1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. 5 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 2: Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: my name is Noah. 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 3: They call me Ben. We're joined as always with our 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 3: superproducer Dylan the Tennessee pal Fagan. Most importantly, you are you. 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 3: You are here. That makes this the stuff they don't 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 3: want you to know. If you are hearing this strange 11 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 3: news segment on the day it publishes or the evening, 12 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 3: let us be the first to welcome you to November 13 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,639 Speaker 3: twenty fifth, twenty twenty four. As people reckon the calendar. 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 3: We have so many updates, we have so much strange 15 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 3: news from across the globe. Maybe one that would be 16 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 3: interesting for us to kick off with here is, do 17 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 3: you guys hear about that Swedish leader who's terrified of bananas? 18 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 2: Uh? 19 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 4: No, but I can relate. 20 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 5: I don't trust the shape and the peel and you 21 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 5: slip on them, you're dead. I mean, come on, if 22 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 5: Mario Kart has taught us anything. 23 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, but they're also radioactive. 24 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 3: They are Yes, that is true. You know, the story 25 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 3: of the banana is fascinating on its own, given the 26 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 3: fact that you know, the reason banana candy, banana flavored 27 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 3: candy doesn't taste the same as bananas in your grocery 28 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 3: stores entirely because the gross Michelle almost got wiped out 29 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 3: right and replaced by the cavendish banana. 30 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 4: It's a nuts of. 31 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 3: Story, maybe more for ridiculous history. We do have to 32 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 3: give a quick trigger warning to our pal Paulina Berg, 33 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 3: who is a Swedish minister with an intense phobia of bananas. 34 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 3: Apparently part of it is due to physiological reasons. She 35 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 3: has a strong allergy to bananas, and in multiple emails 36 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 3: regarding you know, various international or domestic appearances, her team 37 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,119 Speaker 3: goes out of the way to say that no bananas 38 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 3: are allowed on the premises entire. 39 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 2: Wait, so she's actually allergic to the bananas. 40 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 3: Let's go to a quote. Let's go to a quote 41 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: she distrustful of them, like me, Well, let's go to 42 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 3: the you know, we love a primary source. Brand Berg 43 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: told an outfit called Expressing earlier, she said, quote, it's 44 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 3: sort of an allergy. You could say, huh, it's something 45 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: that I get professional help with. Oh, I have a 46 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 3: phobia of bananas, so I don't know. 47 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 5: It reminds me a lot of the Chuck character on 48 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 5: Better Call Saul, who is allergic to electro electromatic you know. 49 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 5: And that's a you know, a story we've talked about too, 50 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 5: but it is yet to be fully recognized by medical science. 51 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 2: It's like cats with cucumbers, you guys. 52 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 3: Well they mistake them for reptiles. 53 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 4: Okay, No, it's not like that, so well maybe it 54 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 4: might be. 55 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 3: Who are we to plumb the depths of every individual mind? 56 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 3: We'll tell you after this gold open and we've returned. 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 3: Speaking of phobias, here's one that I'm sure has stood 58 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 3: out to all of us at some point in the darkness. 59 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 3: The constant fear that a bear may approach you and 60 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 3: break into your. 61 00:03:58,160 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: Car with a banana. 62 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 3: With a banana or a cucumber, you know, or both, 63 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 3: just a dual wielding the most dangerous produce. 64 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 2: Want some produce, it says, you know. 65 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 5: I mean, let's just can we at least all agree 66 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 5: that bananas do have a bit of a sinister vibe. 67 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 3: I mean, they're useful for scale in a non metric system. 68 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 3: They're also untrustworthy because a banana goes, a banana goes 69 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 3: from perfect to bye bye so quickly. 70 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: I was examining the one banana I have left after 71 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 2: my son got here on Sunday. We purchased it on Monday. 72 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 2: As we're recording today, it is Wednesday. I swear it 73 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 2: is bad. 74 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 3: It is terrgo. They go quick. 75 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, you can freeze them. 76 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 3: You can freeze them. That's a great note. But the 77 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 3: larger rules. But bears, so we all So That's where 78 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 3: I'm going, right, Are we unanimous on this? Do we 79 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 3: all have that completely understandable, ever present fear that a 80 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 3: bear dual bananas and cucumbers might break into your car? 81 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: Yes, ever since I've seen that black bear like literally 82 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: in my cul de sac. Yes, I'm actually worried about. 83 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 4: That, Ben. 84 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 5: This is a fear I didn't know I had until 85 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 5: you manifested it into existence with. 86 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 4: Your very words. 87 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 3: Oh geez, just gave you the words for that vibe. Man, 88 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 3: It's been with you cradle to grave. California has seen 89 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 3: a lot of bears breaking into cars, but it appears 90 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 3: someone has been leveraging this again universal fear. I'm joking 91 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 3: to perpetrate some crime, and we love a good silly crime. 92 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 3: The California Insurance Department started noticing something was awry when 93 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 3: four LA residents were arrested on previous Wednesday earlier this November. 94 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 3: They were accused of defrauding insurance companies out of nearly 95 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 3: one hundred and forty two thousand U S. Dollars by 96 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: claiming a bear had randomly showed up and damaged their 97 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 3: luxury vehicles, and they provided they provide a video footage 98 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 3: of what they said was a bear moving within two Mercedes, 99 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 3: popping into a Rolls Royce and claimed, you know, they 100 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 3: needed the insurance payout. Apparently it was a guy dressed 101 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 3: as a bear as part of a just delightful conspiracy. 102 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: Okay, Ben, I'm looking at a photo on this ap 103 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: article you shared it. 104 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 105 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, and there there is a bear suit that looks 106 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 2: like it has a shirt on for some reason, and 107 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 2: it looks like there are two claw like weapons that 108 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 2: you would hold in your fists. 109 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 3: To do the damage. 110 00:06:57,760 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 4: Yeah. 111 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 3: It's also it's fascinating because you say shirt, I feel 112 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 3: like it looks like a lap coat. Yes, like doctor 113 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 3: bear is so the bear quote unquote the woosh woosh. 