The John Batchelor Show
3,155 episodes — Page 2 of 64
S8 Ep1309: Thaddeus McCotter analyzes the recent Michigan Democratic primary, where Dr. Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated the establishment candidate, Haley Stevens. El-Sayed, an "anti-establishment" fighter endorsed by Bernie Sanders, capitalized on unhappiness with
Aug 19, 202617 min
S8 Ep1308: Joseph Sternberg addresses the looming "year of doom" in 2032, when the Social Security trust fund is projected to run out. Without reform, benefits could be slashed by 22% to match current payroll tax revenues, creating a massive political crisis. Sternb
Aug 19, 202619 min
S8 Ep1307: Mary Kissel discusses the strained US-South Korea alliance, where disagreements over military funding have prompted Seoul to seek independent nuclear-powered submarine capabilities. She characterizes North Korea as a reckless actor that has committed tens
Aug 19, 202617 min
S8 Ep1306: Gregory Copley analyzes China's recent ICBM test in the South China Sea, interpreting it as "Wolf Warrior diplomacy" designed to signal naval reach to the US and regional neighbors. Australia is countering this threat through the AUKUS and Five Eyes allia
Aug 19, 202637 min
S8 Ep1305: Jonathan Schanzer examines the fractured state of Hamas, noting the group currently controls only 30% of Gaza while facing internal discord over potential disarmament. International negotiators are discussing a "disarm first" condition, which Hamas leader
Aug 19, 202619 min
S8 Ep1304: Liz Peek discusses the resilience of the American economy, noting that high-end consumer spending remains strong despite recession fears. Small businesses are reportedly "humming," with hiring and profitability reaching their highest levels since 2026. Th
Aug 19, 202617 min
S8 Ep1303: TABLE OF CONTENTS, THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-17-2026. Bill Roggio reflects on the five-year anniversary of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, highlighting the accuracy of the maps he built that predicted the Taliban's takeover.
Aug 18, 20267 min
S8 Ep1302: Jeremy Zakis reports on the looming weather crisis in Australia, where meteorologists predict a "super El Niño" combined with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole. This rare combination is expected to cause extreme drought and record-breaking temperatures in Ne
Aug 18, 20267 min
S8 Ep1301: Richard Epstein critiques Senator Bernie Sanders' characterization of Israeli politicians as "extremists," viewing it as a provocative attempt to shift American Democratic policy. Epstein argues that a two-state solution is fundamentally unstable because
Aug 18, 202612 min
S8 Ep1300: Samuel Ben-Ur discusses the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, focusing on Jared Kushner's meeting with Hamas leadership to discuss a 15-point peace plan. Ben-Ur explains that Israel rejected the plan because it lacked a verifiable mechanism for Hamas's
Aug 18, 202617 min
S8 Ep1299: Alan Tonelson exposes a massive Chinese tariff evasion scheme, where goods are rerouted through countries like Cambodia and Mexico to bypass U.S. duties. This "scam" is estimated to cost the U.S. up to $26 billion in annual revenue. While the White House
Aug 18, 20269 min
S8 Ep1298: Kamran Bokhari examines the evolution of the Iranian regime, arguing that the Supreme Leader has become a figurehead for the IRGC and security establishment. He suggests that the war has accelerated a process of internal fragmentation, though the elite re
Aug 18, 202610 min
S8 Ep1297: David Daoud details the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, noting that Hezbollah's refusal to disarm has prompted the IDF to prepare for a major operation. Israel is currently conducting "clearing operations" to destroy Hezbollah
Aug 18, 20268 min
S8 Ep1297: John Hardie reports on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, specifically Russia's rejection of a Black Sea ceasefire in favor of striking Ukrainian food supplies. He notes that while Russia maintains a maritime blockade advantage, Ukraine is retaliating with high
Aug 18, 20268 min
S8 Ep1296: Edmund Fitton-Brown argues that the U.S. is "running out of ideas" regarding economic pressure on Iran, labeling a land blockade as far-fetched due to uncooperative neighbors. He suggests that secondary sanctions on Chinese "teapot" refineries are a more
Aug 18, 202619 min
S8 Ep1295: Malcolm Hoenlein provides an overview of the October 27th Israeli election, explaining the complex "list" voting system and Netanyahu's challenges. He discusses the "Board of Peace" negotiations, stressing that the central hurdle remains Hamas's refusal t
Aug 18, 202617 min
