Photo, left: Flag of Xinjiang Uyghurs: East Turkestan.
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-hosts: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com. Dr. David M. Livingston, The Space Show.
 
Hour One
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 1, Block A: Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, in re: Xi Jinping as an aggressor.   China still thinks of the world in hierarchical terms, not really on board with the rest of the world,.  In 1949, Mao took over intending to reorganize the world; results unsatisfactory. Communism (a) doesn't work, and (b) can't be fixed.  The USSR didn't altervit; it collapsed. So has every other Communist regime in history.  China faces an intractable domestic situation  can't be improved or remediated, Power-holders don't want to admit this; it's so corrupt and violent that they just focus on something else, One of China's great grievances sine the XIXe century has been that they're victims. They reach onto South China Sea, create red-hot patriotic intl issues to distract the people and avoid confronting the real problem – which is at home. The US has miscalculated: postulated htat Communism would evolve into something else, which ahs never occurred.  TOday the US has an Arleigh-Burke destroyer, will engage w CHijnse navey at the mouth of the Yang-tse River – still trying to reform communism.  Flagrant violations of intl law by China because there are still people who think it'll all turn out hunky-dory.  The Chinese navy wants to sink the US navy.  There are eight neighboring countries viewing China with wrath and some fear.  Inconsistent US policy is a recipe for very serious confrontations.  If you propose to a woman, she declines, then you carry the ring around for thirty years, chances are there'll be no marriage. China alarmed at robustness of hre reaction Philippines strengthening military and outwitting China at sea, and taking China to the Intl Court.  Now Indonesia says it'll do the dame.  Japan inter al. has tremendous latent military capabilities.  Japan has a lot of plutonium!  https://www.rt.com/news/322409-south-china-islands-restraint/ ;  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/us-apec-summit-idUSKCN0T60RM20151117
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 1, Block B: Nury Turkel, Esq, past president of the Uyghur American Assn. in re: China inaccurately claim s to be a victim of terrorism; now have engaged a weeks-long campaign to murder Uyghurs. China working to destroy Uyghur culture, prevent the practice of religion, forbidding children to learn their parents' language. Beijing lectures the world while destroying Uyghurs; Wants then to evaporate in the Taklamakan Desert, just cease to exist.  As Malcolm said: "The question is land."    China doing something parallel in Tibet; Chinese leadership should be hunted down and carted to the International Criminal Court, This is very ugly.  China has persuaded Thailand and Cambodia to clamp down on Uyghurs, but it's failed with Western powers because Beijing's claim are bizarre.  After Paris, China said, "We're victims of terrorism; help us hunt down and kill Uyghurs."  Also Tibetans, Huei, and other minorities in China.  Disappointing that no strong world leader has stepped forth to help the Uyghurs. http://news.yahoo.com/china-says-global-war-terror-target-uighur-militants-030350619.html  ; http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-shows-unusual-pictures-of-its-fight-against-terror-2015-11
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 1, Block C: Michael J. Listner, Principal, Space Law & Policy Solutions; in re:  We're going a-Viking [used to mean: rob the English].  The pirate David Livingston is going to plunder the Solar System to find valuable minerals.  Outer Space treaty: "The province of all Mankind." A space property right could conflict with Article II of the treaty.  So far, applies only to (51030?) to US citizens – asteroids, planets: if a private citizen lands on one and plants a stake, it's yours to exploit? Not clear – but it cannot create a property right; I think it does, but its proponents say it creates a use.  The distinction in Article I "for all Mankind" – "use of resources recovered" but it looks as though it creates a real property right – the Homestead Act of 1862.  In the near future, robots will be able to do all this.  Best use is in situ resources – use them where they are.   Chancery Court – are we wandering into Dickens?  Probably investors are trying to encourage investment.  There are two strong American companies in this, looking for investors internationally.  Interstellar corporations.  Pirates have staked out the territory in law in the US Congress.  Use right in the Outer Space treaty [usufruct?]. Capitalism in the Solar System.  
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 1, Block D:  John Avlon. Daily Beast, in re: Americans and refugees, sanctuary. Poll: most Americans do not favor the US receiving 10,00 refugees (post-massacre).  Art Buchwald: imagine if there'd been polls during the revolutionary War – we'd never have got out of Philadelphia.  http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-11-18/bloomberg-poll-most-americans-oppose-syrian-refugee-resettlement
 
