 |
The John Batchelor ShowAuthor: John Batchelor
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. Language: en-us Genres: News, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
S8 Ep858: Gaius and Germanicus debate in their favorite wine bar by the Thames, in Londinium, Spring 92 AD. This segment critiques the "Redeemer Nation" myth, which portrays America as a divinely appointed "city on a hill" tasked with saving humanity. While this
Episode 858
Sunday, 10 May, 2026
Gaius and Germanicus debate in their favorite wine bar by the Thames, in Londinium, Spring 92 AD. This segment critiques the "Redeemer Nation" myth, which portrays America as a divinely appointed "city on a hill" tasked with saving humanity. While this vision was cemented following World War II, the hosts argue it is now an "inappropriate myth" for a nation that has moved closer to the original Roman model of "might makes right." Over the last 25 years, the U.S. is seen as having abandoned its role as a "wellspring of good" in favor of "Roman imperial fiat," using a "gossamer curtain of altruism" to mask the forced bringing of nations to heel. The hosts list a series of failed interventions—including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya—that have resulted in millions of deaths and degraded America's remaining moral authority. They conclude that the idea of American redemption is now a "lie that is no longer sustainable," as the world recognizes the disconnect between the nation's rhetoric and its actions. The episode ends with a stark depiction of the "emperor" lecturing children on the "madness of Iran" while appearing physically diminished and disconnected from reality, suggesting that the U.S. has become the very tyrannical force it once sought to liberate the world from. (3/3)1793 VIRGIL READING THE AENEID TO AUGUSTUS
