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 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, my name is Null, and they 6 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: called me Ben. We are joined as always with our 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: super producers Seth Nicholas, the Shadow Johnson. Most importantly, you 8 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: are you, You are here, and that makes this stuff 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know. It's good to be king, 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: as Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker said, uh, it's also 11 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: terrible for your health because heavy weighs the head that 12 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: wears the crown. And the thing about being a very 13 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: important person in the world of politics or governance is 14 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: that often, well historically speaking, retirement can be a really 15 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: risky endeavor. You know, I know that we've got a 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,759 Speaker 1: lot of folks in the audience today who have either 17 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: been in a career that doesn't often that doesn't always 18 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: end peacefully, or know someone who has been in a 19 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: in a very dangerous job. You know what I mean. 20 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: Uh there, it's only it's almost hilarious that there's not 21 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: a you know how, you know how Discovery Channel used 22 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: to have that Dangerous Jobs show, and they're like at 23 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: ice road truckers and lobster fisheries and stuff. I think 24 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: so I more remember the dirty jobs would but I 25 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: think I know what you're talking about. I was I 26 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: was considering those as well. I was thinking, like the 27 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: person that has to clean out the septic tanks. But 28 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: that's dangerous too. You could drown and poop, That's true. Yeah, 29 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:56,639 Speaker 1: And their entire like social cast systems that like curse 30 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: people to have to do that work because everyone hates it. Well, 31 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: Dan d'rius jobs, to me, it's funny that there's not 32 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: an episode of how dangerous it is to be ahead 33 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: of state as a job, Like it's a it's a 34 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: really dangerous thing, regardless of whether you agree with or 35 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: disagree with the given person and power. And today's show 36 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: is a follow up on a strange news segment we 37 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: did earlier. Uh, we have to work this in somewhere, 38 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: so let's just say it at the top, bouting on 39 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: the ritz. The Ritz. Well, you know, it's a really 40 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: great point, Ben that you make, and we've talked about 41 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: this a little bit before, the concept that a lot 42 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: of countries within their constitutions, within the laws of their land. 43 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: They protect standing government officials, specifically those who would be 44 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: in an executive position, the ones who have to sign 45 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: the thing at the end, who who decide this is 46 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: where our troops are gonna go, or this is you know, 47 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: the thing that is potentially a war crime internationally speaking 48 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: or humanitarily speaking of the countries will protect that person 49 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: by saying they are immune to prosecution for those types 50 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: of crimes while they're in office, while they're hanging out 51 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: still making decisions. And today's episode is about how long 52 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: should those protections really last and how deep should they go? 53 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: I mean, what about forever and really deep? And it 54 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: makes it makes sense, uh, to to have that kind 55 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: of limited immunity, Uh, not just for the international stuff. 56 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: This is an important point. Like imagine you're the president 57 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: or prime minister of a country and someone is adversely 58 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: affected by a policy that you put into law, right 59 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: and so so if you did not have immunity, then 60 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: it is possible that someone who was say who lost 61 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: the loved win or how to debilitate injury due to 62 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: what they see as your health care policy, it would 63 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: be possible for them to sue you for some kind 64 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: of criminal act maybe, but you can't do it. And honestly, 65 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: you shouldn't be able to do that because it would 66 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: make it impossible for people at the executive level to 67 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: do their job. Today's episode is about as as you said, 68 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: well how far? How far could this actually go? Here 69 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: are the facts recent news from Russia. In case you 70 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: miss our strange news segment earlier in November, some very 71 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: very strange reports hit the press. The Russian government is, 72 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: as we record today, considering a bill that would grant 73 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: all ex presidents of Russia lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution 74 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 1: for anything, not just stuff they did while they were 75 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: in office, for anything like they do afterwards under current 76 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: law like many other countries, Russia and presidents. I keep 77 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: saying Russian presidents because it's written like, it's not written 78 00:04:54,800 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: for this one guy, right, there are two, you're right. 