The John Batchelor Show

Wednesday 18 July 2018

Air Date: 
July 18, 2018

Image:  The genius of  The Economist, showing Xi Jinping as incipient emperor; on the cover of its May 4–10, 2013, issue   http://econ.st/1fuXrfG
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Gordon Chang, Daily Beast
 
Hour One
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 1, Block A:  Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, on signs that Xi Jinping, Emperor Forever, is losing favor; in re: Rumors of “big doings” in China right now.  Note: His photo and name have intermittently not been on the front page of Remin Jrbao – a dangerous symptom.  A young lady (a teenager) threw black ink on a portrait of Xi, and of course immed disappeared. Pray that she’s still alive even as she’s being tortured right now.  Meanwhile, people are throwing black ink at his slogans.  Kudlow referred to many Chinese elites as “Mafiosi”; accurate.  Recall those who filled egg shells with black ink and threw them at pictures of Mao. “Either the country survives and the Party disappears, or the Party survives and the country disappears.”  Xi I s obviously trying to overshadow Mao, so he’s restoring the writings of Karl Marx.  Marx wrote of a society of wretched poor workers under a thin elite of filthy rich — oops; is it a good idea to circulate this in China today?    https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3483540
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 1, Block B:   David Maxwell, retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel and fellow at the Institute of Corean American Studies; in re: In 1950, a sneak North Korean attack vs the Americans; pushback up to the Yalu River until Chinese forces moved in, pushing the US back to the 38 Parallel.   Mtg scheduled for discussion on North Korean return of US remains; North Koreans failed to show up. A normal negotiating technique, but nonetheless significant. Have had the remains ready for return for eleven years, and elected not to.  DoD has an office devoted to returns – WWII, Vietnam. Cambodia, Laos, and DPRK. Over 7,000 unaccounted for, 3,000 of whom are thought to be in DPRK.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/17/politics/us-north-korea-remains/index.html
https://nypost.com/2018/06/07/former-pow-calls-on-trump-to-reclaim-us-ship-captured-by-north-korea/
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 1, Block C:  Bill Gertz, senior editor of the Washington Free Beacon; in re:  the Chinese military, which toggled among schmoozing Mattis, then alternated nice & tough, then decided he’d soon be fired by Trump and so could be ignored.  By the end of the meeting they basically adopted the second approach.   . . .  Currently, a live-fire drill run by China just north of Taiwan in an area exactly the size of Taiwan.   Don't they believe that Mattis is a serious person?  The defense minister who met with Mattis is a figurehead.  The minister delayed a mtg with Mattis in order to go to Moscow first.  Are developing an anti-IUS alliance w Russia.  Graham Allison book says we’re headed on a path toward war; instead Mattis has signaled that Cha would be well advised not to aim toward that, that we’ll continue Freedom of Navigation exercises.
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 1, Block D:  Josh Rogin, Washington Post, in re: Son of Vinegar Joe, Gen Stillwell (Jr.) is a friend of Mike Pompeo and Harry Harris; maybe appointed to  be Asst Sec of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.  Speaks Mandarin Chinese; served in China; is a no-bones China hawk. If he’s confirmed, will put more cohesion into our Asia strategy. Another contender is Matt Pottinger [a good friend of the John Batchelor Show], “a rock star” and one of the original Flynnstones; he’s a former journo and speaks Chinese. Blumenthal also qualified but signed one of the letters [presumably, one of the never-Trump letters during the campaign].  Senate-confirmable position.  Overall hardening of policy on China within the State Dept.  In Australia, a robust public debate about the scale of Chinese influence and how its affecting domestic policy,. In the US. , our intell agencies have been paying attention for a decade but were just starting public discussion and media attention.
 
Hour Two
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 2, Block A:  Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, national security reporter at The Daily Beast; in re:  At Aspen, C Wray has just spoken of the scale of the threat that China is aggressively pressing; the FBI has a thousand open cases on Chinese Communist Party espionage infiltration of the US, in all fifty states; focus on two student groups.   In Australia, a robust public debate about the scale of Chinese influence and how its affecting domestic policy, In the US, our intell agencies have been paying attention for a decade but we’re just starting public discussion and media attention. Chinese Students and Scholars Association – organizes events inappropriate for a foreign power   A sort of soft-power initiative to infiltrate and organize.
National Council for Peaceful ______; related to the United Front Organization, in 70 countries and in 30 US cities having arrived  here in 1973. Funding from the Chinese embassy, even announced on website; ergo, govt has much sway over activities.  Berlin, Prague, London, Japan. Often, the red T-shirts are sent in from China.  Difficult to speak of specifics because students her in the US are afraid.
A classroom discussion on a sensitive issue: if one Chinese student says something not quite kosher; a few days later, the police in China will now on the door of the family and say, “Your child has just said the following.
US universities need to speak out clearly to say that foreign govt interference in US universities is unacceptable.  https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-china-built-an-army-of-influence-agents-in-the-us
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 2, Block B:  Rick Fisher, senior Fellow on Asian Military Affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center; in re:  China in space.  Militarizing ht Moon, and not speaking openly on it; filled with denials and evasions.  However, occasional statements all add up to a very aggressive program to get there, go beyond, and secure as much as possible for the Chinese nation irrespective of treaties, conventions, and [normal ethical behavior].   A decade ago, China denied having interest in militarizing the South China Sea.  [Hah!]  Head of China’s lunar exploration program last year compared the Universe to the ocean:  . . . “if we don’t go there now, we’ll be blamed by our descendants.” The CCP will find ways to claim any territory where it can plant a flag.  Will then declare that it was always theirs.  Old imperial dictum: “Everything under Heaven is China’s.”  The real significance of the Moon is — that is, the US is chock full of entrepreneurs ready to go to the Moon post haste and send thousands of people there and mine minerals; China is very aware of this and intends to block it by getting there first to claim [everything useful].   https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/space-the-next-south-china-sea
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 2, Block C:  Richard Fortaine, CNAS, in re: US natl security apparatus designed for physical and economic threats; but when the US election was meddled w by Russia, and hacking in France ad Mexico, it seemed to be a series of unrelated events. In fact, we [ought to vie this] and large natl security threat [spread wide]. Democracy.
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 2, Block D:   Monica Crowley, London Center for Policy Research, in re:    Treason
 
Hour Three
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 3, Block A: Salena Zito, CNN, in re:  Suburban women who vote locally only, and don't give a fig about the screeching about Trump.  Wolf wolf!
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 3, Block B:  Ze'ev Orenstein, director of international affairs at the City of David, in re: Archaeology in Israel
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 3, Block C: Richard A Epstein, Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover Institution, in re:  SCOTUS
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 3, Block D: Richard A Epstein, Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover Institution, in re:  SCOTUS
 
Hour Four
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 4, Block A:  The Tunnels: Escapes Under the Berlin Wall and the Historic Films the JFK White House Tried to Kill, by Greg Mitchell
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 4, Block B:  The Tunnels: Escapes Under the Berlin Wall and the Historic Films the JFK White House Tried to Kill, by Greg Mitchell
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 4, Block C:  1956: The World in Revolt, by Simon Hall
Wednesday 18 July 2018/ Hour 4, Block D:  1956: The World in Revolt, by Simon Hall
..  ..  ..