The John Batchelor Show
1,589 episodes — Page 10 of 32
S8 Ep982: Rick Fisher explains that Taiwan's primary military strategy focuses on destroying a Chinese invasion force on the beach. This approach, encouraged by Washington, aligns with historic lessons regarding defense against amphibious attacks. (1)
Jun 8, 20261 min
S8 Ep982: John Hardie discusses Roman Abramovich's attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Putin refuses a meeting until Zelensky agrees to key demands, viewing a summit only as a final step for signing. (2)
Jun 8, 20261 min
S8 Ep982: Alejandro Peña Esclusa describes how Evo Morales triggers blockades and chaos in Bolivia to evade prosecution. The government is responding with emergency powers to prevent Morales from overthrowing the system through leftist-coordinated protests. (3)
Jun 8, 20263 min
S8 Ep982: Ahmad Sharawi details how lifting Syria's terror designation would grant the government access to significant capital. This change would encourage Gulf investors to fund critical sectors, increasing their influence within the country. (4)
Jun 8, 20261 min
S8 Ep982: Bridget Toomey outlines Abdul Malik al-Houthi's expansive vision, which includes seizing contested Saudi territory and holy cities. Emboldened by Red Sea disruptions, the Houthis seek to expand their religious and political influence globally. (5)
Jun 8, 20261 min
S8 Ep981: Gaius and Germanicus critique the SpaceX IPO, labeling it a grand "grift" comparable to the speculative railroad booms of the 1870s. They warn of a stupendous transfer of wealth from ordinary people to the elite, fueled by asset bubbles in AI and space
Jun 8, 202613 min
S8 Ep981: Gaius and Germanicus reflect on the "supreme moment" of 1944–1945, when a unified American "civil religion" and industrial supremacy dominated the globe. Today, however, they see a fractured "salad bowl" nation governed by an "emperor system" born from th
Jun 8, 202618 min
S8 Ep981: On a spring evening in Londinium, Gaius and Germanicus philosophize on the decline of the American Empire, drawing parallels between modern leadership and historical Roman crises. They contrast current American hesitancy with the "impetuosity" of Rome, su
Jun 8, 202627 min
S8 Ep980: Author Patrick K. O'Donnell discusses his extensive research into the Second Ranger Battalion, specifically focusing on the personal legacies and oral histories of the men of Dog Company. His work is based on thousands of interviews and archival docum
Jun 8, 202610 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell describes how over the next 40 hours, the Rangers on Hill 400 withstood five major German counterattacks and a relentless artillery barrage. Fifteen battalions of German artillery conducted "time on target" missions, raining shells do
Jun 8, 202611 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell describes how the assault on Hill 400 on December 7, 1944, was characterized by surviving Rangers as their "longest day," surpassing even D-Day in intensity. Before the attack, Len Lomell conducted a reconnaissance patrol, determining
Jun 8, 20267 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell recounts how in late summer 1944, the Rangers were assigned to assist in capturing the port of Brest, a fortress Hitler ordered to be held at all costs. During a scouting mission, Lieutenant Edlund and three scouts discovered a narrow
Jun 8, 202612 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell describes how after destroying the guns, the Rangers of Dog, Easy, and Fox companies established a thin defensive line along the coastal road between Omaha and Utah beaches. Isolated and without the expected reinforcements from Force
Jun 8, 20269 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell recounts how between 7:20 and 8:00 a.m., the Rangers began their assault using rocket-propelled grappling hooks to fire wet ropes up the 90-foot cliffs. The climb was conducted under intense fire from German MG42 machine guns and "pot
Jun 8, 202611 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell explains how at 4:05 a.m. on June 6, 1944, the Rangers received the order to man their boats amidst a massive Allied naval bombardment. The plan involved Force A, which included Dog, Easy, and Fox companies, assaulting the cliffs at P
Jun 8, 20268 min
S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell describes how in early 1944, Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder and Major Max F. Schneider arrived at Paddington Station in London for a top-secret briefing regarding the most dangerous mission of D-Day. Their objective was to neutr
Jun 8, 202610 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy concludes that the crisis ended with a secret deal, but Fidel Castro was outraged, having advocated for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. Anastas Mikoyan was forced to negotiate the removal of tactical nukes while his wife was dying in Moscow
Jun 8, 202611 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy recounts how October 27, "Black Saturday," was the closest the world came to nuclear war as local commanders took control. In the Sargasso Sea, the Soviet submarine B-59, harassed by U.S. dummy depth charges, nearly fired a nuclear torpedo.
