1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Alz Media. 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 2: Everyone. Robert Evans here back to introduced. It could happen 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 2: here Part two of my discussion with Mia Wong of 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 2: the history of self immolation protests. We'll be starting with 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 2: Tunisia in this one and then moving on from there, 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 2: so please buckle up and listen in. But I will 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: move us on to talking about Tunisia, which is the 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: last place we will talk about self immolation protest. 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 3: Oh, I want to end. I guess a bit. I 10 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 3: want to end after you talk about Tunisia with one 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 3: in China. That kind of worked, Okay, well, that'll be nice. 12 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 3: So there was a you know, Tunisia existed for most 13 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 3: of the twenty first century under a dictator. This state 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 3: of affairs changed for unfortunately a fairly limited period of time. 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 3: On December seventeenth, twenty ten, when a young man and 16 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 3: he was twenty six, Mohammed was Zizi, went out to 17 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 3: sell fruit. And you know, Mohammed lived in a very 18 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 3: poor region, a very poor part of Tunisia, the city 19 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 3: of cd Boozid. It's about one hundred miles south of 20 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 3: tunis which is the capital. And like a lot of people, 21 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 3: you know, in that part of the world, it is 22 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 3: not uncommon, particularly for young men, because unemployment is so high, 23 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 3: for young men to kind of make their living doing 24 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 3: a mix of odd jobs and like odd vending, right 25 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: where you're just kind of like selling whatever you can 26 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 3: get your hands on and think that you can make 27 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 3: a profit on because there's there's not jobs in the 28 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 3: traditional sense, and because political corruption was so horrific in 29 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 3: the state at that point in time. It's one of 30 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 3: those things where most everybody who's out there selling shit 31 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 3: on the street is breaking the law by doing it, right, 32 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 3: because you can't get the permit, because the permit is 33 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 3: basically a bribe, and you can't afford the bribe, right, 34 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 3: That's how a lot of this stuff works. So, you know, 35 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 3: Mohammed kind of prior to this, he had he had 36 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 3: been his friends. When you read interviews with people who 37 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 3: knew him, he was always like one of these guys 38 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 3: who was like really upbeat and funny. His nickname basically 39 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:09,399 Speaker 3: meant like funny. 40 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: Man in town. And this had started to change, like 41 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: friends noticed like a couple of years before you know, 42 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: twenty ten, when he's in hits his mid twenties and 43 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: starts getting into his late twenties that he's like, it 44 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: is impossible to get by as a young man. There 45 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 2: are no jobs for us, there's no future. I don't 46 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: feel at all like I have no nothing to be 47 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: hopeful for. Right. I think a lot of people can 48 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 2: understand empathized with where he was coming from. So he 49 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: goes out to self fruit and this municipal inspector fight 50 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 2: a Humdi sees him, realizes he doesn't have a permit 51 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: and takes his shit right, and there are accounts that 52 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: he like hits him too, basically is like what the 53 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: fuck is wrong with you? You're not paying your god 54 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 2: damn bribe and like smacks him around. So this is 55 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 2: kind of the breaking point for Easy. He goes to 56 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: the police stationed because he's got like this scale that 57 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: he's using to weigh out fruit and stuff that he 58 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 2: wants to get back it had been confiscated. He like 59 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: can't work without it, and they tell him like, fuck you, 60 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 2: you're not getting shit back. So he says, like, I 61 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 2: want to meet with the governor and like plead my 62 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: case to the guy in charge, and they're like, fuck you, 63 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: the governor doesn't want to see you. So at about 64 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 2: eleven thirty am. He takes his cart outside of the 65 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 2: governor's office. He pours I think lighter fluid something flammable 66 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 2: over his head and he lights himself on fire. His 67 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 2: cousin gets a call. Ali was easy gets a call 68 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: I guess from someone who was nearby and knew them 69 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: both and was like, Mohammad just lit himself on fire 70 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 2: in front of the governor's office, and Ali runs there, 71 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: sprints over to the governor's office with his smartphone and 72 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 2: he gets there in time to record his cousin's body 73 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 2: being taken into an ambulance. Protests start up after this, 74 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: almost immediately people take to the street. I think it's 75 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: just everyone is living under the same regime. They're living 76 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: under all of these like fucking corrupt ass officials. Everyone 77 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 2: pieces together this. 78 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it's also it's worth mentioning this is also 79 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 3: a period of massive increases food prices, yes, which are 80 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 3: one of the big Like you if you want, if 81 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 3: you want your protest to work, like spark plus rising 82 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 3: food prices, great way to get it to happen. 