The John Batchelor Show

Wednesday 22 August 2018

Air Date: 
August 22, 2018

Photo: Les demi-mondaines:  Elles étaient vénales, certes, mais c’était le prix de leur beauté.
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Gordon Chang, Daily Beast
 
Hour One
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 1, Block A:  Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, in re:   Eighty million Party members; “you must be loyal to the Party.”  Military is 2.5 million, incl specialists and specialized activities. What’s the goal – from what are they preparing their forces? How do you mobilize, as in, who tells whom? Xi’s army is too  big for anyone to control.  It threatens to start chewing up what feeds them, the Party. 
Reminiscent slightly of 1930s, where the mil took over the country. You don’t hear the US president demanding loyalty from Gen Dunford.   One of the reasons the Japanese did badly I WWI: army wanted to head to Russia; navy wanted to head south. Military was disconnected from the civilian mechanism; China isn't remotely that sophisticated.  If peace is behind me and war is ahead, where’s ahead? Pix of Winnie the Pooh are banished as they're thought to look too much like Xi  . . .
'Peace behind me, war in front of me': China's new Army propaganda video is chilling and viral

  • China's People's Liberation Army released a chilling video last week called "I am a Chinese Soldier."
  • The video emotionally underscores the sacrifices made by service members of the PLA while showing off some of the country's latest weaponry.

China's People's Liberation Army released a chilling video last week called "I am a Chinese Soldier," which was first spotted in the West by the National Interest
The 2:20 minute video, released on August 1 for China's Army Day, emotionally underscores the sacrifices made by service members of the PLA while showing off some of the country's latest weaponry. 
At one point in the propaganda video, the narrator says "peace behind me, war in front of me," which The National Interest said could be interpreted to mean war is "inevitable." 
The National Interest, which provided a translation of the narration, also pointed out that no female soldiers were depicted in the video — just mothers and wives sending their husbands or sons off.
https://www.businessinsider.com/peace-behind-me-war-in-front-of-me-china-posts-video-new-weaponry-2018-8
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/20/xi-jinping-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-from-chinese-army
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 1, Block B: Lee Sung Yoon, Fletcher School at Tufts University, in re: Is Moon looking to unite the Koreas under the North Korean banner?  He promised not to have THAAD, nor have mil alliance with the US or Japan.  On inter-Korean relations,  . . .   If all this led to real peace, I'd favor it; but appeasement [leads to danger].  So far, Dear Leader has flashed smiles and gone to meetings, released US detainees who never shd have been detained, and decommissioned a nuke site – all gestures that have no real relevance to the hard reality that DPRK has an operational nuclearized missile program. The two Korean leaders are colluding to appear tht there’s rapprochement – the emotional meetings of nonagenarians meeting;  these are cruel as they're “hello and goodbye” mtgs, never to recur.  All closely monitored and no privacy. Have nothing to do w reconciliation/rapprochement. Putin: “I’m ready to meet you [soon]”  Russia wants to be a player in normalizing the cruel North Korean tyrant. 
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-and-south-korean-families-reunited-first-time-since-korean-war-2018-08-20/All
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 1, Block C:  James Holmes, first holder of the Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College, and blogger at The Naval Diplomat (https://navaldiplomat.com/), & surface warfare officer; in re:  China has studied Mahan, preparing for war; the ocean basin  hasn't changed since WWII.  What has China learned about Pearl Harbor?  That things are far more congenial for China should it make war than they were for Japan back then.  The equivalent of Pearl today might be the Seventh Fleet.  Were China to strike a US facility, wouldn’t the US strike back hard? Yes.  In the film Tora Tora: Yamamoto said, “We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.” Also, when you take on a navy, you do so with a kido butai, which Japan didn’t understand at the time.  
Chinese navy has never fought a major engagement.  Last time the US did, it was October 1944. 
New US carrier in production.   . . . Saturation missile . . . hard to sink a carrier, but could crater the flight deck . . .  China is teaching a war doctrine to its troops and officers.  US attack sub fleet?  China was lagging till recently, but now resolved to try to make up that ground.  Margin is narrowing.  US coming out with a new block of Virginia-class submarines.  Should the US and China get in to a shooting war, it’ll be because China creates a provocation that goes out of control.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-japan-truly-failed-pearl-harbor-and-what-china-may-learn-it-29222
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 1, Block D:  Josh Rogin, Washington Post, in re:   Mike Pompeo. Jim Jeffrey, Secy of State for Syrian Engagement, What?  A new position.  Jeffrey was amb to Iraq and Turkey.  However he’s been given no tools with which to work.   . .  This works out to be undermining what he’s appointed to do.  UN: if we cd convince Russia to pay to have free and fair elections in Syria, etc. – it's been tried for eight years to no avail.  Meanwhile, Assad is attacking Idlib, where 3 mil citizens are pinned down under fire. What a mess!
 
