The John Batchelor Show

Wednesday 13 May 2020

Air Date: 
May 13, 2020

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Colleague: Gordon Chang, Daily Beast
 
Hour One
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 1, Block A:  Alan Tonelson,  U.S. Business and Industry Council Educational Foundation, and blogs at Realitychek;  in re: Decoupling of US economy from China:  three of the members of the board of the federal pension fund were Obama Adm appointees; they may hang on if Biden wins this autumn.  US pension fund savings a re far from being the only American financial flows permitted to go into China to bolster the economy and thereby help the military. Individuals and corporations may invest in Chinese companies that make defense products.
CALPERS and other state pension funds have substantial funds into China.  Florida under Marco Rubio, Florida: let’s stop that one.  US is decoupling on the trade front before the financial.  US-China trade as percentage of whole US economy sank to 0.3% which is lowest since 2006. Larry Kudlow said US companies should get a 100% write-off  for moving out of China back to US.* Peter Navarro’s plan to get pharmaceutical mfr out of China.  Am looking for more details on this re-shoring plan; I hope the entire burden doesn't fall on US tax revenues. 
*Kudlow Says U.S. Should Allow Firms ‘100% Immediate Expensing’  He cites example of U.S. companies moving back from China.  President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser said the U.S. should allow companies to deduct the entire cost of capital spending, including relocating from China . . .
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 1, Block B:  Barry Strauss, Cornell, Classics; in re; major members of US faculties are subverted by Chinese [money].  Charles Lieber, chair of Harvard chemistry, arrested; University of Arkansas arrested Simon Ang failed to disclose his close ties to Chinese government. Professors accused and arrested for Chinese alliances; need to be very concerned, about the future of the profession, and boundaries.  National Review: Leftism on American campuses.  Faculties need to think a lot more about what America is all about, and about liberty; and how different it is in China. Difficult for Americans to know what’s at stake if we don't know what’s at stake living in a democratic republic.  Cato the Elder: “Carthago delenda est.” We need to keep American [principles] as we admit Chinese students here.  We're in an existential contest about the virus, and about intellectual property theft.  One year ago today, the Peoples Daily declared a people’s war against he US.  Our republic is at risk. This is freedom against a totalitarian state.  China holds that it’s the world’s only sovereign state.  It ensures that only one of the two countries can survive.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 1, Block C:  Robert Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com, in re: China has a military space program.  Heavy-lift booster, Long March 5B.  A premier success for its launch, but: the core stage  with side boosters; the upper stage separates and the core stage reaches low and not-very stable orbit that decays quickly. Huge amount of the rocket falls uncontrolled to Earth—and China had no idea where.  It fell in the Atlantic, had been directly over New York City fifteen minutes earlier. This paves the way for multiple future launches.  Range of latitudes from about 50-55° degrees south.   China has been silent on this.  . . . China  has totally penetrated US scholarship on space development; here University of Arkansas, NASA grant money while working for China. He was secretive about his connections.  He’s in prison now.  China will use research students, professors, anyone.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 1, Block D: Robert Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com, in re:   Coming: a weak solar maximum in the next five years.
 
Hour Two
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 2, Block A:  John Catsimatidis. Red Apple Media; in re:  If we re-engage commerce, will that recover the city’s finances faster than another handout from Washington?  Yesterday, in a conversation with Senator Rand Paul, I pointed out that New York City has repeatedly been a target. China sent Wuhan flights directly to JFK. The Senator acknowledged that. He holds that anything  that happened as a result of the virus, would reeve support.   Not pensions, not free education, but because we were the target of the enemy—they’ll help. We can’t open up theaters and restaurants by Memorial Day, but let’s open beaches and act responsibly. 
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 2, Block B:  Bill McGurn, WSJ, in re:  Shelly Luther, hairdresser in Dallas, is released from prison for having opened her business on 24 April.   Judge said she was “selfish,” demanded an apology, which she declined; so he jailed her for seven days, and charged $1,000 a day.  Two days later, all of Dallas was open. Governor revised his cease-and-desist order, prevented jail.
 Police power against someone perceived as weak. Opposite to Elon Musk, perceived as strong, and the police backed down.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 2, Block C:  Andrew  C McCarthy, Ball of Collusion; and    Thaddeus McCotter, American Greatness; in re:  Acting DNI Richard Grennell.  Michael Flynn.  Senators Grassley and Ron Johnson: Grenell has revealed the list of officials who unmasked American citizens. Many members of the Obama Adm were seeking info about Flynn, and the name of Sen Biden is prominent in there.  Samantha Power’s name requested hundreds of unmaskings (UN ambassador has no reason to do so); she testified that she was responsible for only a few; who used her name?  . . .  We keep returning to the January 5 2016 Oval Office meeting. Crossfire Hurricane began in July 2016.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 2, Block D:  Andrew  C McCarthy, Ball of Collusion; and    Thaddeus McCotter, American Greatness; in re:
 