S8 Ep1295: Janatyn Sayeh explores the "secret plan" of Iranian hardliners to escalate regional conflict and raise costs for the United States. He notes that while the Iranian economy is an existential vulnerability, the regime is willing to ride out sanctions to mai
Aug 18, 20269 min
S8 Ep1294: Bridget Toomey analyzes the reawakening of the Yemeni Civil War, noting that the Houthis are launching fresh offensives to seize the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb choke point. While the Houthis claim to target Saudi interests, their primary focus ha
Aug 18, 202610 min
S8 Ep1293: Bill Roggio reflects on the five-year anniversary of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, highlighting the accuracy of the maps he built that predicted the Taliban's takeover. He describes the withdrawal as disorganized, noting there was zero plan for the Afg
Aug 18, 202617 min
S8 Ep1292: Padraic Scanlan — Multi-Part, Part Two: Padraic Scanlan examines the British government's response to the Great Famine, highlighting how ideological commitments to free trade and to civilizing the poor exacerbated the tragedy. Prime Minister Robert Peel i
Aug 17, 202636 min
S8 Ep1291: Padraic Scanlan — Multi-Part, Part One: Padraic Scanlan explores the deep-seated historical and economic causes of the Great Irish Famine, beginning with the haunting folk memory of Queen Victoria's visit to Skibbereen, a village that became an icon of so
Aug 17, 202637 min
S8 Ep1291: Gary Rivlin — Multi-Part, Part Two: Gary Rivlin turns to the clash of ideologies and corporate power plays defining the current AI era. Rivlin details the divide between accelerationists, who believe AI progress should not be hindered by regulation, and d
Aug 17, 202637 min
S8 Ep1290: Gary Rivlin — Multi-Part, Part One: Gary Rivlin, author of AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Dollar Race to Cash In on Artificial Intelligence, explores the origins and personalities driving the modern artificial intelligence revolution. Rivl
Aug 17, 202637 min
S8 Ep1289: Londinium Chronicles — Multi-Part, Part Three: Gaius (John Batchelor) and Germanicus (Michael Vlahos) close with the death of diplomacy as a geopolitical tool. Gaius provides a detailed historical account of the Japanese surrender in 1945, noting that eve
Aug 17, 202616 min
S8 Ep1288: Londinium Chronicles — Multi-Part, Part Two: Gaius (John Batchelor) and Germanicus (Michael Vlahos) turn to the ragged ends of wars and the long-term consequences of current strategic decisions. Germanicus argues that by handcrafting the war in Ukraine an
Aug 17, 202618 min
S8 Ep1287: Londinium Chronicles — Multi-Part, Part One: Gaius (John Batchelor) and Germanicus (Michael Vlahos) meet in the wine bar in Londinium, 92 AD, where they are overseeing its expansion during a rainy summer. They discuss a potential partnership with a Greek
Aug 17, 202622 min
S8 Ep1286: Jeremy Zakis: Jeremy Zakis details the melodrama and unexpected struggles of the Australian cricket team during their series against Bangladesh in Darwin. Despite playing on home soil, the Australians fell significantly behind, leading to visible frustrat
Aug 17, 20265 min
S8 Ep1285: Jeremy Zakis: Jeremy Zakis explains that Australia is entering a super El Niño cycle, exacerbated by a positive Indian Ocean Dipole that dries out the continent. He warns that recent winter rain has fueled undergrowth that will soon become tinder-dry wild
Aug 17, 202626 min
S8 Ep1285: Jeff Bliss: California is currently contending with an early start to the wildfire season, a period dubbed Dirty August by experts. Jeff Bliss highlights three major blazes: the Timber Fire, the Bug Fire, and the MP 18 Fire. The Timber Fire in Monterey Co
Aug 16, 20269 min
S8 Ep1284: **Keach Hagey:** Keach Hagey, author of *The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future*, explores the rise of Sam Altman and the founding of OpenAI, which launched in 2015 as a nonprofit research lab aimed at developing artificial ge
Aug 16, 202637 min
S8 Ep1283: James Romm — Multi-Part, Part Two: Professor James Romm details the violent collapse of the Dionysian dynasty and its influence on Plato's writing. Following a falling out and exile, Dion launched an invasion to liberate Syracuse. However, his rule descen
Aug 16, 202637 min
S8 Ep1282: James Romm — Multi-Part, Part One: Professor James Romm, author of Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece, discusses the rise of the Dionysian dynasty in fourth-century BCE Syracuse, then th
Aug 16, 202637 min
S8 Ep1281: Josiah Osgood — Multi-Part, Part Two: Professor Josiah Osgood continues with 58 BCE, when the rivals took separate paths; Cato went to Cyprus to model honest administration while Caesar sought military glory in Gaul. The death of Julia, Caesar's daughter
Aug 16, 202639 min
