1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome back to 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: the show. My name is Matt, my name is Nol. 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: They called me Ben. We're joined as always with our 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: super producer Paul. Mission Control deconds. Most importantly, you are you, 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: You are here, and that makes this stuff they don't 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: want you to know. Today's story is a tragic continuing 10 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: saga and spoiler alert, it is a story that does 11 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: not at this point have an ending. However, we feel 12 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: it is important for more people to be aware of 13 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: this conspiray. See this cover up, this semi apocalyptic series 14 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: of very unfortunate events. This story comes to us, folks, 15 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: courtesy of one of your fellow listeners who left us 16 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: a message. Oh god, Matt, it was was it twenty nineteen? 17 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: Oh no, Ben, this actually came from this year, and 18 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: we just want to say thank you, anonymous teacher. We 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 1: would mean playing your voicemail right now, but you asked 20 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: us not to. Well we did. We did, of course 21 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: play it for ourselves as a group, but as we 22 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: always say, you know, we we want to respect people's 23 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: wishes for privacy. We didn't think he sounds scatter brained 24 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: at all. And anonymous teacher, you raised a very interesting point. 25 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: You also did something that I I love to hear, 26 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: which is you you mentioned some of your own research 27 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: in this matter. In the story of the Marshal I'm lands. 28 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: You Now, a lot of people have probably heard of 29 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: the Bikinia Toll, especially if you're if you're interested in 30 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: the history of nuclear testing, nuclear revolution. But there's a larger, 31 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: much larger story at play here. And to explore this story, 32 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: we have to first explore the Marshall Islands themselves, which 33 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: are going to be unfamiliar with a lot of people 34 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: in the US, especially if you have you don't have 35 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: any relatives in the military, or you haven't yourself been 36 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: a part of the military. So here are the facts. 37 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: The Marshall Islands are remote. Oh man, you thought driving, uh, 38 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: driving for a long weekend at a cabin in the 39 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: mountains was a hassle. Just look at all the stuff 40 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: you have to do to get from where you are 41 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: now wherever you're listening to this, all the way out 42 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: to the Marshall Islands. They are about halfway between Hawaii 43 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: and Australia, like right near the equator. And although it's 44 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: one sovereign country now as of nineteen seventy nine, it's 45 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:15,399 Speaker 1: really two uh two kind of parallel chains, a very 46 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: of a lot of very small, very small plots of land. Uh. 47 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: It is considered and what's called an associated state of 48 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: the US. That means that since its constitution and independence 49 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy nine, it's a sovereign country, but as 50 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: a formal, very distinct unique relationship with the United States. 51 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: And we're gonna find out exactly why in this episode. 52 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: I don't know why I'm laughing. This is this is 53 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: a terrible thing. Uh. And even though it's it's a 54 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: pretty big area of ocean and island population wise, it's 55 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: a very small place, that's right. Uh. And estimated fifty 56 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: eight thousand, four hundred and thirteen human souls live in 57 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: this region, spread out across twenty nine coral a tolls. Uh. 58 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: And they're called that because they're they're they're almost like 59 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: many islands, like I mean, when you look at them 60 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: on an aerial view, they really just look like tiny 61 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: little specs um. And these a tolls are composed of 62 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: one thousand, one fifty six individual islands or islets. Uh. 63 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: Most live in the capital called Majuro UM. And it's beautiful. 64 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: You know, we're talking about crystal blue waters, you know, 65 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: island paradise type getaways. UM. It's incredibly remote, very low 66 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: crime rate, and for many, many years, thousands of years, 67 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: was the kind of place where you could kind of 68 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: go and live a life off the grid, uh, like 69 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: Robinson Crusoe style. Um. Unfortunately, due to a series of 70 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: unfortunate events lemony snaked style, this is no longer the case. Right. Yeah, 71 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: this this place has long history of human occupation dating 72 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: back to at least the second millennium b C. And 73 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: as the world and the countries in the world became 74 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: increasingly connected in the modern era, more and more governments 75 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: either half a world away or you know, closer to 76 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: that Pacific region, they became interested, intensely interested in controlling 77 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: the territory we know as the Republic of the Marshall 78 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: Islands today. As far back as nineteen fourteen, Japan was interested. 79 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: They were building bass military bases on the islands. And 80 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: then if you fast forward through the bloody events of 81 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: World War two in the Pacific theater. There you'll see 82 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: that after the United States defeated Japanese troops in the area, 83 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: they turned to as tolls of the Marshall Islands into 84 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: military bases themselves. So it's kind of like there are 85 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: two there are two things fighting, but neither of them 86 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: have the concerns of the native people at the front 87 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: of their minds. No, it's a it's a strategic place 88 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: to be if if you've got naval forces, it's a 89 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: strategic place to be. And it's also strategic if you 90 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: need to be isolated for some reason away from larger 91 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 1: populations ding ding ding. Yeah, and consider just the resupply 92 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: value it offers to So in the islands, due to 93 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: action by the UN, the islands become part of something 94 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: called the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. There's still 95 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: not a country. This was like the u N's idea officially, 96 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: but this trust territory is administered cough cough, controlled cough 97 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: cough by the United States. This is Uncle Sam's New 98 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: Island paradise, if you will. These kind of territory graps, 99 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: we should know, super common in any post war era. Uh, 100 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: go back to the first battles humans fought. They there 101 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:12,679 Speaker 1: was usually a territory grap afterwards, and it was often 102 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: about territory, no matter what kind of ideology they put 103 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: over it. Uh. This is this happens for a number 104 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: of reasons. One, as you pointed out, Matt, to gain 105 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: control of a strategic point, either for shipping purposes, economic 106 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: purposes you could say, or to plan for future wars, 107 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: future areas that we could wage wage a good offense from, 108 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: or areas that we could easily defend. And then, of course, 109 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: the big badger in the bag of every war ever 110 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: claims to local resources. Every war you have seen, fought 111 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: or read about is about getting stuff from other people, 112 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: no matter how it's phrased. This makes the Martial Islands 113 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: Trust territory very strange in human history because the US 114 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: did have a plan for this region, but they didn't 115 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: want to take anything. Instead, they wanted to leave something, 116 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: something terrible behind. Here's where it gets crazy. Yeah, what 117 