The John Batchelor Show
3,155 episodes — Page 3 of 64
S8 Ep1265: Graham McAleer: Pope Leo has issued a bold encyclical addressing the ethical and social threats posed by artificial intelligence. Graham McAleer explains that the Pope uses the biblical image of Nimrod and the Tower of Babel to characterize AI as a manife
Aug 14, 202619 min
S8 Ep1264: Craig Unger: Craig Unger explores a sidetracked FBI counterintelligence investigation into Donald Trump's decades-long ties to Russian interests. Unlike criminal inquiries, counterintelligence investigations focus on national security breaches and the lau
Aug 14, 202617 min
S8 Ep1263: Veronique de Rugy: Veronique de Rugy critiques the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act, which requires cargo moved between American ports to be transported on ships that are US-built, US-owned, and US-crewed. Originally intended t
Aug 14, 20268 min
S8 Ep1262: Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal editorial board: Venezuela is grappling with the aftermath of severe earthquakes while navigating a complex political transition under the Trump administration's influence. Despite increased oil production, majo
Aug 14, 202610 min
S8 Ep1261: 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 attacks. Anatol Lieven describes a global spread of drone
Aug 14, 202617 min
S8 Ep1260: TABLE OF CONTENTS, THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-12-2026 Michael Bernstam: Michael Bernstam discusses a critical shortage of refined products such as diesel and gasoline, noting that global supply has dropped by 8.3 million barrels per day.
Aug 13, 20266 min
S8 Ep1260: Bob Zimmerman: Bob Zimmerman discusses the progress of commercial space ventures, highlighting Rocket Lab's new contract for its reusable Neutron rocket. He explains how companies such as SpaceX are developing recoverable capsules for in-space manufacturi
Aug 13, 202619 min
S8 Ep1259: Simon Constable: Simon Constable reports on rising commodity prices, with Brent crude reaching $89 per barrel and European gas prices surging 18 percent. He discusses the recent change in UK government, where new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to
Aug 13, 202617 min
S8 Ep1258: Admiral Mark Montgomery: Admiral Mark Montgomery details the growing cyber and hybrid warfare cooperation within the axis of aggressors: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This cooperation often involves criminal actors sharing attack techniques and te
Aug 13, 20268 min
S8 Ep1257: Cliff May: Cliff May argues that Islamism is not being studied with the rigor that communism once received during the Cold War. He observes that many university Middle East studies departments, funded by foreign interests such as Qatar, have become Islami
Aug 13, 202611 min
S8 Ep1257: Peter Huessy: Peter Huessy examines the fragile state of nuclear deterrence as Russia conducts drills for tactical nuclear weapons. He warns that the US is behind the eight ball regarding theater nuclear options, possessing only gravity bombs while Russia
Aug 13, 202617 min
S8 Ep1256: Charles Burton: Charles Burton provides insight into the annual Beidaihe retreat, where Chinese leaders meet secretly to decide the party's direction. This year's focus is on a failing domestic economy, including a collapsed housing market and crushing lo
Aug 13, 202619 min
S8 Ep1255: Mark Clifford: Mark Clifford discusses the ongoing detention of British citizen and entrepreneur Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. While China recently released a Protestant pastor, Xi Jinping reportedly remains determined that Lai, a fervent Catholic and advocate
Aug 13, 20269 min
S8 Ep1254: Captain James Fanell: Captain James Fanell reports on China's escalating campaign to annex international waters east of Taiwan. For the first time, Chinese vessels are interrogating ships on the high seas, an outrageous violation of maritime norms. This a
Aug 13, 20268 min
S8 Ep1253: Michael Lucchese: Michael Lucchese explores the history and modern return of isolationism within American politics, particularly the Republican Party. He characterizes isolationism as a short-sighted avoidance of global affairs that often coincides with p
Aug 13, 202619 min
S8 Ep1252: Michael Bernstam: Michael Bernstam discusses a critical shortage of refined products such as diesel and gasoline, noting that global supply has dropped by 8.3 million barrels per day. While crude oil is available, refining capacity in the US and Europe ha
Aug 13, 202617 min
S8 Ep1251: TABLE OF CONTENTS, JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-11-2-26 Mary Kissel discusses North Korea's transformation into a critical military supplier for Russia's war in Ukraine, providing ballistic missiles and thousands of combat troops.