Hour Three
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 3, Block A:  Jerry Hendrix, Center for a New American Security; VP, Telemus Group; NR: retired U.S. Navy captain; in re: Russia much interested in Arctic, esp sailing along the Northern Route  from Russia to Europe when the route is open.  Has icebreakers; US conducted a passing exercise in the Barents Sea last week.  We have one operating heavy large icebreaker, hasn't built one since WII. If we’re to do Freedom of Navigation passages here, which we ought, we’ll need to improve our fleet. Russia has ordered nine new icebreakers, all armed to the teeth. Natgas, offshore oil, fishing stocks, and sea-floor minerals up there; US unable to protect its interests or those of its allies.  If we don't move soon, game over. 
This is strategically critical because of travel time to reach essential ports and military targets.  The canyon near Franz Joseph Land.    Greenland-Iceland -UK Gap.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 3, Block B: Jerry Hendrix, Center for a New American Security; VP, Telemus Group; NR: retired U.S. Navy captain; in re: Global Times, PLA newspaper: “Drills sparked fear in Taiwan.”  Geography matters; in the Pacific , some islands are most important, Taiwan is the “cork” in the first island chain. To get the open Pacific, Chinese navy would have to go there. Pratas Island, Dongshan Island, is 500 mi SSE of Taiwan is the small island that PLA navy just threatened. Chancellorsville  FON sailing.  The US will sail wherever it wants to international waters.  Beijing’s oppression of Hong Kong has clarified how important US presence is.  FREMM frigate, built by Fincontieri (Italian) – any path that gets us to 355 ships will have to include frigates.  
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 3, Block C:  Richard Epstein, Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover; in re:
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 3, Block D:  Richard Epstein, Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover; in re:
 
Hour Four
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 4, Block A:  Captain Christopher H. Sharman, representing the US Navy, is a National Security Affairs Fellow for the academic year 2019–20 at the Hoover Institution; in re: China is furious that Taiwan is globally lauded for dealing wisely with the Wuhan virus, whereas the PRC has disgraced itself worldwide; so the PRC threatens Taiwan with military activity.  Further, Japan has learned that the Mainland bullies respond only to in-your-face  forcefulness,  so whenever China sends ships improperly into Japanese waters, the Japanese navy is there, facing off. 
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 4, Block B:  Ken Croswell, astronomer & Science News, in re:  They’re making new stars.    The intergalactic medium was pervaded by ionizing radiation; anciently, ultraviolet light zapped gasses, which is needed to make new stars, so how can this still  be occurring?  New gas comes in from intergalactic space.  Cosmic web, which pervades all of space.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 4, Block C:  Peter Huessy, Director of Strategic Deterrent Studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, & president GeoStrategic Analysis; in re: Chinese are producing missiles hand over foot; aimed at Taiwan and Japan. Missile defense doesn’t stop wars; but you need your own capabilities to shoot back if that becomes necessary. We have gaps (see: National Interest article) that need to be filled. Need space-based sensors. The whole point of US triad is to explain to enemies that we can, if needed, defend against anything they can do.  They need to know that it’s not worth the fight. Our missiles can get to Europe in minutes. Deflect and defend against limited strikes, which both PRC and Russia  have threatened. The B1B out of Guam.  The Guam bombing base is much reinforced; making China unsure of what were up to. We’re changing rotations so China won’t know where our bombers are at any specific time.  A good response to PLA’s Guam-killers. Our president is moving in the right direction to challenge China. Its failure to warn the world about the virus is what’s criminal. It was a malicious spread.
Wednesday 13 May  2020   / Hour 4, Block D:  Jonathan Ward, China’s Vision of Victory; in re: We’ll need an economic and  military containment of China. Right now there’s a ton of capital pouring in to China.  Must defund Chinese predation.  When I lived in China, casual conversation said, “It’s time to go to war with Japan/Taiwan/the US.”  Why is Chan striking out with everyone? It's been on a collision course with the world for a long time, but exacerbated under Xi.  Harassing SE Asia, India, Taiwan.