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: they wanted to leave behind was indeed something terrible. UM 118 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: is a byproduct of nuclear testing, as described by Tony 119 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: de Brum, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Health 120 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: UH in the U. S. Navy pulled into the lagoon 121 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: of the Bikini Atoll and told the one and sixty 122 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: seven people that were living there at the time that 123 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: they were going to use this land as a testing 124 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: site for nuclear weaponry. They were direct and how they 125 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: approached these individuals uh, But at the same time it 126 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: was something it was like a stick almost like they 127 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: like they've done it before. UH. The group phrase their 128 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: conversation in such a way, almost like you would with 129 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: something like eminent domain, where it's like, let us buy 130 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: you out, let us help you, help us, etcetera. They 131 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: phrased it in terms of quote seeking permission, but they 132 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,959 Speaker 1: couched the mission as something that was the will of 133 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: God himself uh and would ultimately benefit all mankind. You 134 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: can't argue with God and the benefit of all mankind, 135 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: I would say, Um, it was a sacrifice they were 136 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: asking these people to make for the future safety of 137 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: the entire world. And so these small number of people 138 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: admittedly uh took off. They evacuated. They did. And now 139 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: remember here we're talking about a series of islands that 140 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: make up this thing that we call the Marshall Islands 141 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,199 Speaker 1: or the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and they went 142 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: to one one little a toll and kicked people off 143 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: to do nuclear testing, which, as we all know, has 144 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: a bit of an area of effect. It's for the 145 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: greater good, though from from from the greater good. Well. 146 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: As an ad result of this, uh, pretty disingenuous approach, uh, 147 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: we learned that between ninety all the way up to 148 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty eight, the United States ended up conducting no 149 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: less than sixty seven documented nuclear tests in the Marshal Islands. 150 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: It's just the nuclear test. The US conducted about twenty 151 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: three of these tests at Bikini a toll, and then 152 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: forty four near another atoll and a wattack. But the fallout, 153 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: to your point about the area of the of effect, 154 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: they'll fall out spread everywhere. It spread throughout the Marshall Islands. 155 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: And when we say we say test, we're not talking 156 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: about the nuclear equivalent of popping an m A D 157 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: or a flash bank. The overall yield of these tests, 158 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: due to one curve busting monstrous bomb, the overall yield 159 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: of these nuclear tests has been estimated to be to 160 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: work out to an average of one point seven Hiroshima 161 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: level detonations every day for twelve years. So this, this 162 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: is serious, This is unending Hiroshima. If you look at 163 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: the way, this is um this can be averaged across 164 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: the span of testing. And now with the benefit of retrospect, 165 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: we know much more about the tests than people did 166 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: during the time, even the people living there by the way, 167 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: who in some cases were not evacuated when the testing began. 168 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: So we're gonna pause for a word from our sponsors 169 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,959 Speaker 1: and then will return. We're gonna dive deep into the 170 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: timeline and the specifics of these tests and why they 171 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: matter today. Okay, and we're back. We are still in 172 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: the Republic of the Marshall Islands, at least in the 173 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: present day. That's what it's known as. And we're going 174 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: to talk about something called Operation Crossroads, and that's what 175 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: we've been discussing here, the nuclear tests at the Bikinia 176 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: Toll and the nawak Atoll. So why would you do 177 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: nuclear testing there? We know that the United States had, 178 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: like in around that time in the forties, had been 179 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: testing nuclear weapons on American soil out there near Nevada, 180 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: in the testing grounds there and perhaps in a couple 181 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: other places. But you know, why would you go out 182 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: to a remote island to do this testing. Well, one 183 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: of the main reasons was because the military machine wanted 184 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: to know what happens to a naval vessel when a 185 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: nuclear explosion occurs. How far away does it have to 186 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: be to have any kind of effect, what are the 187 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: effects in general, and all these other questions that I'm 188 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: sure some some general had in their mind or some 189 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: admiral who wanted to know what was going to happen 190 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: in the future when a nuke went off nearer his vessel. 191 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: And I would imagine at a base level of secrecy 192 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: was very important here too, right, sure, yeah, you don't 193 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: want the American public, and to a degree, the martial 194 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: Ease public, to be able to raise a hand and say, hey, 195 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: this is crazy. We live in this area. Uh the 196 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: there's there are a couple of other advantages that were 197 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: nearby military bases. Uh. This area is also you know, 198 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: this is pre satellite surveillance nets, So this area is 199 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: also more difficult for enemy forces to to observe. Right, 200 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: everybody's gonna sense or figure out a nuclear detonation of 201 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: the this size. It's kind of a disturbance in the 202 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: force vibe at this level of energy. But they also 203 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: they also, we're doing a Nimby thing. Everybody knows that abbreviation. 204 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: Not in my backyard. The Trinity test did take place 205 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: in the heartland of America or the North American continent. 206 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: But now that we have discovered the process to make 207 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: a nuclear bomb, we want to build better ones. We 208 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: have to realize that post people are in post World 209 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: War two. Really, uh, the U. S. Public is going 210 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: to start asking increasingly difficult questions about why we're blowing 211 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: up stuff in our own country. So, not just the generals, 212 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: but the policy walks and Congress wanted to get in 213 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: front of this thing. And that's when they said, you know, 214 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: we've got this place. We can go nuts here. This 215 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: is this is the nuclear testing equivalent of Vegas, Baby roll. 216 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: The dice dropped the bombs, and that's exactly what they did. 217 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: And I asked you off, Mike, Um, you know, if 218 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: if we talked about this place being like an island, paradise, etcetera, 219 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: with such a low population. Um, And my question was 220 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: worth these are these transplants from other South Pacific nations 221 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: or are they would you consider these indigenous people? I 222 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: think the answer is a bit of both. But largely 223 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: it is they are indigenous people, correct, Yeah, yeah, so 224 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: they're Marshall's culture is part of the wider culture of Micronesia, 225 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: and if you look at the history of Marshalle's culture, 226 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, we're kind of this is a little 227 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: off topic, but I'm going somewhere with this. We all 228 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: have friends in New York, and if you're not from 229 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: New York, or even if you are from the Big Apple, 230 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: you're well aware