114 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 3: Bear reportedly damaged a twenty ten Rolls Royce ghost, which, 115 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 3: just so you know, is an amazing piece of art, 116 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 3: often confused with a car. It was look the video 117 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 3: shows a bear trashing the car. They gave it to 118 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 3: the insurance company. And here's my favorite quote from the 119 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 3: California Insurance Department. They said, quote upon further scrutiny of 120 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 3: the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a 121 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 3: person in a bear costume. 122 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, yeah yeah. 123 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 3: So the four people, Ruben tom Rizaian Ararat, chirknian vahe 124 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: Mura Kanyan, and Alif Zuckerman, we're all arrested on charges 125 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 3: of insurance fraud and of course conspiracy. San Bernardino County 126 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 3: District Attorney Office said we don't have time for this. 127 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: I'm kidding. 128 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 4: No. 129 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 3: They said they're going to do their job. So I 130 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 3: don't know, man, it might be a sensitive time to 131 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 3: order bear costumes. Our thoughts go out to all the 132 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 3: furries out there, you know what I mean? 133 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: Oh, I know what you mean. But I'm just looking 134 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: at pictures of twenty ten Rolls Royce ghosts. 135 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 3: Beautif see you see what I'm saying. Art confused with 136 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 3: a car. 137 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 5: Well, and can I just say my thoughts are always 138 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 5: with all the furries out there. 139 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 2: Just why we have a few furries who listen Confirmed 140 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 2: furries guys. Oh yes, very kind, awesome humans that we've 141 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 2: interacted with. 142 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 4: Dude. 143 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 3: Also, furries are great. You're not messing up anybody's life 144 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 3: by doing what you want. You're not harming other people. 145 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 3: I love it. I love when our pal Josh Clark 146 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 3: was telling me a while back. He was telling me 147 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 3: he was trying to get into a furry convention in 148 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 3: Atlanta and security was super high. And I asked him, well, 149 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 3: you know, Josh, what's going on with that? And he said, Ben, 150 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 3: believe it or not, a lot of folks are mean 151 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 3: to these people. 152 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 5: And I was not joking when I said I often 153 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 5: think of furries because it is a live and let 154 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 5: live kind of lifestyle and I think it's delightful and 155 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 5: if it gives them joy, I say, more power to them. 156 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 5: And those costumes are very elaborate and really demonstrate a 157 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 5: lot of craft. 158 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 2: Generally, don't come with those clow fists though. 159 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 3: Right, No, that was to mess up the cars for 160 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 3: the Insurance podcast, So hashtag not all furries or no 161 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 3: tall furries, depending on how you read this. It's a 162 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 3: super Bowl superb Owl kind. 163 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 4: Of word joke. 164 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 3: We have a little bit of time before we move 165 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 3: on to our next few stories. I would like to 166 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 3: ask you, guys, there's a lot of geopolitical stuff at play. 167 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 3: Syria is now having his water cut, the EU is 168 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 3: doing a little bit of quid pro quo with Chinese 169 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 3: tech giants. A rock is lowering the age of consent 170 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 3: from eighteen to nine years old. 171 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 4: That is not good clip. 172 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, do you want to talk about that one 173 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 3: for a second. 174 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 6: No, No, I guess also experiencing declining birth rates, and 175 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 6: this is some sort of I'm sorry, I'm just grasping 176 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 6: a straws here. 177 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 2: I would say, like, as much as personally I don't 178 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 2: want to talk about it, let's at least get the 179 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 2: facts out there so when people see that headline they 180 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 2: understand what is happening. 181 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, this is important and we need to be very 182 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 3: aware of this. All of us joined around at the 183 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 3: proverbial campfire this evening. This bill has not gone through. 184 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 3: It is a proposed legal change. The current age of 185 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 3: consent legally is eighteen years old. In the nation of 186 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 3: a Rock. If this bill passes and becomes law, it 187 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 3: will lower the age of consent to nine years old. 188 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 3: It will not have a men max requirement for the 189 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 3: age of someone marrying a nine year old, which means 190 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 3: conceivably it could be a very much older person an adult. 191 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 3: Iraq's parliament is a coalition enterprise and right now the 192 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 3: folks running the legislative roost are a coalition of Shia 193 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 3: Muslim parties. They're seeking to overturn Law one eighty eight, 194 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 3: better known as the Personal Status Law, which has been 195 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 3: around since nineteen fifty nine. It's supposed to be irreligious 196 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 3: or secular, meaning it is not impacting certain people differently 197 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 3: based upon their religious creeds. However, this is the second 198 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 3: time Shia have attempted to amend that Personal Status law. 199 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 3: They were not able to change it in twenty fourteen, 200 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 3: try it again unsuccessfully in twenty seventeen. This has largely 201 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 3: been rejected, thank goodness, due to female activists and female 202 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 3: politicians in the country. But it has a lot of 203 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 3: momentum right now and it's seen I don't know I 204 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 3: so we have to wonder what these kind of things 205 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 3: that would hopefully never pass in any country, we have 206 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 3: to wonder what their motivation is. Is it to victimize children? 207 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 5: I mean, it certainly seems to take a lot of 208 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 5: agency away from children. I mean, maybe that's even too 209 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 5: diplomatic a way of putting it. But a nine year 210 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 5: old doesn't have the ability to make that choice for themselves. 211 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 3: It doesn't have the ability to consent. 212 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 5: Now, so this is a bit of a bastardization of 213 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 5: a law that is intended to protect children. 214 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's an attack on it. And we could even 215 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 3: argue if we look at the larger context, which we 216 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 3: don't have time to do in our new segment. 