Aug 12, 20265 min
S8 Ep1250: Thaddeus McCotter analyzes the Michigan Senate race between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed, a Rhodes Scholar supported by the far-left DSA. El-Sayed's primary victory over the Democratic establishment highlights the growing influence of "woke" ideology in
Aug 12, 202611 min
S8 Ep1249: Samuel Ben-Ur and Bill Roggio discuss the "Board of Peace" plan for post-war Gaza, which proposes a civilian Palestinian government overseen by international forces. A significant impasse remains: Israel refuses to withdraw until Hamas is disarmed, whileR
Aug 12, 20268 min
S8 Ep1248: V
Aug 12, 20269 min
S8 Ep1247: Veronique de Rugy critiques the Trump administration's shift toward "socialism on the right," evidenced by the government taking ownership stakes in private companies like Intel. Often justified by national security, these interventions mirror European st
Aug 12, 20268 min
S8 Ep1247: Gregory Copley evaluates the new "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, which aims to counter Iranian influence despite mutual distrust among the members. The discussion also explores the massive transformation of glob
Aug 12, 202637 min
S8 Ep1246: Joseph Sternberg observes that the current election cycle lacks substantial policy agendas, as both major parties focus on political theater rather than governing. Congress has increasingly outsourced its legislative authority to the executive branch, lea
Aug 12, 202619 min
S8 Ep1246: Liz Peek analyzes the resilience of the U.S. economy, where strong consumer spending and business optimism persist despite high oil prices and stagnant job growth. While the Fed weighs interest rate hikes to curb inflation, a "wealth effect" from a robust
Aug 12, 202617 min
S8 Ep1245: Jonathan Schanzer discusses the opaque leadership within Iran, noting the Supreme Leader's prolonged absence and the IRGC's tightening grip on power. The regime appears sclerotic, relying on aging loyalists while forcing the U.S. to remain engaged in regi
Aug 12, 202619 min
S8 Ep1245: Mary Kissel examines North Korea's emergence as a critical military supplier for Russia, providing ballistic missiles and combat troops to aid Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. This partnership integrates Pyongyang into a broader "axis of tyranny" alongsid
Aug 12, 202617 min
S8 Ep1244: TABLE OF CONTENTS JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-10-2026. John Hardie reports North Korea is deploying a specialized unit equipped with KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles to assist Russia's war efforts.
Aug 11, 20267 min
S8 Ep1243: Bill Gertz reports a Pentagon official's attendance at a People's Liberation Army (PLA) celebration has sparked fears of a "defeatist" accommodation policy toward Beijing. Critics argue that seeking "respectful relations" with a Leninist regime is interpr
Aug 11, 202610 min
S8 Ep1242: Scott Harold explains the U.S. and Japan are adopting a "walking quietly and carrying a big stick" approach to deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan. This strategy involves creating a "hellscape" of thousands of drones and missiles to make an amphibious assaul
Aug 11, 20269 min
S8 Ep1242: Conrad Black reports Prime Minister Mark Carney is under pressure to revitalize Canada's economy 16 months after his election. Despite being a "treasure house" of resources, Canada suffers from lengthy project delays caused by redundant provincial regulat
Aug 11, 20268 min
S8 Ep1241: Janatyn Sayeh analyzes the appointment of Mohsen Rezaei, an original IRGC veteran, to the Supreme National Security Council, signaling a return to hardline, ideologically driven decision-making in Tehran. Rezaei, linked to past international terrorism, re
Aug 11, 20268 min
S8 Ep1240: Edmund Fitton-Brown describes the Houthis' methodical campaign, likely coordinated with Iran, to intimidate Saudi Arabia and prevent its entry into the Abraham Accords. Recent strikes on Mocha and Jazan highlight a resurgence of the 12-year-old Yemeni civ
Aug 11, 202619 min
S8 Ep1239: Bridget Toomey reports the Houthis have escalated their regional campaign by striking Saudi Arabia's Jazan refinery, demonstrating their ability to disrupt global energy markets despite recent defense pacts. Within Yemen, the Houthis are intensifying at
Aug 11, 202617 min
S8 Ep1238: Mariam Wahba reports the Sudanese civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now entering its fourth year, has left over 400,000 dead. The conflict has evolved into a complex proxy war; the UAE supports the RSF t
Aug 11, 20268 min
