The John Batchelor Show

CONTINUED Chinese Hybrid Warfare and Lawfare in the Solomon Islands Guest: Cleo Paskal 1905,

Chinese Hybrid Warfare and Lawfare in the Solomon Islands Guest: Cleo Paskal Cleo Paskal detailed China's hybrid warfare in the Solomon Islands, focusing on Daniel Suidani, a former premier of Malaita who resisted Chinese influence by instituting a moratorium on CCP-linked businesses due to concerns over environmental and social harm, but after being politically ousted, he and his colleague were targeted with spurious "lawfare" charges (unlawful assembly) designed to demoralize and bankrupt them, with Suidani tragically dying of kidney failure after being denied use of a China-donated dialysis machine, while India-donated machines sat unused due to government stonewalling on training. 1905 WHITE HOUSE DINNER GUESTS

ROK REQUESTS ATTACK BOAT, Greg Scarlatoiu, president and CEO of The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c620qppzlgwo 1904

Canada-China Relations and Chinese Deception Guest: Charles Burton Charles Burton, author of The Beaver and the Dragon, discussed Canada's troubled relationship with China, criticizing the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for adopting rhetoric favoring "pragmatic and constructive relations," suggesting Canada might ally with China's geostrategic goal of undermining U.S.-backed liberal democracies, with Carney's accelerated meetings with Xi Jinping possibly being attempts to secure market access or apply pressure on the U.S., while Burton noted concerns over the non-implementation of Canada's foreign agent registry despite issues like Chinese espionage and election interference. 1904

The USS Gerald R. Ford and Gunboat Diplomacy in the Caribbean Guest: Rebecca Grant Rebecca Grant affirmed that the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier in the Caribbean is the "top symbol of American power," providing significant strike and surveillance options, with the rapid deployment being unusual and signaling a large strategic shift to reassert U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, pressure Maduro, and push back against Chinese and Russian influence, and Grant agreed with China's label of the action as "gunboat diplomacy," noting that it is strategically effective in signaling America's seriousness about the region. 1904

Japan's New PM and Existential Threat of Taiwan Conflict Guest: Lance Gatling Lance Gatling discussed Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, who has adopted a notably hawkish position towards China, stating that a blockade or threat against Taiwan could be interpreted as an existential threat to Japan, allowing the possibility of engaging in collective defense with allies like the U.S. or Philippines, and amid rising tensions and China's attempts to inflict economic damage, Takaichi is moving to accelerate the doubling of Japan's defense procurement budget, while the U.S. withdrawal of the mobile Typhoon missile system was criticized as strategically counterproductive during this critical moment. 1904 PORT ARTHUR

US Productivity vs. Chinese Manufacturing Dominance Guest: Dave Hebert Dave Hebert analyzed China's manufacturing dominance, which is fundamentally based on massive state subsidies (over $1 trillion annually) and a huge workforce of up to 212 million people, despite this scale, the U.S. workforce is vastly more productive per capita, supported by foreign investment, skilled immigration, and innovation, while China suffers from factory overcapacity due to subsidized production regardless of market demand, and he argued that U.S. tariffs harm domestic productivity by increasing the cost of raw materials and components for American manufacturers. 1898

China's AI Strategy and Chip Self-Sufficiency Guest: Jack Burnham Jack Burnham discussed China's AI development, which prioritizes political control and self-sufficiency over immediate excellence, evidenced by the Chinese Cyberspace Administration banning large internet companies from purchasing high-end Nvidia processors, with the CCP aiming to build out its own domestic systems to insulate itself from potential U.S. leverage, while the Chinese DeepSeek AI model is considered a "good enough" open-source competitor due to its low cost, accessibility, and high quality in certain computations, despite some identified security issues. 1900

CONTINUED US Military Deployment near Venezuela and Geopolitical Conflicts Guest: Colonel Jeff McCausland 1867

US Military Deployment near Venezuela and Geopolitical Conflicts Guest: Colonel Jeff McCausland Colonel Jeff McCausland discussed the large U.S. naval force, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, deployed near Venezuela, suggesting this force, the largest in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis, appears designed for regime change rather than just narcotics interdiction, with a resulting occupation requiring 60,000 to 100,000 troops and risks turning the U.S. into an occupying force dealing with narco-terrorism and sanctuary issues in countries like Colombia, while also noting Moscow's lack of genuine interest in negotiating an end to the conflict in Ukraine. 1857

