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PODCAST

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.

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All Episodes

10:01

95: The Historical Roots of Russian Brutality and...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

The Historical Roots of Russian Brutality and Putin's Ideological Driver. Professor Eugene Finkel explains that the pervasive cruelty in Russian forces stems from a historical willingness to use extreme violence, where human life is cheap, evident from Stalin's cynical fears of losing Ukraine to modern conflicts. Russians are willing to make Ukraine a desert to secure control, employing methods consistent with their actions in Chechnya and Syria. In 2022, Putin, trapped in isolation with

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4:53

95: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: A Native Russian Speaker and...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: A Native Russian Speaker and the Evolution of Ukrainian National Identity. Professor Eugene Finkel notes that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has an unusual background: Jewish, a native Russian speaker, and a successful media entrepreneur and comedian. His election symbolizes Ukraine's evolving identity, moving from an ethnic definition to a national commitment to the state, regardless of language. Zelenskyy won as an outsider, hoping his background would enable him to negotiate

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12:47

95: Putin's Revisionist History and the 2014 Invasion...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Putin's Revisionist History and the 2014 Invasion of Crimea and Donbas. Professor Eugene Finkel analyzes how, isolated during the pandemic, Vladimir Putin wrote a historical essay in 2021 based on myths, asserting that Ukraine has always been Russia and must be fully subordinated. This vision clarified his expansionist goals. The 2014 Euromaidan uprising, which deposed the pro-Russian president, convinced Putin he had to act. He seized Crimea and fostered uprisings in Donbas using Russian

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9:05

95: Khrushchev, Crimea, and Putin's Perception of...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Khrushchev, Crimea, and Putin's Perception of Ukraine as "Soviet Florida". Professor Eugene Finkel discusses Khrushchev's 1954 transfer of Crimea to Ukraine, undertaken for purely economic and practical reasons, though it remains a point of contention today. During the Soviet "golden period," Ukraine became vital, providing coal, industrial manufacturing, and ballistic missiles. Vladimir Putin's image of Ukraine was formed during this time, seeing it as an unquestioned extension of Russia. Due to

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10:35

95: Collapse of Independent States and the Purposeful...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Collapse of Independent States and the Purposeful Famine of the Holodomor. Professor Eugene Finkel examines the period following the 1917 collapse, when attempts to form independent Ukrainian states—the UNR and the ZUNR—failed, facing invasion by various Russian forces united in the belief that Ukraine must belong to Russia. Subsequently, Stalin implemented collectivization, leading to the Holodomor, a purposeful famine from 1932 to 1933 designed to break Ukrainian resistance and secure grain for

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6:54

95: Galatia, the "Ukrainian Piedmont," and the Threat...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Galatia, the "Ukrainian Piedmont," and the Threat of Ukrainian Nationalism. Professor Eugene Finkel touches on the life of his Jewish grandfather, Lev, from Galatia, who joined the Red Army in 1940, illustrating how parts of Ukraine were not under Russian control until World War II. Russia viewed the tolerant Austro-Hungarian region of Galatia as a dangerous "Ukrainian Piedmont" that could spread nationalism. Russia's goal of controlling Galatia and assimilating its people was a key driver of World

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10:55

95: The Origins of the Russian Imperial Project:...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

The Origins of the Russian Imperial Project: Khmelnytsky and "New Russia". Professor Eugene Finkel discusses the statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, a 17th-century figure viewed differently by Ukrainians as a founding father and by Russians as a uniter with Moscow. Khmelnytsky, too weak to fight Poland, swore allegiance to the Tsar, which Moscow interpreted as complete integration. This established the core conflict and marked the beginning of Russia's imperial project, treating Ukraine as a colonial

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10:54

94: Ashes Warm-ups Cause Slew of Career-Threatening...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Ashes Warm-ups Cause Slew of Career-Threatening Injuries; Betting Odds Narrow. Jeremy Zakis reports that Ashes warm-up matches are causing a slew of injuries to older players around 35, including Mark Wood of England and Sean Abbott of Australia, both suffering hamstring injuries. The competition in Perth at Subako Stadium will emphasize muscle and speed due to the dry pitch. Australia's odds to win the first test have dropped to 3:2, reflecting England's stronger perceived standing. Guest: Jeremy

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8:41

94: Cold Antarctic Air Collides with Tropical Front,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Cold Antarctic Air Collides with Tropical Front, Bringing Flash Flooding and Cyclone Warnings to East Coast.Jeremy Zakis describes severe weather on the Australian East Coast due to a clash between bitter cold Antarctic air and a dense tropical air mass colliding over land. This has caused rapid thunderstorms, flash flooding, and storm damage from Victoria up to Queensland. The Bureau of Meteorology now forecasts at least one major tropical cyclone for the Brisbane coastline later this year. Guest:

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8:30

94: Dallas the Dog Fosters Trust with Magpie Family,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Dallas the Dog Fosters Trust with Magpie Family, Enhancing Their Intelligence. Jeremy Zakis chronicles how Dallas the dog has adopted a magpie family, leading to a comfortable second generation residing nearby. Dallas's kind, placid demeanor fosters trust, allowing the smart magpies to grow up around him and even play with his toys. A study suggests these positive social interactions enhance magpie intelligence, while vandal cockatoos continue stripping local trees. Guest: Jeremy Zakis.

