On September 12, 2001, the day after the fall of the Twin Towers, WABC-AM in New York City recruited John Batchelor to go on the air until Osama bin Laden was either killed or captured. John has been on ever since, offering insightful commentary on such issues as the war on terrorism, the presidency, the national and global economies, and defending our civilization. On March 12, 2003, one week before the attack on Iraq, ABC Radio Networks invited John to bring his expertise to syndication. Since then John has reached out nationwide, focusing his concerns on a world at war.
The John Batchelor Show is an essential tool for understanding the new order in the 21st Century. The world is now facing a dangerous and fanatical enemy determined to destroy Western civilization on both political and military fronts. In this, the first great ideological battle of the new millennium, it is imperative to know the major players and the theaters in which they operate.
The John Batchelor Show features a multitude of distinctive elements. John's themes cover every detail - from military battles, presidential campaigns, planetary exploration, and Hollywood politicos to his own international travel. John has broadcast from many corners of the world and in his program he calls out to all points, including New York, Jerusalem, Des Moines, Kazakhstan, Orlando, Manchester, Morocco, Boston, Taipei, Washington, and Baghdad.
John is a veteran novelist, author of seven political romances as well as a short history of the Republican Party. Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1948, John attended Lower Merion High School and Princeton University. In 1976 he was graduated from Union Theological Seminary. John is married and has two children.
S8 Ep130: PREVIEW — Fraser Howe — China's Chronic Property Market Crisis Persists Due to Government Refusal to Clear Debt. Howe explains that the Chinese government created and sustains a chronic property market crisis by refusing to permit real estate values to cl
S8 Ep130: PREVIEW — Richard Reinsch — Alienation in America: The Loss of Political Membership to the Supreme Court. Reinsch discusses the alienation of Americans resulting from the transfer of decision-making authority from state legislatures to the Supreme Court.
PREVIEW — Richard Reinsch — Alienation in America: The Loss of Political Membership to the Supreme Court. Reinsch discusses the alienation of Americans resulting from the transfer of decision-making authority from state legislatures to the Supreme Court. The centralization of deeply intimate and controversial public policy decisions to national judicial bodies disconnects citizens from local political participation and community standards, generating widespread anger and frustration that fuels contemporary political movements demanding systemic change.
S8 Ep130: PREVIEW — Bob Zimmerman — China's Non-Transparent Space Program Leaves Astronauts Stranded After Capsule Damage. Zimmerman outlines the opaque nature of the Chinese space program, which publicly reports only successes and shields setbacks. Recently, damag
PREVIEW — Bob Zimmerman — China's Non-Transparent Space Program Leaves Astronauts Stranded After Capsule Damage. Zimmerman outlines the opaque nature of the Chinese space program, which publicly reports only successes and shields setbacks. Recently, damage to the Shenzhou 20 capsule—possibly caused by space debris—rendered the spacecraft unusable, leaving the crew stranded without a functional lifeboat, an unprecedented occurrence in crewed spaceflight history. China rapidly launched a rescue mission using Shenzhou 22, yet the government's refusal to transparently disclose root causes and technical failure details raises serious questions about program integrity and safety protocols.
1958
1958
S8 Ep129: PREVIEW — Charles Burton — China-Canada Relations, Mark Carney's Government, and the Failure to Address Foreign Influence Operations. Burton analyzes Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's approach to China, suggesting Carney believes that making concessio
PREVIEW — Charles Burton — China-Canada Relations, Mark Carney's Government, and the Failure to Address Foreign Influence Operations. Burton analyzes Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's approach to China, suggesting Carney believes that making concessions on Chinese espionage and harassment—and delaying implementation of the Foreign Influence Registry (FIRA)—will prompt China to open its markets. Historically, this diplomatic strategy has proven ineffective; China routinely offers empty promises while continuing coercive operations, exposing Canada's critical vulnerability to foreign influence campaigns and intelligence operations.
1910 OTTAWA
1910 OTTAWA
S8 Ep129: PREVIEW — Rick Fischer — Chinese Strategy to Break Out of the South China Sea and Defense Preparations in the Okinawa Chain. Fischer details potential Chinese operational plans for a breakout past Japan, which could involve deploying concealed tactical nu
PREVIEW — Rick Fischer — Chinese Strategy to Break Out of the South China Sea and Defense Preparations in the Okinawa Chain. Fischer details potential Chinese operational plans for a breakout past Japan, which could involve deploying concealed tactical nuclear weapons to rapidly impose a blockade of regional shipping lanes. Japan and the U.S. are rapidly fortifying Yonaguni Island, located approximately 70 miles from Taiwan, into a forward air base. Both nations are conducting exercises establishing expeditionary refueling bases for F-35B fighters and plan to deploy THAAD missile systems to counter Chinese H-6 bombers.