83 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 2: Yes, so you know the spark catches fire, Protests start 84 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 2: up and they do not calm down. Part of why 85 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 2: they don't calm down. Is alizz Easy stays out in 86 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 2: the street. He uploads footage of his cousin's body to Facebook, 87 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 2: and he takes footage of the protests too, and he 88 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 2: just starts sending shit to Al Jazeera. Right, So this this, 89 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 2: all of this footage he's taking like winds up on 90 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 2: television that evening, and by the next day other cities 91 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: in Tunisia are are holding protests. And this is the 92 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 2: kind of thing where it's like, you know, we all 93 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: saw this, you know, obviously with a different cause in 94 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 2: twenty twenty. Sometimes something happens that's so horrible that the 95 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: whole country takes to the streets. And that's what happens 96 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 2: in Tunisia. So the president at the time, basically a dictator, 97 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 2: Zeen l Abadin beIN Ali, does the normal dictator thing. 98 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: He sends out and non dictators, right, we do it 99 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 2: here too. Yeah, he sends the cops out to beat 100 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 2: the shit out of everybody. Right, But he's also he's 101 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 2: you talked in when we were talking about Vietnam about 102 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 2: like the playbook and they didn't quite have it down. 103 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 2: Part of the playbook is down because in addition to 104 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 2: sending the cops out to beat the shit out of people. 105 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 2: He visits Wazizi in the hospital because he lingers for 106 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 2: a while, right, And he also has the officer the 107 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 2: guy who slapped Wasizi arrested. You know, he's kind of 108 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 2: desperately trying like maybe this will call him everybody down. 109 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 2: It does not, was eas He dies in the hospital 110 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: a couple of days later, and the protests, which are 111 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: known now as the Jasmine Revolution. It takes about a month, 112 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 2: but they force ben Ali to flee the country for 113 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 2: Saudi Arabia and you know, successfully bring an end to 114 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 2: his regime and the return of a democratic system. There 115 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 2: are functional elections for a while in Tunisia. They gain 116 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 2: a significant amount of like political freedom, Like there are 117 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 2: some really significant inroads made in terms of like civil 118 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 2: rights during this period immediately after the Jasmine Revolution. But 119 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: things also don't get better, at least not enough. 120 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: Right. 121 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: This is generally seen Tunisia as the start of the 122 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 2: Arab Spring, and if you know anything about the rest 123 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 2: of the Arab Spring, this was also seen as like 124 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 2: kind of the successful case, right, Like shit didn't work 125 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 2: out very well in Syria or in Egypt, but like, yeah, 126 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: bah Rain. But here they got rid of the dictator 127 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 2: and they gained a lot of civil rights, and that's great. 128 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 2: The problem is that the other issues, the high food prices, 129 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: the fact that unemployment is at a night maarish level, 130 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 2: the fact that corruption was a hideous problem in Tunisia. 131 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 2: This doesn't just go away, right, because it's deeper than 132 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 2: the dictator. The culture. Whenever you have a culture of 133 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 2: corruption like this, which is by the way, it's not 134 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 2: just the Middle East that has to deal with this, 135 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 2: but if you've spent time in the Middle East, one 136 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 2: of the things that is really depressing is how massive 137 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: and absolutely different, by the way, from the kind of 138 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 2: corruption that we have in the West, it is over there. 139 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 2: The degree to which and you start to care about 140 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 2: this not because you're getting fucked over as a tourist, 141 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: because you really don't notice it much as a tourist. 142 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 2: It's when you make friends in that country and you 143 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 2: talk to them about, like, how many different people are 144 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: constantly taking a little bit from them, right, and often 145 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 2: not a little bit, like the degree to which regular 146 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 2: people suffer because every single person who is quote unquote 147 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: a government official is just soliciting for bribes is that's 148 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 2: so much deeper than any one guy in charge. Right, 149 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: That's something you can't just revolt your way out of him. Yeah. 150 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 3: Like one of my professors in college, I don't know 151 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 3: if you have actually wrote about it, but he's okay, 152 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 3: long story, but he lived in Egypt for a long 153 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 3: time and one of the things he would talk about is, 154 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 3: like that is the concept of like the oddly powerful bureaucrat. 