Green & Red Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: ENCORE: Remembering 911 and America's Forever War (G&R 419)
Date: September 11th, 2025
Hosts: Bob Buzzanco (A) & Scott Parkin (B)
Main Theme:
A reflective, radical, and unflinchingly critical discussion on the legacy of September 11th, how U.S. foreign and domestic policy shaped the attacks and their aftermath, and the continuing impacts of "America's Forever War" on society, politics, civil liberties, and global affairs.

Episode Overview

This episode marks the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Hosts Bob Buzzanco and Scott Parkin dissect that day’s immediate aftermath, the broader historical forces leading into it, and the perpetuating cycles of U.S. war and intervention overseas, particularly focusing on Afghanistan and Iraq. They discuss how these events created the conditions for today’s surveillance state, endless wars, and the domestic rise of militarism and the far right.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Recollections of 9/11 (03:42–08:17)

• Both hosts recall where they were and what was happening on 9/11. Bob was in DC, teaching a U.S. Foreign Policy class at the University of Houston, which quickly turned into a teach-in for hundreds of students and faculty, including Scott.
• Scott was working at Continental Airlines in downtown Houston, reading news of the attacks as they happened. The two were already collaborating on anti-globalization activism.
• The Houston Global Awareness Collective, their group, shifted rapidly into antiwar activism in the wake of 9/11.

“It was just surreal, panicky … people from all over started coming in from other classes and even from downtown, including me.” — Bob Buzzanco (06:13)

2. Pivot from Anti-Globalization to Antiwar Resistance (08:17–12:55)

• The group adapted quickly, connecting critique of war profiteering corporations (many based in Houston) to antiwar action.
• Highlighted the long-standing influence of Houston-based companies like Halliburton in U.S. wars, and their local public vigils in front of contractors like KBR.

“Cheney already had contracts for war before the war even began … do you think this is fair?...The SEC wouldn’t let your business do this, but Bush and Cheney are doing it.” — Bob Buzzanco (12:00)

3. Connecting 9/11 to U.S. Foreign Policy History (16:35–19:48)

• Bob traces U.S. intervention in the Middle East back to WWII, Israel’s creation, oil interests, and documented anti-Americanism in the region as early as 1950.
• U.S. support for repressive regimes, notably the 1953 Iranian coup (Mossadegh) and support for Nasser, are cited as foundations for lasting blowback.

“Already in 1950, the United States is clearly in an adversarial relationship [with the Arab world]... You could have written this pretty much last week.” — Bob Buzzanco (18:00)

4. “They Hate Us for Our Freedom” & the Propaganda Machine (19:44–21:48)

• Dissects the “They hate us for our freedom” narrative as propaganda that crossed partisan lines; liberal media and Democratic politicians joined the hawkish consensus post-9/11.
• Calls out the complicity of “some of the biggest hawks” like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.

“Fox News really gained a lot more national attention than I ever realized before. But that propaganda was put out in the liberal media and they went along with it, as well as the Democrats.” — Scott Parkin (20:32)

5. Blowback: Afghanistan, Bin Laden, and the Taliban (28:03–36:36)

• In-depth context on how U.S. Cold War policy fostered the rise of fundamentalist forces used as anti-communist proxies (the Mujahideen).
• U.S. covert support is tracked through Carter and Reagan, especially Zbigniew Brzezinski’s infamous trip to encourage the fighters.

“Isn’t that crazy? ...The U.S. now, right? With Trump... the Muslims are the cause of all the problems. You have Brzezinski making an appeal to fundamentalist Islam...” — Bob Buzzanco (32:51)

• Bin Laden’s evolution from U.S.-backed fighter to independent terrorist leader is explored.
• “Gucci-hadeen” reference for wealthy Saudis joining the Afghan war, highlighting the alliances of convenience.

6. The Iraq Wars: Dictators, Dictatorships, and Sanctions (36:42–47:22)

• Tracks U.S. support for Saddam Hussein from the 1960s (CIA involvement in Ba’athist coup) through the Iran-Iraq war, sanctions, and Gulf Wars, emphasizing hypocrisy and contradictions.
• The U.S. enabled Saddam’s rise and provided weapons even during chemical attacks.
• April Glaspie’s meeting with Saddam prior to the Kuwait invasion is presented as implicit U.S. approval, setting up the Gulf War.

“Our opinion is that you should have the opportunity to rebuild your country. But we have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts like your border disagreement with Kuwait.” — April Glaspie, read by Bob Buzzanco (41:32)

7. Domestic “Blowback”: Surveillance State, Patriot Act, and Militarism (47:51–57:04)

• Outlines how “the national security state kind of came home,” with bipartisan escalations: Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act.
• Explains the emergence of pervasive surveillance and the social climate of suspicion.
• Notes the bolstering of domestic austerity and neoliberal economic policies under the guise of anti-terror patriotism.

“All this crazy stuff with Trump and surveillance … it’s horrific. Trump is different kind of cat, no doubt, but it’s not new. I always say Cheney is a Trump with brains.” — Bob Buzzanco (14:45)

8. The “Support the Troops” Trope and Left Opposition (57:04–60:49)

• “Support the troops” as an effective tool to neutralize antiwar dissent.
• Reminisces about the political climate where questioning war equated to hating America or the military, and how even left movements were cowed by these narratives.

