S8 Ep188: SHOW 12-9-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE HUBBLE CONSTANT. FIRST HOUR 9-915 Baltic Defenses and NATO's Uncertain Resolve: Colleague Blaine Holt discusses the Baltics preparing defensive "Mino line
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 11 December 2025
⏱️ 6 minutes
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Summary
SHOW
12-9-25
CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR
1916 MONTENEGRO
THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE HUBBLE CONSTANT.
FIRST HOUR
9-915
- Baltic Defenses and NATO's Uncertain Resolve: Colleague Blaine Holt discusses the Baltics preparing defensive "Mino lines" and bunkers fearing a potential Russian attack, noting Baltic citizens feel trapped between NATO bureaucracy and Russian hybrid warfare while doubting NATO's resolve to intervene, arguing diplomatic solutions are necessary as Europe lacks resources for a cohesive defense.
915-930
- NATO's Viability and Europe's Demographic Shifts: Colleague Blaine Holt questions NATO's viability through 2050, citing rising US sentiment to withdraw and Europe's demographic shifts due to mass migration, warning that diverging values and economic instability could lead to civil unrest or new geopolitical alignments between Russia, China, and the US.
930-945
- European Leaders Meet Zelenskyy Amid Strategic Dilemmas: Colleague Judy Dempsey discusses the "Big Three" European leaders meeting Zelenskyy, questioning their ability to resolve the war without wider coalitions, noting the EU is bypassing unanimity rules to seize Russian assets but struggles with the dilemma of offering Ukraine EU membership while demanding territorial concessions.
945-1000
- Europe's Lack of Self-Confidence Facing Global Challenges: Colleague Judy Dempsey criticizes Europe's lack of self-confidence and ambition when facing Trump's transactional administration and Chinese aggression, arguing European leaders complain about US criticism rather than leveraging their own economic power, noting they are "sleepwalking" regarding the auto industry and dependencies on China.
SECOND HOUR
10-1015
- The National Security Strategy and the First Island Chain: Colleague Steve Yates analyzes the National Security Strategy's focus on the "first island chain" and deterrence against China's bullying of Japan and the Philippines, noting the CCP's obsession with WWII-era Japan for propaganda fails to resonate regionally as neighbors face modern Chinese aggression and grey zone tactics.
1015-1030
- Nvidia Chip Sales to China Raise National Security Concerns: Colleague Brandon Weichert reports on the Trump administration approving Nvidia H200 chip sales to China while taking a 25% cut, warning this transactional approach compromises national security by aiding China's military AI, signaling a shift from hawkish policies to favoring business interests like soybeans.
1030-1045
- SpaceX Dominance and the Golden Dome Defense Project: Colleague Bob Zimmerman highlights SpaceX's dominance with record-breaking booster reuse and launch frequency compared to rivals, discussing the secretive "Golden Dome" defense project, defects on the Orion capsule's hatch threatening the Artemis mission, and Airbus surprisingly choosing a Chinese satellite constellation for in-flight internet.
1045-1100
- Cosmological Crises and Mars Rover Progress: Colleague Bob Zimmerman details cosmological crises including the "Hubble tension" where expansion rates conflict and a baffling 7-hour gamma-ray burst, reporting on Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS images confirming it is a comet rather than a spacecraft, and the Perseverance rover moving toward promising mining terrain on Mars.
THIRD HOUR
1100-1115
- The 1605 Gunpowder Plot and Catholic Desperation: Colleague Claire Jackson explains the 1605 Gunpowder Plot as a desperate attempt by Catholics, frustrated by James I's retention of penal laws and peace with Spain, to destroy the Protestant establishment, with the plotters aiming to kill the king and install a puppet Catholic monarch amidst the ensuing chaos.
1115-1130
- The Mirror of Great Britain and James I's Violent Childhood: Colleague Claire Jackson explains the "Mirror of Great Britain" jewel symbolizing James I's union plans, though it was destroyed during the Civil Wars, detailing his violent childhood in Scotland, his father Darnley's murder, and his separation from his mother Mary Queen of Scots, which shaped his intellectual upbringing.
1130-1145
- The Hampton Court Conference and the King James Bible: Colleague Claire Jackson describes how James I convened the Hampton Court Conference to resolve religious differences, resulting in the King James Bible, highlighting his unique role as an author of works like Basilikon Doron, using print to converse with subjects and establish the divine right of kings.
1145-1200
- James I as Ecumenicist Amid Confessional Complexity: Colleague Claire Jackson portrays James I as an ecumenicist seeking accommodation, provided Catholics recognized his temporal authority via an Oath of Allegiance, noting he faced a "confessional complexity" ruling Protestant Scotland and England alongside Catholic Ireland, aiming to isolate radical Jesuits from the loyal majority.
FOURTH HOUR
12-1215
- Commodities Update from France: Colleague Simon Constable reports from France on unseasonably warm weather and rising copper prices driven by tech demand, noting cocoa prices dropped while coffee remains expensive, discussing farmers' effective non-violent protests in Europe and contrasting European energy shortages with the electricity needs of AI development.
1215-1230
- UK Labour's Struggles and the Workers' Rights Bill: Colleague Simon Constable analyzes the UK Labour Party's struggles despite a large majority, citing Keir Starmer's low approval, warning that the return of "Red Rayner" and a new workers' rights bill preventing easy firing could stifle economic growth and deter foreign investment, worsening Britain's debt.
1230-1245
- The National Security Strategy as Transatlantic "Divorce Papers": Colleague Blaine Holt argues the National Security Strategy resembles "divorce papers" for a perilous transatlantic relationship, contending Europe, having de-industrialized, refuses Trump's diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war, fearing the aftermath of a conflict they cannot sustain against a re-industrialized Russia.
1245-100 AM
- Penang's Boom Contrasts with China's Decline: Colleague Charles Ortel contrasts Penang's economic boom and diverse hardworking culture with China's decline, discussing China's suppressed financial data and property crisis with Gordon Chang, arguing Western elites were "bought off" by Beijing while investors should demand transparency regarding assets trapped in ChiNA.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good evening. The show tonight looks a great deal at Europe, the EU looking for money for Ukraine. |
| 0:08.0 | And it's not looking in its own pockets, it's looking in the frozen assets from Russia. |
| 0:13.0 | I speak with several people about the EU and the disappointment that it has not found a way to take charge of its own continent. |
| 0:23.1 | Ukraine war is a EU war. It's a NATO war, yes, but an EU war. And the big three, that's the |
| 0:32.2 | UK, Paris, France, and Berlin have not been able to come to terms with either finding the money for Ukraine, |
| 0:40.4 | rebuilding, finding the money for Ukraine, sustaining the war, or taking the lead in reposing Russia |
| 0:47.8 | or challenging Russia or compromising with Russia. One of those things. Disappointment is everywhere. |
| 0:56.9 | Are we post-NATO now? Unknown. |
| 1:07.2 | Also discussing China and the continuing collapse of the economy and why. It was always built on theft, is the new book's conclusion. It's called The Great Heist, China's epic campaign to |
| 1:13.6 | steal America's secrets, and they were successful starting in 2015, continuing now, stealing everything. |
| 1:21.0 | There is no Chinese miracle, according to this book, Andrew Badger and David Shedd. I hope to speak |
| 1:26.5 | to David Shed in these next days. |
| 1:28.9 | No miracle whatsoever. |
| 1:30.7 | It stole everything. |
| 1:32.8 | And continue. |
| 1:34.0 | Minister of State Security is China's innovation. |
| 1:37.9 | Is the assertion of two DIA officers. |
| 1:42.8 | One, a acting director and the other one, a former case officer. |
| 1:48.0 | China, thieves, period. |
| 1:52.3 | Not good at it, but then again they were up against people who weren't stopping them. |
| 1:59.1 | Puzzling. |
| 2:04.2 | We turned to other matters at hand. History. |
... |
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