The John Batchelor Show
3,155 episodes — Page 4 of 64
S8 Ep1216: William Taubman, Part Two: Taubman examines McNamara's "double life" during the Vietnam War under Lyndon Johnson. While acting as the public architect of escalation, including his role in securing the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through omitted facts,
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1215: William Taubman, author of McNamara at War: A New History, Part One: Taubman discusses Robert McNamara's early career and rise to power, beginning with his role as a World War II statistician on Guam. McNamara advised General Curtis LeMay on low-altitudee
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1222: Jeremy Zakis, Part Two: Zakis joins John Batchelor to explore accounts of animal mischief and human deception. Two beagle puppies, Jada and Scooter, consumed 2.4 pounds of gummy snakes after breaking into a pantry in Queensland; while Scooter was the prim
Aug 9, 202634 min
S8 Ep1221: Jeremy Zakis, Part One: Zakis discusses the looming threat of a Super El Niño, characterized by sea surface temperatures in the Eastern Pacific rising 2.5°C above normal, resulting in extreme atmospheric turmoil and more severe weather patterns than a sta
Aug 9, 202611 min
S8 Ep1221: **Mary Roach**, author of *Replaceable You*, explores the past, present, and future of reconstructing or replacing human anatomy. Roach details the treatment of severe third-degree burns using allografts from cadavers or unconventional biological dressing
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1221: Sebastian Smee, Part Two: The narrative follows the 1871 Paris Commune and "Bloody Week," where civil war left the city in ruins. Amidst this trauma, Berthe Morisot resolved to become a professional artist, developing a radical style focused on domesticit
Aug 9, 202638 min
S8 Ep1221: Sebastian Smee, author of Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism, Part One: In 1874, artists staged a revolutionary independent exhibition in Paris, marking the birth of Impressionism. Smee explores how painters like Monet and Morisot r
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1220: SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-7-2026. Kevin Frazier addresses the growing misinformation surrounding data centers, particularly in rural America where they are often viewed as threats to water and power.
Aug 8, 20269 min
S8 Ep1219: Kevin Frazier addresses the growing misinformation surrounding data centers, particularly in rural America where they are often viewed as threats to water and power. He argues that these facilities provide massive tax base contributions and high-paying co
Aug 8, 202619 min
S8 Ep1218: Henry Sokolski discusses the stalled nuclear cooperative agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, noting that the lack of enrichment restrictions has left the deal in limbo. He explains that a new condominium between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan
Aug 8, 202617 min
S8 Ep1218: Harry Sidebottom explores the world of Roman gladiators, describing the Colosseum as a building that reinforced social hierarchy through strictly assigned seating. The day's events began with a stylized procession representing Roman dominance over nature
Aug 8, 202637 min
S8 Ep1217: Bob Zimmerman highlights several developments in space, starting with the startup Catalyst's daring mission to rescue the decaying Swift space telescope. Despite thruster failures, engineers are attempting to use the remaining hardware to move the telesco
Aug 8, 202619 min
S8 Ep1217: Lorenzo Fiori guides listeners through the Piedmont region, focusing on Vercelli and Vigevano, areas famous for rice production but currently suffering from a severe drought. He reports that a massive "heat dome" sitting over Europe has pushed temperature
Aug 8, 20269 min
S8 Ep1216: Jim McTague analyzes the July jobs report, which unexpectedly showed a loss of 23,000 jobs, signaling a cutback in spending by those "with little." He describes a "K-shaped economy" where the wealthy continue to spend while others struggle with high gas p
Aug 8, 20268 min
S8 Ep1216: Richard Epstein critiques the contempt of Congress referral against Dr. Anthony Fauci, arguing Fauci made "egregious mistakes" regarding pandemic regulations like masking and social distancing. Epstein contends Fauci was a "lousy scientist" who suppressed
Aug 8, 202619 min
S8 Ep1215: Jeff Bliss begins with the Super El Niño building in the Pacific, reaching record-high temperatures that promise severe drought and wildfires for California, a state currently unprepared for these atmospheric changes. In Seattle, Mayor Wilson recently fir
Aug 8, 202617 min
S8 Ep1214: **Anatol Lieven** reports the conflict in **Ukraine** has devolved into a war of infrastructure, with Ukraine targeting **Russian** retail warehouses while **Russia** destroys Ukrainian road transport and blocks the port of **Odesa**. Lieven expresses skR
Aug 7, 20267 min
S8 Ep1213: Mary Anastasia O'Grady reports Keiko Fujimori has secured the Peruvian presidency by a narrow margin, inheriting a nation plagued by organized crime and Chinese influence. Fujimori faces an immediate crisis with the expected arrival of El Niño in Septembe
Aug 7, 20268 min