Hour Two
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 2, Block A: Charles Ortel, Newport Value Partners managing director in re: If the US follows the policies used by Japan and failed – we'll fail, too.  Japan printed money under Abe to cheapen exports.  In China, M2 is exploding – up 13% last month, is twice the size of US?  Tremendous debt, incl govt; Japanese workers are expensive on the world scale; Japan is beset by obvious ec problems - plus ag subsidies, yakuza, and the radiation.  Structural problems in Japan with which Abe has yet to deal; eke in China, which is trying to paper over the matters. Have both hit the a wall, only solution is real economic reform , which neither will do. They can keep printing money for another few quarters, but then later will have to deal with an even bigger problem. Since 1998 or so, labor costs rising worldwide has meant a new wall; machines replace workers around the world just as populations are growing. Pretending that things are working is [nuts]. US would be smart to be the first big nation to turn around: bring down cost level, pare back the govt.
Now we have a tremendous amt of debt, and there's only so much you  can absorb. China afeared of that: massive amts of Asian investment money will rush to the US.  An economy that can't even factor in 25 bps?  http://www.thestreet.com/story/13364414/1/china-s-economy-and-stocks-face-mediocre-muddling-through.html  ; http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/16/business/economy-business/japan-plunges-recession-defeat-abes-growth-efforts/#.VkvyTV4t9qD
 
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 2, Block B: Phelim Kine, Human Rights Watch Asia Division, in re:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34782266 ; http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/12/miss-world-canada-anastasia-lin-human-rights-china  ;  http://qz.com/548408/human-rights-lawyers-in-china-tell-harrowing-stories-about-their-own-torture-and-abuse/
Human rights lawyers in China tell harrowing stories about their own torture and abuse.   Beijing prosecutor and lawyer Tang Jitian was on the grounds of a Chinese black jail last year, investigating a case, when local police officers handcuffed and attacked him. “I was first strapped to an iron chair, slapped in the face, kicked on my legs, and hit so hard over the head with a plastic bottle filled with water that I passed out,” Tang said to Amnesty International of his sudden detention. Three other lawyers with him received the same treatment that day.  
   Under the ever-tightening censorship policies of China’s central government, human rights activists and lawyers in the country have found themselves subject to a brutal, sweeping crackdown this year. On Nov. 12, human rights organization Amnesty International released a new report that tells Tang’s chilling story—as well as dozens of others from lawyers who’ve also been assaulted by the Chinese government. These personal accounts come to light at a crucial time: Next week, China will answer questions from a United Nations anti-torture committee at a conference in Geneva—the UN’s fifth probe into the country’s torture practices.  ; http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34782266  ; http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/12/miss-world-canada-anastasia-lin-human-rights-china ; http://qz.com/548408/human-rights-lawyers-in-china-tell-harrowing-stories-about-their-own-torture-and-abuse/
 
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 2, Block C: Jerry Hendrix, Center for a New American Security, in re:  Deputy Foreign Minister Liu says "China has exercised restraint because we actually own al the islands around there and could have seized all of them."  US hasn't done itself any favor by introducing ambiguity: alternative legal theories, innocent passage, et al.  The US worries about legal technicalities; China doesn't . China is most peeved that the US sailed near their bogus islands, and flew over them.  We need to continue sailing and flying.  Arleigh-Burke class destroyer sailed thorough intentionally – larger than the biggest Chinese ship, knowing that China might do "shouldering" – try to push the US ship aside.  Adm Harry Harris challenged the "great wall of sand" – US claimed "innocent passage"  which means in the territorial waters of another nation. This falsely gives credence to Chinese claims of ownership! What needs to have been said is freedom of navigation! . . . White House shows disdain for the notion that if one wins, another must lose In situations where there are such clear violations of intl norms, one must win – or else maybe the US doesn't believe in the intl norms. That's too destabilizing to the intl system.  Look for FON ops with members of the coalition.  Note that the SecDef sailed on the USS T Roosevelt through the South China Sea. China needs this lesson again and again and again. Takes 'em a long time to get the message.
..  ..  .
So did the FON [freedom of navigation] operations challenge anything at all? Yes, but not what the United States or outside observers have claimed. Both the Lassen and the B-52s challenged China’s ubiquitous nine-dashed line claim to “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea. Of course nobody, including our interlocutors in Beijing, have any idea what China’s preposterous claims mean in terms of the law of the sea. The difficulty in trying to fit U.S. FON operations into the prism of the law of the sea – combined with a lack of understanding of the law of the sea – has driven U.S. officials and pundits bananas. This falls into the trap laid by China, which has, at least since 1995, intentionally used confusion and ambiguity over its maritime claims in the South China Sea as a strategic weapon. It would be far better for the United States to continue to operate freely, persistently, and without the hand-wringing and drama, with ships on the surface, submarines under the water, and aircraft in overflight of the South China Sea, within and beyond 12 nm of all the features in the region.
During his visit to Manila, Obama has been keen to offer that support, announcing the US would transfer two ships to the Philippine navy, boosting significantly Manila's capability to patrol the disputed Spratly Islands. Obama has also stressed 'iron-clad' US treaty obligations to defend the Philippines - and other allies - and vowed to boost military ties through new defence cooperation agreements.
But wary of drawing the United States or its allies into direct conflict with China, Obama also stressed the need to settle disputes under the rule of law.  'Disputes need to be resolved peacefully,' said Obama, backing the Philippine's decision to seek UN arbitration in several disputes with China.  China has so far refused to recognise the panel's authority.
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/asiapacific/2015/11/18/obama-demand... build.html?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=564cb92004d3012c9b585846&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter#sthash.nSBkI2ui.dpuf   ;     https://www.lawfareblog.com/cant-anybody-play-game-us-fon-operations-and...  ;  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/13/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0T...   ;  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/13/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0T12G720151113#Eh2u5j98KJJxldCQ.97
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 2, Block D:  Josh Rogin, Bloomberg View, in re: US national security & refugees.
 