155 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 3: So like the history was like like the the the 156 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 3: guy who sells you tickets at like the train station 157 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 3: in Cairo, Like that guy, if you don't fucking pay him, 158 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 3: he can just say no and you can't get on 159 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 3: a train. And there's just like so many layers of 160 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 3: like this guy who controls this specific thing and thus 161 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 3: can fuck you over unless you like do what he 162 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 3: tells you, which is usually give money. Unfortunately, we need 163 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 3: to go to ads. We'll be back in a second, 164 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 3: and we're back. 165 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. And it's part of why it's more durable is 166 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: it's not like you know, I think it's South Vietnam. 167 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 2: You know, when when DM was around, you had a 168 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 2: lot of you have all this corruption, but a lot 169 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 2: of it is top down. It is people who are 170 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 2: loyal to the president. Right, A lot of the corruption 171 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 2: in places like this is bottom up in that it's 172 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: not a situation where all of these men who are 173 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 2: so loyal to the dictator have this corrupt position. I mean, 174 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 2: that's part of it. I'm not saying that it's not, 175 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 2: but a lot of it is that, like, well, maybe 176 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 2: it's technically my job to stop the guy who works 177 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 2: at the train station from denying people entrey if they 178 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 2: don't bribe him. But if I do that, then maybe 179 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 2: he's gonna make a fuss about how I'm doing the 180 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 2: same thing for like permits to fix your roof or whatever. Right, Like, 181 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 2: it's so much more bottom up in a lot of way. 182 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 2: And so the reason this matters is that like, shit 183 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 2: doesn't really get better in Tunisia, right, And now that 184 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 2: the so while all these problems continue, corruption continues to 185 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 2: be an issue, high food prices continue to be an issue. 186 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 2: Unemployment continued to be an issue, particularly for young men. 187 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 2: Another thing that's changed is that now everyone has seen 188 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: what what's Easy does has done. And like, obviously he 189 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: dies horribly, but one thing that happens is like his 190 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 2: family moves to Canada, right, Like they and this is 191 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,559 Speaker 2: I don't think fair to his family. I haven't seen 192 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 2: evidence they were like corrupt or whatever, but like I 193 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 2: think because of how like because they're able to like 194 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: get out of this situation, it's seen as like, well, 195 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 2: maybe if I do this, not only will that hurt 196 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 2: whoever whatever, corrupt motherfucker you know, I'm angry at but 197 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 2: maybe shit will work out for my family. 198 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: Right. 199 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 2: This is often not what actually happens, but there have 200 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 2: been hundreds of self immolation cases in the last ten 201 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 2: years in Tunisia. It has become you might compare it 202 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 2: to kind of mass shootings in the United States. Not 203 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: obviously on a moral level, you're not doing nearly the 204 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 2: same thing. You're not hurting anyone else, but in terms 205 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 2: of the fact that it is this really really shocking 206 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 2: event that then becomes kind of routine because people pick 207 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: up on it as like, well, this is what you 208 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: do in this situation, you know. One of the articles 209 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 2: that I read for this was an AP News piece 210 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 2: that interviews a guy named Hasni Kaleia, who's one of 211 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 2: the dudes, one of the many Tunisians who have attempted 212 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 2: or succeeded in killing themselves through self emolation as an 213 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 2: active protest. Hasney survived, right, and he did not survive 214 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 2: without serious injury. Right now, he has to he covers 215 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 2: his face at all times. His left hand he's lost 216 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 2: a bunch of fingers. His right hand has no fingers 217 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 2: at all anymore. He is just grievously injured as a 218 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 2: result of this. And he said, when interviewed by the 219 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: AP quote, I would never describe the act of self 220 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 2: emolation as an act of courage, because even the bravest 221 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,319 Speaker 2: person in the world couldn't do it. When I poured 222 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 2: the petrol over my head, I wasn't really conscious about 223 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 2: what I was doing. Then I saw a flash, I 224 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: felt my skin start to burn, and I fell down. 225 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,839 Speaker 2: I woke up eight months later in the hospital. And 226 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 2: I found that really interesting, because there's a lot of 227 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: talk right now, you know, with what Aaron Bushnell did 228 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 2: about like principle and courage or mental illness or whatever, 229 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 2: and like to what do we credit something that is 230 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 2: so incomprehensible to most people. And I found what Hawsny 231 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 2: says here really interesting because what he's saying is that 232 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 2: like you can't even call it courage, you know, it's 233 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 2: almost like someone else's doing it. You were animated by 234 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 2: such rage and home hopelessness that it's almost like someone 235 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: else is in control of your body. And I don't 236 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 2: that doesn't sound like mental illness to me for certain. 