217 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:14,839 Speaker 4: But what we. 218 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 3: Can say is it's possible this is an attempt to 219 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:26,439 Speaker 3: earn some higher ideological legitimacy for the base for supporters, 220 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 3: but it will inevitably lead to child marriage. You know, 221 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 3: in a country where per the latest statistics, some twenty 222 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 3: eight percent of women are already married consentially or non 223 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 3: consensually by the age of eighteen, this personal status law 224 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 3: is still a bag of badgers because it does allow 225 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 3: for religious marriage in place of secular marriage. So a 226 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 3: religious leader can officiate thousands of marriages per year up 227 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 3: to and including children as young as fifteen. And you know, doubtlessly, 228 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 3: given the number of us listening along tonight, there are 229 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 3: several of us who have been involved in marriages at 230 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 3: quite a young age. And it may it may have 231 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 3: worked out, But nine nine years old, that's too far. 232 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 4: That is like, that. 233 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 3: Is technically physiologically gross. 234 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 2: I hadn't even learned how to play magic the gathering 235 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 2: at that age. 236 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 4: Where are you? 237 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 2: Well, well, I guess what I mean is I'm just 238 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 2: trying to imagine who I was if I was married 239 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 2: at nine? 240 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 3: Like what? 241 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 2: Because you're not you yet, not even close to the 242 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 2: like an actualized human being. 243 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, so this is a tough one. We do want 244 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 3: to raise awareness of this. We also want to give 245 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 3: great thanks and appreciation to Coalition one eight eight uh, 246 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 3: an Iraqi based group of femal activists who are opposed 247 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 3: to allowing this law to pass. Please let us know 248 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 3: your thoughts if you have experience in a rock or 249 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 3: if you are in a rocky national conspiracy atiheartradio dot com. 250 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 3: We're gonna pause for a word from our sponsors, and 251 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 3: as we do so, shout out to the Psychic Crime 252 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 3: Syndicate in Sydney, Australia. They all got arrested. How did 253 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 3: they not see that coming? 254 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 5: And we've returned with another piece of strange news. 255 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 4: Strange indeed, it's like something out of. 256 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 5: An Onion article, but it actually involves The Onion, the 257 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 5: satirical newspaper that's been around since the eighties and in 258 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 5: recent years has pivoted to more online kind of meme 259 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 5: type presence, where like sometimes the headline and the picture 260 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 5: alone is what gets shared. I got to wonder what 261 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 5: their click through rate is on those. It's really shareable stuff, 262 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 5: really fun, and it's been nice to see them kind 263 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 5: of you know, popping up more and more. Apparently they 264 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 5: are in fact about to reboot the print version of 265 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 5: The Onion, which I think is also cool, in an 266 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 5: effort to contribute to like raising their online subscription numbers. 267 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 5: So kind of like an old school way of propping 268 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 5: up a new school business model newer anyway. 269 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 4: But The Onion, in fact, again. 270 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 5: And something that sounds like a story they would write about, 271 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 5: has purchased, or has one a bid to purchase Alex 272 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 5: Jones's Info Wars Empire, at the very least his website. 273 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 4: This is pretty wild stuff. 274 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 5: I mean, it's like it's almost like cards against humanity, 275 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 5: like buying up that lot to prevent Elon Musk from 276 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 5: doing it. Like I just you gotta love to see 277 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 5: this kind of bizarro satirical activism, sort of like the 278 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 5: stuff that John Oliver does at the end of his 279 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:07,360 Speaker 5: episodes where he'll like literally buy all of the you know, 280 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 5: leftover kitchen equipment from a red lobster in last week tonight. 281 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 5: So I don't know, I was sorry to know exactly 282 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 5: where to start the main story and then it's ongoing, 283 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 5: is that, you know? Obviously, Alex Jones lost a massive 284 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 5: defamation lawsuit class action lawsuit filed by the parents of 285 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 5: children who were killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. We've 286 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 5: covered this pretty extensively due to Alex Jones's flagrant abuse 287 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 5: of his platform in calling this false flag attack, saying 288 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 5: that there were crisis actors involved in not only that, 289 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 5: but you know, literally asking his followers to kind of 290 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 5: go after the parents of you know, these tragically murdered children. 291 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 4: And he lost big time. 292 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 5: You know, I believe he owes the families that were 293 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 5: involved in the class action one point five billion dollars 294 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,959 Speaker 5: in pr puts it thusly for spreading false conspiracies at 295 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 5: the elementary school shooting in Newton, Connecticut never happened, as 296 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 5: followers then harassed and threatened them for years. So Jones 297 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 5: is basically on the hook for just about everything. He owns, 298 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 5: his entire business empire, multiple wings of his parent company, 299 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 5: which I believe is called Free Speech LLC or Free 300 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 5: Speech Systems. Rather, he has a division of that that 301 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 5: has for many years pedled these kind of doomsday prepper kits, 302 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 5: like bucket kind of meals, things like that, but also 303 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 5: like bone broth and all of these pretty, you know, 304 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 5: snake oily kind of life extension remedies. Right, guys, Does 305 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 5: that kind of sum up the case as far as 306 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 5: where we're. 307 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 4: At right now? 308 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 3: Sure? I believe so. Yeah. 309 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 5: I just just Jones is on the hook for a 310 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 5: lot of money and that is going to involve the 311 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 5: liquidation of all his assets, and this bidding process was 312 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 5: part of that. So apparently the Onion and their parent 313 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 5: company which I'm not quite sure again it's the Onion 314 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 5: where the joke ends and the truth begins. But apparently 315 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 5: their parent company is called Global Tetrahedron LLC. But then 316 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 5: it's also a kind of an illumination Global unlimited type 317 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 5: figure within the lore of the Onion, and we're going 318 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 5: to get to that in a minute. And hear a 319 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 5: statement from their fictional CEO, Bryce P. Tetrator or tech Trader. 