Hour Three
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 3, Block A:  Monica Crowley, Washington Examiner and Fox, in re: Presidential Candidates on Allowing Syrian Refugees in the United States  The campaign shifted focus to national security after the Paris attacks. (1 of 2)   http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/1/56/116/index.html
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 3, Block B: Monica Crowley, Washington Examiner and Fox (2 of 2)
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 3, Block C:  Robert Zimmerman, behind the black, in re: http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/ula-con...    ULA concedes GPS competition to SpaceX  The competition cools down: ULA has decided against bidding on a military GPS launch contract, leaving the field clear for SpaceX.
ULA, which for the past decade has launched nearly every U.S. national security satellite, said Nov. 16 it did not submit a bid to launch a GPS 3 satellite for the Air Force in 2018 in part because it does not expect to have an Atlas 5 rocket available for the mission. ULA has been pushing for relief from legislation Congress passed roughly a year ago requiring the Air Force to phase out its use of the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powers ULA’s workhorse Atlas 5 rocket.  This decision might be a lobbying effort by ULA to force Congress to give them additional waivers on using the Atlas 5 engine. Or it could be that they realize that they wouldn’t be able to match SpaceX’s price, and decided it was pointless wasting time and money putting together a bid. Either way, the decision suggests that ULA is definitely challenged in its competition with SpaceX, and until it gets a new lower cost rocket that is not dependent on Russian engines, its ability to compete in the launch market will be seriously hampered.
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 3, Block D:  Keith Naughton, Bloomberg View, in re: Driverless in Detroit: Even General Motors thinks the age of autonomous cars is inevitable.  Inside GM’s fight to win the multibillion-dollar race for autonomous cars, the future of human mobility.  GM’s 4,000-acre rural Michigan test course for a test drive of the Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise to see how GM is trying to debug this technology, which could be the first hands-free driving system on the road when it debuts in 2017, and thus beat Google to the self-driving car. Does GM have the road map to the bright, post-car-ownership future, where transportation is a service and driving is for hobbyists?  http://buswk.co/driverlesscars45
 
Hour Four
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 4, Block A: The Myth of Martyrdom: What Really Drives Suicide Bombers, Rampage Shooters, and Other Self-Destructive Killers, by Adam Lankford (1 of 4)
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 4, Block B: The Myth of Martyrdom: What Really Drives Suicide Bombers, Rampage Shooters, and Other Self-Destructive Killers, by Adam Lankford (2 of 4)
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 4, Block C: The Myth of Martyrdom: What Really Drives Suicide Bombers, Rampage Shooters, and Other Self-Destructive Killers, by Adam Lankford (3 of 4)
Wednesday   18 November 2015  / Hour 4, Block D: The Myth of Martyrdom: What Really Drives Suicide Bombers, Rampage Shooters, and Other Self-Destructive Killers, by Adam Lankford (4 of 4) 
 
..  ..  ..