“Why do you hate the troops? … If you said something critical, somebody would say, why do you hate America?” — Bob Buzzanco (58:36)

9. The Reality of Iraq and Afghanistan Post-Invasion (60:49–63:53)

• Recognizes the swift toppling of Saddam but the subsequent insurgency, chaos, and occupation.
• Traces direct lines from U.S. policy to the rise of ISIS and conflicts in Syria.
• Points to war’s fiscal crisis: $4 to $8 trillion spent, forcing domestic cutbacks, and breeding new forms of right-wing populism, exemplified by Trump’s rise.

“Houston Police Department could have taken out the Iraqi military. But then it turned into a guerilla war which has lasted for years and spun into other things.” — Scott Parkin (61:32)

10. From 9/11 to Trump: Enduring Legacies (63:53–71:48)

• Discusses how endless war, economic distress, and fraying trust in institutions made fertile ground for Trump’s rise.
• Outlines the paradox of Trump’s occasionally antiwar rhetoric, his attacks on military figures, and his administration’s actual policies.

“Trump ran as kind of more of a dove than Clinton did... That’s the irony of it all.” — Bob Buzzanco (63:57)

• The far-right’s normalization is linked to twenty years of domestic war-brain, surveillance, and scapegoating of minorities. The ties between police and right-wing militia are noted.
• The left’s messages about the war state have now entered mainstream discourse, particularly relating to Black Lives Matter and critique of police violence.

11. Trump, Militarism, and the “Losers and Suckers” Story (67:22–71:48)

• Recent news is discussed: Trump’s insults of the military (“losers and suckers”) and its fallout.
• Reflects on the left’s historic engagement with veterans, contrasting Trump’s rhetoric with actual left antiwar practice.

“I've never heard anybody on the left call, you know, soldiers, losers and suckers … many of the best activists, most radical activists and most effective activists have come out of the military.” — Bob Buzzanco (69:23)

12. Ongoing Global Consequences and Connections to Today (71:48–74:42)

• Points to the global refugee crisis (37 million displaced), the entanglement of militarization and climate catastrophe, and the permanent destabilization that continues in the Middle East.
• COVID-19 is framed as inadvertently connected: increased global integration, retreat of the welfare state, and weakened public institutions as a byproduct of the “post-9/11 world”.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Our mission at that point is to try to let people know what the much larger and longer context of this was.” — Bob Buzzanco (06:13)
• “The United States doesn't have a good reputation in that region anyway.” — Bob Buzzanco (28:12)
• “U.S. policy blowback is real — what we did in the 80s and 90s came back to hit us in 2001.” — Scott Parkin (36:36)
• “You had to be like super careful of what you said...People get angry...nowadays we'd probably be shot with an AR by some Patriot Prayer or Proud Boy guy.” — Bob Buzzanco (58:36)
• “We will be in the 9/11 world for quite some time… the impact of 9/11 is still there.” — Bob Buzzanco (71:48)

Memorable Anecdotes & Moments

• Bob’s recounting of his spontaneous teach-in on 9/11, as an act of radical education during crisis (04:47–07:00).
• The "Gucci-hadeen": Rich Saudi fighters in the Afghan war (34:07).
• The April Glaspie cable as evidence of U.S. realpolitik (41:32).
• Jokes about how U.S. interventions create both enemies and allies that flip roles (44:32–46:16).
• The recurring presence of Houston police at protests and their sometimes unorthodox relationship with activists (65:35–66:31).
• Trump’s “losers and suckers” comments about the military, contrasted with actual antiwar activism and solidarity with vets (67:22–69:55).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:42 — September 11th recollections; the pivot to teaching and activism.
• 08:17 — Formation and evolution of Houston Global Awareness Collective.
• 16:35 — U.S. foreign policy lead-up: post-WWII, 1950s, oil, Israel.
• 28:03 — U.S. and Afghanistan, the Mujahideen, Bin Laden.
• 36:42 — Iraq, Saddam Hussein, first Gulf War.
• 47:51 — National security state and surveillance post-9/11.
• 57:04 — “Support the troops” as rhetorical defense; impact on the left.
• 61:32 — The reality of the Iraq occupation.
• 63:53 — How endless war shaped the economic and social climate at home.
• 67:22 — Trump’s “losers and suckers,” the military, and public fallout.
• 71:48 — Refugees, the war on terror’s global effects, climate change, and COVID-19 linkages.

Episode Tone & Language

Bob and Scott’s conversation is candid, historically rich, and irreverently radical, with an emphasis on connecting “scrappy” grassroots activism and anti-imperialist historical analysis. Stories and critique are delivered in an accessible, conversational manner, punctuated by humor, camaraderie, and occasional dark irony.

Useful For:

• Anyone seeking a critical, historical perspective on 9/11, U.S. foreign policy, and the War on Terror.
• Listeners curious about the interplay between activism, state violence, surveillance, and war profiteering.
• Activists and organizers delving into the roots of today’s political crises, from endless war to the far right and climate change.

For more: Visit greenandredpodcast.org or follow them on social media.