320 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,440 Speaker 2: So that is like a global three dimensional like pyramid, right, 321 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 2: that's right, Okay, okay. 322 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, Global Tetrahedron. But I think it is the name 323 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 5: of their parent company. But again it represents a lot 324 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 5: of like shadowy lore and they have this fake CEO, 325 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 5: Bryce P. Tet Trader, who has released a statement, a 326 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 5: fictional statement which we will get to. 327 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 4: But the Onion and their parent company, whether or not. 328 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 5: That's what it's called and whether that's real, were one 329 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 5: of only two bidders in a process intended to liquidate 330 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 5: this asset InfoWars dot Com. The Onions bid, however, for 331 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 5: Free Speech Systems was named the winning bid after this 332 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 5: bankruptcy auction. The proceeds of the sale were intended for 333 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 5: Sandy Hook families in order to pay them and make 334 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 5: them whole for the pain and suffering and anguish that 335 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 5: they were put through by Alex Jones again to the 336 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 5: tune of one point five billion dollars. He is not liquid. 337 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 5: He cannot just pay that out. It's going to require 338 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:41,959 Speaker 5: all of this various liquidations of his assets. If the 339 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 5: purchase goes through successfully, it would basically allow the Onion 340 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 5: to have their way with Jones's Info Wars brands, which 341 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 5: they have lampooned pretty mercilessly for many years. They plan, apparently, 342 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 5: according to some statements, for the company to relaunch the 343 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 5: info Wars platform is a parody, which, if we're being honest, 344 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 5: a lot of the time, that's what it felt like 345 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 5: and of itself. 346 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 4: So let's go to this quick. 347 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 5: Statement from this faux CEO that I think it really 348 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,719 Speaker 5: sums up the Onions position on all of this, and 349 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 5: I think there's some really good writing here. Here's why 350 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 5: I decided to buy info Wars. Today we celebrate a 351 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 5: new addition to the Global Tetrahedron LLC family of brands, 352 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,119 Speaker 5: and let me say, I really do see it as 353 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 5: a family. Much like family members, our brands are abstract 354 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 5: nodes of wealth, interchangeable assets for their patriarch to absorb 355 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 5: and discard according to the opaque whims of the market. 356 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 5: And just like family members, our brands regard one another 357 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 5: with mutual suspicion and malice. All told, the decision to 358 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 5: acquire info Wars was an easy one for the Global 359 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 5: Tetrahedron executive board. They then go on to describe what 360 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 5: they plan on doing with the portion of the website 361 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 5: that did sell these vitamins and stuffing it says here, 362 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 5: we are halting their sale immediately. Utilitarian logic dictates that 363 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 5: if we can extend even one CEO's life by ten minutes, 364 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 5: diluting these miracle elixirs for public consumption is an unethical waste. Instead, 365 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 5: we plan to collect the entire stock of the info 366 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 5: Wars warehouses into a large vat and boil the contents 367 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 5: down into a single candy bar sized omni vitamin that 368 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 5: one executive I will not name names may eat in 369 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 5: order to increase his power and perhaps become immortal. 370 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 4: All will be revealed in due time. 371 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 5: For now, let's enjoy this win and toast to the 372 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:39,159 Speaker 5: continued consolidation of power and capital, infinite growth forever. 373 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 4: Bryce p. Tetrader, Global Tetrahedron CEO. 374 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 3: Thank you, Bryce, and also big big credit to the 375 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 3: original writers of that commentary. I love the onion man. 376 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 3: I'm sorry, Noel. In case anybody missed it. Do we 377 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 3: have the blow by blow on what's happening with this acquisition? 378 00:22:58,720 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 3: Is it already done? 379 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 5: We absolutely do. There are wrinkles upon wrinkles. Alex Jones 380 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 5: is bucking, He is pushing back. He is suing, essentially 381 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 5: saying that the bid was fraudulent, that the auction was 382 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 5: not held fairly, and that he is essentially asking the judge, 383 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 5: the bankruptcy judge presiding over this sale, to nullify it. 384 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 5: Jones's lawsuit calls the Onion's offer a quote flagrantly non 385 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 5: compliant Frankenstein bid and the black letter definition of collusive bidding. 386 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 5: He says the judge should disqualify the offer and instead 387 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 5: named the only other bidder, which was first United American 388 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 5: Companies and Alex Jones affiliated Friendly f UAC. FUAC affiliated 389 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 5: with Jones in his online nutritional supplement store. They bid 390 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 5: three point five million in cash. The Onion, on the 391 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 5: other hand, offered half that amount, but there was a sweetener. 392 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 5: The Connecticut families promised to forego in order to make 393 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 5: this bid go through some of their sale proceeds to 394 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,120 Speaker 5: help beat the offer from FUAK. So this was in 395 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 5: the you know, the best interest and was the wishes 396 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 5: of you know, the winners of this class action lawsuit. 397 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 5: Reading from an NPR piece by Tovia Smith, the Onion 398 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 5: attorneys say that deal would result in the highest payout 399 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 5: to the other creditors, including a smaller group of families 400 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 5: who want a separate defamation suit against Jones in Texas, 401 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 5: and did not offer to forego any proceeds. Alex Jones 402 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 5: argues the offer was based on quote fake dollars and 403 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 5: that the rules of the auction were changed at the 404 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 5: last minute in what he describes as a conspiracy against 405 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 5: him in order to benefit the Onion and the Connecticut 406 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 5: families and to deny FUAC a fair chance of winning 407 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 5: the bid. He referred to it as monopoly money and 408 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 5: refers all the while on a plan to rig the process. 409 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 5: WHOA and A US Bankruptcy Trustee Christopher R. Murray is 410 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 5: overseeing these bankruptcy auctions, and he filed court papers as well, 411 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 5: dismissing what he referred to as a barrage of baseless allegations, 412 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 5: referring to them as just a disappointed bidder's improper attempt 413 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,400 Speaker 5: to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process. 414 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 2: Dang Man I was looking at that AP News article 415 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 2: you connected us to their NOLL and it was talking 416 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 2: about from this guy named Ben Collins, who I guess 417 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 2: is also associated with the parent company. That's right, And 418 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 2: I'm just trying to understand this whole thing where it's 419 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: a company making a bid and then there's also a 420 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 2: background agreement with people who would actually be accepting the 421 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 2: payment of the bid. That to me does feel weird, 422 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 2: just does feel surface. 423 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 5: I agree, there's something I don't understand this world. This 424 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 5: is not my wheelhouse. It does feel like the rules 425 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 5: were changed a little bit, but it was changed in 426 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,439 Speaker 5: order to I mean, the whole point of liquidating this 427 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 5: stuff is to pay out the participants, the winners of 428 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 5: this lawsuit. So it would be in the best interest 429 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 5: for the outcome to give them the best deal. And 430 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,239 Speaker 5: while the cash offer for the Onion was less than 431 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 5: the FUAC cash offer, which is three point five million dollars, 432 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 5: Onion only offered one point five million. Their caveat of 433 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 5: helping to take some of the proceeds and pay other 434 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 5: creditors that Alex Jones owes money to would ultimately benefit 435 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 5: the families of the Sandy Hook victims in the end. 436 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 3: Which is the most important part it is, but. 437 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 2: It's slippery still. 438 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 5: I don't quite understand the machinations here. Well, I want, 439 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 5: of course, I want the onion to win. I don't 440 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 5: fully understand how this stuff, in these little behind the 441 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 5: scenes kind of machinations work. 442 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 4: It does seem a little weird. 443 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 3: Well, it's it's auctions with stakeholders, you know, so people 444 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 3: have a prioritization to when they can step in. There's 445 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 3: an order of operations for what can or cannot be 446 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 3: so when or when we you know. One of the 447 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 3: one of the best summations of this I have found 448 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 3: recently was from the New York Times. Shout out to 449 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:16,400 Speaker 3: Elizabeth Williamson and Benjamin Mullen, not related to Ben Collins. 450 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:18,719 Speaker 3: I hate to say it, but I don't think all 451 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 3: Ben's hang out just yet. They said that they're talking 452 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 3: about some of the stuff you were signaling just a 453 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 3: few minutes ago, Which is that the bid, because is 454 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 3: still technically a bid to acquire info Wars, has gotten sticky. 455 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 3: It's gotten messy. It's slippery. Your buddies at FUAC are still, 456 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 3: you know, coming in eleventh hour trying to fight against this, 457 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,199 Speaker 3: and I think the most important thing, again, as I 458 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 3: said at the very beginning of this, is to like 459 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 3: prioritize the survivors of Sandy Hook who had their lives 460 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 3: ruined by this disinformation. 461 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 4: Well a million percent. 462 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 5: And it also feels to me that for an organization 463 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 5: affiliated with Joeans to win the bid is completely counter 464 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 5: to that, because they're obviously just going to like put 465 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 5: their resources into replatforming Alex Jones in some way, and 466 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,159 Speaker 5: we don't certainly know exactly what their intentions are. But 467 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 5: I'll just end this segment before we go to a 468 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 5: quick break with a quote from Robbie Parker, whose child 469 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 5: Emily was killed in the twenty twelve Sandy Hook shootings 470 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 5: there in Connecticut, said, through their lawyers, the dissolution of 471 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 5: Alex Jones's assets and the death of Info Wars is 472 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,199 Speaker 5: the justice we have long awaited and fought for. So 473 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 5: it seems to me like that's the only outcome that 474 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 5: would be acceptable. And for the Onion to just perma 475 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 5: lampoon the stuff and turn it into the satire that 476 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 5: it deserves to. 477 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 4: Be, I think is a win for everybody. 478 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 5: Let's take a quick break here where from our sponsor, 479 00:28:49,240 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 5: and then come back with one more piece of strange news. 480 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 2: And we've returned. We're going to go over several updates here. 481 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:00,959 Speaker 4: Guys. 482 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 2: Hey remember a guy named Jack to Shara? 483 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:05,959 Speaker 4: Jack to Shara? 484 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 3: Wait wait wait t E I X E R I A. 485 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 2: That's the one. 486 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 3: How is Jack? 487 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 2: Oh he's not great right now? Jack did Shara was 488 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: a Massachusetts Air National Guard member actually still is, just 489 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 2: on a probationary weird thing. But we talked about a 490 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 2: last April because he became a household name. He was 491 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 2: arrested and accused of leaking highly classified information to a 492 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 2: bunch of his friends on Discord and a couple other 493 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 2: places online where, at least from appearances, when we talked 494 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,320 Speaker 2: about it in April, it was like a boastful thing. 495 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 2: Hey look what I got? Check this out? Oh yeah, 496 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:47,959 Speaker 2: look at these secret documents. 497 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 3: I'm impressive, you guys. I'm not just some other dude 498 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 3: talking mess on the internet. Here's some stuff they don't 499 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 3: want you to know. It turns out it was STDK 500 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 3: and the streets were watching. 501 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 4: Is that correct? 502 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: Yeah? 503 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 2: Not at first, because he was doing it for a 504 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 2: while before anybody caught on and they went, wait a second, 505 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 2: what is this Oh my god, this is like insider 506 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 2: information on the United States relations with Ukraine while the 507 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 2: active war is happening, and strategy about how the US 508 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 2: moved some things around in Ukraine, stuff that we as 509 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 2: the United States don't want anybody to know about for realsies. 510 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 2: So he got in trouble, got arrested almost immediately, and 511 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 2: then in March of this year, he pleaded guilty to 512 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 2: six counts of quote, wilful retention and transmission of national 513 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 2: defense information under the Espionage Act. And that was nearly 514 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 2: a year after his initial arrest. So took a minute 515 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 2: to get him through and he finally pleaded guilty. Well, 516 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 2: he was just sentenced to fifteen years one to five 517 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 2: years in prison by a federal judge. 518 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 3: He did it, though, Matt, He did actually do these things. 