The John Batchelor Show

THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR AND THE PROBLEM OF SUCCESSION Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. In the final segment, Gaius and Germanicus analyze the New York Times characterizing the Trump presidency as a "reign," a term Gaius embraces as historically accurate for the current state of the American executive. Germanicus argues that the American presidency has evolved into a system indistinguishable from the Roman imperial court, complete with "imperial mausoleums" (presidential libraries) and vast building programs intended to project power, similar to Hadrian rebuilding Athens or FDR building the Pentagon. The conversation turns to the 2028 election, with Germanicus comparing Joe Biden and potential successor Gavin Newsomto Roman emperors who inherited the throne, such as Titus or Commodus, viewing them as weak because their elevation was orchestrated by elites rather than won through personal struggle. In contrast, figures like Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Trump are described as possessing a "will to power" that imbues them with natural authority that "selected" leaders lack. NUMBER 3 1793 VIRGIL READING AENEID TO AUGUSTUS

THE GILDED AGE, GROVER CLEVELAND, AND THE ASSERTION OF SOVEREIGNTY Colleagues Gaiusand Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The second segment pivots to a historical comparison involving Grover Cleveland, the only American president prior to Trump to serve non-consecutive terms, using his presidency to illustrate parallels between the "Gilded Age" and the 2020s. The primary focus is the Venezuelan Crisis of 1895, where Cleveland asserted that the United States was "practically sovereign on this continent" and its "fiat is law," forcing the British Empire to submit to American arbitration rather than fight. Germanicus draws a direct line to the present, noting that just as the 19th-century crisis was driven by gold mines near the Orinoco River, modern conflicts are driven by oil, while the US now contends with encroachments from China and Russia. The speakers suggest that the partisan press of the Gilded Age was even more vicious than today's media, and that the railroad bubbles of that era mirror current AI and tech bubbles. NUMBER 2 1885

THE ACTOR-EMPEROR AND THE SHIFT FROM DIGNITAS TO INTIMACY Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. In this session, set against the backdrop of a cold winter in Londinium, Gaius and Germanicus explore the evolution of the imperial persona, drawing sharp parallels between the Roman Emperor Nero and modern American figures Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. Germanicus argues that the essential skill of the modern "emperor" is the capacity to create an intimate emotional connection with the populace, a transformation that began with Teddy Roosevelt's dramatic speeches but was fully realized by Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats." While Roman emperors like Augustus relied on dignitas, stoicism, and an aura of divinity, the American tradition demands that the leader embody the "passions and authenticity of the people." Donald Trump is identified as the culmination of this trend, possessing an "intense capacity to connect emotionally," which allows him to survive overwhelming opposition, unlike Clinton, whose "genius is fled" in his later years. NUMBER 1 1888

THE MUTINY PLOT AND THE DECISION TO EXECUTE Colleague Richard Snow. Spencer's "mutiny" plot is revealed to a steward, triggering Mackenzie's paranoia. Mackenzie arrests Spencer, Cromwell, and Small without concrete evidence of an uprising. An irregular council of officers, influenced by the captain's fear and the lack of a brig, decides the three men must be executed. NUMBER 7 v

THE MUTINY PLOT AND THE DECISION TO EXECUTE Colleague Richard Snow. Spencer's "mutiny" plot is revealed to a steward, triggering Mackenzie's paranoia. Mackenzie arrests Spencer, Cromwell, and Small without concrete evidence of an uprising. An irregular council of officers, influenced by the captain's fear and the lack of a brig, decides the three men must be executed. NUMBER 7

THE OVERCROWDED SOMERS AND SPENCER'S ISOLATION Colleague Richard Snow. Snow describes the Somers as a fast, overcrowded school ship filled with teenage midshipmen. He details Spencer's isolation due to his physical disability and surly demeanor. Spencer violated protocol by mingling with the crew, while Mackenzie's rigid discipline clashed with the conditions on the small, flush-deck vessel. NUMBER 6

THE SOMERS MUTINY: SPENCER AND CAPTAIN MACKENZIE Colleague Richard Snow. Snow introduces the Somers mutiny, focusing on midshipman Philip Spencer, a troubled youth obsessed with pirates, and Captain Mackenzie. Mackenzie, who changed his name for an inheritance, is described as a "flogging captain" with a literary reputation and a morbid fascination with executions, setting the stage for tragedy. NUMBER 5