Jun 8, 202611 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy describes how on October 26-27, Khrushchev sent conflicting messages: a private letter offering a non-invasion pledge and a public demand to remove U.S. Jupiters in Turkey. This caused chaos in the White House, with officials fearing Khrushc
Jun 8, 20268 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy explains that Anastas Mikoyan emerged as a voice of reason, having opposed the missiles from the start. As the U.S. blockade began, Khrushchev ordered missile-carrying ships to turn back, though one ship with nuclear warheads was v
Jun 8, 202614 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy describes how by October 20, the Joint Chiefs, led by Curtis LeMay, were pushing for Oplan 312 (a full-scale invasion), accusing Kennedy of "appeasement." Kennedy feared an invasion would trigger a Soviet takeover of West Berlin. He successf
Jun 8, 202610 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy details that Khrushchev's decision was driven by the USSR having only five or six ICBMs capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. By deploying medium-range R-12 and R-14 missiles to Cuba, he sought to balance the threat from American Minutemen.
Jun 8, 202613 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy explains that Khrushchev placed missiles in Cuba to counter the U.S. "missile gap" and the Jupiter missiles in Turkey. He chose General Issa Pliyev, a loyal cavalryman, to lead Operation Anadyr because of his experience with multi-force coor
Jun 8, 202613 min
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy describes how on October 16, 1962, National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy informed President Kennedy that U-2 spy planes had discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. Kennedy felt personally betrayed by Khrushchev's prior lies regarding
Jun 8, 202614 min
S8 Ep978: Holly Fretwell proposes longer-term contracts (up to 20+ years) to encourage private investment in essential milling infrastructure. She recommends expanding categorical exclusions to bypass "analysis paralysis" and lifting 1960s-era export bans on raw
Jun 7, 202610 min
S8 Ep978: Holly Fretwell advocates for partnerships between private entities and federal forests, citing the National Forest Foundation and Blue Forest Conservation's resilience bonds as successful models. She emphasizes the Good Neighbor Authority, which allows st
Jun 7, 202610 min
S8 Ep978: Holly Fretwell explains how NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act create "red tape" and litigation that stall restoration projects. She highlights that the Clean Air Act paradoxically limits prescribed burns, which would prevent far more
Jun 7, 20268 min
S8 Ep978: Holly Fretwell introduces the wildfire crisis, noting that 80 million federal acres require urgent restoration. She argues that historical policies like the 10 a.m. suppression rule and reduced timber harvesting have created dense, flammable forests. Cons
Jun 7, 202610 min
S8 Ep977: Jeremy Zakis describes his dog Dallas's social dynamics with local birds. He explains that Dallas, usually friendly, recently turned against currawongs for stealing his breakfast biscuits. Jeremy also compares Dallas's slow eating habits to other dogs who
Jun 7, 20266 min
S8 Ep976: Jeremy Zakis explores the match-fixing scandal and gang influence threatening Canadian cricket's international status. He details how players potentially "sandbagged" games for gambling purposes. Finally, Jeremy discusses the recent resurgence of "Bazball
Jun 7, 202611 min
S8 Ep976: Jeremy Zakis discusses a viral video featuring an aggressive black-headed python striking a camera. He warns that a mouse plague is reaching Sydney, forcing residents to seal their homes. Jeremy notes that snakes are bypassing hibernatioC this winter, liE
Jun 7, 20267 min
S8 Ep976: Jeremy Zakis reports on unusual winter weather in Sydney, suggesting a potential shift toward a severe El Niño. He explains the impact of trade winds and Pacific temperatures on global climate. Additionally, Jeremy shares that his grandfather served in tE
Jun 7, 20269 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder examines the remarkable industrial success of Phelan and Collender, who mass-produced high-quality billiard tables. Their innovation in table cushions led to a dominant market position, and they famously gifted a custom gold-ornamented ta