237 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 2: That sounds like someone that sounds like desperation of such 238 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 2: an extent that it's mind altering. I don't know any 239 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,599 Speaker 2: other way to describe it than that. And I'm not 240 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: saying this is what goes through everybody's head when they 241 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 2: sell f emlight. But you don't get a lot of 242 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 2: interviews with those people after the fact, right Yeah. 243 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 3: Well, like like there's the people who survive into Batan, 244 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,439 Speaker 3: and it's like, well, those guys, the Chinese government will 245 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 3: not let anyone near them, right, Like, no, you know, 246 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 3: and like I guess I should also I should mention 247 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 3: this about the Chinese government line on this is that 248 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 3: it's very similar to what you see in the American 249 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 3: presss like the well, no, you're seeing the terrorist stuff 250 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 3: too here. But like the Chinese government line, and this 251 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: line worked pretty well, is like these people were mentally ill, 252 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 3: these people are terrorists or they were like misled by 253 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 3: like the Dalai Lamo who's like leading his people to 254 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 3: the flames. Yeah, and that's been kind of the that's 255 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 3: been kind of the playbook everywhere for this. That like 256 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 3: the one, the one that kind of works is that one. 257 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 3: It's it's you have to attack the moral character of 258 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 3: the person because it's such an it's such an. 259 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 2: Act of it's an inherently selfless selfless Yeah, it's the 260 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:17,719 Speaker 2: only way to do it. He can't describe it anywhere else. 261 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 2: They're lighting themselves on fire. 262 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, so and so they like, you know, the 263 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 3: it's it's it's the the Roger Stone rat fucking thing 264 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 3: of attack them where they're strong, and you know, so 265 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 3: it's the attack on the moral character that like happens. 266 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 3: I think the thing with Tunisia too is it's like, 267 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 3: like the political alternative to this is this like rabid 268 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 3: anti immigrant politics. 269 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: You know. 270 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're like we'll talk about that in a second, 271 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 2: but yeah, it doesn't end well. One thing I do 272 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 2: want to hit on is the degree to which, again 273 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 2: this kind of does function in Tunisia as like a 274 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 2: mametic virus. Hawsny, the guy we heard from, survives, but 275 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 2: his brother shortly thereafter lights himself on fire in an 276 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 2: act of protest and kills himself and his mother attempts 277 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 2: to do the same, right like three members of the 278 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 2: family all carrying out self immolation, and it is one 279 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 2: of those things. This is listed as like an example 280 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: of the tactic succeeding, and it does in terms of it, 281 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,719 Speaker 2: it gets the regime out of power. But things are 282 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 2: not better in Tunisia, especially since so you know, there 283 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: is a period of time where there is at least 284 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 2: a functioning democracy and significant gains for civil rights, but 285 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 2: because food still doesn't get affordable, there aren't jobs. A 286 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 2: lot You'll find a lot of articles from around twenty twenty, 287 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 2: especially where people are like, yeah, I guess freedom's nice, 288 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 2: but it's not really worth much if you're starving, you know, yeah, 289 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 2: which you know I anyway, all of this leads in 290 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 2: part to the coming to power of the guy who 291 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 2: is currently leading Tunisia, Kiss sayed. And as you noted, Mia, 292 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 2: you know this guy is a populist. He is elected 293 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: with seventy two percent of the vote. He frames himself 294 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 2: like populist. Him to do is like I am you know, 295 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 2: I'm outside the system. I'm gonna help you take on 296 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 2: the elite that have corruptly ruled our country, and he 297 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: also is very anti migrant right Tunisia. A lot of 298 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 2: people who migrate into Europe do so through Tunisia just 299 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 2: for geographical reasons, and he is blaming a lot of 300 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 2: their problems on He does like great replacement shit