The John Batchelor Show

Preview for Later Today: Guest: Edmund Fitton-Brown. Edmund Fitton-Brown critiques the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding as a disastrous negotiation. He argues the deal incorporates Iranian tricks, frontloads their benefits, and undermines the United States and its regional ally, Israel.
1721 PERSIA

Preview for Later Today: Guest: John Hardie. John Hardie explains Ukraine's efforts to address manpower issues through new service commitment rules and increased pay. Despite these challenges, funding remains secure through the current defense budget and significant loans from European partners.
1917 

Preview for Later Today: Guest: Josh Rogin. Josh Rogin examines the implications of lifting Syria's state-sponsor-of-terrorism designation. He discusses how this move could potentially provide a legal path for victims to settle long-standing court judgments and collect millions in compensation.
1920 Damascus

Preview for Later Today: Guest: Henry Sokolski. Henry Sokolski analyzes Admiral Cooper's recent remarks regarding the relationship between military lethality and proportionality. He explores the policy implications of this stance, specifically concerning risks to critical infrastructure and international nuclear safety.
1945

(3) In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus engage in a series of debates comparing the struggles of the ancient Roman Empire to the paradigms of power and exhaustion in the 21st century. Meteorology, Myth, and the Miracles of D-Day. Reviewing the film Pressure, the pair discusses how meteorological "miracles" and "preternatural discipline" decided the fate of D-Day. They conclude that reenacting WWII history through film serves as a "sacral" and "mythic experience" for Americans, providing a necessary sense of connection and certainty in an otherwise "desperately fractious" modern political landscape. (3)
1944 NORMANDY

C(2) In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus engage in a series of debates comparing the struggles of the ancient Roman Empire to the paradigms of power and exhaustion in the 21st century. The Tired Emperor and the Limits of Grandeur. The duo explores the physical and metaphorical exhaustion of the "emperor," critiquing his focus on aesthetic "baubles"—such as the reflecting pool's algae crisis and grandiose construction projects—while facing immense strategic vulnerabilities. Germanicus argues that the leader must acknowledge his "debility" and delegate authority to a "junior emperor" (Vance) to navigate mounting pressures from Congress and international allies like Giorgia Meloni. (2)
1900 CARTHAGE

(1) In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus engage in a series of debates comparing the struggles of the ancient Roman Empire to the paradigms of power and exhaustion in the 21st century. Embracing Defeat: Strategic Bribery in the Middle East. Addressing the conflict with Iran, Germanicus proposes "embracing defeat" as a sophisticated path to a "win-win" resolution. He likens proposed financial investments to Roman tributes paid to the Sarmatians to secure frontiers. While Gaius skeptically questions if this is merely a bribe, Germanicus maintains that "bribing to deescalate" is a pragmatic tool used by great powers to achieve stability without perpetual war. (1)
191O.  NERO

The Shift to Australia: Reimagining the British Empire After the Revolution. Guest: Professor Richard Bell. The loss of the American colonies forced Britain to seek new locations for its convicts, leading to the colonization of Australia. After failed experiments in West Africa, the British government turned to Botany Bay in 1786 out of desperation. The "First Fleet" arrived in 1788, signaling the expansion of the British Empire into the Pacific as a direct consequence of American independence. This transition began a brutal era for the indigenous Eora people and demonstrated that the British Empire was not destroyed by the Revolution, but rather relocated its interests. 8
1821

Peggy Shippen: The Mastermind Behind Benedict Arnold's Defection. Guest: Professor Richard Bell. Peggy Shippen, the ambitious wife of Benedict Arnold, is portrayed as a central architect of his betrayal who likely encouraged him to monetize his position by selling loyalty to the British. When the plot was discovered, she feigned "hysteria" to successfully deflect suspicion from herself, convincing George Washington and his aides of her innocence. After the war, the Arnolds lived in exile in London, where they were disdained as traitors by British society. Her story illustrates that the Revolution was a complex civil war involving influential female actors who navigated political intrigue. 7
1821