PREVIEW Japanese PM Sai Links Taiwan Blockade to Existential Threat, Enabling Collective Defense. Lance Gatlingdiscusses Japanese Prime Minister Takahichi Sai's comments regarding collective defense concerning Taiwan. This concept, enabled by a 2015 law, allows Japan to partner with other nations for national security purposes. Sai suggested that if Taiwan is threatened or blockaded, it could be construed as an existential threat against Japan. Her unscripted remarks, made during a parliamentary budget committee meeting, implied that Japan might engage in collective defense under those circumstances. Guest: Lance Gatling. 1942 MANILA

PREVIEW Call to Abolish Tariffs and Reform H-1B Visas to Revive U.S. Manufacturing. Dave Hebert, writing for the Civotas Institute, outlines steps necessary to return America to being a manufacturing giant and productive inventor of the future. He argues for making it easier for productive American workers by abolishing tariffs on imported raw materials and components. He also stresses the need to reform the H-1B visa system to attract highly skilled, competent, and educated people to the country to ultimately lift the nation's productivity. Guest: Dave Hebert. 1870

PREVIEW China's Technocratic Leadership: Efficiency vs. Brittle Decision-Making. John Kitch discusses Dan Wong'sbook Breakneck, which views Chinese leaders as engineers skilled at rapidly executing plans and directing vast resources, which has helped China rise up the value chain. However, Wong argues, and Kitch agrees, that using a purely technocratic mindset to handle complex human and political problems is a major downside. This approach results in leadership that lacks imagination and is brittle and inflexible in its decision-making. Guest: John Kitch.

PREVIEW Three Chinese Astronauts Stranded on Space Station Without Lifeboat. Bob Zimmerman reports that three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, are currently aboard their space station without a lifeboat home, a situation he deems unprecedented and comparable to the Titanic. The status of their damaged spacecraft, possibly due to a cracked window, lacks transparency. It would be difficult to launch a replacement capsule within 10 to 20 days. Zimmerman also observes that the Chinese space program tends to cut corners, referencing incidents like dropping boosters on populated areas. Guest: Bob Zimmerman.

PREVIEW Gerald R. Ford Super Carrier Deployment to the Caribbean Atlantic. Rebecca Grant of the Lexington Institute discusses the Gerald R. Ford super carrier's rapid transit to the Caribbean Atlantic off Venezuela. The carrier had recently concluded exercises with NATO in the Baltics, including tracking the Russian shadow fleet. Grant notes that the transit took about a week for the Ford to join Southern Command. The segment highlights that aircraft carriers are constantly needed at global "hot spots," reinforcing the argument that more of these ships should be built. Guest: Rebecca Grant. 1910 USS MASSACHUCETTS 

PREVIEW Counterinsurgency Challenges and Narcoterrorism Threats Post-Intervention in Venezuela. Colonel Jeff McClausen, United States Army retired, examines the serious counterinsurgency challenges the US would face 50 days or 50 weeks after a potential Venezuelan intervention. The threat comes from narcoterrorism gangs operating from sanctuaries in neighboring countries like Colombia, Ecuador, or Brazil, who might use IEDs in the jungle if their livelihood is threatened. Colonel McClausen notes that while US forces fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, the focus has shifted to large-scale conventional warfare, leading to a loss of specialized counterinsurgency experience. Guest: Colonel Jeff McClausen.1950 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