that 301 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 2: all these black migrants are causing our country's problems. He 302 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 2: inspires a wave of violence against black people in Tunisia 303 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 2: that's pretty hideous and horrific. And he has gained a 304 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: significant amount of backing from particularly the Italian government, I 305 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 2: think also the French government, because he's cracking down on migrants, right, 306 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 2: and those migrants come to Italy and France and that's 307 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 2: a problem for those governments. So they're supporting this guy, who, 308 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: by the way, has turned himself into a dictator. All 309 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 2: those gains Tunisia had in the wake of the Arab Spring, 310 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: he has rolled back. He has centralized power, he has 311 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 2: more or less destroyed the judiciary is something that's independent, 312 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 2: you know, he is if he's not a dictator, he's 313 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 2: not all that far from it, you know. And he's 314 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 2: being supported by the these quote unquote democratic nations because well, 315 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 2: I mean because racism, right, Yeah, same reason they support 316 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 2: a Gadaffi, Like, yeah, when it comes to the politicians, 317 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 2: it's a mixture of racism and just like well, racism 318 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 2: wins votes, and when it comes to like why racism 319 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 2: win votes, it's back to racism, right anyway, So those 320 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 2: are that's Tunisia more or less. 321 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 3: Unfortunately, we need to go to ads. We'll be back 322 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 3: in a second, and we're back. Yeah, So well let's 323 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 3: end on a slightly more positive note where well, so 324 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 3: the line I was gonna give was one about how 325 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 3: like you know, I mean, this is the thing with Tunisia, right, 326 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 3: is like you have this like Chenizia has effectively structural 327 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 3: unemployment rates of like thirty forty percent. Right, Yeah, it's 328 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 3: it's and that's that's the thing that that's the thing 329 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 3: that can't be solved without changing the economic system. 330 00:16:58,320 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 2: Yep. 331 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 3: If you you know, if you you can have your 332 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 3: political revolution without your social revolution, you'll be right back 333 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 3: to where you were in like ten years. The problem though, 334 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,120 Speaker 3: the other thing is you can have your social revolution 335 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 3: and also end up in the same place, which is 336 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 3: where we're going with with China. Where so one of 337 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 3: the there's a very famous Okay, I guess the place 338 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,439 Speaker 3: we should start with this is that one of the 339 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 3: I've talked about this a bit on this show. One 340 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 3: of the ways that labor works in China like structurally 341 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 3: is that so you're a contractor, you work for a 342 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 3: contracting company. The contracting company is this like series of 343 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 3: shell companies, and there's like a there's like there's a 344 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:36,199 Speaker 3: payday on like New Years because that's when the like 345 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 3: the financial like the year sort of rolls over and 346 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 3: that's when you get paid. And so these companies are 347 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 3: designed to specifically go out of business like the day 348 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 3: before New Year, so they don't have to pay any 349 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 3: of the workers for the work that they've done. And 350 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 3: this leads to a rash of protests in China, like 351 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:56,719 Speaker 3: every single year on New Year's Day, there's like this 352 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 3: massive there's a protests like fucking everywhere because people have 353 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 3: been screwed. It happens a lot with construction companies, and 354 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 3: so there's a very like one of the very common 355 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 3: tactics you see is people like standing on top of 356 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 3: buildings holding banners saying like we're going to jump unless 357 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 3: you guys like pay us. And so that that's kind 358 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 3: of the background of this, which is that that's like, 359 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 3: that's a fairly common kind of like workers protest. In 360 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 3: twenty twenty one, there's a delivery driver in Jongsu who 361 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 3: he so something something I didn't really talk about the 362 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 3: ten episodes is that Chinese economy is increasingly becoming a 363 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 3: gig economy and this has been this has been happening 364 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 3: for a while now. And so this guy is a 365 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: delivery driver for Ali Baba and he's like, he's like 366 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 3: trying to change apps, and the app garnishes his wages 367 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 3: and steals seven hundred dollars from him, and that's an 368 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 3: enormous amount of money. 369 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the app garnished his wages. As a sentence, 370 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 2: that just makes me want to light something on fire. 371 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 2: So I get why this would spark protests. 372 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, And he like tries to get it back and 373 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 3: they don't give it to him, and he like and 374 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 3: he lights himself on fire, and this turns into so 375 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 3: he lets self on fire and then like this this 376 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 3: is this is in twenty twenty one. This is the 377 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 3: same year where that Temu employee falls over dead, like 378 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 3: like dies in your bed from over work, and also 379 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 3: the same year when when a Temo employee jumps off 380 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,959 Speaker 3: of the building because of over work. And this sets 381 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 3: off like a giant kind of shift in in the 382 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 3: way that the Chinese public is thinking about labor, because 383 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 3: up until this one, people have been you know, like China. 384 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 3: It's it's not it's nowhere near as bad as a Nia, 385 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 3: but it also has this problem of like everyone works 386 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 3: harder and harder. You're working, You're working nine ninety six, right, 387 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 3: You're working nine am nine pm, six days a week, 388 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 3: and you're like, you're working more and more and more 389 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 3: hours and you're not getting ahead, right, You're still stuck 390 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 3: in your shitty apartment and your app isn't paying you 391 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 3: for the work you did. And this leads to a 392 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 3: whole like a whole thing that sort of culminates in 393 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 3: in something I talked about a bit in the time 394 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 3: of episodes, which is the Chinese Supreme Court, Like the 395 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 3: Chinese Constitution says you're not supposed to be able to 396 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 3: work people for longer, for like thirty five hours, unless 397 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 3: like special circumstances, and the Chinese Supreme Court goes like, well, obviously, 398 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 3: you're not allowed to work people like twelve out like 399 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 3: twelve hours a day, six days a week, and that 400 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,479 Speaker 3: isn't like in large part and partially it's because of 401 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 3: the the Temu suicide and the Temu thing. But the 402 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 3: other huge contributing factor to this, and another huge thing 403 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 3: contributing to Chinese society attempting to reckon kind of with 404 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 3: their unbelievable overwork culture is is the self immolation. And 405 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,959 Speaker 3: it's it's it's one, and it goes viral so fast 406 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 3: that there's no way to sort of like cover it up. 407 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,359 Speaker 3: There's it's it's you can't. The Chinese government can't really 408 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 3: just press the racism button like they normally would, because 409 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 3: this isn't someone into back and someone in changeohn they 410 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:05,640 Speaker 3: can't really do that, and so they kind of are. 411 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 3: They're forced to make at least like some kind of 412 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 3: change because it pisss off so many people in ways 413 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 3: that like can't really be contained. So you know, I 414 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 3: guess the lesson from that, if there is one, is 415 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 3: sometimes very rarely you can back a government into a 416 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 3: corner where the normal things that they would say about it, 417 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 3: or like the normal like mental illness, terrorists, deluded things 418 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 3: don't work because the raw simplicity of what they did 419 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 3: and why just breaks through the media sphere thing, and it's. 420 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 2: Again very hard to predict obviously, Like this isn't the 421 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 2: first within the last twelve months. This isn't the first 422 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 2: self emolation of the United States, right, and the last 423 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 2: self emolation attacked or not attacks? Sorry I should jeez, 424 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 2: do I have a media rain or what? Well? The 425 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 2: last self immolation that we had, which I believe was 426 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 2: was over climate change. 427 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,640 Speaker 3: Oh there, there there was a Palestine one too. 428 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 2: Oh there was a past So I guess we've had 429 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 2: a couple like two in the last or three now, 430 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 2: I guess in the last like twelve months or so, 431 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 2: But they didn't the other ones did not really move 432 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 2: the needle. Yeah, right, why Aaron do I mean? I 433 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 2: think I think part of it might have to do 434 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 2: with with how deliberate it was and how you know, 435 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,959 Speaker 2: it got was very quickly picked up by local media 436 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 2: and the national media. I don't know that's that's really 437 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 2: outside the scope of these episodes, but I hope you 438 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 2: at least now have more of a grounding and like 439 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 2: how this has gone other times, people have used this 440 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 2: as a method of protest, and hopefully that's of use 441 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 2: to you anyway. Have a good day, Bye. 442 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 1: It could Happen Here as a production of cool Zone Media. 443 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: For more podcasts and cool Zone Media, visit our website 444 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: coolzonemedia dot com or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 445 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 446 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: find sources for it could Happen Here, updated monthly at 447 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 1: coolzonmedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.