79 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: Under Russian law currently, these presidents cannot be held liable 80 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: for crimes they committed, as you said, Matt, while serving 81 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: their terms. But this new proposal is very different. Yeah, 82 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: and there there's a senator that we may be referring 83 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: to a few times in this episode. And forgive me 84 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: for brutalizing it. Senator Andre Clisha's Clishus Clischas, I think 85 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: it's pronounced clidas. I know, I'm kidding. I don't have 86 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: no idea. How Okay, I think you're doing a fine job. Okay. 87 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: Strikes me as a bit of a clidus. Well, um, yeah, 88 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:40,919 Speaker 1: this is this person is the co chair of the 89 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: Federation Council's Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building. Yeah, hey, 90 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: it feels good. Feels good. Um, this is the parliamentary 91 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: working group that created this whole concept, this proposal that 92 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: would become a law if the bill is signed. You know, 93 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: you remember the the song. It's just a bill right now, 94 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: it's only a bill. It's going to Duma hill, I guess. 95 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: But this is the co chair of the group that 96 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: created this bill. And um, this is a quote from 97 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: Andre Clishus. This expands the time frame of immunity guarantees 98 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: for a president who stops exercising their powers. I mean, 99 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: it's just right there on the page, right, It's just 100 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: it's exactly what it is. This is, as soon as 101 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: the president is done, they are still immune from getting 102 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: in trouble administratively or legally. For all the things they've done. 103 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: No take back seas for anything really anything it really like, 104 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: could you go go in the middle of Times square 105 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: and shoot somebody for example. So there is a mechanism 106 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: to make this seem a little bit less dystopian. And 107 00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: that mechanism is the following. If like and some Russian president, 108 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: any Russian president, uh if if that, if any Russian 109 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: president happens to be accused of some felonies, mainly high treason, 110 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: then the Russian Parliament can vote. If both sides of Russia, 111 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: the lower in the upper part of the Russian Parliament agree, 112 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: they can they can vote on whether to remove this immunity, 113 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: and if they get a two thirds vote in favor, 114 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: then they can remove the immunity and prosecute for uh 115 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: that that specific set of crimes. But like if you're 116 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: if you, if you, if your thing is as the 117 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: next president is just like shoplifting your golden nobody nobody's 118 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: going to do anything. As a matter of fact, why 119 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: would you even bother paying for stuff? And I don't 120 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: want to jump too far ahead here, guys, but this 121 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: concept that you would need two thirds of a majority 122 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: of the parliament to agree that yes, we need to 123 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: prosecute or we need to remove immunity. For this, you 124 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: would need two thirds of that parliament to not support 125 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: said president, whoever this president might be in the future. 126 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: And you know, as we know right now, the Parliament 127 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: of Russia supports the current president, the one who's been 128 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: around well, I don't know how many twenty years in power, 129 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: roughly president, give or take a four year stint where 130 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: he was uh slightly not president. Right, it's a great 131 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: way to describe it. Yeah, you're absolutely right. There's also 132 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: something else, So just for the record, on the pro 133 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: side here, a guy named Pavel Krasnikov is one of 134 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: the bill's authors. Also, he says that the aim is 135 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: to give again anybody who happens to have been president 136 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: of Russia guarantees that are important for the stability of 137 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: the state and society. But think about this two thirds vote. Okay, 138 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: here's why this was such an excellent question. Who are 139 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: the people voting? Some of them are going to be senators. 140 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: And about a week before this wild ass immunity bill 141 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: comes into play, President Vladimir Putin submitted another bill that 142 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: allows presidents to appoint senators for life and also makes 143 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: it super easy for it again, just any ex president 144 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: of Russia, just in general, just whomever you think of 145 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: when you think of that term. Allows those individuals to 146 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: automatically hold lifetime Senate seats. Yeah, pretty need pretty way 147 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: to like pre pack, you know, and isn't uh, I 148 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 1: mean like there are Russia has an interesting system of 149 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: government and that they have have quite a few registered parties. 