that New York has this weird thing 231 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: about when one can be called a local, right and 232 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: not just a tourist. What's the threshold? Is it like 233 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: eight years or so? I don't know the actual official number, 234 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: but it's certainly more than a couple Yeah, and so 235 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: so there's it seems like that's a micro cosmic equivalent 236 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: of the larger question, which is when do people become 237 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: considered indigenous people? Right? We know that with most continents 238 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: and land masses in the world, there was a migration 239 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: at some point in ancient history. So as far as 240 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: the question of indigenous you know, the people who live 241 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: in the Marshall Islands have a very close relationship with 242 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: the land and the and the sea. It forms part 243 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: of the community and part of the culture. And it 244 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: looks like they were part of I said, the second 245 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: millennium BC. Uh, it looks like they were part of 246 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: that larger wave of human migration three thousand years ago 247 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: that spread across the western Pacific Ocean. So I would say, 248 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: I would say, you know, I'm not doing New York 249 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: rules here, far be it. But I feel like if 250 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: you've lived in an area for that long, you can 251 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: be considered native. Right, Oh, totally. We're talking generations and uh. 252 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,719 Speaker 1: I I didn't know this going in. But you know, 253 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 1: when you say that we refer to them as the 254 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: Marshalese people, they also have uh, the Marshalese language. That's correct. Uh. 255 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: And so there. This is what we're establishing here, is 256 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: that the Marshall Islands were by no means some kind 257 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 1: of empty room or some kind of barren, uninhabited place 258 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: where these tests could occur without consequence. The first testing 259 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: in the Marshall Islands occurred during something called Operation Crossroads, 260 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: and that's what that's what Matt was just talking about, folks, 261 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: the idea that we need to investigate the effects of 262 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: nuclear weapons on naval warships because of course the US 263 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: is not well, it's many things, but it's not foolish. 264 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 1: It's not naive enough to think that nuclear weapons will 265 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: stay a US joint for a long time. Other people 266 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: want the new toy, right, and when they get the 267 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,959 Speaker 1: new toy, they're going to use it to break the 268 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: toys of their arrivals, like battleships, carriers, etcetera. So we 269 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: have to find out what happens before we see it 270 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: in the field. So well, and in some of the 271 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:21,439 Speaker 1: some of the stuff surrounding the ear the early Operation Crossroads, 272 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: the actual testing that they did, there's some weird stuff, 273 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 1: and it's hard to imagine this was a spectacle, you know, 274 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: you think of nuclear testing. At least in the beginning 275 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: there it was a very secretive thing. We talked about 276 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: that you you can't let anyone know that we're testing 277 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,439 Speaker 1: this weapon. You don't want your arrivals to know. But 278 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: as we got into really the thick of Operation Crossroads, 279 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: the US has already dropped a nuclear weapon to nuclear 280 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 1: weapons on a another country. And at this point it's 281 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: almost as if the US is wants to publicly show 282 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,239 Speaker 1: the might again. But you do not hurt anybody just 283 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: to show that might off. So it's in the in 284 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: this one of the testing. I believe it's called able 285 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 1: shot or uh, I think shot able. Uh. They invited 286 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: a ton of people out to watch this thing. They 287 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: invited the press to come out. Hey, film this thing, 288 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: take pictures, Hey check this out. Let's talk about this, 289 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: Let's get in the news, so that, in my opinion, 290 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: so our allies and our enemies will notice similar to 291 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: a military demonstration, well, I mean it is basically military 292 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: demonstration with a little bit with a with a lab 293 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: coat on and a big, big bang. So shot Able 294 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: occurs on July one. This allowed various US authorities to 295 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: confirm the power of these weapons, and they determined some 296 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: scary stuff. They said, Wow, if there were any soldiers 297 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: on any ships up to a mile away from this explosion, 298 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,120 Speaker 1: they would be killed instantly, no takebacks, no worries about 299 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,399 Speaker 1: the lingering effects of radiation. It's just flipping off like 300 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: a very violent light switch. And then they followed up 301 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: with the shot Baker test later that month on July. 302 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: These these tests were the first time the US had 303 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: tested nuclear weapons since the days of Trinity in nine 304 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: and they were also the first nuclear detonations since you 305 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: know those days in August when Little Boy and Fat 306 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: Man were dropped over Nagasaki and Hiroshima. And when Operations 307 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:41,959 Speaker 1: Crossroads ended, it was on August tenth. And get this, 308 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: they ended it because of very valid, pressing, terrifying concerns 309 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 1: over radiation and the effects radiation could have on the 310 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: human body. But they were worried about the human bodies 311 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: of soldiers they wear in a lot of people on 312 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 1: Uncle Sam's side saying ah, yeah, what about the people 313 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: who live here for longer than a tour of duty. 314 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 1: They also didn't worry about all the live animals that 315 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: they loaded onto the ships when they detonated the nukes 316 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,919 Speaker 1: either to see what would happen was Ark style, Like 317 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: why were they was this to see the effects of 318 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: the radiation on the animals the blast and the radiation. 319 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 1: I mean, how do you think they figured out that 320 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: the soldiers would be killed instantly? Pigs, goats, and mice, 321 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: I think specifically? Okay, so the opposite of Noah's Ark 322 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: style basically, yeah, load onto a boat and kill them 323 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: all and see, well, well, see what will happen? Yeah, 324 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: that's the phrase they let's see what will happen, which 325 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: is You know, it's a it's a lot like um, 326 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: if you went to if you went to court for 327 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: murder because you shot someone point blank and you said 328 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: your honor wasn't trying to hurt anybody. I wanted to 329 00:21:55,920 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: see what would happen for science, dude, you know, I know. 330 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: H So this is this is a huge deal though, 331 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: and a lot of people in the US may be 332 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: aware of the testing, but there's not much attention being 333 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: paid to the people who are living in the Marshall Islands. 334 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,959 Speaker 1: And they kept going. They kept going because this was 335 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: a perfect storm of opportunity. Right there's a post World 336 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 1: War lull. Uh. There's a huge boom in industry and 337 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: technology in the US because it's one of the few 338 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: Western places that was able to preserve its uh infrastructure. 