1966
1966
S8 Ep129: PREVIEW — General Blaine Holt (United States Air Force, Retired) — Artificial Intelligence as a New Weapon of Deception and the Threat of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). General Holt discusses AI as an emerging weapon enabling strategic deception o
PREVIEW — General Blaine Holt (United States Air Force, Retired) — Artificial Intelligence as a New Weapon of Deception and the Threat of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). General Holt discusses AI as an emerging weapon enabling strategic deception operations designed to misdirect adversarial targeting and force disposition. He emphasizes that advanced indicators and warning systems are essential, requiring command decision-making cadences to align with technological processing speeds. Beyond tactical deception applications, General Holt identifies a critical strategic concern: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—the prospect of autonomous, sentient systems making independent targeting decisions on contested battlefields.
1963
1963
S8 Ep128: SHOW -25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1942 THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT the peace plan. FIRST HOUR 9-915 Economy, Fed Rates, and the AI Productivity Boom — Liz Peek — Peek examines the U.S. economy, noting mixed retail sales data a
SHOW
-25
CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR
1942
THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT the peace plan.
FIRST HOUR
9-915
- Economy, Fed Rates, and the AI Productivity Boom — Liz Peek — Peek examines the U.S. economy, noting mixed retail sales data alongside recent strength in credit card spending. She anticipates the Federal Reserve will likely reduce interest rates in December due to softening labor market conditions, despite traditional employment reporting lags. Peekemphasizes that the Fed fails to account adequately for AI's significant, though currently unmeasured, impact on productivity gains, employment displacement, and escalating electricity consumption, even as AI demonstrates substantial benefits in diagnostics and medical analysis.
915-930
930-945
- Ireland's Exposed Western Flank and Europe's Ukraine Stance — Judy Dempsey — Dempsey examines how Ireland's steadfast neutrality and limited defense capabilities leave its critical undersea communication cables vulnerable to Russian eavesdropping and potential sabotage. Despite maintaining budget surpluses, Ireland prioritizes social issues, including housing, over defense investments. Dempsey notes that European powers view the U.S.-Russia peace proposal for Ukraine with skepticism, characterizing it as a "Russian wish list," while German leadership remains publicly committed to sustained Ukrainian military support.
945-1000
SECOND HOUR
10-1015
Unorthodox Ukraine Diplomacy and Geopolitical Realism — Mary Kissel — Kissel analyzes the "exceedingly odd" U.S. approach to Ukraine peace negotiations, wherein businesspeople framed initial proposals while bypassing traditional State Department channels. This transactional negotiating style concerns European allies because it appears to reward Russia and establishes an unfavorable initial bargaining position. Kissel suggests the conflict will likely persist while diplomatic discussions protract. She commends Marco Rubio for prioritizing economic growth and countering Chineseand Iranian influence throughout the Western Hemisphere.
1015-1030
1030-1045
- Escalating Conflict: Hezbollah Strike, Turkish Influence, and Fragile Ceasefires — Jonathan Schanzer — Schanzer discusses the chaotic status of regional ceasefires, highlighting Israel's major strike against Hezbollah's de facto military commander in Beirut. Iran and Turkey are actively exploiting smuggling routes into Lebanon via Syriato sustain Hezbollah operations. Schanzer addresses the dysfunction of the Lebanese government, the fragility of the Gaza truce agreement, and the complex geopolitical competition involving Russia, Turkey, and external actors competing for influence over the nascent Syrian state.
1045-1100
THIRD HOUR
1100-1115
- China's Debt Dilemma and Keir Starmer's Political Trouble — Joseph Sternberg — Sternberg analyzes China'scritical economic vulnerabilities, noting that its $2.2 trillion in global lending—partly channeled through the Belt and Road Initiative—faces mounting pressure from defaults and political resistance to Chinese asset ownership. Domestically, China restricts capital inflows to manage inflation and stabilize exchange rates. Sternberg also examines UK politics, noting that Labour leader Keir Starmer faces mounting political difficulties ahead of a challenging budget that lacks an articulated economic growth strategy.
1115-1130
1130-1145
- AI Regulation: The Danger of Fear and the Need for a National Framework — K
S8 Ep127: 4/4, Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Ga/.mes — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seek
4/4, Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Ga/.mes — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seeking inclusion in discussions but maintain conflicting strategic objectives.
S8 Ep127: 3/4, Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Ga/.mes — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seeki
3/4, Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Ga/.mes — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seeking inclusion in discussions but maintain conflicting strategic objectives.
S8 Ep127: 2/4. Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Games — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seeking
2/4. Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Games — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seeking inclusion in discussions but maintain conflicting strategic objectives.