Wednesday 3 February 2021
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Colleagues: Gordon Chang, Daily Beast, and David Livingston, The Space Show
Hour One
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 1, Block A: Andrew C McCarthy, @AndrewCMcCarthy, Ball of Collusion; and Thaddeus McCotter, @ThadMcCotter, American Greatness, in re: The annual impeachment to resume February 9? Chief Justice Roberts will not adjudicate the proceedings; Senator Leahy may. What a prosecutor wants to make central is the most serious conduct of the accused. Here, they went with “inciting insurrection.” Incitement is a problematic concept in federal law, largely because of the First Amendment; but possibly useful later because of he Fourteenth Amendment, although this impeachment is a political, not legal, trial. When Hamilton wrote of impeachment in the Federal Papers, he said it’s more redolent of military than penal justice. In penal law, cannot add a charge beyond what’s in the indictment; here, may be able to. Senator Graham warns: no witness required in this trial.
Democrats seem to think that the longer they keep Trump in the media spotlight, the less they’ll be blamed for [events].
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 1, Block B: Andrew C McCarthy, @AndrewCMcCarthy, Ball of Collusion; and Thaddeus McCotter, @ThadMcCotter, American Greatness, in re: Clinesmith of the Russia investigation. Probably no criminal charges because AG Barr appointed Durham as Special Counsel expecting a [narrative] report. Disappointing to many Americans. What he did was deceive the court, make false statements. Have Bill Barr and others seen that in their hunger to defend the institution they’ve undermined public confidence in the legal system? FISA Curt. False statement.
One possibility is that Clinesmith has information he’s willing to give to the prosecutor; is cooperating. No, I don't think so.
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 1, Block C: Rick Fisher, senior Fellow on Asian Military Affairs of the International Assessment and Strategy Center, in re: PRC sent nuclear-capable bombers into Taiwanese ADIZ. The PLA air force has over 100 H, H6K,[et al.] in its fleet of bombers, which could could grow to over 400 by the end of this decade.
Consider the possibility of China attacking Taiwan from the East. It has two carrier battle groups to deploy, plus bombers escorted by fighters, and layers of unmanned systems, incl ships and submarine, PLA is amassing weapons, and [preparing to attack from East North, and South.
If Xi conquers Taiwan, he will have reconstructed the Ch`ing Dynasty and be considered the grates Communist leader.
Taiwan has a hidden arsenal of missiles, ranges of hundreds of kms, and plans for ballistic missiles. The balance of power currently falls on the balance of bombers. Here, the US has an advantage. Half our bombers could launch enough missiles to take out a Chinese invasion fleet. Taiwan has hardened bunkers and tunnels, esp on the East side of the island.
We need to be concerned that the Biden administration may not [fully defend] Taiwan. Xi Jinping could wake up one day and decide that he could succeed in an invasion.
.. .. ..
Taiwan, under President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and the United States under President Donald Trump, have started a long-overdue buildup of defensive capabilities to deter military aggression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dictatorship. The problem is that developmental and funding timelines dictate that the balance of these planned capabilities, assuming they are continued by successor governments, will not be deployed to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan until the mid-2020s.
This then raises the essential question: can Taiwan and the United States win the “Taiwan Interregnum,” the period from now until there is a far more favorable balance of power on the Taiwan Strait? Or even more narrowly: can military capabilities that largely exist today sufficiently scare CCP dictator-for-life Xi Jinping (習近平) from adding millions of Taiwan invasion victims to the 1.7 million global victims of his Wuhan Coronavirus?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/02/02/chinas-sneaky-bomber-ma...