S8 Ep1212: Jack Burnham explains the FCC's efforts to prohibit military-grade, foreign-produced drones, specifically targeting Chinese firms like DJI due to security concerns. These "dual-use" systems are defined by their ability to carry heavy loads and utilize adv
Aug 7, 202610 min
S8 Ep1211: Peter Berkowitz analyzes the work of Professor Patrick Deneen, who argues that liberal democracy is a "curse" that has atomized American society. Deneen presents contradictory accounts of whether liberalism was a founding principle or a 20th-century impos
Aug 7, 202617 min
S8 Ep1210: Harry Sidebottom describes the reality of Roman gladiators, noting they were often heavy-set due to a carbohydrate-rich diet designed to provide protective fat. These fighters were glamorous figures who enacted Roman virtues of courage and physical streng
Aug 7, 202637 min
S8 Ep1209: Bradley Bowman warns of the unprecedented military cooperation between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, documented in 616 instances of security collaboration. Russia has transferred advanced technology, such as Su-35 fighters and submarine quieting t
Aug 7, 202619 min
S8 Ep1208: Evan Ellis explores the landscape of Uruguay, a stable country navigating the trade interests of its neighbors, Brazil and Argentina. The discussion shifts to Colombia's newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, whose inauguration in a high-secur
Aug 7, 202617 min
S8 Ep1207: Kevin Hoy discusses the detection of a Jupiter-mass object orbiting the brown dwarf CD-35 2722b, which may represent the first confirmed exosatellite or exomoon. Using the radial velocity method, researchers identified a "wobble" in the spectrum of the br
Aug 7, 202619 min
S8 Ep1206: Anatol Lieven reports the conflict in Ukraine has devolved into a war of infrastructure, with Ukraine targeting Russian retail warehouses while Russia destroys Ukrainian road transport and blocks the port of Odesa. Lieven expresses skepticism regarding Ru
Aug 7, 202617 min
S8 Ep1204: SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-5-2026. Michael Bernstam discusses how August is historically a "month of curses" for Russia, citing the 1991 coup and the 1914 start of WWI. Currently, Russia is facing a severe fiscal and production crisis driven by
Aug 6, 20267 min
S8 Ep1205: Colonel Grant Newsham challenges the assumption of inevitable Chinese dominance, labeling it a "fake it till you make it" strategy intended to intimidate foreigners. He points out that China's property market is a "crater" and its currency is not freely c
Aug 6, 20268 min
S8 Ep1204: Mary Kissel analyzes the "stuck" state of global diplomacy, arguing that China and Russia are actively judging the strength of U.S. deterrence in the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine. She disputes the idea that China is a neutral bystander, noting that Beijin
Aug 6, 202610 min
S8 Ep1203: Simon Constable reports on the extreme weather and energy pressures facing Europe, with Brent crude prices up 12% and natural gas up 22% in a single month. He details a "semi-invasion" of Spain, where 60,000 migrants recently attempted to cross from Moroc
Aug 6, 202617 min
S8 Ep1202: Humberto Briceño describes Venezuela as a state captured by a transnational alliance of criminal organizations, including colectivos (paramilitaries) and narco-traffickers. He criticizes the decision to leave "gangsters" like Delcy Rodríguez in power whil
Aug 6, 202619 min
S8 Ep1201: Peter Huessy provides a historical overview of nuclear arms control, starting with the 1972 SALT I agreement, which actually codified a buildup of weapons while banning missile defenses. He describes the "window of vulnerability" in the 1980s when Soviet
Aug 6, 202617 min
S8 Ep1200: Steve Yates and Gordon Chang discuss the proposed ban on Chinese components in U.S. data centers, warning that these devices allow for foreign sabotage of critical infrastructure. Yates notes that the CCP often fuels "astroturf" protests in rural America
Aug 6, 202619 min
S8 Ep1199: Piero Tozzi and Gordon Chang explore the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) "long arm" influence in the U.S., specifically regarding a Purdue University professor pressured to cancel a speech at a Catholic conference. Tozzi explains that the CCP uses "patrio
Aug 6, 20269 min
S8 Ep1199: James Holmes and Gordon Chang address the critical lack of frigates in the U.S. Navy, which Holmes describes as essential low-cost platforms for monitoring adversaries. The current fleet is "top-heavy," relying on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that are o
Aug 6, 20268 min
S8 Ep1198: Bob Zimmerman highlights the rapid evolution of the commercial space industry, comparing it to the early 20th-century auto boom. A major milestone includes SpaceX successfully retrieving a Starship stage from the Indian Ocean to analyze its thermal protec
Aug 6, 202619 min
S8 Ep1197: Michael Bernstam discusses how August is historically a "month of curses" for Russia, citing the 1991 coup and the 1914 start of WWI. Currently, Russia is facing a severe fiscal and production crisis driven by Ukrainian drone strikes that have crippled 25
Aug 6, 202617 min
S8 Ep1196: SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW. 8-4-2026. Colonel Jeff McCausland, United States Army (Retired), discusses the critical depletion of United States missile stockpiles, particularly Patriot and THAAD systems, due to the intensifying war with Iran.