150 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: There's the United Russia Party, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, 151 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: Adjust Russia Party, Rodina, and Civic Platform Party. But of those, 152 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: Putin's United Russia Party has by far the most amount 153 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: of power, which makes sense. I mean that's that's probably 154 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: the party, uh, where you have the lowest odds of 155 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,719 Speaker 1: accidentally running into polonium or something, you know what I mean, 156 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: seeps the KGB off your back if you're for uniting Russia, right, 157 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: And just to clarify, they have three hundred and thirty 158 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: five seats of the four hundred and fifty in the 159 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: state Duma. Yeah, that's huge. So here's the thing. When 160 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: we say senators, it's roughly analogous to what you might 161 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: think of when you think of a senator and say 162 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: the United States, but it's it's a little bit different 163 00:10:56,240 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: because as you said, No, it doesn't have the it 164 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: doesn't have the same you know, functional duopoli that we 165 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: have here in the US with Democrats and Republicans. You know, 166 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: our our our system has been purposely designed by those 167 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: parties to repress third party candidates, and it's it's not 168 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:22,439 Speaker 1: the same deal. In Russia also, senators representatives of the 169 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: Russian Federation are appointed for six years or the president 170 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: can just appoint them for life by saying it happens. 171 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: I think it's almost like an executive order. If a 172 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: bill like this past in the US, then the president 173 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: of the U S whomever they were at the time, 174 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: could just decide to make someone a senator, you know 175 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: what I mean? What's it like at the top? Uh, 176 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: The president of Russia under this new bill can do this, 177 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:54,719 Speaker 1: and it's a presidential prerogative, not a duty, so it 178 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: means that they don't have to do it, but they 179 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: can also do it whenever they want. Seven times they 180 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: baked in a number, which makes me wonder what the 181 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: calculation is, right? Was it like, Okay, first off, I 182 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: should be immune forever unless there's I don't know, treason 183 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: or something. And then two thirds of the Senate has 184 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: to vote for that. Also, by the way, I can 185 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: make uh, seven people lifetime senators and myself, Hey, we 186 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: got eight was hanging out in the Senate. Uh is 187 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: very very odd. This is the kind of laughter you 188 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: get when I'm just intensely uncomfortable. None of this is 189 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: funny at all. This is all very scary and clearly 190 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: something that certain individuals would love to see happen, you know, 191 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: in this next of those. I think we've perhaps stemmed 192 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: the tide of that a little bit. But gosh, no one, 193 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: what's possible, right, I mean, this level of power, it 194 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: goes a long way. Well, there are some requirements like 195 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: this is we're already in crazy territory in my opinion, 196 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: but it does get crazy easier. So there are some uh, 197 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: there are some constraints or restrictions on who can become 198 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: a lifetime senator. As you might imagine, dear conspiracy realist. Uh, 199 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: the four of us are out of the game, like 200 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: the four of us on the show today, cannot be, 201 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 1: uh cannot be lifetime Russian senators. You have to the 202 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: main thing that you need to prove to to get 203 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: one of these sort of rubber stamp positions is that 204 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: you have never lived somewhere else and you've never associated 205 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: with another country, So it gives you a sense where 206 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: the priorities are. Uh. Yeah, takes it takes a lot, 207 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: you know, it takes a village. So for comparison, Uh, 208 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: this is also not a total wild hair. In Italy, 209 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: there's a similar system. All former presidents are given the 210 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: title of senator for life. Uh. But just so we know, 211 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: that's the thing about this is this immunity bill is 212 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 1: occurring in a context that isn't being explored fully in 213 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: a lot of other outlets. So if we go back 214 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: to this new proposal, it tells us a couple of 215 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: interesting things we have to ask ourselves about presidents and 216 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: crime because you know, we've we've been talking about this 217 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: a little bit just a few minutes ago. But proponents 218 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: of this bill say, look, we're not doing anything weird. 219 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: This is how the world works. Maybe we're just getting 220 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: victimized by a propaganda spin because some people don't like 221 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: Russia and that's unfair. It's true to a degree, this 222 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: this bill is in line with international norms. But and 223 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: it's all for the reasons we discussed. You know, you can't. 224 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: We don't. People won't be able to do their job 225 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: as president or prime minister whatever if if they are 226 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: bound by the law. As weird that sounds on that 227 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: personal level, but this lifetime immunity is way different. If 228 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: if Ladmir Putin for some reason is served, quits the 229 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: presidency or loses election and becomes ex president or a senator, uh, 230 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: and decides to get really into one of our favorite