The John Batchelor Show

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Air Date: 
August 07, 2012

Photo above: George Romney with Mitt Romney, World's Fair 1964 in Queens, New York

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Tuesday 905P Eastern Time:  Phil Izzo, WSJ news editor, in re: the markets have built in QE3: they're counting on action even while things just stay the same, are just middling along. 

Just because we've hit a bottom doesn’t mean a boom is coming – we could stay there a long time. Markets are calm right now – we know it’s bad; how many years for it to get better?

Tuesday 920P Eastern Time:  John Fund, NRO, in re: The racial sensitivity of the Olympics and the tasteless and inadvertent incidents – as opposed to the brutal regimes that participate.

Tuesday 935P Eastern Time: Richard Epstein, Hoover, in re: Apple vs Motorola; then Apple vs Samsung.  Patent law in the United States. Patents have been one of the engines of wealth-creation for 200 years; the first US Congress passed a patent act and a copyright act.  Currently: probably trillions of dollars' worth of patents now. Judge seems to hold that there exist too many patents today.  Patent troll: it used to be that one could file on a day, then the patent be made formal many months later – and the filer could then sue anyone who used the technology in the interim.

Tuesday 950P Eastern Time:  Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; Lara Brown, Villanova, in re: more 2008 Obama voters changing than are McCain voters.  Moreover, not clear that Pres Obama's party is fully behind him yet – concern about what his policies are. In Colorado: 6% advantage for the president on one poll, a tie in another poll.   Because we have a more polarized electorate than we've had in modern times, voters hold their nose and vote party line – it’s no longer simply the economy. In Pennsylvania, a crucial state, the economy can be more important than party allegiance. PA is a blue state – so far. The west and center are heavily influenced by energy (coal, shale, nat gas); in the east, the collar counties: Rockefeller Republicans.

Tuesday 1005P (705P Pacific Time):  McKay Coppins, Buzzfeed, in re:  Mitt Romney's father becomes an ever-more important theme as the election approaches.  George Romney was oddly more compelling than is his son.  George had the courage of his convictions, would buck the conservatives in his party; Mitt is cautious to a fare-thee-well, always depending on polls, testing the wind.

George Romney was asked to release one year's worth of tax returns; he declined on the ground that one year wouldn't be representative, so he released twelve years of his tax returns. Was a sort of populist taking on the establishment from the center. Was strongly in favor of civil rights, opposed the Republican party's and Barry Goldwater's reactionary positions. Mitt Romney is always thinking of his father; to avoid losing, as his father did, Mitt chooses to do exactly the opposite of what his father did.

Tuesday 1020P (720P Pacific Time):  Bill McGurn, WSJ, in re:  Josh Mandel vs Sherrod Brown in Ohio. The Jewish Republicans. "Win Ohio, you have a chance to be president; lose, and you don't."  Josh Mandel, State treasurer, Marine Corps veteran, challenges. Lots of outside money coming in. Sherrod Brown is called "most liberal Senator in Washington"; Mandel: "a full-spectrum conservative."  J-Street endorsed Sherrod Brown, who embraces them. J-Street is rascals.

Tuesday 1035P (735P Pacific Time):   Bill Roggio, Long War Journal, and Arif Rafiq,  Express Tribune columnist and Middle East Institute scholar, in re: Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, the new leader of the military joint command, said the shake-up in Afghanistan’s security leadership would not derail the transfer of authority to Afghan forces. Pakistani Taliban are adversaries of the Pakistani state.  "The maturation of Afghan politics" - translation: "I can't weigh in on this issue because I'm just a general; however, I don't like this." Taliban attacks, Ministry corruption. "Who - competent - wants this job, anyway?"  Pakistan is playing a very risky game in connection with its long-term future. As US force levels decrease, prospects of conflict increase. No one has a real strategy to deal with this.  Recall the collapse of the South Vietnamese regime.  Civil war scenario not before forces dwindle to the 20,000 range; however, well before that one can imagine the Taliban reclaiming vast tracts of real estate.

Tuesday 1050P (750P Pacific Time):   Bret Stephens, WSJ, in re: Mitt Romney in Jerusalem says that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Is this a mystery? "A mystery that dissolves in the presence of thought." Barack Obama once asserted that Jerusalem is "the undivided capital of Israel," but of course he's walked that back.  The president calculates that he cannot afford to lose the Jewish vote and Jewish donors; is favorable to Israel only when he's fundraising or specific vote-building. Opportunism.

Tuesday 1105P (805P Pacific Time):   Bob Zimmerman, behindtheblack, in re: Update on Curiosity.   The NASA contracts awarded on Friday to SpaceX, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada to provide a crew ferry to ISS.  Glide tests for SpaceShipTwo.  Russian commercial rocket failure today.

Tuesday 1120P (820P Pacific Time): Bob Zimmerman, behindtheblack, in re: 

Tuesday 1135P (835P Pacific Time): Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir by Kambri Crews, 1 of 2

Tuesday 1150P (850P Pacific Time): Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir by Kambri Crews. 2 of 2

Tuesday/Wed 1205A (905 Pacific Time):  Paul Gregory, Hoover, in re: Pussy Riot vs Vladimir Vladimirovich (and it’s Putin who's losing).

Tuesday/Wed  1220A (920 Pacific Time): John Fund, NRO, in re: The racial sensitivity of the Olympics and the tasteless and inadvertent incidents – as opposed to the brutal regimes who participate.

Tuesday/Wed  1235A (935P Pacific Time): Richard Epstein, Hoover, in re:   Apple vs Motorola; then Apple vs Samsung.  Patent law in the United States. Patents have been one of the engines of US wealth-creation for 200 years; first Congress passed a patent act and a copyright act.  Today, probably trillions of dollars' worth of patents exiist. Judge seems to hold that there exist too many patents today.  Patent troll: it used to be that one could file on a day, then the patent be made formal many months later – and the filer could then sue anyone who used the technology in the interim.

Tuesday/Wed  1250A  (950P Pacific Time): Exeunt. Jack Ewing, Intl Herald Tribune, in re: Frankfurt Occupy finally ended by police: across from European Central Bank.

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Music (using East Coast broadcast times)

9-hour:  John Carter.  10-hour:  John Carter, The Road, Brake.    11-hour:  John Carter, Jane Eyre.  midnight hour: John Carter, Assassin's Creed.