Aug 5, 20265 min
S8 Ep1195: Conrad Black, distinguished biographer and National Post columnist, discusses the "aberrant" trade tensions between the US and Canada following the imposition of tariffs based on allegations of forced labor in Chinese imports. Black argues these tariff
Aug 5, 20268 min
S8 Ep1195: Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, outlines the proliferation risks associated with a proposed US-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement. She expresses concern over uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, which could ena
Aug 5, 202610 min
S8 Ep1195: Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies discuss the Houthis' re-entry into the regional war by declaring a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Roggio criticizes the Trump administration's lack of a fo
Aug 5, 202617 min
S8 Ep1195: Gregory Copley, Publisher of Defense & Foreign Affairs, analyzes global efforts to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Russia and China are seeking alternative trade corridors to undermine Washington's strategic influence. He suggests China is using
Aug 5, 202637 min
S8 Ep1195: Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, discusses the alarming shortage of US defensive munitions needed to intercept Iranian threats. He notes that Iran, coached by Russia and China, is exploiting this crisis t
Aug 5, 202619 min
S8 Ep1195: Joseph Sternberg, Editorial Board Member of the Wall Street Journal, examines the release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's pandemic-era diaries, which reveal a dichotomy between his private doubts and public pronouncements regarding COVID-19's origins. Sternberg su
Aug 5, 202617 min
S8 Ep1195: Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, describes a Europe struggling with record heat, wildfires, and critically low river levels that are hampering nuclear power and agriculture. She argues these patterns reflect
Aug 5, 202619 min
S8 Ep1195: Colonel Jeff McCausland, United States Army (Retired), discusses the critical depletion of United States missile stockpiles, particularly Patriot and THAAD systems, due to the intensifying war with Iran. He notes that these shortages might force a transit
Aug 5, 202617 min
S8 Ep1194: SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-3-2026 1705 Husain Haqqani: Iran is openly boasting that it uses diplomatic pauses to reconstitute its military arsenal for future attacks on energy infrastructure. Ambassador Haqqani critiques the current US approach as a
Aug 4, 20264 min
S8 Ep1193: John Hardie: President Zelenskyy has proposed a plan to use Elon Musk's Starlink network to bypass the need for scarce Patriot interceptors, enabling deep strikes against Russian missile launchers. Starlink provides the low latency required for controllin
Aug 4, 20268 min
S8 Ep1193: Samuel Ben-Ur: President Trump has announced a tentative Hamas deal involving a phased disarmament and the transition of governance to a National Committee. However, the plan faces significant hurdles, as Israel demands the complete destruction of terror
Aug 4, 202617 min
S8 Ep1193: Janatan Sayeh: The Iranian regime has dramatically escalated its internal reign of terror, with executions increasing by over 100 percent in some regions. Revolutionary courts, led by brutal judges such as Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, use public hangings and f
Aug 4, 202610 min
S8 Ep1193: Edmund Fitton-Brown: The Houthis have launched a blockade against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, targeting energy routes critical to global markets. In response, Saudi Arabia has formed a fourteen-nation defense coalition to protect the Bab el-Mandeb, not
Aug 4, 202619 min