THE COCKPIT HUMILIATION AND FRANKLIN'S TRANSFORMATION Colleague Richard Munson. Munsondescribes the "Cockpit" humiliation in London, which transformed Franklin from a royalist mediator into a revolutionary. They discuss his founding of the American Philosophical Society to unify colonial science and his celebrity in France. Finally, Munson addresses modern skepticism regarding Franklin's scientific contributions. NUMBER 4

ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTS AND THE FRANKLIN STOVE Colleague Richard Munson. The discussion focuses on Franklin's electrical experiments, including the Leiden jar and conservation of charge. Munson explains that the kite experiment had practical origins for lightning protection. Additionally, Franklin's refusal to patent his stove invention highlights his joy in discovery and commitment to public benefit. NUMBER 3

 FRANKLIN'S PRINTING SUCCESS AND SCIENTIFIC PURSUITS Colleague Richard Munson. Munson details Franklin's success in the "high-tech" printing industry, which generated the wealth necessary for his scientific pursuits. The segment covers his political battles with Thomas Penn regarding colonial governance and his transition into a full-time experimenter, driven by the Enlightenment's spirit of curiosity. NUMBER 2

ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTS AND THE FRANKLIN STOVE Colleague Richard Munson. The discussion focuses on Franklin's electrical experiments, including the Leiden jar and conservation of charge. Munson explains that the kite experiment had practical origins for lightning protection. Additionally, Franklin's refusal to patent his stove invention highlights his joy in discovery and commitment to public benefit. NUMBER 3

DUELING MONUMENTS AND THE HEART OF DARKNESS THEME Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. The feud extends into the 20th century with "dueling monuments" in Ohio, where the Cresap Society and local residents erect competing memorials near the site of Logan's Elm to debate the history. Parkinson concludes by returning to the "Heart of Darkness" theme, using Conrad's metaphor of "the flicker" to describe how people create narratives like patriotism to cope with the bewilderment of their reality. He emphasizes the role of contingency, noting how the American Revolutiontransformed violent frontiersmen like Cresap into celebrated patriots while Native Americans like Logan were marginalized. NUMBER 8

JEFFERSON, LUTHER MARTIN, AND THE CANONIZATION OF A FALSE ACCUSATION Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. Thomas Jefferson publishes "Logan's Lament" to argue against French theories of Americaninferiority, but in doing so, he canonizes the false accusation against the Cresap family. This sparks a bitter feud with Luther Martin, a Cresap in-law, who attacks Jefferson to clear the family name. Despite the controversy, the lament becomes a staple in American education through McGuffey Readers because its tragic final line, "Who is there to mourn for Logan?", resonates with the 19th-century political narrative of the "vanishing Indian" and the concept of the "noble savage." NUMBER 7

THE TRAGIC FATE OF LOGAN AND JEFFERSON'S DISCOVERY Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. The narrative reveals the tragic fate of the Mingo leader, Logan. In 1794, a surveyor encounters a Native American who admits to killing his uncle, Logan, near Lake Erie around 1780. The nephew explains that Logan had become too powerful and unpredictable a figure during the Revolutionary War, necessitating his silence. The discussion then moves to Thomas Jefferson, who discovers "Logan's Lament" while writing Notes on the State of Virginia, intending to use the speech to demonstrate Indigenous intellect and refute European claims of American degeneracy, regardless of the text's factual errors. NUMBER 6

CRESAP'S RIFLEMEN, DEATH IN NEW YORK, AND A HERO'S FUNERAL Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. Michael Cresap leads his riflemen to Boston, fueled by press coverage depicting them as America's invincible "secret weapons" against the British. However, upon arrival, the troops prove undisciplined, leading George Washington to regret their presence. Suffering from illness, likely malaria, Cresap attempts to return home but dies in New York City in October 1775. To bolster the Patriot cause, New York provides Cresap with a massive hero's funeral, transforming the controversial frontiersman into a martyr and effectively erasing his complex, violent history in favor of a patriotic narrative. NUMBER 5

LORD DUNMORE'S WAR AND CRESAP'S PATRIOT TURN Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. Following the massacre, Logan abandons diplomacy for vengeance, killing nearly twenty people and provoking Lord Dunmore's War. Simultaneously, the Continental Congress calls for rifle companies to join the revolution in Boston, and Michael Cresap is surprisingly tapped to lead a Maryland unit. Parkinson notes the irony that Cresap, previously blamed for frontier violence, becomes a patriot leader, serving alongside Daniel Greathouse, a true perpetrator of the Yellow Creekmassacre. Eventually, Logan sues for peace via his famous lament, declaring his vengeance satisfied and ending his personal war against Virginia. NUMBER 4

