PodcastsArtsThe John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor
The John Batchelor Show
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7209 episodes

  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep588: 3. The final segment shifts to the history of political assassination, specifically the rivalry between Stalin and Trotsky. Stalin utilized state power and paranoia to exile and eventually murder Trotsky in Mexico with an ice pick, yet Trotsky remained

    16/03/2026 | 17 mins.
    3. The final segment shifts to the history of political assassination, specifically the rivalry between Stalin and Trotsky. Stalin utilized state power and paranoia to exile and eventually murder Trotsky in Mexico with an ice pick, yet Trotsky remained a romantic icon for the Western left. Gaius and Germanicus apply this lesson to the 21st century, arguing that the attempted "decapitation" of Iranian leadershiphas backfired. Instead of ending the regime, the strike has renewed the Islamic Republic’s "lease on life,"much like the Nazi invasion inadvertently strengthened the Soviet Union. The debate concludes as the hosts prepare to watch Aeschylus’s play, *The Persians*, which depicts the defeat of Xerxes. They reflect on the "tragic irony" of the current war: the US sought to eliminate a threat but instead unified its enemies and wrecked the global economy through $120 oil. (3)
    1945 YALTA
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep588: 2. The debate continues with a comparison of Emperor Trump to Nero and Claudius, questioning if his current crisis is a result of bad luck or hubris. While Claudius favored low-risk, calculated campaigns, Trump’s offensive is characterized as a "rash and

    16/03/2026 | 13 mins.
    2. The debate continues with a comparison of Emperor Trump to Nero and Claudius, questioning if his current crisis is a result of bad luck or hubris. While Claudius favored low-risk, calculated campaigns, Trump’s offensive is characterized as a "rash and incalculably risky gambit" that mirrors strategic failures in Ukraine. This conflict has solidified the Russia-Chinabond and left Israel "naked and exposed" due to US failures. Germanicus argues that the US ignored the "weak points" of its own coalition, turning Gulf State bases into liabilities rather than security assets. Likening Trump’s overconfidence to Hitler’s before the invasion of Russia, the speakers suggest that the US has "got suckered" into a war it cannot win through air power alone. They conclude that the only rational path is to accept defeat and reorganize, as the Romans did when facing superior Persian cavalry. (2)
    1680 CONSTANTINOPLE
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep588: 1. In Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus analyze the 21st-century conflict between a US-Israeli coalition and Iran, comparing its focus on supply chains to the 1941 oil sanctions against Japan. While the Americans expected a swift "four-day shock and

    16/03/2026 | 24 mins.
    1. In Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus analyze the 21st-century conflict between a US-Israeli coalition and Iran, comparing its focus on supply chains to the 1941 oil sanctions against Japan. While the Americans expected a swift "four-day shock and awe"campaign and a leadership "decap strike" to force negotiations, Iran responded with asymmetrical warfare. By targeting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has driven oil prices toward $120-$150 per barrel, threatening a global economic collapse. Germanicus critiques the American"siren song" of strategic bombing, noting it historically fails to win wars without ground occupation. Unlike the adaptive Romans who rose from defeat during the Punic Wars, modern US leaders—including Rubio, Vance, and Hegseth—are criticized for lacking dissenting voices and the historical perspective needed to reorganize after strategic failures. (1)
    1899 CARTHAGE
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep587: 8. Joseph Ellis, *The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773 to 1783*. The victory at Yorktown was secured through Clinton's poor orders and the providential arrival of the French fleet. Diplomat John Jay then achieved a stunning victo

    16/03/2026 | 9 mins.
    8. Joseph Ellis, *The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773 to 1783*. The victory at Yorktown was secured through Clinton's poor orders and the providential arrival of the French fleet. Diplomat John Jaythen achieved a stunning victory by breaking his orders to negotiate a treaty that secured the Mississippi River as the western border. Robert Morrispersonally funded the army's final movements, writing 10,000 checks to prevent total financial ruin. Ultimately, the war ended with a confederation of sovereign states rather than a unified nation, leaving the tragic legacies of slavery and indigenous displacement unresolved by the new political structure. (8)
    1670
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep587: 7. Joseph Ellis, *The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773 to 1783*. The entry of France and Spain transformed the rebellion into a global war, forcing Britain to prioritize its Caribbean sugar islands. Despite political pressure, Geor

    16/03/2026 | 12 mins.
    7. Joseph Ellis, *The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773 to 1783*. The entry of France and Spain transformed the rebellion into a global war, forcing Britain to prioritize its Caribbean sugar islands. Despite political pressure, George III and George Germaineremained stubbornly committed to the war. Washington simultaneously faced internal threats, including the betrayal of Charles Lee, who shared secrets with the British while in captivity. On the frontier, Washington authorized a "dirty war" led by John Sullivan, which destroyed the Iroquois Confederation after they aligned with the British, who had incentivized them with "scalping knives" and payments for American scalps. (7)
    1780

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About The John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.
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