JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-hosts: Gordon Chang, Daily Beast, and David Livingston, The Space Show
 
Hour One
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 1, Block A:  Bruce Bechtol, Angelo State University and author,   ,  in re: The recent missile firing by DPRK; went farther than any previous missile in its category. May have been launched from an underwater platform – could have been a submarine, or from a barge. Solid fuel missile went farther and higher than ever before. Looks an awful lot like the Chinese JL1 missile, also fired from a sub. From a sub, it could reach Hawaii or Guam from a sufficient distance for the US probably not to see the sub in time.
     North Korea is building a new sub that can fire three, not one, missiles at a time. Current version has an underwater dwell time of twelve days. The new one will have a much longer  dwell time. China has just revealed its new missile, the JL2.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 1, Block B:  Bruce Bechtol, Angelo State University and author,   ,  in re:  . . .  DPRK missile launches and opacity.  Same as Kim Jong Un’s father and grandfather.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 1, Block C:   The book Assad, or We Burn the Country refers to North Korea established a nuclear-processing plant in Northeastern Syria, in a deal involving Iran, which paid for it.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 1, Block D:  Bruce Bechtol,
2333 BC when Korea was established. Mon Jae In stays mum on North Korea’s missile launch. Moon will put up with anything as long as the deed moves a step closer to “peace” with North Korea.  The chaebols were taking money, but Moon probably doesn’t; however, Moon is probably trying to get money into the hands of Kim Jong Un.
 
Hour Two
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 2, Block A:  Michael Yon,  -- also doing Facebook live streaming: Facebook/MichaelYonfanpage  ;  in re:  Hong Kong police are occasionally violent with demonstrators. An Indonesian journo was hit and lost an eye. They’ve grabbed me, demanded that I turn off my camera.  Police fully clad in protective gear shot an eighteen-year-old, who was carrying a boogie board, at close range; he’s in critical condition. This in no way has slowed down the protestors.   Looks as though the protestors will call for independence in the next month or two. The “guerrilla force” is clearly in the thousands.  Guerrilla force; auxiliary group; support people.  The kid who was shot in the chest was carrying a boogie board. Demonstrators trying to damage their own economy in order to damage the income to the Mainland.   Police shout to each other in Mandarin, showing them to be from Mainland. They put their knees on the back of demonstrator’s neck
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 2, Block B:  Gordon Chang, in re:  The Chinese state; Xi Jinping; China’s few or no options on Hong Kong.   Almost no one under the age of thirty identifies himself as “Chinese”; rather, as from Hong Kong. On the eve of a second Taiwan?  Taiwanese have a hundred miles between them and Mainland, and also the support of the US, which protect them.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 2, Block C:  Brenda Shaffer,  Georgetown University,  in re:  Armenia meddled with Azerbaijan’s telephone lines.  Young soldier was killed and telephone lines killed; this is not a frozen conflict. Russia and Iran both heavily involved. Intentional provocations.  The whole tragedy dates to the end of the Soviet Union, when Armenia was encouraged by Moscow to take over 25%  of Azerbaijan’s territory.  A lifetime for the 900,000 Azerbaijanis who lost their homes.  International law has done zip.  Several times, Armenia and Azerbaijan were at the edge of signing an agreement – and Moscow intervened heavily to keep the conflict going.   A nuclear power plant near Erevan sends 30% of the electricity it produces to Iran in exchange for natural gas.  Mirabile dictu: Rep Schiff goes to Nagorno-Karabakh and advocates for aid to Armenia and cessation of US aid to Azerbaijan.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 2, Block D: Dr Arthur Turovetz, NJ Diet, in re: Expansions, including into Philadelphia.  Company takes DNA samples, blood samples, et al., and  analyzes people’s eating habits, and makes recommendations.  Patients receive a 50-page report, both how to lose 25 to 50 pounds in forty days, and how to stay well for the rest of life.
 
Hour Three
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 3, Block A: Lee Smith, The Tablet, and author: The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History, in re: The odd and factually inaccurate tale of the last two years in American politics.  . . .  Crowdstrike. The different currents that enter the operation.  Fusion GPS.  Pappadopoulos in Italy.  Joseph Mifsud – “person zero - who was not mentioned at all in the Special Counsel’s report, was originally falsely alleged to have been a Russian agent, but in fact seems to have been more connected to MI6.  Australia (Alexander Downer) and the meeting in the London bar.  See Kim Strassel’s writing on this. 
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 3, Block B:   Lee Smith, The Tablet, and author: The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History, in re:  London played a central part in all this. Former MI6 director. Here may have been involvement by British services or officials; my impression is that they were dragged into it. Ukraine, Italy, Australia, all participated to some extent, but the whole thing as a matter of Americans’ interfering in an American election.   Mifsud in hiding since November 2018?  Has disappeared for two years.  All these people who did these things – DoJ, FBI, Clinton campaign – their deeds are now coming into the spotlight.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 3, Block C:  Thaddeus McCotter. WJR, and Andrew C McCarthy, author & Fox News, in re:
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 3, Block D:  Thaddeus McCotter. WJR, and Andrew C McCarthy, author & Fox News, in re:  American framers wanted to make impeachment difficult; worried about giving excessive power to Congress. Schiff running an inquiry, not an impeachment proceeding.  Haven't issued subpoenas, only snarky letters, as subpoenas can be litigated in court.  A court would ask [impossible-to-answer] questions.
 
Hour Four
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 4, Block A:   Neil Barovsky, former TARP Special Inspector-General,  & author: Bailout, an inside account; in re:  Neil Kashgari & TARP.  What’d the banks do with all that TARP money? They refused to say; Treasury said I was too political and would destroy the banking system.  Frauds, hundred of millions; Revco.  . .  . Secretary Paulson.  Continuing panic.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 4, Block B: Neil Barovsky, former TARP Special Inspector-General,  & author: Bailout, an inside account; in re:   Seven hundred billion dollars. Secretary Paulson. Two mandates: build a law-enforcement agency, and reporting audits, performance reviews, with recommendations.  Money stolen. Bill Dudley.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 4, Block C:  Neil Barovsky, former TARP Special Inspector-General,  & author: Bailout, an inside account; in re:    Colonial Bank, Montgomery, Alabama.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 / Hour 4, Block D:  Neil Barovsky, former TARP Special Inspector-General,  & author: Bailout, an inside account; in re: