Provoked with Darryl Cooper and Scott Horton

• EP:16 - LIVE - SPECIAL GUEST: Max Blumenthal - Gaza, Propaganda, and Power

  Start with the question everyone dodges: why did October 7 happen—and why did the story that followed look so different from the facts on the ground? We sit down with Max Blumenthal to trace the long arc from siege and failed truces to an operation designed to seize leverage through captives, disrupt the Abraham Accords, and force a political reset. From Sinwar’s rise and an overland breach that stunned the Gaza Division to the chaos around the Nova festival, we map the day’s hard realities—and the decisions that magnified them.Then we go after the narratives. Atrocity Inc isn’t a contrarian hot take; it’s a methodical look at claims that raced around the world: “beheaded babies,” mass rape, and other shock headlines that shaped a public mandate for a maximal war. We weigh what’s proven and what collapsed under scrutiny, how the Hannibal Directive became “mass Hannibal,” and why Apache pilots firing with thin intel likely torched scores of vehicles carrying civilians. This isn’t exculpation of crimes by militants; it’s a demand that evidence—not atrocity inflation—set the limits of force.Finally, we pull back the lens. Israeli politics and media culture—judicial fights, messianic factions, and a siege mentality trained from adolescence—collide with a public that wants hostages home even as leaders move the goalposts. We talk incentives, not slogans: how negotiation looks when the only leverage is human, why foreknowledge claims miss structural failures, and what it would take to stop a war that metastasized on the back of myth.If you care about truth in wartime, hostages returning alive, and policy made on verifiable facts, this conversation will give you a sharper map. Listen, share with someone who follows the headlines, and tell us: which claim did you once believe—and what changed your mind? Subscribe for more grounded, evidence-driven episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/provoked-with-darryl-cooper-and-scott-horton/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• EP:15 - LIVE - SPECIAL GUEST - Auron MacIntyre : The Reason Magazine Hit Piece

  Start with a simple claim: rules only matter if everyone believes they bind everyone. From there, we pull a thread through media smears, unequal justice, and the hard truth that modern politics already runs on “exceptions” to the rules. We’re not romanticizing power or hunting for a strongman; we’re asking why the ordinary law—applied evenly—feels so rare, and what it would take to make it normal again.With Auron MacIntyre joining us, we put Carl Schmitt in his place: not as a mentor to emulate, but as a mapmaker of uncomfortable terrain. His line about the “sovereign” deciding when rules don’t apply rings familiar after years of emergency orders, selective prosecutions, and agencies governing by letter instead of law. We trace how the administrative state grew behind judicial deference, how anarcho-tyranny rewards street violence while penalizing technicalities, and why calling this out gets mislabeled as extremism. The punchline isn’t “break the system”; it’s the opposite—use the laws we have, evenly and transparently, to reestablish the baseline that protects all sides.We also press a cultural point that legalisms dodge: a constitution is a living practice, not just language. Rome stayed a republic when Romans honored republican limits; paper alone couldn’t save it when belief died. Translate that to today and a path emerges: shorten emergencies, narrow agency deference, prosecute violence consistently, and end back-channel censorship. If platforms truly host criminal coordination, use existing statutes narrowly; if government leans on companies to silence lawful speech, treat it as state action and stop it. And amid heated foreign policy rhetoric, we draw a boundary—no outside government should set our domestic speech norms or enforcement priorities.Call it a restoration agenda: fewer exceptions, more accountability, and a civic culture that takes equal protection seriously. If that resonates, subscribe, share this episode, and leave a review with your take on the single reform that would rebuild trust fastest.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/provoked-with-darryl-cooper-and-scott-horton/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• EP:14 - LIVE - Chaos Unfolds: Comey Falls, Gaza Bleeds, Al-Qaeda at the UN

  The comfortable illusion of American hyperpower is shattering before our eyes. Scott Horton and Daryl Cooper take us on a journey through the collapsing facade of post-Cold War unipolarity, revealing how traditional geopolitical forces are reasserting themselves across the globe.What happens when countries once again must interact as genuine equals rather than subordinates to American power? The evidence is mounting - from South Asia to the Middle East - that we're witnessing the end of what Scott and Daryl call "a long vacation from history" where consequences for American failures seemed perpetually delayed.The conversation weaves through recent developments that signal this profound shift: Trump's puzzling claims about reclaiming Bagram Airbase, Russia and China's expanding influence, and Netanyahu's disturbing declarations at the UN. With scholarly precision, they dissect how China's strategy fundamentally differs from America's - preferring economic engagement over military domination - and why American foreign policy elites seem incapable of recognizing this reality.Perhaps most chilling is their examination of nuclear strategy in this new multipolar world. Cold War deterrence models break down dangerously when three major powers enter the equation, as revealed in declassified war games where planners concluded that attacking Russia meant attacking China too - simply to prevent them from "inheriting the world."The discussion on Gaza and Israel's strategy provides a sobering case study in how insurgencies cannot be defeated through pure military might - a lesson America failed to learn in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Netanyahu's claim that allowing Palestinians to flee proves the conflict isn't genocidal receives a devastating historical critique.Throughout, Scott and Daryl maintain their trademark blend of deep historical knowledge, critical analysis, and moral clarity. This episode isn't just about understanding today's headlines - it's about grasping the fundamental transformation of the international order and what it means for humanity's future.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/provoked-with-darryl-cooper-and-scott-horton/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• EP:13 - Is #FreeSpeech in America Hanging by a Thread??