S8 Ep1281: Josiah Osgood — Multi-Part, Part One: Professor Josiah Osgood, author of Uncommon Wrath: How Caesar and Cato's Deadly Rivalry Destroyed the Roman Republic, begins in 64 BCE, when Cato and Caesar briefly cooperated in the murder courts to penalize those re
Aug 16, 202639 min
S8 Ep1280: Michael McFaul — Multi-Part, Part Two: Michael McFaul, a Stanford professor and former US Ambassador to Russia, continues his discussion of Autocrats Versus Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder, shifting to modern Putinism and th
Aug 16, 202637 min
S8 Ep1279: Michael McFaul — Multi-Part, Part One: Michael McFaul, a Stanford professor and former US Ambassador to Russia, details his book Autocrats Versus Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder. In Part One, McFaul examines historical turni
Aug 16, 202637 min
S8 Ep1278: Robert Cwiklik — Multi-Part, Part Two: Robert Cwiklik, author of Sheridan's Secret Mission: How the South Won the War After the Civil War, continues with General Philip Sheridan's response, specifically his Banditti telegram proposing military trials for
Aug 16, 202619 min
S8 Ep1278: Robert Cwiklik — Multi-Part, Part One: Robert Cwiklik, author of Sheridan's Secret Mission: How the South Won the War After the Civil War, explores how the Union's victory was undone by Southern resistance and Northern political retreat. Part One details
Aug 16, 202637 min
S8 Ep1277: TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-14-2026. Jeff Bliss discusses the severe threats posed by a potential "super El Niño," which could lead to massive coastal erosion, mudslides, and heavy rains in Los Angeles, similar to the damage seen in previ
Aug 15, 20266 min
S8 Ep1276: Angela DiFulvio explains a theoretical method for detecting nuclear weapons in low Earth orbit to prevent catastrophes like the 1962 Starfish Prime experiment, which destroyed a third of existing satellites. She describes an "inspector" satellite designed
Aug 15, 202619 min
S8 Ep1275: Henry Sokolski examines the "Golden Dome," a proposed $185 billion space-based missile defense project that mirrors the Cold War-era SDI. He warns that the program's lack of transparency is "suicidal" for its funding, as Congress remains in the dark about
Aug 15, 202617 min
S8 Ep1274: Alex Wright, author of Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper, Part One: Wright recounts the history of American newspapers, focusing on the Civil War's impact on journalism. He highlights George Smalley's gr
Aug 15, 202637 min
S8 Ep1273: Bob Zimmerman details the robotic mission by startup Catalyst to rescue NASA's Swift Space Telescope, utilizing innovative software to maneuver a servicing craft despite thruster failures. He highlights SpaceX's massive Starship production line in Boca Ch
Aug 15, 202619 min
S8 Ep1272: Lorenzo Fiori describes a "disaster" situation in Europe caused by severe drought and record heat, with water restrictions implemented in Swiss towns and critically low levels in northern Italy's Po River. The drought has turned the normally green Alps br
Aug 15, 20268 min
S8 Ep1271: Jim McTague provides a report on the "mixed" economy of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, observing that retail activity is picking up due to back-to-school shopping despite inflationary pressures. He notes that discount giants like Costco are packed as sho
Aug 15, 20268 min
S8 Ep1270: Gene Marks shares insights from White House advisor Kevin Hassett regarding the validity of government economic data, with Hassett favoring durable goods orders and unemployment claims over revised surveys. Marks reports a generally positive outlook for s
Aug 15, 202619 min
S8 Ep1269: Jeff Bliss discusses the severe threats posed by a potential "super El Niño," which could lead to massive coastal erosion, mudslides, and heavy rains in Los Angeles, similar to the damage seen in previous severe weather years. He also reports on active wi
Aug 15, 202617 min
S8 Ep1268: TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-23-3036. Anatol Lieven: The discussion highlights a dystopian shift in modern naval combat, where the Russian ghost fleet employs Mad Max tactics, using netting and spikes, to defend against Ukrainian drone at
Aug 14, 20265 min
S8 Ep1267: Evan Ellis, US Army War College and a State Department voice: Professor Evan Ellis provides a comprehensive update on Latin American stability, starting with Chile's President Kast, who is tackling immigration and the rise of gangs such as Tren de Aragua
Aug 14, 202637 min
S8 Ep1266: Alex Wright — Multi-Part, Part One: Alex Wright, author of Empire of Ink: The Printers and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper, details the uniquely American invention of the newspaper, beginning with Mary Katherine Goddard's printing of the Decl
Aug 14, 202637 min