S8 Ep1237: David Daoud explains Iran is currently leveraging negotiations with the U.S. to secure a ceasefire that protects Hezbollah from further Israeli military pressure while allowing the group to rebuild. Critics argue that U.S. security assistance to the Leban
Aug 11, 202610 min
S8 Ep1236: Malcolm Hoenlein discusses a new mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan that has emerged to counter Iranian influence and the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, in Gaza, empirical data from UNICEF and the WHO challenges international n
Aug 11, 202617 min
S8 Ep1235: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa report Venezuelan negotiators have established a timeline for a political transition, aiming to restore rights and select new electoral authorities by December. However, there are significant concerns regarding th
Aug 11, 202619 min
S8 Ep1234: John Hardie reports North Korea is deploying a specialized unit equipped with KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles to assist Russia's war efforts. This shipment, potentially totaling 120 missiles, significantly bolsters Russia's magazine depth a
Aug 11, 202617 min
S8 Ep1233: Christopher Mason, a geneticist and NASA investigator and author of The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, outlines a 500-year plan to enable human survival beyond Earth. Central to his vision is the deontogenic ethical framework, which
Aug 10, 202638 min
S8 Ep1232: Gaius and Germanicus: Reflecting on Roman sophistication, the hosts contrast their world's vigiles and urban planning with the squalor of later centuries. They conclude that modern incompetence is a terminal bane, as the current administration fails to en
Aug 10, 202617 min
S8 Ep1231: Gaius and Germanicus: The debate shifts to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a financial bane that has already cost nearly a billion barrels in oil losses. Iran's punitive mood and demand for reparations reflect a shift where the US can no longer dict
Aug 10, 202614 min
S8 Ep1230: Gaius and Germanicus: In their expanding Londinium wine bar, the hosts discuss the unraveling of Ukraine. Germanicus describes a strategic bane where Russia utilizes siege tactics to destroy the Ukrainian economy, targeting water treatment plants and fuel
Aug 10, 202622 min
S8 Ep1229: Craig Symonds, Part Two: This phase of the war focuses on the Central Pacific campaign, beginning with the brutal amphibious landing at Tarawa in 1943, where the Marines had to "invent" amphibious operations under fire. Nimitz continued to manage complex
Aug 10, 202639 min
S8 Ep1228: Craig Symonds, author of Nimitz at War: Command Leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, Part One: Following the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Chester Nimitz assumed command of the Pacific Fleet with a mission to stabilize a wrecked comman
Aug 10, 202639 min
S8 Ep1227: Serhii Plokhy, Part Two: The second part focuses on the 2022 full-scale invasion, defined by Putin's catastrophic miscalculation that his troops would be welcomed as liberators. Instead, Ukraine demonstrated remarkable resilience under President Zelenskyy
Aug 10, 202637 min
S8 Ep1226: Stephen Moss, Part Two: Moss explores the Raven, a bird of deep mythology and intelligence, appearing in Norse legends as Odin's messengers and in modern culture like Game of Thrones. Though often seen as harbingers of doom in works by Shakespeare and Poe
Aug 10, 202637 min
S8 Ep1225: Stephen Moss, author of Ten Birds That Changed the World, Part One: Moss discusses how birds shaped human history, starting with the Wild Turkey, which nearly became America's national bird and was essential to pilgrim survival. The naming of the Turkey s
Aug 10, 202637 min
S8 Ep1224: H.W. Brands, Part Two: In 1941, the debate intensifies over the Lend-Lease Act, which Lindbergh argues supports British imperialism rather than democracy. Lindbergh testifies before Congress, asserting that air power makes the Western Hemisphere more defe
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1223: H.W. Brands, author of America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War, Part One: In April 1939, world-famous aviator Charles Lindbergh returns to the United States as global tensions escalate. Lindbergh, who moved to Europe following the "tri
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1222: Anne Stevenson-Yang, author of Wild Ride: A Short History of the Opening and Closing of the Chinese Economy, provides an account of China's economic arc over five decades. The narrative begins in the mid-1980s, transitioning from a Maoist culture characte
Aug 9, 202637 min