On September 12, 2001, the day after the fall of the Twin Towers, WABC-AM in New York City recruited John Batchelor to go on the air until Osama bin Laden was either killed or captured. John has been on ever since, offering insightful commentary on such issues as the war on terrorism, the presidency, the national and global economies, and defending our civilization. On March 12, 2003, one week before the attack on Iraq, ABC Radio Networks invited John to bring his expertise to syndication. Since then John has reached out nationwide, focusing his concerns on a world at war.
The John Batchelor Show is an essential tool for understanding the new order in the 21st Century. The world is now facing a dangerous and fanatical enemy determined to destroy Western civilization on both political and military fronts. In this, the first great ideological battle of the new millennium, it is imperative to know the major players and the theaters in which they operate.
The John Batchelor Show features a multitude of distinctive elements. John's themes cover every detail - from military battles, presidential campaigns, planetary exploration, and Hollywood politicos to his own international travel. John has broadcast from many corners of the world and in his program he calls out to all points, including New York, Jerusalem, Des Moines, Kazakhstan, Orlando, Manchester, Morocco, Boston, Taipei, Washington, and Baghdad.
John is a veteran novelist, author of seven political romances as well as a short history of the Republican Party. Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1948, John attended Lower Merion High School and Princeton University. In 1976 he was graduated from Union Theological Seminary. John is married and has two children.
S8 Ep268: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY AND DELAYED REHABILITATION Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian outlines Xi Jinping's entry into Tsinghua University via political recommendation and his navigation of "princeling" stigma by working at the grassroots level. The segment
S8 Ep268: FAMILY TRAUMA AND XI JINPING'S EXILE TO THE NORTHWEST Colleague Joseph Torigian. The narrative shifts to the family's trauma, describing a teenage Xi Jinping escaping detention only to be denounced by his starving mother for the family's safety. Torigian
FAMILY TRAUMA AND XI JINPING'S EXILE TO THE NORTHWEST Colleague Joseph Torigian. The narrative shifts to the family's trauma, describing a teenage Xi Jinping escaping detention only to be denounced by his starving mother for the family's safety. Torigian discusses Xi Jinping's exile to the "sacred" but impoverished Northwest, which exposed him to peasant realities. Meanwhile, an imprisoned Xi Zhongxun wrote unanswered letters to leadership, pleading for relief and expressing concern over the country's agricultural stability. NUMBER 14
1950 XI IN XIANGANG
1950 XI IN XIANGANG
S8 Ep268: THE DANGEROUS NOVEL AND RED GUARD TORTURE Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian deepens the analysis of the "dangerous" novel Liu Zhidan, which Mao claimed was a counter-revolutionary plot indicative of "revisionism." This fear of losing revolutionary zeal,
THE DANGEROUS NOVEL AND RED GUARD TORTURE Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian deepens the analysis of the "dangerous" novel Liu Zhidan, which Mao claimed was a counter-revolutionary plot indicative of "revisionism." This fear of losing revolutionary zeal, similar to the Soviet Union's path, drove Mao to utilize the Red Guards. The summary covers Xi Zhongxun's brutal treatment, including being kidnapped and tortured by Red Guardsin 1967 as the country descended into civil war. NUMBER 13
1945 MAO AND MARSHALL
1945 MAO AND MARSHALL
S8 Ep268: THE MOVE TO BEIJING AND XI ZHONGXUN'S 1962 PURGE Colleague Joseph Torigian. This segment explains that the book title comes from Mao's praise of Xi Zhongxun for prioritizing the party despite suffering. It traces the family's move to Beijing, the birth of
THE MOVE TO BEIJING AND XI ZHONGXUN'S 1962 PURGE Colleague Joseph Torigian. This segment explains that the book title comes from Mao's praise of Xi Zhongxun for prioritizing the party despite suffering. It traces the family's move to Beijing, the birth of "favorite son" Xi Jinping, and the father's complex loyalty to Mao. Torigiandetails Xi Zhongxun's 1962 purge, which foreshadowed the Cultural Revolution; he was removed for supporting a novel about martyr Liu Zhidan, which Mao viewed as a challenge. NUMBER 12
1945 X IZHONGXUN
1945 X IZHONGXUN