crimes, 231 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: stamped fraud, then there's nothing to be done. Uh. He 232 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: can just make all the stamps. But this is the 233 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: weirdest part of this. This is the thing that people 234 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: weren't talking about a lot in the news, the immunity 235 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: when it when we say it works outside of your 236 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: time in office, that timeline goes both ways. So think 237 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: about this. If this passes, then just any Russian president 238 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: is a mute for prosecution for stuff they did before 239 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: they were ever president. And we're talking about a former 240 00:15:53,640 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: KGB agent, somebody who is getting his hands dirty well 241 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: before he he got that seed of power. M hmmm 242 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: mm hmmmmm. Man, Wait, you don't mean Putin himself. Do 243 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: You've been doing shady things like for a long time 244 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: prior doesn't track has everyone think King of the Shade fakes, 245 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: fake news. Uh, we have always been at war with 246 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: East Asia. I've always loved the dear Leader. But think 247 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: about that, that kind of uh get out of jail 248 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: forever card legally, it's really impressive. I imagine you were 249 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: you were immune from everything you have ever done. Ever, 250 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: that's a sweet gig if you can get it. You 251 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: know what this will allow Putin to do. Though, because 252 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: of all this, you can't get in trouble for anything. 253 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: He is going to set up full UFO Extraterrestrial disclosure. 254 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: He I get in trouble for any of it, for 255 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: for hiding it, for stealing the tech, for murdering all 256 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: of those grays. He's just gonna come out and be like, 257 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: guess what, everybody, I'm a center now. And e T 258 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: is real. Yes, he's He's also adorable or arguably terrifying. 259 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: But there's another Here's another implication here, Matt. Think about 260 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: how much dirt that dude has on like everybody, like 261 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: people from other countries like think, you know, like he 262 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: holds the keys to the kingdom. Man like he could 263 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: either just like docs all these people or like blackmail. 264 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:38,160 Speaker 1: I mean, he could already do that obviously, but now 265 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: he can do it with utter abandon you know, and 266 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 1: not even have to cover it up. And I mean 267 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: it's just you know, because I mean it's he's never 268 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: gonna leave Russia. It's obviously can apply. This doesn't apply 269 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: diplomatically certainly, right, This is only like within Russia and 270 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: their laws. Yeah, well they're The thing is when you 271 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: get into the international sphere, they're The International Criminal Court 272 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: is notoriously backlogged, and also a lot it's not recognized 273 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: by a lot of countries. The US, for instance, doesn't 274 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: recognize the I c c UH. And one country can say, look, 275 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: our guys have diplomatic community forever, and another country can say, no, 276 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: that we know what you did. Uh. And the end 277 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: result in practice often often becomes just a matter of 278 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: where people can or cannot travel. Like Dick Cheney probably 279 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: has countries he cannot visit, you know, And if you're 280 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: a president of any country, then you have to be 281 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: really careful where you go forever. It does it doesn't 282 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,719 Speaker 1: matter who you are. But Dick Cheney was never like 283 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: convicted of war crimes. I mean it was bandied about, 284 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 1: but there's nothing on paper that that like charges him 285 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: as being a war crim I don't, even though we 286 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: all know he is. Yeah, for a time there was 287 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,879 Speaker 1: a rumor that they that he and former President George W. 288 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: Bush could not travel to Europe due to the threat 289 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: of arrest. However, it looks like it looks like that's 290 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: that's not the case. At least there's not an act 291 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: of warrant out. But these situations do occur and have 292 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: occurred in the past. So it's a real concern for 293 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin. But if he stays safe in Russia, he 294 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: just has to worry about domestic enemies, you know, or 295 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:32,159 Speaker 1: some actor with the means to reach him on his 296 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,959 Speaker 1: home turf, which is very difficult because for if you 297 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: are if you are under about fifty years old, then 298 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:42,719 Speaker 1: for the majority of your life, this has been one 299 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: of the most powerful people in the world, full stop. 300 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: Maybe j Ping right now is uh. I think he 301 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: would be number one right now, but then Putin would 302 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 1: be number two. So it's weird the reaction when we 303 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: talk about this. We're talking about now right now. The 304 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: big question is, and there's a point, Um, you made 305 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: me think of Matt. The big question is this guy 306 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: has been in power for so long. Why is he 307 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: just doing it now? He had decades and decades and decades. 