Jun 7, 20265 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder traces the migration of Irish families beyond New York City. The Lynch family, for instance, saved money for a decade before moving to Minnesota to establish farms on affordable government land, creating vibrant Irish enclaves in the wilder
Jun 7, 202614 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder focuses on the establishment of Castle Garden in 1855 as a centralized reception center to protect immigrants from swindlers. Hubert Glenn, an Irish-speaking clerk, managed record-keeping there for nearly 40 years, though most of these reco
Jun 7, 20266 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder discusses the significant role of the Irish in the American Civil War, particularly the 69th Regiment. Many joined for military training to eventually liberate Ireland, but they fought enthusiastically for the Union out of gratitude to thei
Jun 7, 202611 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder highlights the upward mobility of Irish artisans and entrepreneurs, showcasing George Fox, a trained tailor who became a successful merchant tailor through aggressive self-promotion and by providing free garments to prominent politicians li
Jun 7, 20264 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder describes the perilous Atlantic crossing and the arrival of immigrants in Manhattan, detailing the horrific conditions on "coffin ships," where diseases like typhus and cholera spread rapidly in cramped steerage quarters. Upon arrival, fami
Jun 7, 202615 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder details the origins of the Great Potato Famine, noting that the destructive fungus actually originated in North America and thrived in Ireland's cool, damp climate. By 1846, 90% of the potato crop—the primary food source for half the popula
Jun 7, 20269 min
S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder discusses his book Plentiful Country, which explores the lives of Famine-era Irish immigrants in New York. The narrative begins with a poignant 1896 scene where Kate Murphy, a long-time domestic servant, pays to stand on a map of Ireland fi
Jun 7, 20268 min
S8 Ep974: SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-5-2026. 1900 ADAMS BOULEVARD LA.
Jun 6, 20265 min
S8 Ep974: STREAMING THE MAKING OF JBS, FEATURING JEFF BLISS, MICHAEL VLAHOS, 6-5-2026. 1906 LA FIESTA DE LOS ANGELES.T
Jun 6, 202648 min
S8 Ep973: Richard Epstein discusses the legal complexities of a proposed executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens. He highlights the rise of "manufactured citizenship" through birth tourism and predicts the Supreme Court may
Jun 6, 20268 min
S8 Ep973: Richard Epstein analyzes the Wong Kim Ark decision, arguing that Justice Horace Gray erroneously applied birthright citizenship to the children of ineligible aliens. He further critiques the expansion of the Equal Protection Clause in the 20th century, cl
Jun 6, 202611 min
S8 Ep972: Henry Sokolski explains the strategic significance of deploying Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA), such as the F-35, to reinforce NATO's nuclear deterrent in Europe. He observes that while Moscow and Beijing oppose these deployments, the aircraft act as vital "
Jun 6, 20265 min
S8 Ep972: Henry Sokolski warns of China's fast breeder reactor program, which produces super weapons-grade plutonium capable of fueling efficient nuclear triggers. He also notes South Korea's growing interest in developing independent nuclear capabilities and subma
Jun 6, 202612 min
S8 Ep972: Andrew Bayliss critiques the modern application of the "Thucydides Trap" to US-China relations, arguing that the original Peloponnesian War was not inevitable. He suggests the conflict was precipitated by specific provocations and accidental circumstances
Jun 6, 20265 min
S8 Ep972: Andrew Bayliss explores the aftermath of Sparta's victory, noting that Lysander's immense power and ambition ultimately led to his death during a failed siege. Sparta's dominance eventually collapsed at the Battle of Leuctra due to a dwindling citizen pop
Jun 6, 202613 min
S8 Ep972: Andrew Bayliss profiles Lysander, a Spartan general of modest origins who secured crucial Persian funding to challenge Athenian naval supremacy. Lysander achieved victory not through direct combat, but by using deception to capture the Athenian fleet whil
Jun 6, 20267 min
S8 Ep972: Andrew Bayliss recounts how Pericles provoked the Peloponnesian War by steering Athens toward confrontation with Sparta. He details the Athenian strategy of retreating behind city walls and relying on naval imports, a move that tragically facilitated a de
Jun 6, 202610 min