The John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.

Episodes

S8 Ep291: WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM: THE STORY OF IRAN'S UPRISING Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. Nilo Tabrizy and co-author Fatima Jamalapur document the uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody. They trace the regime's brutality back to the 1953 co

January 9, 2026 • 12 mins

WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM: THE STORY OF IRAN'S UPRISING Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. Nilo Tabrizy and co-author Fatima Jamalapur document the uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody. They trace the regime's brutality back to the 1953 coup and the 1979 revolution. The discussion highlights the repression of minorities and defiant activism within Evin Prison. NUMBER 5
1850 KHALIFA SULTAN, ABBAS II

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S8 Ep291: ANTISEMITISM IN THE ACADEMY Colleague Josh Hammer. A hostile incident at Loyola University Chicago law school where protesters disrupted a debate on presidential immunity, and the link between anti-Zionism and the eradication of Western civilization. NUMB

January 9, 2026 • 7 mins

ANTISEMITISM IN THE ACADEMY Colleague Josh Hammer. A hostile incident at Loyola University Chicagolaw school where protesters disrupted a debate on presidential immunity, and the link between anti-Zionism and the eradication of Western civilization. NUMBER 4
842 JOSEPHUS

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S8 Ep291: FROM TREBLINKA TO KFAR AZA Colleague Josh Hammer. A visit to the Nazi death camp Treblinka contrasted with the aftermath of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and finding solace in faith and the Golden Rule. NUMBER 3

January 9, 2026 • 12 mins

FROM TREBLINKA TO KFAR AZA Colleague Josh Hammer. A visit to the Nazi death camp Treblinka contrasted with the aftermath of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and finding solace in faith and the Golden Rule. NUMBER 3
1860 JERUSALEM

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S8 Ep290: WESTCHESTER AND THE AMERICANIZATION OF JUDAISM Colleague Josh Hammer. Growing up in a secular Jewish environment, dropping out of Hebrew school, and the later discovery of conservatism and Edmund Burke leading to religious observance. NUMBER 2

January 9, 2026 • 9 mins

WESTCHESTER AND THE AMERICANIZATION OF JUDAISM Colleague Josh Hammer. Growing up in a secular Jewish environment, dropping out of Hebrew school, and the later discovery of conservatism and Edmund Burke leading to religious observance. NUMBER 2
1936 RAMALLAH

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S8 Ep290: THE FATE OF THE JEWISH NATION AND THE DESTINY OF THE WEST Colleague Josh Hammer. Josh Hammer discusses his journey from a secular upbringing to Orthodox Judaism and his new book regarding Western civilization. He contrasts the Holocaust site Treblinka wit

January 9, 2026 • 8 mins

THE FATE OF THE JEWISH NATION AND THE DESTINY OF THE WEST Colleague Josh Hammer. Josh Hammer discusses his journey from a secular upbringing to Orthodox Judaism and his new book regarding Westerncivilization. He contrasts the Holocaust site Treblinka with the October 7 massacre at Kfar Aza. Hammer also details violent campus antisemitism, arguing it targets the foundations of the West. NUMBER 1
1857 CROSSING THE RED SEA

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI VALLEY: THE EARLY HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Colleague Gary Rivlin. Author Gary Rivlin reviews the early history of artificial intelligence in his book AI Valley. He details how 1950s pioneers faced mockery because compu

January 9, 2026 • 2 mins

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI VALLEY: THE EARLY HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEColleague Gary Rivlin. Author Gary Rivlin reviews the early history of artificial intelligence in his book AI Valley. He details how 1950s pioneers faced mockery because computers lacked the power and digital data necessary for neural networks, resulting in a fifty-year delay before technology caught up to the concept.