519 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 2: Correct, Um, he did do these things. Well, he at 520 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 2: least admits to doing these things. It would appear by 521 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 2: all counts that he did these things, and he is 522 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 2: being punished for it. And there are many quotes you 523 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 2: can find in places like the AP News where you 524 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 2: can search for this. Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Tikshera sentenced 525 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 2: to fifteen years in prison by a federal judge that 526 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 2: was posted on November twelfth. There are tons of quotes 527 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 2: that basically say, we have to make an example of 528 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,479 Speaker 2: this guy. That's how I would put it. 529 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'd agree with that. 530 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 4: Yeah. 531 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 2: Well, and it goes back to the problem that we've 532 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 2: discussed on this show before about classification. Who gets access 533 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 2: to classified secret documents? Who gets access to the stuff 534 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 2: that they really don't want us to know? How easy 535 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: is it to get that kind of access, and what 536 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: are the consequences for mishandling it? Right? Well, there it 537 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 2: gets deeper in here through the court case where basically 538 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 2: his defense attorneys are saying, he well, I guess I 539 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 2: can just I'll read this from the AP News article quote. 540 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 2: Defense attorneys had described to Share as an autistic, isolated 541 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 2: individual who spent most of his time online, especially with 542 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 2: his discord community. They said his actions, though criminal, were 543 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 2: never meant to quote harm the United States, and he 544 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 2: had no prior criminal record. Instead, his intent was to 545 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 2: educate his friends about world events to make certain they 546 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: were not misled by misinformation. 547 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 3: Okay, okay, So painting it as a well intentioned yet 548 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 3: super not traitorous action on his behalf and that's you know, 549 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 3: that's that's a very there may be some validity to 550 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 3: that argument. 551 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 2: Right, Well, that's a good point because it is no 552 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 2: you're right, though, you're absolutely right. But I think when 553 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 2: it comes to sentencing, you should take some of those 554 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 2: things into account, right, not whether or not you broke 555 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 2: specific laws, but why what were you trying to do. 556 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 2: It's not the same as giving secret documents to a 557 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 2: known enemy, right, because you're acting as a spy, or 558 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 2: you're getting paid, or you're being coerced in some way. 559 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 2: This is basically a kid going you, guys, there's crazy 560 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 2: stuff happening in Ukraine right now, because you know, everybody 561 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 2: was seeing back in the in those times, seeing information 562 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 2: about what's what's happening in Ukraine and freaking out a 563 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 2: little bit because it looked like an active New World 564 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 2: War that was starting up, and it kind of still is, 565 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 2: as we're about to talk about. But that's that's different 566 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 2: from being a spy. But again, the prosecution basically and 567 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 2: the federal judge who sentenced him, said yeah, that doesn't matter. 568 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 2: We've gotta we got to put this thing down. 569 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, And for anybody wondering the Espionage Act in the 570 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 3: United States is super duper old in comparison to the 571 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 3: country it comes from, Like nineteen seventeen, it has not 572 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 3: been universally applied. Just to be clear, so, fellow conspiracy realist, 573 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 3: when our pal Matt is talking about the numerous statements 574 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 3: saying someone needs to make an example of this guy, Jack, 575 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 3: we are very well aware, painfully aware that this does 576 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 3: not get applied in every situation. Got really close to 577 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 3: naming a couple of people who should have the Espionage 578 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 3: Act applied to them, But maybe tonight has not. 579 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 2: That night, Nah, probably not. 580 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 3: But you know what I'm talking about. 581 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 2: I do too. In other strange news, guys, segue, here 582 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 2: is a little story from CNN written on November thirteenth, 583 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four. I'm going to read the title US 584 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:57,360 Speaker 2: defense contractor to pay former Iraqi detainees forty two million 585 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:01,720 Speaker 2: dollars for its role in torture at notorious Abu Grab prison. 586 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,439 Speaker 2: Abagrad prison, Guys, we covered that extensively when we talked 587 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 2: about black sites on this show, made a couple of 588 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 2: videos about it, made a couple of podcast episodes about it. 589 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 2: Abu Grab is one of those places that was functionally 590 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:17,320 Speaker 2: a prison that used to be a place for wholey 591 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:22,879 Speaker 2: different stuff, and then it was used to let's say, 592 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:26,720 Speaker 2: enhancedly interrogate people for quite a while. 593 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 4: That's rough. 594 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that can be read as torture now, 595 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:35,439 Speaker 2: especially given this court proceeding. So we'll just go to this. 596 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 2: This was three Iraqi men who endured what is considered torture, 597 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 2: full on torture at Abergrab prison over two decades ago, 598 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:48,359 Speaker 2: so twenty years ago, and it was a US government contractor, 599 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,920 Speaker 2: so a third party company that was responsible for this abuse, 600 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,399 Speaker 2: which is kind of weird because of something we've talked 601 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 2: about in that Black Side's episode. A lot of the 602 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 2: let's say instructions, the playbooks or the let's say the 603 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 2: generalized playbooks for how to perform these enhanced interrogation things, 604 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:14,360 Speaker 2: these putting people in stress positions, hitting people in certain 605 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:15,120 Speaker 2: parts of their. 606 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 3: Bodies, psychological manipulation, sexual ac humiliation. 607 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 2: All came from government sources down to the contractors, who 608 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:25,719 Speaker 2: then were the ones who actually did it. So it 609 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,920 Speaker 2: is kind of a passing the blame thing, and in 610 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 2: this case, the well, they are the actual people who 611 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 2: are torturing, right, these contractors, but ultimately they were doing 612 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:41,320 Speaker 2: it at the behest of government officials, which is sticky. 613 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 2: Not great. 614 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 3: It's not kaka, but it is Kasi, right. 615 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:51,239 Speaker 2: Oh, CACI Premier Technology Incorporated. That's the defense contractor that 616 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,880 Speaker 2: we're talking about. I'll just read this from that CNN 617 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 2: article quote. The plaintiffs alleged the company was hired by 618 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 2: the US government following the US invasion of Iraq to 619 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 2: interrogation services at Abu Grab, a US Army detention facility 620 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 2: where Iraqi detainees were brutally tortured. And hey, you want 621 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 2: to get into who these people were. It's a middle 622 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 2: school principle, a fruit vendor, and a journalist. And they 623 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 2: each received three million dollars in compensatory damages and eleven 624 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 2: million impunitive damages. 625 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:27,839 Speaker 3: And for larger context, folks, please consider obviously more than 626 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 3: just these plaintiffs, there were there were many more people 627 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:38,480 Speaker 3: held in before the US took over, during the Hussein regime. 628 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 3: This was already a prison, So things just got worse 629 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 3: and worse and worse. 630 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, not great at all. And there are a lot 631 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 2: more people who went through that system and were tortured 632 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 2: who haven't yet to file a formal complaint like this. 633 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 2: And to sue you know, a contractor or the US 634 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 2: government anything else. We need to talk about this, guys 635 00:37:57,960 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 2: before we move on to the last update for today. 636 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 2: Good here, all right, here we go. This is a 637 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 2: big one, guys, Oh, it sure is. We've been hearing 638 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:14,920 Speaker 2: a lot about tariffs lately, and specifically that the incoming 639 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 2: American presidential administration is going to or has pledged to 640 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 2: enact a lot of tariffs or taxes on goods and 641 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,280 Speaker 2: products coming in from other countries into the United States. 642 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 2: We've heard anywhere from twenty percent tariffs to sixty percent tariffs, 643 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 2: ranging all the way up to two hundred percent tariffs. 644 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:38,439 Speaker 2: A lot of this is just rhetoric or talk, right, 645 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:42,400 Speaker 2: none of it's actually on paper yet, but it is 646 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,640 Speaker 2: something that I wanted to bring up with you guys, 647 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 2: because there is an interesting story coming out of the BBC. 648 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 2: Was written on November fifteenth. Here is the title, and 649 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 2: on the surface it's not related. But then as we 650 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,720 Speaker 2: start thinking about the future in the next couple of years, 651 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 2: couple of decades, it could be a major story. I 652 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 2: think the title is Mega Port Mega PRT opens up 653 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 2: in Latin America to Chinese trade as US looks on 654 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 2: why is this important? Let's I'm gonna read directly from 655 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 2: the top of this article is written by Robert Plummer 656 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,839 Speaker 2: for the BBC. As the world waits to see how 657 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 2: the return of Donald Trump will reshape relations between Washington 658 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 2: and Beijing, China has just taken decisive action to entrench 659 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 2: its position in Latin America. And he goes on to 660 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 2: talk about one of the main platforms that now President 661 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 2: elect Trump was talking about, where these tariffs as highs 662 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:43,319 Speaker 2: sixty percent, specifically on Chinese made goods. So if we're 663 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 2: thinking for d chess moves here, we're thinking big picture 664 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 2: global politics, China and maybe seeing the future, maybe hearing 665 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,400 Speaker 2: some of this stuff taking action. This feels like something 666 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 2: that's been in the works for a long time, and 667 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 2: actually has been in the works for a long time. 668 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 2: China made the move to open Megaport, which has the 669 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 2: potential to create whole new trade routes that fully bypass 670 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:12,920 Speaker 2: North America. Yeah, so potentially if the US, if you 671 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 2: just imagine a map with the US on it, if 672 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:17,239 Speaker 2: you wanted to send any goods into that place, you'd 673 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 2: have to pay sixty percent, you know, extra on whatever 674 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:24,799 Speaker 2: you are selling there. Now, imagine instead of doing that, 675 00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 2: you just go a little further south to Latin America, 676 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,280 Speaker 2: and now you can move stuff around the United States 677 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 2: if you need to. You can move stuff, you know, 678 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 2: further north, if you need to, You can fully bypass 679 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:41,879 Speaker 2: needing to deal with the US at all, and even 680 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,920 Speaker 2: further down the road, you cut off trade almost completely, 681 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,400 Speaker 2: or at least whittle it down to almost nothing, which, 682 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:52,880 Speaker 2: guys made me think about, what was that thing that 683 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:56,200 Speaker 2: happened the Great Depression? And there's this guy, this president 684 00:40:56,280 --> 00:41:00,680 Speaker 2: named Hoover, and he he put forth the thing. It 685 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 2: was the Smoot Holly Tariff Act. Do you guys remember 686 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 2: hearing about this back in the day. Have you ever 687 00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:08,200 Speaker 2: covered that on Ridiculous History? 688 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 4: Well? 689 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:13,560 Speaker 5: I certainly remember covering it an actual history class, but 690 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 5: it's been a long time and I haven't really thought 691 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 5: about it. Can you remind us and the listeners what 692 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 5: the Smoot Holly Tariff Act was all about? 693 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:23,880 Speaker 2: It was a very similar action back in nineteen thirty 694 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:27,759 Speaker 2: to what is being talked about today in twenty twenty four, 695 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:31,919 Speaker 2: where massive tariffs were put on any international goods coming 696 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:34,719 Speaker 2: into the US, like very high tariffs. 697 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:37,920 Speaker 4: Well, how to work out then not great. 698 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,319 Speaker 2: It is considered, at least from what I'm reading via 699 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 2: the Cato Institute in several other places, as one of 700 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:49,360 Speaker 2: the major contributing factors to ongoing economic issues following the crash, 701 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:53,280 Speaker 2: right the stock market crash and at the very start 702 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 2: of what is considered the Great Depression in the United 703 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:59,160 Speaker 2: States in the late nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties. 704 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:02,240 Speaker 3: Which still we we know is a terrible name, folks, 705 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 3: Great Depression. It just describes the magnitude of how crappy 706 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:10,240 Speaker 3: things were. Nobody's saying it's you know, double plus good. 707 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:14,359 Speaker 3: I love that you're bringing up that historical contact men, But. 708 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 2: Make America great again, guys. 709 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 3: Greatly expensive for imports. Sure, that's what's going to happen. 710 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 5: You know, guys, I do have a question, and I mean, 711 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,719 Speaker 5: you know, the moment that it appeared that Trump was 712 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 5: going to win the election, cryptocurrency markets went crazy through 713 00:42:34,719 --> 00:42:39,719 Speaker 5: the roof. The stock market went bonkers and has continued 714 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 5: to do so. So I you know, I just wonder 715 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,240 Speaker 5: what is it about Trump's election that is so appealing 716 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 5: to the powers that be and the folks that are, 717 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,160 Speaker 5: you know, movers and systems like these. 