339 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,360 Speaker 1: You know, large parts of Europe are destroyed, like not 340 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: decades and decades of productivity were gone in an instant. Uh. 341 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,880 Speaker 1: So they also didn't have a lot of people who 342 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: could stop them. That was key. We we've heard that 343 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 1: they evacuated or that these people I guess willingly evacuated 344 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: like hundred and sixty seven something people. And we're talking 345 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: about a collection of islands you know in the thousand, 346 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 1: are not in the thousands but over a thousand. So 347 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: how far would this site have been from like whatever 348 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: the metro center I believe Majora? How far would this 349 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: have been geographically from there? So the distance from Bikini 350 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: to Majora is eight hundred and twenty seven kilometers as 351 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: the crow flies, that works out to five fourteen miles, 352 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: got it, And the this is still by the way 353 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: that that might sound like it's a long way away, 354 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: but we have to remember these are nuclear weapons, and 355 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: there are multiple tests, so there is an aggregate cumulative 356 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: effect here. After operations Crossroads ends due to those concerns 357 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:50,439 Speaker 1: about radiation for the soldiers. Only, Uh well, let's fast forward. 358 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: There's still tests going on. Nine. Then President Truman decides 359 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: that we're going to increase research into thermon nuclear weapons 360 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: because of our new freendemy, the USSR, and that the conflict, 361 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: the Cold War conflict was already kind of brewing towards 362 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: the end of World War two. Of course, uh so 363 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: to do this, to increase this amount of research, we 364 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 1: necessarily increase the amount of nuclear testing. And it turns 365 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 1: out we have one place, one place where we love 366 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: to test all these world ending toys. It's still the 367 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: Marshall Islands. So something called Operation Greenhouse begins in nineteen 368 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: fifty one, and then it goes to Operation Ivy in 369 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: November of nineteen fifty two. I don't know whether the 370 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,919 Speaker 1: band is named after that, folks, but I had the 371 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 1: same question. Let's think about the same thing. I bet you, 372 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: I bet you they named it after the operation. I 373 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: would guess, But who knows, who knows? Who knows? But 374 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: you know, some of their songs still hold up. So 375 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: Shot Mike, you know, we had, we had those other 376 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: things we mentioned earlier. Shot Able. For instance, there's another 377 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: one called Shot Mike. It is the world's first known 378 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,439 Speaker 1: successful test of a hydrogen bomb. And then, just a 379 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: little bit later, on November six, Uncle Sam conducted what 380 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: it called the King Shot, which sounds like a really 381 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: a really heavy tourist drink you would get in a 382 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: New Orleans bar or something. It also sounds like like 383 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,640 Speaker 1: vaguely Hamiltonian. I don't know why, just because of the King. 384 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: And I'm not gonna I'm not gonna throw away my shot, 385 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: you know and all that? Yeah, oh yeah for sure, man, 386 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: And um, I don't mean to pull away from that stuff. 387 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,360 Speaker 1: I just want to remind everybody the difference between an 388 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:50,959 Speaker 1: atomic weapon like the ones that were dropped on Japan 389 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:55,160 Speaker 1: versus what we're just now introducing here a hydrogen bomb. 390 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: Really the best way to think about it is the 391 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: scar aale of destruction and the radius at which leaf 392 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: that like instant lethality occurs. So if you can imagine 393 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: that when a nuclear weapon was dropped on Japan around 394 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: I think it's a radius of about a mile, people 395 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: were killed fairly instantly when or instantly when it was 396 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,440 Speaker 1: dropped with a with a hydrogen bomb, you could increase 397 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:28,119 Speaker 1: that by about five times or ten times, so like 398 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: five miles maybe ten miles in a radius where people 399 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: would just be instantly killed. Um, Just so everyone is aware, 400 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 1: especially when we're talking about proximity to the other people 401 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: who lived on the Marshall Islands, which is huge. Yeah, 402 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: it's very good point. It's very important distinction too. So 403 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: we're going to pause for a brief word from our 404 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: sponsors and then will return with the story of the 405 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: largest test, the one that is the reason we're looking 406 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: at an average of one point five Hiroshima's every day 407 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: for twelve years, and the inevitable fallout and the inevitable falling. 408 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 1: We've returned not to one, but to March first, ninety four, 409 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 1: the debut of something called code name Bravo, which is 410 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: objectively a really cool name for a terrible thing. It's 411 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: I think it's cool name. So the US conducted the 412 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: largest nuclear debtonation that country has ever conducted, even now 413 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: in the modern day, largest ever full stop on Uncle 414 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 1: Sam's part, it was called Castle Bravo. This took place 415 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: at the Bikinia Toll on March one uh and Bravo 416 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: was a fifteen mega ton hydrogen bomb that is alone 417 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: the equivalent of Horosha muh one thousand times. This was 418 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: only one of a series of thermonuclear tests, but it's 419 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: it's the big one, and it wasn't supposed to be this. 420 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: We talked about remember earlier and open skies. We talked 421 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 1: about how many close calls the human species has had, 422 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: especially with nuclear weapons, and we were talking specifically about 423 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: breakdowns and communication or interpretation of what other countries are 424 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: saying or signaling. In this case, we screwed it up 425 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: entirely on our own. This was the first device of 426 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: its kind we had the calculations. We thought our math 427 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: was solid, but we were so very wrong. And we, 428 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: meaning the scientists conducting this test, got got the math 429 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: so screwed up that when the bomb was detonated, it 430 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: it's nuclear yield was more than double what they had 431 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: planned for or expected as consequences. Wolf, That's all I 432 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: got to say about that. How do you how do 433 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: you miscalculate that that much? Uh, it's a new technology, 434 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 1: and you know they're they're testing, right, that's what this 435 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: thing is for. And they just didn't realize what it 436 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: was gonna do, how how big it was going to be. 437 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: And and like you said, there were consequence has been 438 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: the fallout did drift over into two inhabited areas there 439 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: in the islands, and around two hundred men and women 440 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: and children were living in the places where that fallout 441 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: kind of just spread right on top of And you know, 442 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: it's one of those things we've kind of been setting 443 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: up this the whole episode, right of the dangers here 444 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: for the inhabitants of these islands, and it happened one 445 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: aunt all Wrongloup. The people there found themselves instantly heavily 446 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: of acted by the fallout, and there of course their 447 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: ecosystem is affected too. And just just to clarify, these 448 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: are initial uh, physical effects, not like long term stuff 449 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: like we hear about with other you know, like the 450 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: the big picture of radiation. These are direct burns um 451 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: you know, on people's bodies, uh, and very quick onset 452 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: of radiation diseases. Yeah, exactly. So when you're talking about widespread, 453 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: heavy contamination like this, you think of it in terms 454 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: of either two clocks, or maybe it's better to think 455 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: of it in terms of the hour hand and the 456 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: minute hand. So the stuff that happens first, those consequences, 457 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: the burns, the sickness, the radiation poisoning, that's the minute hand, 458 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: and it's going tick tick tick, and you're seeing the results. 