 THE YELLOW CREEK MASSACRE AND THE TRUE PERPETRATORS Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. This segment details the chaotic environment following the British withdrawal from Fort Pitt, which created a power vacuum and a border war between Pennsylvania and Virginia. Amidst this tension, the Yellow Creek massacre occurred on April 30, 1774, where settlers lured Logan's family—including his mother, brother, and sister—into a tavern and murdered them. Parkinson confirms that Michael Cresap was not present during the slaughter; he had retreated to Catfish Campdays earlier. The actual perpetrators were men like Daniel Greathouse, not the Cresaps, though Logan remained unaware of this. NUMBER 3

BEWILDERMENT, THE OHIO COMPANY, AND COLONIAL EXPANSION Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. Parkinson explains that "bewilderment" is the central theme of his book, drawing a thematic parallel to Joseph Conrad'sHeart of Darkness to describe the confusion and violence of the early American frontier. The conversation shifts to the Ohio Company, a massive land speculation venture involving George Washington and the Lee family, with the Cresapfamily serving as their essential partners and scouts. Washington frequently visited the Cresaps in Oldtown, Maryland, utilizing them as the "spear point" for English colonial expansion into the Ohio Valley, a move that agitated the Frenchand Indigenous tribes. NUMBER 2

LOGAN'S LAMENT AND THE CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. Host John Batchelor introduces Professor Robert G. Parkinson and his book, Heart of American Darkness, which investigates the complex relationship between colonials and Native Americans in 1775. The discussion focuses on a famous document known as "Logan's Lament," published in the Pennsylvania Journal, in which a Mingo leader named Loganblames a "Colonel Cresap" for the cold-blooded murder of his family. Parkinson clarifies that this was a case of mistaken identity; Logan confused the father, Thomas Cresap, with the son, Michael, though neither was the actual killer. NUMBER 1

  THE SCANDAL'S LEGACY AND POST-CIVIL WAR DIVORCE Colleague Barbara Weisberg. Weisbergdiscusses the scandal's legacy, noting that divorce rates spiked significantly after the Civil War, though the guilty party was legally forbidden to remarry. She explains that this public trial shattered the privacy of the elite, proving to the public that the upper classes were deeply flawed. NUMBER 8

CONFESSION, DIVORCE, AND THE STRONG V. STRONG TRIAL Colleague Barbara Weisberg. Weisbergrecounts Mary's confession of her affair and pregnancy to Peter. Although divorce was taboo in their social circle, Petereventually sues to claim full custody of their daughters, asserting his patriarchal rights. The resulting "Strong v. Strong" trial becomes a sensational public spectacle covered daily by newspapers. NUMBER 7

 THE UNRAVELING OF THE STRONG MARRIAGE Colleague Barbara Weisberg. Weisberg details the unraveling of the Strong marriage as Mary grows restless at the Waverly estate. Amidst the onset of the Civil War, Mary begins an affair with Peter's brother, Edward, who is grieving his own wife. The segment ends tragically with the death of Mary's young daughter. NUMBER 6

THE MARRIAGE OF PETER STRONG AND MARY STEVENS Colleague Barbara Weisberg. Weisbergintroduces the marriage of Peter Strong and Mary Stevens, scions of wealthy New York families. Despite a storybook beginning, they move to Peter's mother's estate in Queens to secure his inheritance. This arrangement isolates Mary, who must live among her in-laws rather than in her own home. NUMBER 5

MANIFEST DESTINY, FEMINISM, AND RACIAL COMPLEXITIES Colleague Alan Taylor. Taylor contrasts Jane McManus Cazneau, who coined "Manifest Destiny" and sought to expand slavery southward, with Jane Grey Swisshelm, a feminist abolitionist. He highlights the era's racial complexities, noting that while Swisshelm opposed slavery, she vehemently advocated for the extermination of Native Americans in Minnesota. NUMBER 4

