The John Batchelor Show

Wednesday 25 September 2019

Air Date: 
September 25, 2019

Photo: 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-hosts:  Christopher Nixon Cox, Liechtenstein Institute;  Gordon Chang, Daily Beast, and David Livingston, The Space Show
 
Hour One
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 1, Block A:  Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania: Seventieth anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China. The only thing to “celebrate” is that the Communist Party, without war and in good weather, managed to take the lives of seventy million Chinese people.   What the Party leadership most fear is that the people be able to express themselves freely. Chinese people on the coast, many of whom have done fairly well, feel more obliged to the Party; those in the villages, many of whom are living in abject poverty, are more likely to be malcontent. Look for signs of displeasure or boredom. 
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 1, Block B:  Charles Burton, senior Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, in re: China in the Canadian elections. The elite in Canada seem to have been coopted by, seduced by, the Chinese Communist Party, which [doesn't suit]  those of us in favor of free trade and democratic governance.  We consider it inappropriate for Canadians to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of the PRC, but my government has said it will, anyway.
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 1, Block C:  Charles Ortel, of the On the Money with Charles Ortel podcast, in re:  The global economy and trading system.  . . .  People tired of corruption; this impeachment process is a waste of time and the voters are growing annoyed.   Pres Trump’s UN speech was extremely good, Does the president need a trade deal with China? No, he needs a good deal with China. Europe is not a unified market; South American, incl Brazil , is in turmoil. Where else in the world can you see as economically promising a nation as the US? . . . Xi Jinping will worry about what the Chinese people will say about the intransigence of their political system.   . . .  Our friends and allies can conclude that they’re not important to the [American political class]. 
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 1, Block D: Brenda Shaffer, adjunct professor at Georgetown University; Fellow, Atlantic Council; University of Haifa professor, in re: Azerbaijan, the Deal of the Century. The adults need to manage the cornucopia of oil for the benefit of the next generation.  When oil was $12 a barrel and war was raging regionally, Azerbaijan invited the major oil companies of the world to come in and develop the resources, which they did, vastly to the benefit of the present and future.  Baku will put wind turbines on the coast of the Caspian? Might make the most sense to do that for villages in the North Caucasus. SOCAR is already an international investor – Italy, Central Asia, all around.  Major accomplishment. 
 
Hour Two
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 2, Block A:  Stephen Yates, former deputy national security advisor to Vice President Cheney and currently CEO of DC International Advisory, in re: Pres Trump at the UN. At the parade for the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of the PRC, only notables will be able to watch it in person; others will have to watch on television.   The regime is too afraid of its citizenry to let them be present.   “I thought Pres Trump’s presentation at the UN was among the best; rebalancing relationships, dealing with key competitors around the world; about Hong Kong – how Mainland leaders handle it will determine how we see China. The eighth decade of the Soviet Union did not treat it kindly; I suspect that the same will obtain with China.”  Hong Kong and Taiwan: HK had a colonial experience under the British; Taiwan, under the Japanese, so they have different histories, but Taiwanese are impressed by Hong Kongese. A somewhat gratuitous warning by Xi Jinping to Taiwanese in the New Year’s address.  Beijing has almost killed any notion of One nation/Two systems.  One third of the Hong Kong population is so concerned about the future of their city that they’re in the streets. Never heard of this anywhere else, ver. 
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 2, Block B:  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/), in re:  North Korea’s weaponry.  Commentators deride North Korea’s ability to [damage] the US Navy.  I thought about our aircraft carriers.  I think [we’re probably all right, but] never say never.  RoK navy will not attend the intl naval review in Japan; a fraying within our alliances.  There’s no Asian NATO.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/north-korea-could-sink-us-navy-ai...
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 2, Block C:  Jim McTague, author; formerly long at Barron’s Washington; in re: The economic outlook.  The market reached a new peak; the president gave a strong address at the UN; the Democrat announced they’d seek an impeachment; the market went to profit-taking, slightly. The GDP and other indices are still excellent. We were growing at 3%, now closer to 1.9%, which isn’t bad in view of all the headwinds.  Income growth is at 6% and home sales are up. The Democrats haven't come up with a response to the terrific economy, so they say “impeachment.”  Pres Obama was better able to finesse criticism . . .  Judicial Watch today said the Rosenstein wanted to wear a wire into the White House to record anything from the president that would get him kicked out.  As Holman Jenkins said, “Ukraine votes for Warren.”
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 2, Block D:   Chris Riegel, Scala.com, in re: The Scala Report.  The IoT – what non-cognoscenti call the internet of things – actually, inside the industry, we  look from Alexa to Fitbit,; look at the huge range of items used by vast numbers of people, and the ever-deceasing cost of the technologies. As the smart home evolves, utility rates will lower and home will be more comfortable. Siemen’s new HQ in  Switzerland is [“smart”] itself – not only control temperature, etc., but it can track people within. Building-level AI is a huge payoff.   Smart systems have a huge payoff.   . . . Surveillance capitalism: data gathered are sold; if I get free access, I’m the product (me, my use patterns, everything about me that I put on social media).  Laws vary broadly – India, EU, China, the US.  Home field advantage.  Some cows have been obliged to swallow a chip that lets the farmer monitor its health. I fear the day that Terminator cows will come to eat us.
 
Hour Three
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 3, Block A:  Leyla Allahlayeva, spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan; in re:
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 3, Block B:  Shahmar Movsumov, Executive Director, State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan; in re:
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 3, Block C:  Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman, the Republic of Azerbaijan State Committee on Religious Associations; in re:
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 3, Block D:  Parviz Shahbazov, Minister Of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan; in re:
 
Hour Four
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 4, Block A: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 4, Block B: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 4, Block C: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard
Wednesday 25 September 2019 / Hour 4, Block D: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard