The John Batchelor Show

Wednesday 10 February 2016

Air Date: 
February 10, 2016

Photo, left:  A Self-Defense Forces PAC-3 Patriot missile battery stands at the Defense Ministry in downtown Tokyo.
The Japanese army has set up missile interceptors in Tokyo to protect the capital, amid ongoing speculation that next-door North Korea may conduct a long-range missile launch. The ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) units have been placed in several parts of Japan besides being stationed in Tokyo.
The Japanese defence ministry has ordered shooting down of any missile cruising in the region. As part of the ramped-up security efforts, the Japanese navy has also dispatched an Aegis destroyer, equipped with sophisticated radar and interceptors, to the Sea of Japan. Two of the missile batteries were stationed at the defence headquarters in Tokyo pointed at the sky towards the northwest.  See: Hour 2, Block A,  Bruce E. Bechtol Jr., Department of Security Studies, Angelo State University;
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
 
Co-hosts: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com & Daily Beast. Dr. David M. Livingston, The Space Show.
 
Hour One
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block A:  Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, in re: In the middle of the Twentieth Century, under totalitarian regimes, people learned to wait for a knock on the door in the middle of the night; you bade farewell to your family and they never saw you again.  Today in China, miao-hsia: instant kill, instantaneous death.  In fact, people are being ”disappeared” and the unelected tyrants of Beijing are reaching deep into the United States to grab people.  In China. well over a hundred people have “been suicided” – died apparently as suicides.  Xi Jin-ping has caused real fear to enter Chinese society-  similar to what Mao created in terror, although the fear never actually left. Society founded on terror, police operation, getting people to inform on each other, including family. The minute you have even a small portfolio – you teach high school students, or have a small business  –  you just don’t know when it’ll come for you.
Under the Red Guards, a lot of spontaneous violence, and young people psychologically grabbed by the notion that they were saving Chairman Mao. Today is a much more intentional well-oiled machine: Pres Xi is turning up the numbers; doing things that no previous president darted to do – esp attempt to extend Chinese “law” overseas, whence people disappear. In the US a defector is stalked by Chinese-sent hit squads. Making the world safe for Chinese dictatorship; bloodcurdling. Runs against all Western theories  that he Chinese state was “opening up.” We see the disintegration, similar disunity . Back to the purges, violence. darkness, of the Twentieth Century. Second-order sanctions – if DPRK failed to respond to first-level . . .https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/china-fear-bureaucratic-paralysis-by-minxin-pei-2016-02#Q1fdxlBE3IzwtwTu.01
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block B:   Scott Harold, political scientist and deputy director, Center for Asia-Pacific Policy at the RAND Corporation, in re:  To punish Kim Jong Un, South Korea shuts down industrial zone in North.  Khe San Industrial shoveled many millions into the North’s economy.  “I hope that’ll be permanent, not just a temporary suspension. What we haven’t see yet is any responsible action by China.  New set of sanctions under way, esp luxury goods or any WMD; and terminal High-Altitude Aerial Defense System moving forward from US. China used stronger language against South Korea than against the North.  Pak was elected on a policy of ”trust-politik,” which clearly has not been reciprocated.   Now, Koreans feel betrayed by Beijing.   . . .  DPRK may be looking toward a fifth missile test; the treat to the US homeland grows ever more real.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/to-punish-kim-jong-un-south-korea-shuts-down-industrial-zone-in-north/2016/02/10/0237273a-79ba-420b-bcc6-5a749bd71bbf_story.html   ;  http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/international/asia-pacific/2016/02/08/us-hopes-send-anti-missile-system-south-korea-quickly-possible/80031230/
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block C:  Aaron Klein, Middle East bureau chief for Breitbart; in re:  The Forward, influential among US Jews and American progressives; was at NH primary & Mrs Clinton’s speech; a Congressman said on the record that Mrs C after losing in NH would go up against Bernie Sanders’s  (lack of ) foreign policy. Bernie  went on Meet the Press, asked about his SecDef plans and foreign advisor: Jim Zogby [you’re kidding!] and J Street – which supports the “Iran Deal” giving billions to Iran to finance terrorism.   Look at Vox: “Do you call  yourself a Zionist?”  “A Zionist – what does that mean?” Also, reports that Sanders was in kibbutz in northern Israel in 1963; finally ascertained that the kibbutz was: Kibbutz Shar-hakim(?), of a movement that’s been openly Marxist revolutionist (not democratic socialist).  Mission was to identify with Zionism briefly then create an Arab-Jewish Marxist paradise.  Note that early Marxist factions, incl Stalinist factions, have long been part of Israel’s government; the question is, where does Sanders stand now?
Since the flotilla of 2010, Erdogan has been openly hostile to Israel, but now seeks rapprochement, strategic cooperation.  Turkey demands unrestricted access to Gaza via the Mediterranean (where Turkey sent armed thugs to try to kill Israelis). Meanwhile. Hamas is being guided by Hamas members in Turkey.
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block D:  Aaron Klein, Middle East bureau chief for Breitbart; in re:  Hamas is sort of losing control of Gaza, esp to ISSI, which has training camps in Sinai, and of Iran, and of al Saborin (Islamic Jihad/Iranian-backed) – an d now hundreds of fighters are suddenly pledging allegiance to the Khomeinist revolution in Gaza and are on the payroll. A new tunnel infrastructure in Gaza, both for stealing into Israel and also the tunnel-city created with Iran & Hezbollah under Gaza. Tunnel financing is Iranian. Total of four tunnels have collapsed and ten dead. Is Israel using some advanced, mysterious technology to do this? Under lethal physical duress, Labor Party is now supporting the Likudist wall.
 