SHOW  11-18-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1894 "THE ANGEL OF THE REVOLUTION" THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT GAZA. FIRST HOUR 9-915 Liz Peek Liz Peek discusses the "AI bubble," noting the Magnificent Seven stocks are priced to perfection amidst concerns that massive investments may not yield adequate returns, observes that although the market is "risk off" the US economy seems "okay" according to data points, and expresses alarm about New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani, a socialist without management expertise who is surrounding himself with ideologues, including Hassan Sheheryar, his transition director, who is "clearly anti-Semitic" and anti-Israel, raising significant concerns for the city.E 915-930 CONTINUED 930-945 Judy Dempsey Judy Dempsey addresses the rising costs and future decline of the global cocoa crop, linking it to transcontinental climate change caused by Amazon deforestation, criticizes the EU and NATO for reacting too slowly and lacking strategic vision concerning the Ukraine war and defense, notes European military infrastructure is inadequate for rapid deployment forcing reliance on ships instead of trains, and observes that while the Russian threat is understood by most member states, political fumbling in Germany is allowing the anti-NATO, pro-Russia AfD party to gain significant ground. 945-1000 Gregory Copley Gregory Copley discusses the US military presence off Venezuela, noting President Trump seeks a negotiated outcome with Maduro to avoid long-term intervention, covers Mohammed bin Salman's influence in the Abraham Accords and the challenge posed by Turkey-backed Hamas, analyzes the symbolic rail sabotage in Poland questioning Russian involvement, and addresses the declining viability of NATO's Article 5 and the potential for King Charles III to intervene in UK political chaos. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Charles Burton Charles Burton discusses his book, The Beaver and the Dragon, illustrating China's fundamental untrustworthiness and statistical manipulation, which has intensified under centralized leadership, noting Canada's past cooperation with China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) failed as officials often falsely reported data, and despite historical deception and security risks, there is a push in Canada to increase trade with China to offset trade issues with the United States, with Burton cautioning that trusting the Chinese Communist Party has always "gone badly wrong." 1015-1030 CONTINUED. 1030-1045 Jonathan Schanzer Jonathan Schanzer discusses Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), calling him a deeply flawed but essential leader driving Saudi modernization and normalization with Israel, with a "pathway to a Palestinian state" as the current diplomatic objective, emphasizing that resolving the Gaza situation and achieving broader peace hinges on eliminating Hamas, while the region faces long-term challenges from Iran and Turkey, the latter complicating Israel's security operations in chaotic Syria, with the UN endorsement of the Trump 20-point plan for Gaza reconstruction considered a landmark win. 1045-1100 CONTINUED CONTINUED KING CHARLES THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Gregory Copley Gregory Copley discusses the US military presence off Venezuela, noting President Trump seeks a negotiated outcome with Maduro to avoid long-term intervention, covers Mohammed bin Salman's influence in the Abraham Accords and the challenge posed by Turkey-backed Hamas, analyzes the symbolic rail sabotage in Poland questioning Russian involvement, and addresses the declining viability of NATO's Article 5 and the potential for King Charles III to intervene in UK political chaos. 1115-1130 CONTINUED MBS 1130-1145 CONTINUED KING CHARLES 1145-1200 CONTINUED FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Mary Kissel Mary Kissel addresses three foreign policy dilemmas: regarding Venezuela, the US military buildup is seen as leverage to force dialogue with Maduro following a successful playbook used against North Korea; in Europe, she notes a dichotomy between committed Eastern European states and "weaker lazier" Western powers regarding support for Ukraine; and the China dilemma involves whether to treat Beijing as a legitimate trading partner or an enemy narco-terrorist state responsible for exporting fentanyl precursors, with Kissel suggesting current US policy is confused and benefits the CCP. 1215-1230 1230-1245 oseph Sternberg Joseph Sternberg analyzes the BBC political bias scandal, which is significant because the BBC is "omnipresent" and arranges the "mental furniture for British society," noting the BBC, funded largely by a mandatory license fee, faced allegations ranging from deceptive editing of President Trump's remarks to the Arabic service pushing Hamas propaganda potentially fueling anti-Semitism, while domestically discussing the UK Labour Party's dilemma over controversial immigration policies to control illegal channel crossings, a crisis that has strengthened Nigel Farage's Reform party. 1245-100 AM

Joseph Sternberg Joseph Sternberg analyzes the BBC political bias scandal, which is significant because the BBC is "omnipresent" and arranges the "mental furniture for British society," noting the BBC, funded largely by a mandatory license fee, faced allegations ranging from deceptive editing of President Trump's remarks to the Arabic service pushing Hamas propaganda potentially fueling anti-Semitism, while domestically discussing the UK Labour Party's dilemma over controversial immigration policies to control illegal channel crossings, a crisis that has strengthened Nigel Farage's Reform party.

CONTINUED Joseph Sternberg Arabic service pushing Hamas propaganda potentially fueling anti-Semitism, while domestically discussing the UK Labour Party's dilemma over controversial immigration policies to control illegal channel crossings, a crisis that has strengthened Nigel Farage's Reform party.

CONTINUED MARY KISSEL. China dilemma involves whether to treat Beijing as a legitimate trading partner or an enemy narco-terrorist state responsible for exporting fentanyl precursors, with Kissel suggesting current US policy is confused and benefits the CCP.