  When tragedy strikes, principles are tested. The assassination of Charlie Kirk has exposed fault lines in how Americans approach free speech, revealing a disturbing willingness to abandon constitutional protections during moments of crisis. Scott and Daryl navigate this treacherous terrain with nuance, examining how the FCC's targeting of Jimmy Kimmel represents the dangerous "ratchet effect" that consistently expands government power following each national emergency. They argue that maintaining consistent principles isn't just morally correct but strategically essential—abandoning free speech protections today guarantees they'll be weaponized against you tomorrow.The conversation draws compelling parallels to 1968, when assassinations and political disappointments caused many Americans to lose faith in established channels of protest. When people believe the system has failed them completely, they turn to increasingly radical alternatives, creating unpredictable and often destructive consequences. "People are on the edge in terms of their faith in the system right now," Daryl warns. "It is hanging by the last, thinnest thread in the tapestry."A particularly fascinating segment explores how America's inconsistent foreign policy has destroyed our international credibility, comparing our national behavior to that of a "psychopath burning bridges everywhere they go." From broken promises with Russia to underhanded dealings with Iran, these betrayals create lasting damage that outlives any administration.Throughout the episode, Scott and Daryl make a compelling case for decentralization as a practical solution that could appeal across the political spectrum. By returning more decision-making power to local communities, we might reduce the temperature of national politics and create space for actual governance rather than perpetual culture war.Don't miss this thought-provoking conversation that goes beyond the headlines to examine the deeper currents threatening American society. Subscribe now and join us in exploring how we might preserve our republic in increasingly challenging times. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction and Awards 6:11 Daryl's Upcoming Enemy Episode 15:48 Charlie Kirk Assassination and Free Speech 29:17 Government Deterrence vs. Market Pressure 42:52 Ukraine War and American Credibility 51:27 Conspiracy Theories and Critical Thinking 1:10:52 Political Polarization and Social Breakdown 1:24:22 Decentralization as a Solution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/provoked-with-darryl-cooper-and-scott-horton/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• EP:12 - The Assassination of Charlie Kirk: America's Fractured Discourse

  In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, Scott Horton and Daryl Cooper deliver a profoundly important conversation about the state of American political discourse and what happens when words are replaced by violence. This episode captures a raw, unfiltered moment as two thoughtful commentators process a national tragedy in real-time. "You either use institutions as a way of peacefully hashing these questions out or there's violence underneath it," Cooper observes, crystallizing the fundamental choice facing American society. Kirk, regardless of one's opinion of his politics, embodied a commitment to civil dialogue that makes his violent end particularly troubling. He was, as Cooper notes, someone who "deserved it a hell of a lot less than many of us." The conversation explores how political violence has become normalized, with both hosts examining the dangerous territory America enters when citizens no longer believe in resolving differences through debate. They challenge listeners on both sides of the political spectrum to resist calls for escalation or authoritarian crackdowns that would only exacerbate divisions. What emerges is a powerful reminder that beneath our political differences, Americans remain deeply interconnected. "The left half of America ain't really going anywhere," Horton emphasizes, making peaceful coexistence not just desirable but necessary. The hosts also tackle other pressing issues—including mental health crises (with 26% of young Americans having considered suicide), economic instability, and what true freedom of speech requires in practice. This episode serves as both a warning about where America might be headed if we continue dehumanizing political opponents and a call to recommit to the principles of civil dialogue that Kirk himself championed. It's an essential listen for anyone concerned about the future of American democracy and our capacity to live together despite our differences. Chapters: 0:00 Reacting to Charlie Kirk's Assassination 10:37 The Civil Veneer of Politics 22:33 Democracy's Violence Problem 36:24 The Root Causes of Social Breakdown 55:01 The Truth About Cultural Degradation 1:09:24 Civil War Fears and Political Reality 1:24:45 Protecting Free Speech Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/provoked-with-darryl-cooper-and-scott-horton/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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