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10:23

94: Tragic Magpie Attack Blinds Girl; Massive Eastern...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Tragic Magpie Attack Blinds Girl; Massive Eastern Brown Snake Invades Home. Jeremy Zakis reports that a massive five-foot-long great eastern brown snake was found rearing up outside a woman's bathroom in Veil View, Queensland, necessitating a snake catcher. This highly venomous species requires prompt antivenom administration within the "golden hour." Separately, a 12-year-old girl in Australind, Western Australia, was tragically attacked by an aggressive magpie, which targeted her eye, causing

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7:00

92: Craig Unger discusses Den of Spies, investigating...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger discusses Den of Spies, investigating the "October Surprise"—hostages released minutes after Reagan's inauguration. The timing suggests the Reagan campaign made a secret deal with Iran. No facts have been challenged since publication. He views this as a Republican pattern of using adversarial nations to intervene in elections. Guest: Craig Unger.1866 Retry

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12:40

92: Craig Unger describes his 2014 visit to Iran's...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger describes his 2014 visit to Iran's "Den of Spies" embassy museum, where he interviewed Moshen Rafi Duce, Iran's arms procurement head, who seemingly made an accidental admission about meeting "the Republicans." Former Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr confirmed the October Surprise was a double coup d'état, destabilizing both the US and moderate Iranian elements. The timing of the hostage release confirms a prior deal: they were freed only three minutes after Ronald Reagan took the

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5:45

92: Craig Unger confirms the Madrid meeting in July...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger confirms the Madrid meeting in July 1980, where Bill Casey met with Iranian cleric Mehdi Karoubi, establishing the parameters of the October Surprise by asking Karoubi to delay the hostage release until after the presidential election. The alleged Paris meeting in October involving George H.W. Bush is harder to prove, though investigative work punctured Bush's alibis. Iran was motivated by desperation for American military spare parts, especially after Iraq invaded in September 1980

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12:04

92: Craig Unger reveals that Bill Casey operated...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger reveals that Bill Casey operated through the Safari Club, an off-the-books intelligence group. Casey utilized Iranian arms dealers, the Hashim brothers, who were secretly double agents working for him since the mid-1970s. Casey's best friend, John Shaheen, acted as the crucial cutout, meeting with arms dealers to shield Casey from media scrutiny. Further investigation confirmed that key source Ari Ben Mashi worked directly for Israeli military intelligence, Aman. This solidified the

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8:30

92: Craig Unger describes his high-profile...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger describes his high-profile investigation at Newsweek, which surprisingly resulted in three articles denying the October Surprise occurred, a result Unger called a great disgrace in the history of American journalism. The subsequent Congressional investigation, led by Lee Hamilton, was dismissed by Unger as a complete whitewash that accepted weak alibis for Bill Casey. Unger was warned by investigative legend Seymour Hersh that he would be crushed if he continued his pursuit. Unger's

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11:15

92: VCraig Unger explores rumors of an "October...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger explores rumors of an "October Surprise"—a Republican deal to delay the hostages' release—which gained credence when former NSC official Gary Sick published an op-ed. Unger spoke to rogue Israeli operative Ari Ben Mashi, who alleged Bill Casey met with Iranians in Madrid in July 1980. Ben Mashi claimed Casey violated the Logan Act and an arms embargo by offering weapons in exchange for a delay in the hostage release until after the election. Ben Mashi also alleged Vice Presidential

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5:59

92: Craig Unger examines Ronald Reagan's hiring of...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger examines Ronald Reagan's hiring of Bill Casey, an OSS veteran and dazzlingly brilliant spy, to manage his campaign. Casey quickly established a secret intelligence network, meeting with Israeli intelligence and arms dealers globally. Although Casey was notoriously difficult to understand—mumbling, spitting, and requiring Reagan to just "nod and smile"—he recognized that the release of the American hostages before November would likely secure President Carter's re-election. Casey began

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11:50

92: Craig Unger investigates the "October Surprise"...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Craig Unger investigates the "October Surprise" following the 1979 seizure of 52 American hostages in Tehran. Iran's revolution overthrew the Shah, installed by the US in 1953, creating an anti-American Islamic Republic. The failed Desert One rescue mission on April 24, 1980, killed eight Americans and shocked the Carter administration, effectively ending his re-election prospects. Carter's weak position was exacerbated by his contentious relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin

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6:54

92: Paul Gregory argues that Lee Harvey Oswald's...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/16

Paul Gregory argues that Lee Harvey Oswald's primary motive was a profound belief that he was special and destined for greatness, fostered by his mother. Gregory insists Oswald is often underestimated, highlighting his achievements as a master manipulator who deceived the Soviets and planned the General Walker assassination attempt. A secondary but major factor was Marina, who constantly scorned his intelligence and manhood, making him feel worthless. Oswald's trial was meant to be his glorious

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9,265 results

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