Hour Two
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block A:  Bruce E. Bechtol Jr., Department of Security Studies, Angelo State University; in re: Unconfirmed reports (Yonhap, CNN & re of Kim Jong-eun’s having murdered his army chief of staff. Same thing we’ve been talking about for three years: unstable regime; Kim clearly feels that his leadership is challenged often and he responds more intensely that his father or grandfather with purges; and his biggest concern continues to be the military.  He can't command the loyalty or respect of flag officers: Kim Il-sung was a leader before North Korea existed; then Kim Jong-il was sent to the North Korean version of West Point; today’s boy, Jong-eun, has none of that. (He was vaguely educated in Switzerland in a pensionnat de jeunes hommes? [blague])   Could the generals grow wroth and turn against Jong-eun?  That’s the million-dollar question. Looks like yet another paranoid  purge; how far will things have to go for the guys to say, ”This is too much”? the nuke test come in dyads; hitherto, haven't see an immediate purge of high officials. When did he torture and kill his uncle?  On Nov 2013; whereas the missile test was on 12/12/12, then nuclear test soon thereafter. Kim Il-sung told Kim Jong-il, “If you’re going to go down, you might was well kill everybody.” Note that in AD 41, the Praetorian Guard killed Caligula.
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block B:  Mike Davis, professor at Hong Kong University Law School, in re: Hong Kong doesn't trust China since the core value of HK is the rule of law, not honored in Beijing. Young people now threaten stronger behavior after police actually fired warning shots into the air – extreme and gratuitous violence by Hong Kong standards.   Commonly cited in HK is the from in a pot with the water slowly coming to a boil. When citizens see police trying to arrest innocent food-hawkers sell during he traditional New Year holiday, it enrages the citizenry. Beijing is the elephant in the room in both Hong Kong and Taiwan.   http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35538392
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block C:  Fraser Howie, co-author of Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise, in re:  . .  . Kyle Bass, hedgie in Dallas, says that China has $2.2 trillion in liquid reserves.  That’s 2/3 of what China claims.   PBoC is prepared to push the currency 2-3% higher to push back speculators, but some actually put their net worth on the line to prove their notions. Soros in Davos said he was shorting “Asian” currencies.  Great Hollywood!  PBoC intervenes, others step in, what a story, what a fight.    This is not economic – it’s political: a face-saving exercise that’ll cost China hundreds of billions of dollars.  Real concern that China’s central bank cannot mount an effective defense. Also Xi wanted to get his currency into the SDR basket – succeeded, but at great cost.  When you go up against PBoC and it’s accepted by other countries. A messy fight. Underlying all this is the economy, stupid.  A slow, downward grind that in the long run will be worse for China.  If they’d done 15% in August, would’ve caught everyone off guard, but now it's too late, PBoC is waiting reserves; slow death.  The fundamentals are now gone. Have a tactical fight ‘twixt the central bank and he speculators; but the central bank governor has disappeared. Is no one at home? If you keep pumping credit into the economy, you can continue growth, but very poor quality.   http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2016/02/07/chinas-forex-reserves-may-already-be-below-imf-safety-line/#2f3985d147f2
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block D:  Hotel Mars, episode n.  Chris Carberry, Explore Mars, Inc., in re:  http://h2m.exploremars.org
 
Hour Three
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block A:  Monica Crowley, Washington Times and Fox, in re:  Why Bernie is beating Hillary  Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and a New ...  Why Hillary Clinton Doesn't Deserve the Black Vote ; How Hillary Clinton Might Actually Win in N.H., Even Though She Lost Big   Bernie Sanders won women at 55%.  Among non-white voters, he won 49%  Among millennials (ages 18 to 29), Clinton lost about 80-90%. Note that Barack Obama moved he Democratic Party for centrist to radical left.    Idealistic kids who have no clue how socialism works (govt control, confiscatory taxes, etc.).  . . .  Everybody like the shiny new thing?  Bernie Sanders is like a used car: he’s not new, but he’s new to you. Younger voters don't; see race, greed, gender; they see ideology. A major dvpt.  . . . You know my theory that Obama won't let a Clinton pull the party back toward the center.  Now, the president is hitting Mrs Clinton from multiple angles so badly that when he takes her out no one will much mind. Further, there’s a major, coordinated national attack on Clinton from famous Blacks, including intellectuals and celebrities. This is not accidental. The White House knows that it has about two weeks to do this, and has launched.  (1 of 4)
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block B:  Monica Crowley, Washington Times and Fox;  in re:  Jay Carney, a former Obama press secretary, said, “Oh, Mr Obama does want Mrs Clinton to win.”  Disinformation,   Also, court docs on Clinton were released – coincidence?  “Hmm – the WH is tormenting Mrs Clinton? A sadistic element?”   “Unh, have you just met Mr Obama? No fingerprints.”   (2 of 4)
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block C:  Monica Crowley, Washington Times and Fox, in re: Bush and Rubio race to the bottom New Hampshire was supposed to be the nail Marco Rubio would drive into Jeb Bush's coffin ...  For Jeb Bush, humiliation made survival possible ; Exclusive: Jeb Bush Mocks Release of Missing 28 Pages in Confrontation Infowars (3 of 4)
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block D:  Monica Crowley, Washington Times and Fox  http://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/  (4 of 4)
 
Hour Four
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block A:  Lara M Brown, George Washington University;  Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review & Pirates fan, in re:  Pennsylvania politics. National race.  (1 of 2)
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block B:  Lara M Brown, George Washington University;  Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, in re:  Pennsylvania politics. National race.  (2 of 2)
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block C: Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/10/manslaughter-charges-possible-in-flint-water-crisis-says-top-investigator/ (1 of 2)
Wednesday   10 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block D: Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/10/manslaughter-charges-possible-in-flint-water-crisis-says-top-investigator/ (2 of 2)