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/12/28/2003749502
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 1, Block D: Charles Ortel, On the Money with Charles Ortelpodcast; and Gordon Chang, @GordonGChang, Daily Beast, in re: NA Group has entered bankruptcy on the demand of creditors including Ping An Bank, Bank of Hainan, and Chang’an Bank. Will the billionaires of China have to run for cover? (Investing in China is a shot in the dark.) Hilton and Deutsche Bank are caught in a multibillion embezzlement ($9.6 bil). In 1989, United Airlines tanked the global stock market. “When you lie down with wolves, you don't get up.” Corruption charges are how people fight enemies in the party. . . . This is a time to be cautious, prune leverage. Defaults in China over the last six months, at a record pace. Expect more in European (Belgium, Switzerland, e.g.) banks, too. At Davos, Xi didn’t mention Belt and Road. China is likely overextended. No: China will not open up its books; it’ll do what it’s always done, which is hide [data]. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/china-s-embattled-hna-group-unit-shares-slump-as-creditors-seek-bankruptcy-14087232
Hour Two
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 2, Block A: John Catsimatidis, @JCats2013, @CatsRoundtable, Red Apple Media & Cats Roundtable radio, in re: The virus and the vaccine. Keystone XL Pipeline: President Biden has cut it, and created a moratorium on O&G on federal lands, However, fossil fuels will be the dominant energy form in the US for the coming thirty years. The US has a hundred years’ worth of oil. Whereas China, Korea, and others, depend on Saudi Arabia, Russia. The oil was leaving Canada, going to the US Gulf Coast, where it was refined by American workers, then shipped worldwide. Now, it’ll be brought to the surface, anyway, and be shipped to China. Again, China wins and the US loses.
Many in Gov Cuomo’s medical staff have quit. The AG has found that NYS massively undercounted care-home deaths [it wasn’t 7,000 but 13,000]. Democratic state lawmakers are looking to raise taxes in a recovery. There’s no history that that has ever been successful—and the rich will just up and move to Florida or Texas, leaving busboys, waters, taxi drivers to pay and suffer. Miami Democrats call themselves “progressive, pro-business Democrats.” Why has Cuomo decreed that restaurants in New York City may open on 14 February—why not today? No good reason at all.
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 2, Block B: Christine Mikol Ajac, in re: Immigrati0n: She was born in Canada, came to the US for university and fell in love with the country; and spent years in London awaiting US papers. Merit is the worst way to immigrate to the US: only 5% of green cards are given based on job qualifications. Must have a green card to live here [safely]. Otherwise, you can wait eighty years and “still get the knife.” Canada cares a lot about experience and education; the US barely does. The process is so antiquated, long, with senseless criteria. Depending on what country you come from, you literally can wait eighty years. Yes, there’s a cap based on country of origin—if you were born in India or China, its hopeless. A website to keep you posted? I wish! It took me twelve years to create the right case. It’s your companythat files for your green card. I never actually was able to see my application. Looks as though the system is designed to discourage immigration. The situation is so punishing, costs so much and requires so many lawyers; you may as well go elsewhere. Meanwhile, as you wait, your children can age out and have to leave—if they’re legal, thus not covered by the Dream Act. Result for Christine: she had to give up becoming a US citizen.
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 2, Block C: Cleo Paskal, @CleoPaskal, non-resident senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Gordon Chang, @GordonGChang,Daily Beast, in re: Contest in Eurasia between PRC and India. India is now in the Quad, in the Indo-Pacific. FT features a story: “India Eyes Global Vaccine Drive to Eclipse China.” India has long been providing very important, lifesaving pharmaceuticals; has the brainpower and mfrg capability to produce. India is producing AstraZeneca and Covaxin**, the latter being all-Indian and can be stored at more normal temperatures, thus be delivered to where the infrastructure [is more modest].
China has produced two not-very-effective, possibly not safe, vaccines; is using what it calls Vaccine Diplomacy. China’s attack on India is not frontal—for example, a major fire at India’s main production facility, India is ready to replace China in many parts of the entire supply chain, making it a n existential threat to China. , , . In domestic demonstrations, all of a sudden Greta Thunberg shows up along with Kamala Harris’s niece. Greta accidentally tweeted a doc* on how this is part of a coordinated protest to [undermine] India. It’s available on the Net. It certainly aids China’s [irregular] warfare against India. This comes right out of Beijing’s playbook, which includes incitement to violence. Where are the tweets about the Uyghurs, about Hong Kong? China uses all points of contact to overthrow governments.
