (6) The public is being manipulated through fear, misinformation, and media-driven outrage; (7) True change requires rejecting the myth of American exceptionalism and the illusion of military dominance; (8) The antiwar movement is now decentralized and resilient, proving that one voice is no longer essential.