459 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: But the bill really comes due with what the what 460 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: who called the hour hand, which is the long tail 461 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: effects of these things, which are very serious and can 462 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: take decades to manifest. And that's a problem for the 463 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: victims in these situations because then it makes it a 464 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 1: little more difficult to prove that someone is suffering from 465 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: a medical condition because of something that happened twenty years ago. 466 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: You know what I meant, a lot of room for 467 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: unethical defense lawyers to play ball on that field. So 468 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: add to this, the military, the U. S Military did 469 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: evacuate these residents as well. About two days after the 470 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: test is when they got around to it. And uh, 471 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: the people of the Marshall Islands, the Marshal Ease were 472 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: not informed of the potential dangers. It was all very much, 473 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: you know, glory to the greater good. We're making the 474 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: world a better place. You're sacrificing. But they were under 475 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: they were under the impression that the sacrifice they were 476 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: making was moving for a little while. It was a 477 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: very different sacrifice involved. A senator of the Marshal Islands 478 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: named Jetton and Jane explained the effects of Castle Bravo 479 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: in in a powerful and powerful and disturbing way. He says, 480 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: five hours after the detonation of this device, it began 481 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: to rain radioactive fallout. That wrong Lap the atoll was 482 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: covered with a fine white powder like substance. And listened 483 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: to this part. No one knew it was radioactive fallout. 484 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: The children played in the snow, they ate it. How 485 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: How would you know? How would you know? Yeah? Oh 486 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: that is rough, man, It just gets rougher. And the 487 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: people of Wrongelap came back, but officials and scientists that 488 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: we're working for the a c UM decided that radio 489 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: shan was still at play and and still very much 490 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: a problem. Well, yeah, as we said, I mean, that's 491 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: not that's not enough time. Three years as we said this, 492 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: and we're gonna talk about later. The stuff comes in 493 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: twenty years later as cancer and in birth effects and 494 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: all of the terrible things. Yeah, so there's this. Uh, 495 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: there's a later report that comes out in two thousand four, 496 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: and it found between the years of nineteen forty six 497 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: and nineteen fifty eight, the the full amount of contamination 498 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: that would have been generated there was in an excess 499 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: of five hundred and thirty cancers. Yes, what that means 500 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: is in that in that estimate, in that analysis, they said, okay, 501 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: what are the average incidents of cancer in the population, 502 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: If all things are the same in this test never happened, 503 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: can we tell whether this radiation increased cancer? And the 504 00:33:55,400 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 1: answer is, guess, five hundred and thirty times. People are 505 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: just people are more and more likely to get cancer 506 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: that we can trace back in two thousand and four, 507 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,919 Speaker 1: and again it's a little difficult as time passes. So 508 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:14,320 Speaker 1: that number is probably it's probably lower. Uh, that estimate 509 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: is probably lower than the actual number. I mean to say. 510 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: And two thousand five, the National Cancer Institute said the 511 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: risk of contracting cancer for people exposed to this fallout 512 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 1: like your chance of getting cancer after this one out 513 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,439 Speaker 1: of three. That means that if the three of us 514 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 1: on stuff that wants you to know today were in 515 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:38,839 Speaker 1: the Marshal Islands at that time, one of us would 516 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: get cancer. And those are terrible, terrible odds. Two or 517 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: three decades after the testing ended, this is where the 518 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 1: hour hand begins to tick multiple like many many adult 519 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:58,839 Speaker 1: citizens of the Marshal Islands developed cancerous thyroid nodules, an 520 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,920 Speaker 1: associated health risk increase as well. I mean, your community 521 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: is shattered. You have to leave the home where you 522 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: know generations before you lived, and that gives you stress. 523 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: People have PTSD. That also, coupled with some other social 524 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 1: factors like the importation of Western diet with the military, 525 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 1: leads to diabetes, obesity, things that do not help you. 526 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: If you are contracting cancer and living in an I 527 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 1: radiated area. It's um. It's rough because later the National 528 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: Cancer Institute comes back in and they say, and we 529 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: looked at all the cancer between the Marshal Islands and 530 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: we The Cancer Institute reports found one point six of 531 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 1: all cancers at least during this time period in the 532 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:58,360 Speaker 1: Marshall Islands are directly attributable to radiation from nuclear testing. 533 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,520 Speaker 1: What this means is that the US, no, I won't 534 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: say on purpose, but the US, through negligence, gave these 535 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 1: innocent people cancer. There's no way around it. They would 536 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,360 Speaker 1: not have had cancer if there have not been nuclear 537 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 1: weapons exploding so often for so long. Uh So, so 538 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: we're saying one point six of all cancers that were 539 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: developed on all of the islands, okay, because some places 540 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: got hit, uh hit much harder, right the Northern a Tolls. 541 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: The same study found that in the Northern Atrolls, fifty 542 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: five of all cancers are the result of this fallout, 543 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 1: more than half dan and that that one was specifically 544 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: just for the Castle Bravo test alone, the giant one 545 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: right right. Um, And then you know, moving on into 546 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:57,279 Speaker 1: the seventies, the US does you know, agree that some 547 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 1: mistakes were made? I don't. Maybe maybe the implicated. They 548 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 1: didn't directly say it, but they did agree to clean 549 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,240 Speaker 1: up the mess as much as possible, uh to clean 550 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:11,319 Speaker 1: up the islands. UM. They took the crater from a 551 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 1: previous bomb test on Runnett Island UH. And this was 552 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: the Defense Nuclear Agency, by the way, and they built 553 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:22,880 Speaker 1: a dome to store nuclear waste UM. And this is 554 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,880 Speaker 1: you know, we we see this in other sites around 555 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 1: the United States, for example of the Savannah River site 556 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:31,880 Speaker 1: and near Augusta, Georgia, where I grew up. UM is 557 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:37,880 Speaker 1: a legacy UM containment site for UH spent nuclear weapons. 558 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:40,960 Speaker 1: And they would store a lot of this material in 559 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 1: UH pits that they would dig in line and UM 560 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,879 Speaker 1: you know, bury this stuff. And they realized over time 561 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,799 Speaker 1: that some of those liners leaked and leached all of 562 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: that stuff into the soil. UH. They had a similar 563 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 1: response here. The Defense Nuclear Agency built this dome to 564 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: store the nuclear waste, and they built inside of it 565 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:06,240 Speaker 1: a three seventy seven ft wide concrete enclosure that holds 566 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 1: more than three point one million cubic feet. So this 567 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:13,479 Speaker 1: is a pit that is the equivalent of thirty five 568 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: Olympic sized swimming pools filled entirely with radioactive soil and 569 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:26,360 Speaker 1: debris UM that contained lethal doses of plutonium, all directly 570 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:30,920 Speaker 1: as a result of of the US activities here, and 571 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:34,880 Speaker 1: it gets worse. This isn't this isn't just the nuclear 572 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:40,160 Speaker 1: trash from marsh from the Marshall Islands test. The US 573 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 1: took stuff from Nevada and put it on a boat 574 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 1: and brought it there and buried it. Again, not in 575 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:53,360 Speaker 1: my backyard. They nimbied this. This structure today is in 576 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 1: danger of collapsing. It is deteriorating over time, and the 577 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 1: big concern is that it could soon reach even more 578 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 1: of a crisis level due to the rising seas. It could. Uh, 579 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:11,439 Speaker 1: you know, this was a problem with Fukushima as well, 580 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: when the ocean gets involved. Uh. Nuclear weapons are an 581 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: unstoppable force, but so is the ocean for now. And 582 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:25,280 Speaker 1: and shout out, as our anonymous teacher pointed out, shout 583 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 1: out to the excellent work of the l A Times 584 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 1: reporting on this situation, because there there were we'll look 585 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,760 Speaker 1: back at this in a second, but there's a solid 586 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 1: case that the US engaged in a series of cover 587 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: ups here. A lot of the stuff that they were 588 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 1: doing was classified at the time, and you could say, 589 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 1: of course I had to be because it was nuclear testing. 590 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:50,680 Speaker 1: But they also found it was the LA Times who 591 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,240 Speaker 1: found that the US had taken a hundred and thirty 592 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:58,240 Speaker 1: tons of a radiated soil from a Nevada testing site 593 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:01,359 Speaker 1: and dumped it there into a dome, and they had 594 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:06,200 Speaker 1: also conducted biological weapons test so it wasn't just nuclear. 595 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: They were like, hey, well we've got this testing thing. 596 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:11,320 Speaker 1: Let's you know, let's take the anthrax around around the 597 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: block first spin. Let's just we want to hurt anybody, 598 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:17,239 Speaker 1: Let's just see what happens. Yeah, that's another thing that's 599 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: generally a no no exploding. Eventually, it's not always you know, 600 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 1: against international law to do that kind of thing, but 601 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,080 Speaker 1: it's never a good look when you're seen testing biological 602 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:34,160 Speaker 1: weapons and the bill comes due, you know. Nowadays it 603 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:39,719 Speaker 1: is Nowadays there are computer models that have the they're 604 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:43,239 Speaker 1: sophisticated enough to predict some of the stuff that you 605 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: could in the past only find out through actual physical testing. 606 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: But still there's there's not really an excuse for it 607 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 1: because again, people live there and you can still see 608 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 1: the dome today. Locals call it the tomb. It's been 609 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:03,480 Speaker 1: described is a nuclear coffin burying the secrets of the 610 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:07,360 Speaker 1: US as well. Officials in the Marshall Islands lobbied the 611 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: US government multiple times for help. American officials initially declined 612 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 1: to help with this clean up. They said, get this, Well, 613 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: the dome is on marshal Ease Land, and you know, 614 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: post nineteen seventy nine, you're a sovereign country. Uh so 615 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: therefore it's the responsibility of your sovereign government. Hashtag not it. 616 00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:30,520 Speaker 1: That land is your land, that lands not my land, 617 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 1: just because we tested. Sorry, that's perfect. That sucks. That 618 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:44,480 Speaker 1: song sucks. Uhly, God, No, it's true that I mean, 619 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:48,600 Speaker 1: oh wow wow. Talk about like a Little Red Hand 620 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: type situation. You remember that fable where all the other 621 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 1: ants like a reverse little red hand, where all the 622 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:56,959 Speaker 1: other animals wanted to eat the bread that the little 623 00:41:56,960 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 1: Red Hand spent all this time making, but at the 624 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 1: end she said, you can't have the bread because I 625 00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:03,399 Speaker 1: made it. This is literally the other way around, where 626 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 1: it's like you can't have the bread that we made. 627 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:09,960 Speaker 1: That is going to kill you. Never mind, it's bad. 628 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,359 Speaker 1: It's a bad analogy. No, No, I think it's it's good. 629 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,160 Speaker 1: I've got a bad one too, or at the very least, 630 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:21,880 Speaker 1: it's crass. Uh. It's disturbingly similar to someone like two 631 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:28,280 Speaker 1: people hooking up and Uh, someone saying, hey, in addition 632 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: to ruining my apartment when we hooked up, I think 633 00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:36,840 Speaker 1: I am pregnant, and then the other person saying, you 634 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:40,400 Speaker 1: will be a fantastic single mother, and I wish you 635 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,359 Speaker 1: the best of luck with your apartment. Uh. And in 636 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:50,040 Speaker 1: this case, obviously, the child is nuclear waste. That's what happened. Boy, 637 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:51,759 Speaker 1: are we gonna get in trouble for that one? Do 638 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,319 Speaker 1: we need? No? No, I know it's good. I don't. 639 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:56,399 Speaker 1: I don't. I think it's it's it's better than mine. 640 00:42:57,160 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 1: And it paints a good it paints a disturbing picture 641 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:04,800 Speaker 1: been yoursle right, the child is nuclear waste, and yeah, 642 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: it's like we're not going to give you anything. We're 643 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:09,560 Speaker 1: not gonna help you. In fact, that they went even further. 644 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:12,240 Speaker 1: The folks that were left to clean up our mess 645 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,239 Speaker 1: weren't even helped in the in the most basic ways, 646 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:18,040 Speaker 1: which you think they would at least provide them some 647 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 1: kind of protective equipment. You know, has matt suits or 648 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 1: what have you rat rat suits if you're a Fallout fan. 649 00:43:24,680 --> 00:43:29,239 Speaker 1: But no, not not even that. So there is there 650 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 1: is an argument to be made where you could say, well, 651 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: maybe this was just a matter of not knowing the 652 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:41,040 Speaker 1: full extent or the full potential danger of this kind 653 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:45,080 Speaker 1: of exposure, because again this was early in the days 654 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:49,960 Speaker 1: of nuclear testing. But how much water does that hold? 655 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:53,600 Speaker 1: How much nuclear waste fits in that rationalization, dome I 656 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: would say not a ton, especially when consider that the 657 00:43:57,080 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: journalists at the Times dove deep into the They interviewed 658 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,239 Speaker 1: every martial ease US official who had talked to them 659 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:07,680 Speaker 1: about this. They went through thousands and thousands and thousands 660 00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:11,759 Speaker 1: of declassified documents, and they found that the US did 661 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 1: know some key pieces of information here, and they purposely 662 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:20,719 Speaker 1: withheld it from the government of the Marshall Islands. So 663 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:24,360 Speaker 1: they didn't tell them about the weapon testing program. They 664 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:27,600 Speaker 1: didn't tell them about the stuff that was actually inside 665 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:30,680 Speaker 1: this dome UH. And the reason they didn't tell them, 666 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:33,600 Speaker 1: the reason they covered it up, is because they were 667 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: pushing to sign a deal in nineteen eight six that 668 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:43,320 Speaker 1: would release the US government from any further liability regarding 669 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:48,760 Speaker 1: these UH, these tests, and this this deal is important, 670 00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:51,440 Speaker 1: it's still ongoing. But under this deal they were supposed 671 00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:55,759 Speaker 1: to pay settlements, right pay fines and also helped the 672 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,720 Speaker 1: population of the country while also cleaning up and payting 673 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:04,360 Speaker 1: for a clean up. Right. So there's another study that 674 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:07,600 Speaker 1: was published by Columbia University scientists and they found that 675 00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: levels of radiation in certain parts of the Marshall Islands 676 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:18,800 Speaker 1: even today rival the radiation levels found at Chernobyl and Fukushima. 677 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 1: I would also argue that the the siloing and withholding 678 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:30,319 Speaker 1: of information rivals Chernobyl. Yeah, information control sometimes it's a 679 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:33,440 Speaker 1: necessary thing, but it's always it's always just so gross. 680 00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:36,799 Speaker 1: It's usually not necessary. It's a really tough thing. We've 681 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:39,520 Speaker 1: got a story like this that is based on you know, 682 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:47,760 Speaker 1: historical misdeeds or wrongdoing, like al right, wrongdoing by some country, 683 00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 1: and then you can clearly trace the effects and the 684 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:55,560 Speaker 1: problems to present day and the future. Where it's such 685 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,560 Speaker 1: a long lasting issue. It's it isn't very often that 686 00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:02,399 Speaker 1: we we hit on one of those topics, and this 687 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 1: is certainly one, and it's I'm I'm just so grateful 688 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:10,760 Speaker 1: to our listener who put us onto this, and my goodness, 689 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:13,480 Speaker 1: maybe we can find a way to help in some way. 690 00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:15,359 Speaker 1: I don't know how, but I don't know what we do. 691 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:18,680 Speaker 1: We don't have the resources. Well, yeah, we don't have 692 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:21,719 Speaker 1: much experience cleaning up nuclear waste, which I've always thought 693 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:26,880 Speaker 1: is a is a um a weak point of our podcast. Um, 694 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:29,959 Speaker 1: I would agree with you there, Ben, Yeah, but we uh, 695 00:46:30,040 --> 00:46:35,719 Speaker 1: we do know that there is an official holiday coming up, 696 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:39,680 Speaker 1: the Remembrance Day on March two every year, which honors 697 00:46:39,719 --> 00:46:45,239 Speaker 1: the victims and the survivors of nuclear testing. Throw a 698 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: holiday at it, right, Well, it raises visibility at least, 699 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:55,160 Speaker 1: you can say that now if you if you are 700 00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:57,319 Speaker 1: a resident of the US and you want to see 701 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 1: further US action in this area, you can always right 702 00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:06,280 Speaker 1: to your local representatives. Uh. Your individual results may vary 703 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:11,600 Speaker 1: in that regard, unfortunately. Uh. But the facts, the facts 704 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:15,480 Speaker 1: are the same. Areas of the Marshall Islands have radiation 705 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:18,279 Speaker 1: levels that are almost double of what is safe for 706 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:24,560 Speaker 1: human human habitation overall. As time passes, the islands are 707 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:30,840 Speaker 1: slowly becoming less radioactive as long as that dome doesn't crack. Right. Um, 708 00:47:30,880 --> 00:47:34,040 Speaker 1: but we If you ask somebody, when will the Marshal 709 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:38,920 Speaker 1: Islands be free of radiation? When can people return to 710 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:42,640 Speaker 1: bi Kenya toll? The answer is really, I don't know. 711 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:47,120 Speaker 1: No one, No one is sure. The capital city we 712 00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 1: mentioned is overcrowded due to ritings and sea levels and 713 00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:55,799 Speaker 1: dozens of other things. It's becoming increasingly polluted. Their clean 714 00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:59,080 Speaker 1: up efforts that continuous, were recording the show today, and 715 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:03,200 Speaker 1: the marsh Ali's government continues to rightly, I would say, 716 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:07,319 Speaker 1: advocate for compensation. Why is this important now? Why are 717 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:10,600 Speaker 1: the events of more than half a century ago still 718 00:48:10,600 --> 00:48:17,040 Speaker 1: relevant today? Well aside from the radiation, that six deal 719 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:23,279 Speaker 1: comes up for renegotiation in Tree. So there is a 720 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:27,239 Speaker 1: goal or milestone to push your representatives for if you 721 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,279 Speaker 1: think the U should be doing more in regards to this. 722 00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:33,799 Speaker 1: And again, look, we're just being honest here. We're not 723 00:48:33,840 --> 00:48:35,880 Speaker 1: doing a hit piece on the United States. These are 724 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:39,040 Speaker 1: just facts. This was a real conspiracy. Where do these 725 00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:43,719 Speaker 1: territories fall in terms of, you know, legislative representation. It's 726 00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 1: a good question. So again, since nineteen seventy nine, the 727 00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:52,920 Speaker 1: Republic of the Marshall Islands has been a sovereign country. However, 728 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:56,839 Speaker 1: due to the nature of the relationship between the US 729 00:48:56,920 --> 00:48:59,680 Speaker 1: and the Marshall Islands, if you're from the Marshall Islands, 730 00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:02,920 Speaker 1: you can travel to the US very easily. In theory 731 00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:06,440 Speaker 1: or legally, it's very easy, and the same if you 732 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:09,160 Speaker 1: are a US citizen who decides to go to the 733 00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:11,839 Speaker 1: Marshall Islands. So it's kind of a gray area then 734 00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:14,919 Speaker 1: almost right, Well, it's part of it is the that 735 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:17,399 Speaker 1: thing we mentioned at the top, the fact that it's 736 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:21,279 Speaker 1: what's called an associated state, so they have kind of 737 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:25,400 Speaker 1: a special unilateral deal, so we can do what we 738 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:29,000 Speaker 1: will with them, but don't really give them any protection 739 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:33,400 Speaker 1: or representation. Yeah, it's similar to I mean, it's not 740 00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:36,680 Speaker 1: the same thing as a territory like Puerto Rico right 741 00:49:36,719 --> 00:49:40,719 Speaker 1: now is a territory, meaning that it does not have 742 00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:44,239 Speaker 1: the representation in the government that a state would have, 743 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:47,280 Speaker 1: right and and the Marshall Islands doesn't have that either. 744 00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:51,280 Speaker 1: They do have embassies and um and of course a 745 00:49:51,320 --> 00:49:55,239 Speaker 1: big U. S military presence, but it's still kind of 746 00:49:55,680 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: it's still kind of World War two era United States 747 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:03,399 Speaker 1: keeping that specific foothold, you know, for the next war. 748 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:05,719 Speaker 1: And I'm sorry to to to harp on this, but 749 00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:09,239 Speaker 1: I mean, so doesn't that make our actions almost like 750 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:12,799 Speaker 1: a form of like occupation, like to to go in 751 00:50:12,840 --> 00:50:15,479 Speaker 1: there and tell people to leave and just do these 752 00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:19,880 Speaker 1: tests like what's the legal framework that makes that not 753 00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:23,799 Speaker 1: a complete like active war or you know, I mean, 754 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:25,680 Speaker 1: maybe that's overstating the case a little bit. But I'm 755 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:30,279 Speaker 1: confused in terms of diplomacy, how we can justify what 756 00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:33,080 Speaker 1: we did even if it didn't cause all the problems 757 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,160 Speaker 1: that it caused. Well, the art of diplomacy is the 758 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:41,239 Speaker 1: art of finding a way to justify anything you please. Unfortunately, UH, 759 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:44,839 Speaker 1: there's a big business. But at the time these testingcred 760 00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:48,720 Speaker 1: remember the Martial Islands were not yet a sovereign country. 761 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:51,719 Speaker 1: That's right, got it. So the timeline, it gets a 762 00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:53,880 Speaker 1: little fuzzy. There's a lot, a lot of moving parts 763 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:58,000 Speaker 1: in this one. But that fascinating and heartbreaking story. Yeah, 764 00:50:58,120 --> 00:51:00,480 Speaker 1: and this is where we're at. So there's a bunal 765 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:05,640 Speaker 1: that is established that was established in two years after 766 00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:09,120 Speaker 1: that six agreement has been to keep an eye on 767 00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:12,320 Speaker 1: the payments and the compensation the US is supposed to offer. 768 00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:17,080 Speaker 1: They concluded that the US needs to pay two point 769 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:21,080 Speaker 1: three billion dollars in claims. Congress and the U S 770 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:24,560 Speaker 1: courts have refused. Uh, and documents show the US has 771 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:27,839 Speaker 1: paid a grand total of mission control. Can we get 772 00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:34,560 Speaker 1: a drum roll? Four million dollars? Wolf? But you guys, 773 00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:37,560 Speaker 1: it's okay, it's all, it's all okay. None of that 774 00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:43,120 Speaker 1: matters because in the United States government concluded that all 775 00:51:43,160 --> 00:51:46,880 Speaker 1: of this stuff that leaking nuclear waste from the tombs 776 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:49,920 Speaker 1: a k a. The dome, all that stuff is safe. 777 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,320 Speaker 1: You don't even have to worry about it anymore because 778 00:51:53,120 --> 00:51:56,400 Speaker 1: don't even worry about it. Who thanks, Uncle Sam. I 779 00:51:56,480 --> 00:52:00,279 Speaker 1: feel great now. You know what, anyone any one out 780 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:04,279 Speaker 1: there listening, I help one of you is like an 781 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:08,960 Speaker 1: associate producer at John Oliver's show, I need you to 782 00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:11,520 Speaker 1: get John Oliver to do an episode on this because 783 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:14,319 Speaker 1: if we do want to do something good for this, 784 00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:18,760 Speaker 1: to raise some awareness or to start some surreptitious uh 785 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:22,120 Speaker 1: campaign to raise money without people realizing they're raising money 786 00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:24,600 Speaker 1: for the marshal these people, uh, he could do it. 787 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:29,359 Speaker 1: No one can shame the US government into action like 788 00:52:29,440 --> 00:52:33,680 Speaker 1: John Oliver. Yeah. Yeah, big fans here, John, if you're listening, 789 00:52:34,840 --> 00:52:37,360 Speaker 1: And it always I don't know, you guys, it always 790 00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:39,960 Speaker 1: makes my day when over the time we've been doing 791 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:44,360 Speaker 1: this show where we we end up doing an episode 792 00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:47,960 Speaker 1: and then later the rest of the world decides that 793 00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:52,200 Speaker 1: we're not crazy and it did matter. Like it doesn't 794 00:52:52,200 --> 00:52:54,040 Speaker 1: happen all the time, but it's a beautiful moment. Give 795 00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:56,359 Speaker 1: us that beautiful moment. John, if you, if you feel 796 00:52:56,400 --> 00:52:59,640 Speaker 1: so inclined and and help these, help the folks in 797 00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 1: the more islands out You're right, met. That official report 798 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:07,400 Speaker 1: did conclude that the nuclear dome is not in danger 799 00:53:07,440 --> 00:53:12,840 Speaker 1: of imminent collapse. But we have to remember island nations 800 00:53:13,160 --> 00:53:17,560 Speaker 1: are fighting rising sea levels and within our lifetime, so 801 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:20,440 Speaker 1: it is quite possible that we may see a country 802 00:53:20,480 --> 00:53:25,719 Speaker 1: like the Maldives become entirely underwater and have to relocate 803 00:53:25,760 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 1: the entire concept of its country to another safer land mass. 804 00:53:31,080 --> 00:53:35,359 Speaker 1: Well and not not to you know, have to rose 805 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:39,799 Speaker 1: colored glasses about it. But at least we are transitioning 806 00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:44,680 Speaker 1: into an administration that acknowledges the science of climate change 807 00:53:44,680 --> 00:53:47,680 Speaker 1: and rising sea levels and things like that at least, 808 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:51,279 Speaker 1: but still denies that the nuclear waste. No, I'm just 809 00:53:51,280 --> 00:53:57,440 Speaker 1: trying the administration thinks about the dome. Well, okay, here's 810 00:53:57,520 --> 00:53:59,319 Speaker 1: the thing. And this is gonna make me sound very 811 00:53:59,320 --> 00:54:01,719 Speaker 1: cynical and may be a little bit too real politic. 812 00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:10,200 Speaker 1: The a change in administration or a change in domestic 813 00:54:10,239 --> 00:54:14,360 Speaker 1: business can make an enormous difference. So if you hate, 814 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:16,399 Speaker 1: you know, we always say in the US, if you hate, 815 00:54:16,440 --> 00:54:21,000 Speaker 1: what's happening during one term. Just wait four years, you know, 816 00:54:21,200 --> 00:54:24,320 Speaker 1: and it'll it'll change, often in a way that reverses 817 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:27,640 Speaker 1: other stuff. But we have to understand outside of the 818 00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:31,319 Speaker 1: bubble of the United States, the face has changed, but 819 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:35,960 Speaker 1: a lot of the interventionist policies remain the same. It's 820 00:54:36,000 --> 00:54:41,160 Speaker 1: not as if these international initiatives that have been in 821 00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:45,360 Speaker 1: play for decades and yes, including conflicts and wars and 822 00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:48,200 Speaker 1: disputed territories. It's not as if they all of a 823 00:54:48,280 --> 00:54:52,040 Speaker 1: sudden get a get a ping on their on their keeper. 824 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:54,719 Speaker 1: I don't know why. I picture whomever is here having 825 00:54:54,719 --> 00:54:57,080 Speaker 1: a beeper and they get a beeper ping and it 826 00:54:57,160 --> 00:55:00,920 Speaker 1: says like a new president three three or whatever, and 827 00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:04,280 Speaker 1: they say, okay, stop, we'll stop now, We'll stop making 828 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:06,719 Speaker 1: so much money. And then the nuclear way says, oh, 829 00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:12,200 Speaker 1: we'll stop degrading right now, right right, um. But yeah, hopefully, 830 00:55:12,400 --> 00:55:17,520 Speaker 1: hopefully the world can cooperate on this. One other thing 831 00:55:17,560 --> 00:55:19,520 Speaker 1: that came out of this, by the way, is that 832 00:55:20,080 --> 00:55:24,880 Speaker 1: the Marshall Islands are on the forefront of pushing against 833 00:55:25,239 --> 00:55:29,160 Speaker 1: pushing for nuclear disarmament. They say, you know, we don't 834 00:55:29,200 --> 00:55:33,960 Speaker 1: want anything like this to happen to anyone, and that's 835 00:55:34,280 --> 00:55:37,239 Speaker 1: where we leave it today. We we also have to 836 00:55:37,520 --> 00:55:40,760 Speaker 1: we have to ask you some questions, folks. What should 837 00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:45,000 Speaker 1: the US government do? What should the international community to 838 00:55:45,040 --> 00:55:47,480 Speaker 1: do in this regard? Is the US really doing all 839 00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:50,920 Speaker 1: it all it can? Are these good faith efforts now 840 00:55:51,360 --> 00:55:55,080 Speaker 1: decades later? If you have visited the Marshall Islands or 841 00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:57,680 Speaker 1: if you live there now, we'd also love to hear 842 00:55:57,719 --> 00:56:01,239 Speaker 1: your perspective, What is life like there? Um is? Are 843 00:56:01,320 --> 00:56:05,600 Speaker 1: the effects of this still readily apparent? And you were 844 00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:08,719 Speaker 1: neck of the global woods? Let us know. We try 845 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:11,239 Speaker 1: to be easy to find online. You can find us 846 00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:14,239 Speaker 1: on Twitter and Facebook where we are Conspiracy Stuff. On 847 00:56:14,320 --> 00:56:18,360 Speaker 1: Instagram we are Conspiracy Stuff Show. If you want to 848 00:56:18,440 --> 00:56:21,640 Speaker 1: check out one of the coolest Facebook groups, check out 849 00:56:21,719 --> 00:56:24,000 Speaker 1: Here's Where It Gets Crazy or is it a page 850 00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:26,480 Speaker 1: whatever it is. It's called Here's Where It Gets Crazy 851 00:56:26,560 --> 00:56:28,839 Speaker 1: and it's on Facebook and you can find a lot 852 00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:31,479 Speaker 1: of your conspiracy realists there and you can have cool 853 00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:34,160 Speaker 1: conversations with some of the best mods in the business 854 00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:37,400 Speaker 1: running the show. I think it's a group for sure. Okay, 855 00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:40,279 Speaker 1: it's a group. You don't want to do that, you 856 00:56:40,280 --> 00:56:42,399 Speaker 1: can give us a call. We've got a hotline toll 857 00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:45,239 Speaker 1: free like the old days, remember that one eight three 858 00:56:45,360 --> 00:56:48,120 Speaker 1: s t d w y t K. As Matt mentioned 859 00:56:48,120 --> 00:56:50,960 Speaker 1: in our last episode, we have been getting a flurry 860 00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:54,880 Speaker 1: of fabulous voicemails from you. Yes, you, so, if you 861 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:57,960 Speaker 1: would please limit it to one three minute message, let 862 00:56:58,040 --> 00:57:00,200 Speaker 1: us know what to call you and make sure you 863 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:01,840 Speaker 1: let us know if it's okay to use your voice, 864 00:57:01,920 --> 00:57:04,319 Speaker 1: because we prefer to do that if possible, Or if 865 00:57:04,320 --> 00:57:06,120 Speaker 1: you'd like to be anonymous, let us know that too, 866 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:08,040 Speaker 1: and and you might hear yourself at one of our 867 00:57:08,080 --> 00:57:11,600 Speaker 1: weekly listener mail episodes. You can also leave us a 868 00:57:11,719 --> 00:57:14,960 Speaker 1: review on your pod scraper of choice. It does make 869 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:18,200 Speaker 1: a difference. We are as ever grateful for your input. 870 00:57:18,560 --> 00:57:22,120 Speaker 1: This show does not occur without you. You can pop 871 00:57:22,200 --> 00:57:26,040 Speaker 1: over to YouTube dot com slash conspiracy stuff UH to 872 00:57:26,280 --> 00:57:32,040 Speaker 1: see our weird, weird library of conspiracies that you may 873 00:57:32,040 --> 00:57:34,600 Speaker 1: have thought of in the past, and ones that I 874 00:57:34,680 --> 00:57:38,120 Speaker 1: can with certitude guarantee that you have not heard of. 875 00:57:38,760 --> 00:57:43,480 Speaker 1: If you don't care for social media, if phones are 876 00:57:43,600 --> 00:57:48,240 Speaker 1: not quite your thing, there is one other way you 877 00:57:48,280 --> 00:57:53,520 Speaker 1: can always contact us, regardless of time space, regardless of 878 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:56,400 Speaker 1: topic as well. UH send us an email we are 879 00:57:56,800 --> 00:58:18,600 Speaker 1: conspiracy at i heart radio dot com. Ye Stuff they 880 00:58:18,640 --> 00:58:20,520 Speaker 1: Don't want you to Know is a production of I 881 00:58:20,680 --> 00:58:23,760 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart radio, visit 882 00:58:23,800 --> 00:58:26,600 Speaker 1: the i heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 883 00:58:26,600 --> 00:58:27,760 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.