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY PI: THE POLITE CHATBOT DESIGNED FOR EMPATHY Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin examines the creation of "Pi," a chatbot designed by personality engineers to exhibit good manners and empathy. Rivlin explains how humans fine-tuned th

January 9, 2026 • 2 mins

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY PI: THE POLITE CHATBOT DESIGNED FOR EMPATHY Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin examines the creation of "Pi," a chatbot designed by personality engineers to exhibit good manners and empathy. Rivlin explains how humans fine-tuned the bot to be polite, predicting a future where such AI could serve affordable therapeutic roles or even function as romantic partners.
1955

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI WINTERS: WHEN FUNDING VANISHED Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin explains the history of "AI winters" in the 20th century, periods when funding vanished due to overhyped expectations. He describes how optimism in the 1970s and

January 9, 2026 • 2 mins

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI WINTERS: WHEN FUNDING VANISHED Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin explains the history of "AI winters" in the 20th century, periods when funding vanished due to overhyped expectations. He describes how optimism in the 1970s and 1980s regarding expert systems eventually collapsed, turning AI into a "dirty word" for investors until its recent resurgence.
1964

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY ISRAEL AND CIVILIZATION: ANTI-WESTERN SENTIMENT ON CAMPUS Colleague Josh Hammer. Columnist Josh Hammer discusses his book Israel and Civilization, arguing that anti-Israel protests at universities like George Washington University

January 9, 2026 • 2 mins

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY ISRAEL AND CIVILIZATION: ANTI-WESTERN SENTIMENT ON CAMPUSColleague Josh Hammer. Columnist Josh Hammer discusses his book Israel and Civilization, arguing that anti-Israelprotests at universities like George Washington University are proxies for anti-Western sentiment. Hammer suggests these activists view Israel as a "little Satan" representing Western nation-states, aiming to dismantle Westerncivilizati...

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY IRAN'S DIVERSE ETHNIC MAKEUP Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. Journalist Nilo Tabrizy, co-author of For the Sun After Long Nights, discusses the diverse ethnic makeup of Iran. She explains how moving to Tehran from the provinces feels like

January 9, 2026 • 2 mins

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY IRAN'S DIVERSE ETHNIC MAKEUP Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. Journalist Nilo Tabrizy, co-author of For the Sun After Long Nights, discusses the diverse ethnic makeup of Iran. She explains how moving to Tehran from the provinces feels like immigration for many minorities, who must assimilate and blend their distinct languages and cultures within the capital city.
1870 PERSIA

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S8 Ep288: SHOW 1-8-2026 THE SHOW BEGINS IN DOUBTS ABOUT THE SARCASTIC INVENTION, THE DON-ROE DOCTRINE. SPHERES OF INFLUENCE AND THE RETURN OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE Colleague Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Anatol Lieven argues that "sp

January 8, 2026 • 7 mins

SHOW
1-8-2026
THE SHOW BEGINS IN DOUBTS ABOUT THE SARCASTIC INVENTION, THE DON-ROE DOCTRINE.

SPHERES OF INFLUENCE AND THE RETURN OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE Colleague Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Anatol Lieven argues that "spheres of influence" have returned, with the US reasserting the Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere and threatening to seize Greenland. Unlike traditional alliances, ...

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S8 Ep287: ARTEMIS 2 RISKS AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE Colleague Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com. Bob Zimmerman urges NASA to fly Artemis 2 unmanned due to unresolved Orion heat shield damage, arguing safety should trump beating China. He also dismisses conce

January 8, 2026 • 9 mins

ARTEMIS 2 RISKS AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE Colleague Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com. Bob Zimmerman urges NASA to fly Artemis 2 unmanned due to unresolved Orion heat shield damage, arguing safety should trump beating China. He also dismisses concerns about lunar methane contamination and highlights a new study suggesting ice caps could allow liquid water lakes to exist on Mars. NUMBER 16

1953

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S8 Ep287: EUROPEAN FREEZE AND THE MYTH OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND Colleague Simon Constable, Journalist and Author. A deep freeze hits Southern Europe while commodity prices like copper rise. Simon Constable reports on the UK's bleak economic mood and dismisses the fea

January 8, 2026 • 9 mins

EUROPEAN FREEZE AND THE MYTH OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND Colleague Simon Constable, Journalist and Author. A deep freeze hits Southern Europe while commodity prices like copper rise. Simon Constable reports on the UK's bleak economic mood and dismisses the feasibility of British or French "boots on the ground" in Ukraine. He notes that depleted military manpower makes such guarantees declarative rather than substantial. NUMBER 15<...