S8 Ep268: XI ZHONGXUN'S 1935 IMPRISONMENT AND EARLY CCP INFIGHTING Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian discusses his book, The Party Interests Come First, focusing on Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping's father. The segment details Xi's 1935 imprisonment by rival communists w
XI ZHONGXUN'S 1935 IMPRISONMENT AND EARLY CCP INFIGHTING Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigiandiscusses his book, The Party Interests Come First, focusing on Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping's father. The segment details Xi's 1935 imprisonment by rival communists who accused him of "mountainism" and "rightism," only to be saved by Mao Zedong's arrival. It explores the vicious ideological infighting within the early CCP, Xi's role in the Sino-Japanese War, and the disastrous failure of radical land reform policies. NUMBER 11
1930S MAO
1930S MAO
S8 Ep268: THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian reco
THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian recounts a pivotal incident where a teenage Xi attempted to poison a school administrator during a revolutionary purge. While imprisoned for this act, he formally joined the Communist Party, motivated less by Marxist theory than by a romanticized view of revolution found in novels. NUMBER 9
1887 CHINA WARSHIP
1887 CHINA WARSHIP
S8 Ep268: THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian reco
THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian recounts a pivotal incident where a teenage Xi attempted to poison a school administrator during a revolutionary purge. While imprisoned for this act, he formally joined the Communist Party, motivated less by Marxist theory than by a romanticized view of revolution found in novels. NUMBER 9
1913 DOWAGER EMPRESS CIXI
1913 DOWAGER EMPRESS CIXI
S8 Ep270: PEARL HARBOR AND LINDBERGH'S BLOCKED MILITARY SERVICE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands recounts the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Japanese strike and Hitler's subsequent declaration of war united the European and Asian theaters, r
PEARL HARBOR AND LINDBERGH'S BLOCKED MILITARY SERVICE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsrecounts the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Japanese strike and Hitler's subsequent declaration of war united the European and Asian theaters, resolving FDR's political dilemmas. Lindbergh attempted to volunteer for the Army Air Corps but was blocked by the Roosevelt administration due to his pre-war criticism. Consequently, he served as a civilian consultant, eventually flying unauthorized combat missions against the Japanese in the Pacific. NUMBER 8
1944 LINDBEGH IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
1944 LINDBEGH IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
S8 Ep270: THE GREER INCIDENT AND THE DISASTROUS DES MOINES SPEECH Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands details the escalation of tensions in 1941, starting with FDR's declaration of an "unlimited national emergency." The segment covers the Greer incident, which FDR m
THE GREER INCIDENT AND THE DISASTROUS DES MOINES SPEECH Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands details the escalation of tensions in 1941, starting with FDR's declaration of an "unlimited national emergency." The segment covers the Greer incident, which FDR misrepresented to provoke hostility, and culminates in Lindbergh'sdisastrous Des Moines speech. By identifying the British, the Roosevelt administration, and Jewish Americans as war agitators, Lindbergh was branded an anti-Semite, effectively destroying his political viability and the America First Committee. NUMBER 7
1940 PROPOGANDA OPPPOSING AMERICA FIRST
1940 PROPOGANDA OPPPOSING AMERICA FIRST
S8 Ep270: CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY AND THE AIR POWER DEBATE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands describes Lindbergh's testimony before Congress and his popularity at massive rallies. A key debate emerges regarding air power: Roosevelt argues it makes America vulnerab
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY AND THE AIR POWER DEBATE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsdescribes Lindbergh's testimony before Congress and his popularity at massive rallies. A key debate emerges regarding air power: Roosevelt argues it makes America vulnerable to attack, whereas Lindbergh insists it enhances hemispheric defense, making invasion impossible. Brands notes that while Lindbergh was politically naive compared to FDR, his message of "America First" and a fortress America initially resonated with large audiences who cheered his anti-war message. NUMBER 6
1940 LUFTWAFFE
1940 LUFTWAFFE