MEXICO'S CIVIL WAR AND THE MCLANE-OCAMPO TREATY Colleague Alan Taylor. Taylor describes the brutal civil war in Mexico between Conservatives and Liberals led by Melchor Ocampo, who sought to reduce Churchpower. To fund this war, Ocampo negotiated the McLane-Ocampo Treaty, offering the US transit corridors across Mexico for money, though the US Senate ultimately rejected it. NUMBER 3

THE 1850s POLITICAL BREAKDOWN AND THE ROAD TO FORT SUMTER Colleague Alan Taylor. Tayloranalyzes the 1850s political breakdown, from John C. Calhoun's defense of states' rights to Stephen Douglas'sdisastrous Kansas-Nebraska Act. He explains that while radicals like John Brown embraced violence, the Northernmajority prioritized preserving the Union over abolition, hoping to contain rather than end slavery until Fort Sumter. NUMBER 2

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, TUBMAN, AND DIVERGENT ABOLITIONIST PATHS Colleague Alan Taylor. Taylor discusses the Underground Railroad's informal network and Harriet Tubman's repeated risks to rescue enslaved people. He contrasts Frederick Douglass's integrationist, political approach with Martin Delany's black nationalist separatism. Additionally, he notes how Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin successfully generated white empathy for the enslaved. NUMBER 1

TRADE SEMINARS, HEALTH INSPECTIONS, AND A PROPER DESK Colleague Oliver Darkshire. The guest describes attending a trade seminar in York, noting that booksellers are typically reclusive rather than social. He recounts a health and safety inspection that left the official in a "fugue state" due to the shop's conditions. Finally, Oliver celebrates eventually receiving a desk he fits under. NUMBER 4 1896 iIRELAND

SMOGS, DRACULAS, AND THE SHOP'S RESIDENT GHOST Colleague Oliver Darkshire. Oliver categorizes customers, such as "Smogs" seeking treasures and "Draculas" obsessed with specific themes. He discusses book runners, discovering moldy copies of Edwin Drood, and surviving government apprenticeship inspections. Additionally, he recounts shadowing thieves and the shop's ghost, a former owner killed by a tram. NUMBER 3 1890

APPRENTICESHIP AT HENRY SOTHERAN'S ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSHOP Colleague Oliver Darkshire. Darkshire describes his apprenticeship at Henry Sotheran's, noting the shop's silent atmosphere and his odd interview regarding trombone playing. He details the "higgledy-piggledy" layout where buildings merge and his assignment to a tiny desk, suitable for a "Victorian gentle woman," positioned as the "first line of defense." NUMBER 2 1940 london tube

ONCE UPON A TOME: A MISSION TO EVALUATE A REMOTE LIBRARY Colleague Oliver Darkshire. Guest Oliver Darkshire discusses his memoir, Once Upon a Tome, recounting a "mission" to a remote house to evaluate a library. After a difficult trek through woods, he discovered moldy French texts he couldn't read and sinister spiritual works on exorcism. He also introduces Sotheran's hidden London location. NUMBER 1 1913 Cotswolds

AUSTRALIA'S SUMMER WEATHER FORECAST AND CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Jeremy Zakis reports that while New South Wales is currently experiencing stormy weather, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a catastrophically hot summer influenced by stratospheric warming over Antarctica. Despite the heat, Australians maintain Christmas traditions involving outdoor barbecues, street cricket, and visiting Santa Claus, who wears shorts for outdoor events.

AUSTRALIA DOMINATES ENGLAND IN THE ASHES CRICKET SERIES Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Zakisanalyzes the Ashes series, noting England's poor performance and failure to execute their aggressive "Bazball" strategy effectively. Conversely, Australia's consistent, conservative playing style has fatigued the English team, leading to early victories. Captain Pat Cummins has returned to the field as the final matches proceed in Sydney and Melbourne. 1884

DALLAS MEETS A SLEEPY LIZARD; DESTRUCTIVE COCKATOOS RETURN Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Zakis describes a surprisingly friendly encounter between his dog, Dallas, and a "sleepy lizard," a reptile known to bite hard when threatened. Meanwhile, flocks of cockatoos have returned to the neighborhood, causing significant damage by stripping pine trees and destroying a neighbor's roof, earning a reputation as local villains.

VENOMOUS SNAKES ON BEACHES AND A KOALA RESCUE Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Due to extreme heat and population growth, Eastern Brown snakes are appearing in unusual locations, such as inside surfers' bags on sandy beaches. Zakis also recounts a heartwarming story from Brisbane where a bus driver rescued a distressed koala from heavy traffic, transporting it to safety.

 ELECTION NIGHT LANDSLIDE AND POLITICAL REALIGNMENT Colleague David Pietrusza. On election night, early returns from Connecticut signaled a massive victory for Roosevelt, contradicting the predictions of the Literary Digest straw poll. Roosevelt won a historic landslide, capturing 46 states and sweeping huge Democraticmajorities into Congress. This victory marked a permanent political realignment, as the children of immigrants in major cities overwhelmingly voted for Roosevelt. While Landon's campaign was decimated, the election solidified the Democratic Party's shift from a Southern-dominated organization to a national coalition powered by urban centers and the working class, cementing the triumph of the liberal ideal. NUMBER 8

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: CLASS WARFARE AND THE BLACK VOTE Colleague David Pietrusza. Alf Landonproved a poor campaigner, taking long vacations and delivering ineffective radio speeches. Conversely, Eleanor Roosevelt became a powerful surrogate, campaigning for the black vote in the North, even as Franklin refused to support anti-lynching laws to appease Southern Democrats. The campaign climaxed with Roosevelt's Madison Square Garden speech, where he utilized "class warfare" rhetoric, welcoming the hatred of "economic royalists." Although polls suggested a tightening race and the administration worried about the ongoing Depression, Roosevelt's "naked demagoguery" and energetic campaigning energized his base against the wealthy interests opposing him. NUMBER 7

THE REPUBLICAN FIELD AND THE SELECTION OF ALF LANDON Colleague David Pietrusza. The Republican Party sought a candidate to challenge Roosevelt, dismissing a return of Herbert Hoover and bypassing isolationist William Borah. They settled on Kansas Governor Alf Landon, known as the "Kansas Coolidge," a progressive Republican who had balanced his state's budget. Despite Landon being a lackluster speaker and a "dark horse," he secured the nomination because William Randolph Hearst threw his massive media support behind him. Hearst's papers published relentless positive coverage of Landon, making the nomination his to lose despite the candidate's lack of charisma and national profile. NUMBER 6

THE POWER AND DECLINE OF WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST Colleague David Pietrusza. Media magnate William Randolph Hearst, who controlled a vast empire of newspapers and radio stations, shifted from a Rooseveltsupporter in 1932 to a fierce critic by 1936. Hearst's reputation suffered after a controversial meeting with Adolf Hitler, which he attempted to downplay, but which accelerated his decline in popularity. Roosevelt, concerned about "crackpot ideas" and opposition from the wealthy, attempted to neutralize Hearst through intermediaries. However, the President's "soak the rich" tax policies deeply angered Hearst, leading the publisher to order his income reduced to avoid taxes and solidifying his break with FDR. NUMBER 5

MANAGING THE LEFT: SOCIALISTS, COMMUNISTS, AND THE POPULAR FRONT Colleague David Pietrusza. Roosevelt contended with established leftist parties, including the Socialists led by Norman Thomas and the Communist Party USA under Earl Browder. While the Socialists appealed to urban intellectuals, the Communists, following Stalin's "popular front" strategy against Hitler, tacitly supported Roosevelt. Browder ran for president to avoid being a "kiss of death" endorsement for FDR, while focusing his party's attacks on the Republicans. This era also saw violent political instability in the upper Midwest, where radical agrarian figures like Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson maneuvered between supporting Roosevelt and harboring their own presidential ambitions. NUMBER 4

THE TOWNSEND PLAN, FATHER COUGHLIN, AND THE THIRD PARTY THREAT Colleague David Pietrusza. Dr. Francis Townsend's popular plan for old-age pensions pressured Roosevelt, who disliked "the dole," into creating Social Security. Concurrently, Father Charles Coughlin, the influential "Radio Priest," turned against Roosevelt after feeling used and ignored, specifically following a meeting at Hyde Park arranged by Joe Kennedy. Coughlin allied with Townsend and Huey Long's successor, Gerald L.K. Smith, to form a third party aimed at throwing the election to the House of Representatives. Despite their massive radio audiences, these political amateurs failed to get on the ballot in key states like New York and California. NUMBER 3