Hour Two
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 2, Block A:  Alan Tonelson, independent economic policy analyst who blogs at RealityChek and tweets at @AlanTonelson, in re: China’s ambition is to rule within this century, requiring that it overcome [word of politesse] other extant world powers.  Perhaps they’re a bit out of touch.  Was it a mistake to let China in to the WTO in the first place? Chinese leaders believe Trump will blink.  China has been mollycoddled for decades by a DC establishment that depended on offshoring mfg to China in order to make [megabucks]. “If the fight isn’t settled by November, then it'll probably last another year. Were that to happen, it’d make sense to move US factories out of China back home to avoid the 25% tariff.
Global supply chains are very malleable, and easy to influence by tariffs! Beware what you read and hear in media.  Reducing the US footprint in China is a good idea, in any case, we shd be helping our friends.   China has been attacking US planes and ships.  “Australia bans Wawei form 5G network for natl security.”  . . . The only group that doesn't get it is the US foreign policy establishment – and the US media.  . . .   https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/us-china-to-resume-trade-talks-in-washington-amid-low-expectations-idUSKCN1L70HR
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 2, Block B:  David Maxwell, senior Fellow at FDD; 30-year United States Army veteran, retiring in 2011 as a Special Forces Colonel; in re: there are two dangerous Korean leaders now: Kim and Moon.  South Korea doesn't want to coordinate with its treaty ally Washington. Both North & South do not currently recognize each other; both must change their constitution to do that, as each claims sovereignty over the whole peninsula. Moon is taking the lead; is that getting out ahead of the alliance? Must rest on the RoK-US alliance, be orchestrated & synchronized.  Concerns:  RoK gave the three ledges to China, no  coordination w DC, and it undercut US ability to defend South Korea.  Moon trying to have sanctions lifted before DPRK gives up its nukes!  Moon Jae-in: Peace at all costs. Moon is  in a race with Kim to be the Great Korean Leader.
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 2, Block C:  Bill McGurn, WSJ, in re:  John Brennan.  ”Incredible statements for a man of his former position to  have made.”  He said “’treason” after the Helsinki summit!  That was based on a press conference. Unhinged. Ari Fleischer: “Intell retaliated vs Trump because he won – vindictively, in the dark.”  . . . Unelected bureaucrats acting this ay. NB: Diane Feinstein had an active Chinese spy as driver for many years; intell did nothing.   . . . House Intell Committee hasn’t really begun investigation into Brennan, one of the chief architects.  He lied to Congress; has a questionable relati0nship with the truth. 
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 2, Block D:  Monica Crowley, London Center for Policy Research, in re:  Republican roles. . . .  ‘Twas Rosenstein who should  have recused himself.  FISA warrants – Rosenstein, Yates, signed them.
 
Hour Three
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 3, Block A:  Andrew C McCarthy, NRO columnist and former Asst US Attorney, Southern District of New York; in re:  Russiagate.
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 3, Block B:  Andrew C McCarthy, NRO columnist and former Asst US Attorney, Southern District of New York; in re:  Russiagate.
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 3, Block C:  Dr Lara Brown, George Washington University, and Salena Zito, Washington Examiner & CNN (inter al.); in re: Pennsylvania politics
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 3, Block D:  Dr Lara Brown, George Washington University, and Salena Zito, Washington Examiner & CNN (inter al.); in re: Pennsylvania politics
 
Hour Four
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 4, Block A:  Henry Miller, Hoover, in re:  FDA.
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 4, Block B:  Bruce Thornton, research Fellow at the Hoover Institution,  in re: Wildfires.
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 4, Block C:  This Gulf of Fire: The Great Lisbon Earthquake, or Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason, by Mark Molesky
Wednesday 22 August 2018/ Hour 4, Block D:  This Gulf of Fire: The Great Lisbon Earthquake, or Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason, by Mark Molesky