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JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-hosts: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com and David Livingston, The Space Show
 
Hour One
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 1, Block A:  Lee Sung-Yoon, professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, in re: Moon Jae-in is the most leftist, dovish, accommodationist South Korean leader in decades, but he’s just ordered more [association] with the US.  In fact, that’s just bloviating on his part. At the first offer of discussions from Kim, Moon no doubt will jump to it. Gave $4.4 bil of aid from RoK to DPRK  in the last ___ years.   DPRK has wholly rebuffed Seoul because it’s confident that it’s able to [extort] funds from Moon whenever he wants.  Aug 29, 1910, was “National Humiliation Day” for North Korea.
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/moon-orders-overwhelming-show-of-military-force-against-north
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 1, Block B:  Steve Moore, CNN, Heritage, former senior economic advisor to Pres Trump; and Committee to Unleash Prosperity; in re: Announcement of 3% GDP growth for Q2.  (Btw, today it’s at 3.5%.) Solid consumer spending and a pick-up in . . .  Without the intended tax cuts, we might revert to 2% growth. . ..  That tax cut bringing in [extremely substantial fund sin repatriation]: has Wall street begun to spend it yet?  Question: How’s biz?  Answer: Good, or Great.
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 1, Block C:  Anthony Ruggiero, FDD, in re:  North Korean weaponry.  ______: “There’s no military solution to North Korea”   Pres Trump: “For 25 years the US has been paying extortion money to North Korea; no more talking.”
Denuclearization of DPRK is our goal, which DPRK refuses. What to do? Negotiations have failed.  Recall that ‘twas not Pres Bush but North Korea who walked away from negotiations.
. . .  The biggest Chinese banks launder money for North Korea; there’s a great deal, many things, that the US can do; we simply haven't tried them.
Trump Adm has done well trying to turn the tide, esp anent China and Now Russia, whose companies are working with DPRK proliferation firms. Buying vanadium (restricted by UN)  . . .  
US needs to stop allowing Bank of China, inter al., in the US even as it [sabotages] this county.  Justice Dept created a “dam” in eight US banks: we thing Chinese are doing dollar transactions and we’ll scoop all that money up.   . . .
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 1, Block D:  William Murphy, associate professor of political science, New England Institute of Technology in East Greenwich, in re: Most recent DPRK missile test has revealed enormous gaps in Japan’s missile defense capacity; a national emergency, need to set out a course to rectify this immed; come to the US, get a joint plan, then move to execute it.  Drastic and immediate action is required. Patriot 3 interceptors, and Aegis system; and THAAD.   . . . Japanese Natl Command Authority determined that it hadn’t enough time to intercept the arriving North Korean missiles. A govt’s first responsibility is to protect its citizens. US has a similar problem – we've been badly imprudent, have not invested in missile defense, at higher levels.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/28/unprecedented-serious-and-significant-threat-japans-prime-minister-on-north-korea-missile-launch.html   “North Korea fired a ballistic missile that passed over Japan early Tuesday, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had strong words about its gravity. Abe said the missile was an unprecedented, serious and grave threat to Japan. The Japanese prime minister also said he would ask the United Nations to up the pressure on Pyongyang.”
 
Hour Two
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 2, Block A:  Bruce Bechtol, professor at Angelo State University and author of North Korea and Regional Security in the Kim Jong-un Era, in re: North Korea missile launch of an intermediate-range missile on Tuesday.   Hwa-song 12 is a Musadan missile equipped with a more-powerful engine, probably also sold to Iran. Can fly 4,000 to 4,500 km, putting Guam well within range. Shot it over Japan, violated Japanese airspace, and showed that it wasn’t bothered I doing so. Next time or soon thereafter, probably will live up to their promises to fire a “volley of missiles toward Guam,” splash in the water 40 km away.
TaePoDong 2.  Hwa-Song 14: probably a variant of the KN14 (US appellation), longer range but similar engines – but it's a two stage missile, can go 7,000? Km and thereby hit Alaska, Hawaii, and the three Western coastal states.   Mobile missile!  Beijing is supporting the North Korean missile program In 2012 Obama Adm spoke privately w China on that: “We just sold North Korea ____ and they promised it’d be used only for logging.”  Urgh   Wider than logging roads.  If they can hit the US, shame on us.
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 2, Block B:  Stephen Yates, chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, CEO of D.C. International Advisory, and former advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney — and candidate to be Lt-Gov of Idaho; in re: Trump's North Korea policy:   http://www.thedailybeast.com/north-korea-gives-trump-the-middle-finger-w...
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 2, Block C:  Claudia Rosett, PJ Media, in re: Resolve anent North Korea and China, esp how to solve.  Dialogue, the pet plan of the State Dept, is a compete failure. US needs to choose ether to unseat the current regime, in which case we need to think how to do it with least risk, or decide to keep on jaw-jawing up to a specified time or goal.  . . .
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 2, Block D:  Gordon Chang, Daily Beast, in re: Will Japan go nuclear?
 
Hour Three
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 3, Block A:  Monica Crowley, London Center for Policy Research, in re:  In a national emergency – to wit, the storm Harvey — we join as a people, become one nation.  At present, we’re an atomized culture.  In a crisis such as Texas and Louisiana today, we return to e pluribus unum.  JB: My understanding of politics is that it’s one great big food fight.  Trump’s positives
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 3, Block B:  Monica Crowley, London Center for Policy Research, in re:  Trump’s positives
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 3, Block C:  Salena Zito, CNN and Washington Examiner, in re: Trump on Harvey, the storm
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 3, Block D:  Harry Siegel, Daily News and Daily Beast, in re:  Village Voice.
 
Hour Four
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 4, Block A: Conrad Black, Flight of the Eagle.
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 4, Block B: Conrad Black, Flight of the Eagle.
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 4, Block C:  Jonathan W. Jordan, American Warlords: How Roosevelt's High Command Led America to Victory in World War II
Wednesday  30 August 2017 / Hour 4, Block D:  Jonathan W. Jordan, American Warlords: How Roosevelt's High Command Led America to Victory in World War II