The John Batchelor Show

Tuesday 27 October 2020

Air Date: 
October 27, 2020

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Hour One
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 1, Block A: Gregory R Copley: Defense and Foreign Affairs; Gregory R Copley, The New Total War of the Twenty-first Century and the Trigger of the Fear Pandemic, in re: The Nagorno-Karabakh battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan, following three failed ceasefires; Armenia fired ballistic missiles in the city Ganja, and fired shells into civilian borderlands.   Russia has deployed a field camp of troops in Armenia. Reports that Armenia is trying to provoke fire from Azerbaijan; and IRGC is resupplying Armenian soldiers. 
In 1990-91, breakup of USSR, major shifts from the Pacific to Western Europe. World moving from the great stasis posT-1945 as major powers try to reassert themselves.    . . .  Armenia captured 20% of Azerbaijani territory; now, Baku has to protect its gas supplies and pipelines to Europe. Armenia is trying to attack the pipeline (and helps Russia thereby).  The little strip of land, Lachin Corridor, or Berdzor Pass, linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia: Azerbaijan is interested in reclaiming this.  Russia, alarmed at the prospect, is trying to stop conflict. Armenia won't stop: it has legitimate gripes against Turkey, is taking its anger out on Azerbaijan.  Armenia has to decide how much space it’s willing to lose.
What Armenia is trying to do with Nagorno-Karabakh is like what Turkey is doing with Cyprus. 
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 1, Block B:  Gregory R Copley: Defense and Foreign Affairs; Gregory R Copley, The New Total War of the Twenty-first Century and the Trigger of the Fear Pandemic, in re:  Turkey in conflict in the Mediterranean and Greece; Russia taking recruit s mercenaries in Syria to fight Turkey?   The so-called recognized govt in Libya (a sham): goal now is for Turkey to claim underwater rights to oil and gas. Erdogan throwing vast amounts of money at neo-Ottomanism while the domestic economy in free-fall; money coming from various sources, incl Qatar. Many powers using proxy troops, esp from Syria, where men desperately need the income.  The Syrian conflict began from Assad with support form Pres Obama.  Total War of the Twenty-first Century: proxy troops, and cyber, and everything else available.
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 1, Block C: New World Report. Joseph Humire @jmhumire, @securefreesoc, and Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal @MariaFdaCabal, in re: Sen Cabal in the news in the US with some of her opinions on the United States.  Some Americans, Rep Meeks, et al., are cross at criticism.  A US citizen who’s also a Colombian congressman, issued some opinions; Meeks demanded that foreigners not interfere.  Today we got a twitter msg from the US ambassador in Colombia says that it's better if Colombian senators stay away from US election—that we not have an opinion. Odd.  Everyone everywhere has an opinion on the US election, and the US regularly has opinions on everyone else’s elections.  This is a effort to criminalize opinions, which looks desperate and unattractive.  “We will make Colombia great again” is part of what riled up the Democratic Americans.  / Chile has decided to rewrite its constitution, even though its economy has quadrupled, creating a middle class, and the nation has accomplished a great deal. This constitutional revision is actively supported by China, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia and Iran. What worries me is that every dictatorship in South America started with a rewritten constitution.
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 1, Block D: New World Report. Joseph Humire @jmhumire, @securefreesoc, and Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal @MariaFdaCabal, in re: Evo Morales and missiles. Morales, longtime narcoterrorist, arrives in Caracas to confer with world scoundrels, including Iranians, to discuss what he’ll unleash on Bolivia, with his new crew, El Grupo de Puebla.  Argentina complicit in the network; behind them they have the bosses, Iran, Rusia or Chan.
Buenos Aires, La Paz, Caracas and Teheran (and Moscow and Beijing) have formed a strategic alliance. A Venezuelan plane flew to Belgrade, then Venezuela, carrying 16-plus Iranians.  . . . I Evo Morales is a threat: belongs to an evil network aiming at destroying Latin America.  In high mountains of Bolivia they grow coca and export it; I don’t know how we’ll counter it. 
 
Hour Two
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 2, Block A:  Joseph Sernberg, @josephsternberg, @WSJOpinion; Political Economics column; WSJ editorial board;  in re: China proclaims tat it's recovered from the pandemic by being initially draconian in shutdowns, and now is doing famously; Joe is a little sceptical because their economy may not be as good as claimed: 4.9% in the third quarter?  Govt often manipulates data.  The private-sector economy doesn’t seem to be doing that well; what kind of recovery is this?  Surely China can't be prosperous forever if it always balances at the expense of the private sector and consumers.   . . . Doesn’t appear to have a new pan, Odd that the second-largest economy claims it's beaten the virus and has its economy back on track, but why no upsurge in domestic consumption?  All depending on export?  For the last years, Xi has strengthened the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).   . . .
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 2, Block B:  Joseph Sternberg:  @josephsternberg, @WSJOpinion; Political Economics column; WSJ editorial board; in re: Fifty conservative Tory MPs object to Boris Johnson’s shutting down business for virus. Long-term disparities between prosperous London and not-prosperous north.  Last week, mayor of Greater Manchester asked for more money from London.  Protests in other countries, esp in Naples in Italy--  physical clashes with police.  Lord Sumption, a Medieval scholar, says that the government has overreached its powers.
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 2, Block C:   Bill Whalen: @Hooverwhalen, @HooverInst, Area 45 blog, in re:     At the last debate, Biden did not end on a high note, and immed thereafter his campaign went into clean-up mode, esp concerning oil and gas and fracking.   258 to 258 with Pennsylvania's 20 Electoral votes as the decider.
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 2, Block D:  Bill McGurn, @wjmcgurn, @WSJOpinion, WSJ editorial page & Main Street column, in re:                    
 