* https://www.cbsnews.com/news/farmers-protest-india-rihanna-greta-thunberg-meena-harris-government-crackdown/
** Govt to treat Bharat Biotech's Covaxin same as AstraZeneca's
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 2, Block D: Christian Whiton: @ChristianWhiton, Center for the National Interest; and Gordon Chang, @GordonGChang, Daily Beast, in re: The coup in Burma [called Myanmar]: China disfavors the fledgling democracy in Burma and has reason to support antidemocratic opposition. Biden needs to be hesitant about taking action right away; examine if our opposition to tyrannical takeovers has been unsuccessful (Morsi, Erdogan). Aung San Suu Kyi got in power, shared power with the military and was fine with the bad mistreatment of Rohyngas. US interest lies in thwarting China’s presence there. The UN’s Human Rights Council is a complete joke.
Hour Three
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 3, Block A: Salena Zito:@SalenaZito @DCExaminer @RealClearPolitics; New York Post, CNN; Middle of Somewhere column; in re: Travelling down US 11 to Ranson, West Virginia. Many DC escapees live there. The man topic there is covid: when will small businesses be allowed to be fully functional? Note that 70% of presidential vote went to Trump; only Sen Joe Manchin is a Democrat. They want govt to be more competent. WV has circumvented the national habit of using megastores for vaccine distribution; are using local pharmacies and small shops with which people are familiar and where they’re comfortable. Very effective distribution so far. Energy was long WV’s history, especially coal; President Biden has spoken [disparagingly] of fossil fuels. This will eventually hit PA, OH. Fracking. https://richmond.com/opinion/columnists/salena-zito-column-conservative-...
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 3, Block B: Salena Zito:@SalenaZito @DCExaminer @RealClearPolitics; New York Post, CNN; Middle of Somewhere column; in re: Brothers of the presidents. Jimmy Carter had a younger brother Billy, a colorful character, who loved beer, including before breakfast. A Newsweek cover on BillyBeer. Unfortunately, by Carter’s third year of his presidency, Billy became agent of the govt of Libya, and was [dealing] with Brzezinski to free ___ with Qadaffi. Today, Biden’s brother, not a lawyer, has taken a position as a senior advisor to a Miami law firm. He says that he and his brother share the same values; doesn't even pretend not to be an influencer of his brother the president.
Ohio is more conservative than PA, which is more conservative than you’d think. GOP candidates are holding their powder.
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 3, Block C: Robert Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com; in re: Bob’s birthday. SpaceX finally did its second Starshp hop; the FAA had blocked it but [backed down]. Here it launched beautifully, came down right over the launch pad – but just before it was to make itself vertical, and fired engines to slow down, something went wrong. Second engine didn't fire, so it crashed into the launch pad. Next launch may be within six weeks. The other component is the FAA in the Biden administration: it explained the block today with gobbled gook, made no sense; used by bureaucrats to cover error. Claimed that SpaceX had requested a waiver in December to “exceed maximum public risk,” to let guests be closer to the launch site. Also, as it develops Boca Chica, it files applications for environmental licensing. A nonprofit fellow claims this is dangerous to a wildlife corridor on Boca Chica beaches—but we have a half-century of empirical evidence that that’s not true: Kennedy Spaceport. Wildlife there has thriven, It's all garbage.
Tourist-type flight: Jared Eisenman has paid for himself and three passengers in order to get donations to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
A non-US citizen was turned away for applying for a job at SpaceX, which declined to hire a foreign national because that would have been illegal. Now the feds are instigating a suit?
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 3, Block D: Robert Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com; in re: 1. NASA. 2. Biden has delayed contract award for a lunar lander. He loser here maybe Bezos, which was bldg. the descent portion. Other portions of he lunar lander can be adjusted. Landed and wants to do a manned flight; astronauts training in Russia. Virgin Galactic’s 2019 flight: one wing almost fell off—had it, it would have killed all aboard. Kept ita secret for years. China’s pseudo-private company launched into orbit; this week, it failed.
Hour Four
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 4, Block A: Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World's Greatest Scientific Expedition (A Merloyd Lawrence Book), by Stephen R Bown
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 4, Block B: Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World's Greatest Scientific Expedition (A Merloyd Lawrence Book), by Stephen R Bown
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 4, Block C: Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World's Greatest Scientific Expedition (A Merloyd Lawrence Book), by Stephen R Bown
Wednesday 3 February 2021 / Hour 4, Block D: Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World's Greatest Scientific Expedition (A Merloyd Lawrence Book), by Stephen R Bown