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S8 Ep287: RUSSIA'S OIL CRISIS AND REGIONAL DEFICITS Colleague Michael Bernstam, Hoover Institution. Russia faces a financial crisis as oil prices drop below $60 per barrel. Michael Bernstam explains that increased global supply forces Russia to sell at deep discoun

January 8, 2026 • 8 mins

RUSSIA'S OIL CRISIS AND REGIONAL DEFICITS Colleague Michael Bernstam, Hoover Institution. Russiafaces a financial crisis as oil prices drop below $60 per barrel. Michael Bernstam explains that increased global supply forces Russia to sell at deep discounts to China and India, often below cost. This revenue loss prevents the Kremlinfrom paying soldiers, sparking severe regional budget deficits. NUMBER 14
1906 BAKU

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S8 Ep287: VENEZUELA: THE REGIME SURVIVES MADURO'S EXIT Colleague Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal. Despite Maduro's removal, the Venezuelan regime remains intact under hardliners Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello. Mary Anastasia O'Grady notes that rep

January 8, 2026 • 9 mins

VENEZUELA: THE REGIME SURVIVES MADURO'S EXIT Colleague Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal. Despite Maduro's removal, the Venezuelan regime remains intact under hardliners Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello. Mary Anastasia O'Grady notes that repression continues, and European oil companies are hesitant to invest. The regime feigns cooperation to avoid US intervention, but genuine recovery is impossible without resto...

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S8 Ep287: 1204: THE SACK OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE END OF CONTINUITY Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. The Fourth Crusade, diverted by Venetian debt, sacked Constantinople in 1204, burning the city to quell resistance. Watts argues this marked the

January 8, 2026 • 7 mins

1204: THE SACK OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE END OF CONTINUITY Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. The Fourth Crusade, diverted by Venetian debt, sacked Constantinople in 1204, burning the city to quell resistance. Watts argues this marked the true end of the ancient Roman state. The meritocratic system collapsed, and elites like Nicetas Choniates lost everything, severing the 2,000-year political continuity of th...

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S8 Ep287: THE CRUSADES: FROM COOPERATION TO CONFLICT Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Relations between East and West collapsed during the Crusades. While the First Crusade cooperated with Rome, the Second and Third turned hostile, with Crusaders

January 8, 2026 • 12 mins

THE CRUSADES: FROM COOPERATION TO CONFLICT Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Relations between East and West collapsed during the Crusades. While the First Crusade cooperated with Rome, the Second and Third turned hostile, with Crusaders seizing territory rather than returning it. Watts notes that the theological schism of 1054 and cultural distrust entrenched this division, setting the stage for future betr...

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S8 Ep287: THE STUPIDITY OF SUCCESSORS: MANUEL AND ANDRONICUS Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Manuel Komnenos favored grand gestures over systemic stability, weakening the Roman state. His successor, Andronicus, was a nihilistic sadist whose tyra

January 8, 2026 • 7 mins

THE STUPIDITY OF SUCCESSORS: MANUEL AND ANDRONICUS Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Manuel Komnenos favored grand gestures over systemic stability, weakening the Roman state. His successor, Andronicus, was a nihilistic sadist whose tyranny and family infighting destabilized the empire. Watts details how the refusal to punish rebellious family members created a culture of impunity that eventually led to a vi...

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S8 Ep287: THE SIEGE OF 717 AND THE VOLCANO OF THERA Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. In 717 AD, Arab forces besieged Constantinople but failed due to the city's massive walls and "Greek fire." Professor Watts explains that a subsequent volcanic e

January 8, 2026 • 10 mins

THE SIEGE OF 717 AND THE VOLCANO OF THERA Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. In 717 AD, Arab forces besieged Constantinople but failed due to the city's massive walls and "Greek fire." Professor Watts explains that a subsequent volcanic eruption in Thera was interpreted as divine punishment for the empire's sins, leading to a spiritual crisis and the rise of iconoclasm to appease God. NUMBER 9
1680 CONSTAN...

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S8 Ep287: THE NUCLEAR ESCROW: MANAGING PROLIFERATION AMONG ALLIES Colleague Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Henry Sokolski warns that allies like Poland, Turkey, and South Africa are considering nuclear weapons due to eroding trust in US g

January 8, 2026 • 10 mins

THE NUCLEAR ESCROW: MANAGING PROLIFERATION AMONG ALLIES Colleague Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Henry Sokolski warns that allies like Poland, Turkey, and South Africaare considering nuclear weapons due to eroding trust in US guarantees. He proposes a "nuclear escrow" account: storing refurbished warheads in the US for allies to deploy only during crises, providing leverage without permanently statio...

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