Hour Three
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 3, Block A:  Elizabeth Peek, TheHill and Fox News; in re:   Expect 30% growth from next numbers- historically swift. Consumer confidence high.  Remarkable housing demand: up 32% over last years; prices and permits racing forward.  A real pillar of growth. The big issue now is: will the upturn in flu cases continue?  Ital y has a spike in number of cases, but not in death rate.  Gov demands shutdown; Naples riots, people march in Rome and Milan.  Similar pushback in northern England vs BoJo  People may no longer obey.  Average death age is 77;  young people recover,  Shutting down an entire national economy is no longer acceptable.   New York has a $9 billion tax hole.  Local governments are panicked; DeBlasio is leaning heavily on corporations to bring back employees, but you can’t force unwilling people to go where it may be dangerous: New York City streets are now not safe.  
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 3, Block B:  Elizabeth Peek, @Liz Peek, TheHill and Fox News; in re:   Five to one bankers contributed to Joe Biden.  Also, big corporate types: the big money goes to Biden. Why? Biden represents tradition; more important, it’s they who offloaded countless jobs to China and have made pots of money on it. However, in future, multi-trillion-dollar packages will receive less and less public favor. Can't imagine how federal and local taxes can go up without a serious recession. Biden’s error in getting rid of fossil fuels.  If he wins, he won’t be in charge of policy; rather, Harris and the Democratic party’s left wing will.  Tremendous gaffe, esp in Pennsylvania.  Hunter Biden: Joe is compromised by what the Chinese have, is a national security issue.   
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 3, Block C:   Andrew C McCarthy, @AndrewCMcCarthy, Ball of Collusion; and Thaddeus McCotter, @ThadMcCotter, American Greatness, in re: Hunter Biden, recorded in a voice call.  Largely incoherent, but connects to known events: pending trial of Devin Archer and conviction of Patrick Ho, who’s been deported, Also, Yueh, CEFC.  Call from New York Southern District. Why is Hunter Biden so upset?  May not be a phone call as a dictated statement in the nature of a diary.    . . .  Conviction in a $60 million fraud scheme  . . . Judge in SDNY makes parties in a criminal case exchange witness lists to move things along. Lists tend to be over-inclusive and not made public.   Patrick Ho was China’s spy chief?  Mr Bobulinski. . . .  Yueh gives Hunter a 2.8 ct diamond.  . . .  Do Chinese view Hunter Biden as an American princeling?
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 3, Block D: Andrew C McCarthy, @AndrewCMcCarthy, Ball of Collusion; and Thaddeus McCotter, @ThadMcCotter, American Greatness, in re: Amy Coney Barrett is sworn in. Pennsylvania:  court says Election Day may be extended by three days.  If Supreme Court decides this sort of matter again, with Barrett in, Court will say Election Day is Election Day.
 
Hour Four
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 4, Block A:  Aaron Klein: @AaronKleinShow and senior strategic advisor to PM Benjamin Netanyahu; in re:  Sudan growing closer to Israel is surprising: it long was an open enemy, and major ally of Iran. Khartoum was the home of the Three No’s:  [no favorable deed toward Israel]. This also  has military implications in Israel’s favor; it also tends to isolate the Iranian terrorist regime.  Israeli wheat flowing into Sudan.  New air space open to El Al: over Saudi Arabia, Sudan, et al.; cuts hours off flights and reduces price of tickets.  Netanyahu:  Peace from strength.  Multi-billion dollar oil pipeline w UAE to Europe.  Multiple huge deals. Note UAE cargo ship docks at an Israeli port; PM visited.  Used to be Israel that was terribly isolated; now, Iran is.
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 4, Block B:  Lee Smith, @LeeSmithDC; author, The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President, in re:  Those involved in the investigation and those involved in a denial: turned into a real-life drama in a documentary film produced by Amanda Milias. A dark moment in the nation’s history.  What we want is accountability; Durham was supposed to provide that but, dangerously, has decided not to do so before the election.   Lee turned his interview into dialogue on screen with no narrator.  Brennan, Clapper and Comey (and McCabe) are winning at this moment.  We hope this moment in the sun turns into a dark winter for them. This is a story about character.  When Devin Nunes found out what was going on, they went after his family—totally shameful—but Devin never thought of giving it up. Heroism on the part of Nunes, Flynn, and Patel. 
Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 4, Block C:  Dominique Segura-Cox, astronomy graduate student at the University of Illinois, and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, in re: Her discovery of a new class of baby stars using the VLA. A baby star, IRS-63 (class 1 proto-star): bright yellow center, with a scattershot of gas around it.  Theory is that stars and planets are married; what’s interesting about this star: clear lanes of material that had been swept out, made grooves in the disc.  (Constellation: Man Grasping a Snake).  Star didn't even exist 500,000 years ago. Neanderthals staring at sky seeing its birth. Giant dust clouds collapse to make [stars and planets?]  Is 144 parsecs from Earth.  . . . Gap 1 and Gap 2. Tuesday 27 October 2020 / Hour 4, Block D:  Dominique Segura-Cox, @maxplanckpress,  astronomy graduate student at the University of Illinois, and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, in re: Her discovery of a new class of baby stars using the VLA. H9w to get from dust to a star? . . .  Something eerily similar about IRS-63 and our own Solar System.  . . .  It may be favorable for life in 5 billion years—when our own Sun has turned into a white dwarf.