Donald Trump wants to hit ISIS hard, to “put a ring around them” and take their oil, presumably with US troops on the ground. But according to former CIA expert Michael Scheuer, attempting to defeat ISIS militarily would only help them grow in power. The best US “weapon,” writes Scheuer, is non-intervention in the Middle East. Who’s right? Today on the Liberty Report:

Former Defense Intelligence Agency head Gen. Michael Flynn is not backing down from his claims that elements of the US government were aware of and supported the rise of jihadists in Syria as a means by which to overthrow its president, Bashar Assad. As the US moves ever closer to a full-out invasion of Syria the lack of media interest in Flynn’s story is reminiscent of the one-sided (pro-war) coverage of the run up to the 2003 Iraq War. More on the disturbing new revelations in a special edition of the Ron Paul Liberty Report:

Seventy years after the atomic incineration of Hiroshima, have we progressed beyond the idea of viewing civilians as fair game in a war waged by their leaders? Yes and no, finds the Ron Paul Liberty Report. On one hand public opinion has gradually shifted away from the idea that the bomb was necessary — with the majority of young people in a recent poll viewing the atomic bombing of Japan unnecessary. On the other hand, through sanctions and drone “signature strikes” civilians are still being targeted. Today’s Liberty Report also features Ron Paul reading from his new book, Swords into Plowshares, a section remembering the reaction in his house when the first atomic bomb was exploded:

The US drone war not only continues, but accelerates. More than 5,000 have been killed since 2009 in Obama’s drone attacks and still the US has no idea how many of them might be innocent civilians. In fact, the US does not even bother to target only suspected terrorists. Instead, it targets patterns of behavior called “signatures.” A male of military age is therefore considered a legitimate target. Does such an approach really keep us safe? Today’s Liberty Report takes a look at this disturbing new form of US warfare:

When the latest US-trained batch of fighters were sent into Syria, many were immediately captured by al-Qaeda. So much for US training. Some of the others called for US military air support which was granted. Subsequently, President Obama announced that the US would use airstrikes to protect any future fighters it sends into Syria — whether against ISIS or even the Syrian government. Does this mean the US is now at war with Syria? And where is Congress? Today’s Liberty Report looks at the rapidly escalating US military mission in Syria:

When are the neocons and the hawks going to stop getting us into more trouble, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews asked Ron Paul during an appearance on Hardball. “Well I wish they’d look at reason and look at what is happening,” replied Paul, but “I think it’s unfortunately going to stop when we go broke and there’s nothing left and then the people will find out that it is a total failure.”

The other consequence of the constant wars the US is engaged in, added Paul, is that eventually the wars get turned inward against the American people. And that’s why we have this attack on civil liberties.

“But I concentrate on foreign policy in my new book, he adds, because “these wars are needless, they are immoral, they are unconstitutional, and they hurt us.”

Paul and Matthews discuss the “Giuliani Moment” in Ron Paul’s 2008 run. Paul points out that while many said his campaign was finished because of his discussion of blowback in the debate, in fact from that moment his candidacy actually took off and it was Giuliani who was all but finished.

Chris Matthews finishes the interview telling his audience that if they like the way this man is thinking, his new book is titled Swords into Plowshares.

Watch the whole interview here:

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is, at a total cost of $1.5 trillion, the biggest military boondoggle in US history. The “next generation fighter” has been plagued with cost over-runs and serious functional problems. The fighter jet will not even have a gun until 2017. But it is being built in a total of 45 states and several foreign countries, so no Member of Congress would dare try to kill this beast. Last week the US Marines declared the jet to be “operational” — but if you read the fine print there is little reason to think they will be flying it anytime soon. Today’s Liberty Report looks at one of the worst examples of military Keynesianism:

The US still claims Russia bears some or all of the responsibility for the shootdown of Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 last July, however the Obama Administration still has not released any information to back its claims. Yesterday a resolution to set up a UN tribunal to investigate the crash was vetoed by Russia, which prompted the US to again suggest that Russia was behind the attack. What do we know and what should we know now that a whole year has passed since the tragedy? The Liberty Report discusses the issue with former CIA officer Phil Giraldi:

Every time US officials try to lecture foreign leaders about what their social policies should be, resentment is created. Far from following the dictates of Washington, often the endless hectoring turns foreign leaders and citizens against the US. Even if the policies urged on by Washington were sound, they would be rejected due to this resentment. Today’s Liberty Report takes a look at President Obama’s recent trip to Kenya, where he lectured the president on homosexuality and women’s issues. Also we step back to look at just why it is that this approach is counterproductive from a pragmatic standpoint:

According to recent press reports, the US and Turkey have agreed to carve out a piece of Syria for a “no-fly” zone where the Syrian government cannot bomb ISIS or the US-backed insurgents. Meanwhile, Turkey has been bombing the Kurds in the region, who are known as the real “boots on the ground” against ISIS. A “no-fly” zone in Syria will require a massive US bombing campaign against the Syrian government — the kind of bombing that was soundly rejected by the American people in 2013. Will they get away with it this time? Tune in to the Ron Paul Liberty Report for the scoop:

Will Congress be swayed (or threatened) enough by the neocons and AIPAC to defeat the Iran agreement? Will US media propaganda turn the current majority in favor of the agreement to a majority opposed? What happens if the US backs out of the deal? Will the other major powers facing increased economic trade with Iran follow the US back down the path of sanctions? Tune in to today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report:

From “humanitarian” interventions to regulating what we put in our bodies, the “good intentions” of governments often produce the most horrific results. Today’s Liberty Report looks at the worst of tyrannies — those constructed for your own good: