The John Batchelor Show

44: Cutting Off the CCP: Deterrence Through Nuclear Proliferation and Total Economic Isolation. Jim Fanell and Brad Thayer discuss critical, urgent actions required to counter the PRC's strategic forces threat. Given the severe strategic mismatch, Fanell argu

Nov 1, 2025
James Fennell, a strategic commentator and author, teams up with Bradley Thayer, a foreign policy expert, to explore urgent strategies against the PRC. They discuss the potential of nuclear proliferation among allies like Seoul and Tokyo to deter China. Thayer highlights the current economic downturn in China as a critical moment to leverage political warfare to unseat the CCP. Fennell stresses the importance of isolating the regime economically, suggesting the U.S. must first acknowledge past failures to restore its authority and allies' trust.
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INSIGHT

China's Strategic Build-Up Demands Recalculation

  • China rapidly expanded its nuclear and conventional forces, creating a severe strategic mismatch with the U.S. and allies.
  • James Fennell argues this shift makes current defense postures inadequate and demands a recalculation of deterrence.
INSIGHT

Conventional Buildup Alone Won't Deter China

  • Building conventional U.S. military capacity will take decades and cannot be the sole deterrent today.
  • Fennell frames power politics and alternative deterrence measures as necessary short-term responses.
ADVICE

Talk About Allied Nuclear Options Now

  • Consider accelerating nuclear capabilities among U.S. allies to change Beijing's calculus.
  • Fennell recommends discussing capabilities in Seoul, Tokyo, and possibly Taiwan as deterrence measures.
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