718 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,720 Speaker 3: I don't want to take us too far away from 719 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 3: this incident of the Chinese megaport, which is improved part 720 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 3: of the Belton Roade initiative. But to answer that question, 721 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:05,719 Speaker 3: or at least give some context to it, we have 722 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:11,640 Speaker 3: to realize that the United States is increasingly run by 723 00:43:11,719 --> 00:43:16,799 Speaker 3: business interest and business interests that feel that feel their 724 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:24,239 Speaker 3: long term survivability will be advantageous under one administration or 725 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 3: the next. They will respond in logical ways to that, 726 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,880 Speaker 3: which means investors will also follow up. What we're seeing 727 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,280 Speaker 3: is a bunch of people kind of raising their hands 728 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:39,359 Speaker 3: together and then saying, oh, this is great. We're all 729 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 3: raising our hands, kind of like when you do a 730 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 3: wave at the stadium. 731 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:47,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh yeah, but it is I don't know, guys, 732 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 2: maybe this is me reading tea leaves. It's exactly what 733 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,760 Speaker 2: happened in nineteen twenty and nineteen twenty nine the stock 734 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:57,479 Speaker 2: market hit its highest levels it had ever hit. Because again, 735 00:43:57,520 --> 00:43:59,040 Speaker 2: it's all speculation. 736 00:43:58,920 --> 00:43:59,920 Speaker 3: Skilded age. 737 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:03,120 Speaker 2: It's what people think is going to happen, right, or 738 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:06,440 Speaker 2: what people anticipate, and often that's tied directly to laws 739 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:08,799 Speaker 2: that are not on the books yet, they haven't been 740 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 2: signed yet. But they are intercombissed in the way, right, 741 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:17,120 Speaker 2: so people are anticipating a law coming into effect. I'm 742 00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:21,719 Speaker 2: just pointing out right now, on November twentieth, twenty twenty four, 743 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 2: that I'm looking here in the tea leaves that are 744 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 2: completely speculation on my part, appear to be very similar 745 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 2: to a situation where it gets really tough for any 746 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:35,879 Speaker 2: country that is attempting to be super isolationists. The way 747 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 2: some of the things that have been said appear to 748 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:42,160 Speaker 2: be pushing us towards or the way Hoover it hoped 749 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 2: exactly because the tariff theoretically is a way to bring 750 00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:50,400 Speaker 2: money into a government, right, Hi, tariffs mean, oh we're gonna, 751 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, we're gonna make an extra twenty percent, 752 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 2: an extra thirty, maybe sixty percent on all these goods. 753 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 5: But there's an economic argument that's just kicking the can 754 00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 5: down the road, because is when you up those tariffs, 755 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:03,279 Speaker 5: then that money has to come from somewhere, and it 756 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:05,200 Speaker 5: often gets passed on to consumers. 757 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:09,520 Speaker 2: Well yeah, or the people who were bringing goods in 758 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:11,440 Speaker 2: just say beat me here for you. 759 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:13,919 Speaker 4: That's what I and it goes so well, But that's 760 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:14,200 Speaker 4: what I mean. 761 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 5: It could cause a scarcity, and it could cause an 762 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:20,799 Speaker 5: issue with supply and demand, and then prices because of 763 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:22,839 Speaker 5: that scarcity could go up for consumers. 764 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:27,680 Speaker 3: The efficacy or the function, right, the economic function of 765 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:30,880 Speaker 3: a tariff is protectionist. To your earlier point, Matt, it 766 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 3: is to protect domestic industries. However, if you are assigning 767 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:42,320 Speaker 3: tariffs to things that do not have a domestic manufacturing capability, 768 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:48,080 Speaker 3: then what you're doing is carrying costs toward the companies 769 00:45:48,120 --> 00:45:51,000 Speaker 3: and then toward the consumers. The foreign government and the 770 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:55,799 Speaker 3: foreign companies exporting those goods will not experience a hit 771 00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:59,000 Speaker 3: directly in the same way. If I could to the 772 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:03,719 Speaker 3: earlier point about historical context. History doesn't always repeat, but 773 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:07,720 Speaker 3: it sure as heck rhymes. If I could plug one show, 774 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:11,560 Speaker 3: please do check out Let's Start a Coup, which studies, 775 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:16,560 Speaker 3: in part the economic factors that led to a high 776 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 3: level of instability in the United States government. And it's 777 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:23,840 Speaker 3: not a one to one rhyme, but it's a Flanneriocotter 778 00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:27,239 Speaker 3: level slant rhyme. History is closer than it looks in 779 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:27,799 Speaker 3: the rear view. 780 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:32,520 Speaker 2: Man, dude, all right, head over to the Cato Institute 781 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:36,120 Speaker 2: and read the May seventh, twenty sixteen article. I know 782 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 2: it's from a long time ago, but this is like 783 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:40,560 Speaker 2: history analysis stuff, so it doesn't really matter that much. 784 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 2: It is titled the Smoot Holly that is Smoot dash 785 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:48,480 Speaker 2: hawl e Y Tariff and the Great Depression, and it 786 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 2: goes into essentially the trade wars that followed suit after 787 00:46:52,640 --> 00:46:56,120 Speaker 2: that legislation was passed, and also how the anticipation of 788 00:46:56,120 --> 00:47:00,760 Speaker 2: that legislation affected the stock market. Oh, it's all fastating stuff. 789 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:04,680 Speaker 2: And then also read about that megaport for sure, because 790 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:08,839 Speaker 2: that is a three point five billion dollar project run 791 00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 2: by Costco Shipping Cosco Shipping. It's not the Costco that 792 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:18,839 Speaker 2: you're probably aware of, not yet, oh man. And there's 793 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 2: a lot to learn about that. There's a lot more 794 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:24,120 Speaker 2: detail in there too, and especially about that bridge and road. 795 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:27,320 Speaker 2: Is that what it is? Bridge Belton Belt Belton Road Initiative, 796 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:29,520 Speaker 2: which is a whole thing. I think we have an 797 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:31,520 Speaker 2: episode on it, and if not, we need to just 798 00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:34,960 Speaker 2: do another one because there are lots of developments going 799 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:35,319 Speaker 2: on there. 800 00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:36,400 Speaker 4: Oh man. 801 00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:39,320 Speaker 2: Okay, that's it for today's strange news. 802 00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:42,960 Speaker 3: We can't wait to hear from you folks. Give us 803 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,640 Speaker 3: the update if you happen to be in Peru or 804 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:49,200 Speaker 3: Peruvian national we'd love some on the ground information about 805 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:53,640 Speaker 3: that megaport which has cough cough, taken up some of 806 00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:57,239 Speaker 3: our time offlide. Look, we try to be easy to 807 00:47:57,320 --> 00:48:03,360 Speaker 3: find email, telefonic device all over the Internet. 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