POPULIST THREATS FROM THE SOUTH: HUEY LONG AND THE TALMADGES Colleague David Pietrusza. Roosevelt faced significant challenges from Southern populists who threatened to split his support in the solid South. The most dangerous was Huey Long of Louisiana, whose left-wing "Share Our Wealth" program promised massive redistribution of assets. Long planned to siphon votes in 1936 to ensure a Republican victory, hoping to win the presidency himself in 1940, but his assassination in 1935 removed this threat. Meanwhile, Georgia's Eugene Talmadge, a conservative populist who engaged in race-baiting and opposed welfare, rallied radical elements and Confederatesympathizers against the New Deal, complicating Roosevelt's strategy. NUMBER 2

THE INAUGURATION RELEASE AND A PATTERN OF TREASON Colleague Craig Unger. Unger highlights the suspicious timing of the hostage release minutes after Reagan's inauguration, arguing a secret deal was undeniable. He connects this to a pattern of Republican interference in foreign policy for electoral gain, linking the "October Surprise" to Nixon's Vietnam sabotage and recent allegations involving Trump and Russia. NUMBER 8

INSIDE IRAN: CONFESSIONS FROM THE REVOLUTIONARIES Colleague Craig Unger. Traveling to Tehran, Unger visits the former US embassy and interviews Mohsen Rafighdoost, a Revolutionary Guard founder. Ungercaptured video where Rafighdoost seemingly admits to meeting Republicans. Former Iranian President Banisadr also confirmed the plot, describing the collision as a "double coup" targeting both Jimmy Carter and his own presidency. NUMBER 7

CONFIRMING MADRID AND THE PARIS MEETING MYSTERY Colleague Craig Unger. Unger asserts the Madrid meeting between Casey and Iranian cleric Karrubi definitely occurred to sketch the deal. While less certain about George H.W. Bush's presence at the subsequent Paris meeting, Unger argues Bush's alibis were debunked, suggesting he likely attended to provide the high-level guarantee Iran demanded for the agreement. NUMBER 6

THE SECRET NETWORK: SAFARI CLUB AND ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE Colleague Craig Unger. The discussion examines the "Safari Club," an off-the-books network used by Casey to bypass oversight. Unger explains how Casey utilized John Shaheen as a cutout to communicate with Iranian arms dealers and confirms through Israelimilitary intelligence officials that Israel facilitated secret arms shipments to Iran to support the scheme. NUMBER 5

MEDIA COVER-UPS AND THE LADIES' ROOM DISCOVERY Colleague Craig Unger. Unger recounts how Newsweek and a Congressional investigation suppressed the story, dismissing the "October Surprise" as a myth. Despite warnings from Seymour Hersh, Unger and reporter Bob Parry persisted, eventually discovering a massive cache of discarded evidence hidden inside a House office building restroom, reigniting the investigation into the alleged treason. NUMBER 4

INVESTIGATING THE MADRID AND PARIS ALLEGATIONS Colleague Craig Unger. Unger describes investigating allegations from rogue Israeli operative Ari Ben-Menashe, who claimed Bill Casey met Iranianrepresentatives in Madrid to negotiate delaying the hostage release. Ben-Menashe also alleged George H.W. Bushattended a final meeting in Paris to seal the arms-for-hostages deal just weeks before the 1980 election. NUMBER 3

BILL CASEY TAKES COMMAND OF THE REAGAN CAMPAIGN Colleague Craig Unger. Unger details how Ronald Reagan hired former OSS spy Bill Casey as campaign manager. Casey utilized a secret intelligence network involving Israeli agents to monitor the hostage situation, fearing a pre-election release would help Carter. Casey aimed to prevent this "October Surprise" while keeping Reagan largely insulated from specific operational details. NUMBER 2

HOSTAGE CRISIS AND THE DESERT ONE TRAGEDY Colleague Craig Unger. Author Craig Unger discusses the 1980 "Desert One" rescue failure, a tragedy that crippled President Carter's re-election chances. He explains the geopolitical context, including the Shah's overthrow, the student-led embassy takeover, and the strained relationship between Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin amidst regional instability. NUMBER 1

COVID-19 AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS Colleague Victor Davis Hanson. Hanson asserts that the COVID-19 pandemic empowered unelected bureaucrats to enforce lockdowns that disproportionately crushed the middle class while enriching large corporations and the "Zoom class." He claims the scientific consensus was manipulated to protect China regarding the virus's origins and that early dissenters who questioned the efficacy of lockdowns and masks have since been vindicated. The response highlighted a deep divide between the "essential" working class and the insulated elites who managed the crisis from safety. NUMBER 8