308 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: One of his opponents, a guy named Alexei Novelny, said 309 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: on Twitter. He said, why does Putin need an immunity law? Now? 310 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,239 Speaker 1: Can dictators stepped down of their own free will? And 311 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: this is the billion ruble question. I love Matt that 312 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: you said a time when he was less president or whatever. 313 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: Uh So when he is slightly not president from two 314 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: thousand eight to two thousand twelve, and ally and a 315 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 1: longtime associate of his named Dmitri Medvedev, the only other 316 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: living ex Russian president. He serves one term as president. Putin, 317 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: by the way, as prime minister from two thousand eight 318 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,679 Speaker 1: to two thousand twelve. Now that that is a hustle, 319 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: I respect, because in two thousand twelve he comes back. 320 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: He's president again. He's been president of Russia since two 321 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: thousand twelve. His current term is set to expire in 322 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: but they're changing the constitution to make that, you know, 323 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: up for conversation. Let's just talk, you guys. I feel 324 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: so silly here. I could have sworn. They changed the 325 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: presidential term limits from four to six years and that's 326 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: why it goes from but it was still just two terms. 327 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: It's just he has more time than um. I was 328 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 1: reading a BBC article talking about six year terms. Two 329 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: more six year terms, which is just I guess that 330 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: changed at some point. I just don't have that. Yeah, yeah, 331 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: two thousand eight. It changed when Medvedev was president. They said, Okay, 332 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: by the way, just like some Russian president in the future, 333 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: we should probably give them six years, you know, not me. 334 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 1: Not me, I'm not changing the law for myself. Interesting, right, 335 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: Uh so this is still like without getting two in 336 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: the weeds on this. This is also occurring in the 337 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: wake of a recent vote that occurred this summer that 338 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: would allow Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until six 339 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: after his current presidency ends. So he may be around 340 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: for a long time, and he remains popular with a 341 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: big segment of the Russian public. Not all though, So 342 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: we have to we have to ask ourselves some more questions. 343 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: We're already in crazy territory, but it's about to get 344 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: even weirder. So, uh, we'll be back, assuming we don't 345 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: get poisoned after work from our sponsor, and we'll dive 346 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: deeper into this murky story and we're back ready to 347 00:22:55,880 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: swim in some pretty sinister waters. Um, where do you 348 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,640 Speaker 1: even pick up? There's so much to unpack here. Well, 349 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: I just want to jump really quickly to talk a 350 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: little bit more about the concept that Vladmir Putin may may, 351 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 1: because of this recent vote, be able to continue being 352 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: president for another twelve years. So I think it was 353 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:18,439 Speaker 1: I think it was March when I was seeing a 354 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: lot of reporting on that subject and then about like 355 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: possibly doing a reset essentially for anyone who was going 356 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: to any again, anyone who's going to run for president 357 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 1: in Russia. They were going to reset everybody back to zero, 358 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: like as in, Okay, no terms have occurred for anyone 359 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: in the history of Russia right now as of this point. Now, 360 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 1: anyone can run for two terms as president. But it's 361 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,679 Speaker 1: the weirdest thing because he's it's he's the only person 362 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: affected by this besides Medvedev, and and it was just 363 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: kind of just pass or it has it passed. I 364 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: think it's passed. Yeah, that one passed. So that's just 365 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: the situation. He can just decide to run for president 366 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: again if he wants to. It's like, and I just 367 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 1: I keep harping on this. But it's so gut busting 368 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: lee hilarious to me that they're writing these laws as 369 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 1: though they are not specifically applicable to one dude. It's 370 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: like if we were writing a law and I had said, 371 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: you know what, Um, I think anybody who happens to 372 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: be wearing red and black flannel shirt, just like in general, 373 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: they should have free lunch. But Ben, you know that's 374 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: Putin's favorite shade, you know that's his favorite pattern. Is 375 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: really hungry right now? I dis ordered some I just 376 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: asked full disclosure, guys, that has ordered some Thai food 377 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 1: that's gonna come to my door as soon as we 378 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: wrap this episode. But what Yeah, you guys were on 379 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: a roll. I just didn't I have. I have it 380 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: to say. I get a same thing every time I 381 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: get the the the lemon grass Vermicelli and a porkmon 382 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: me and a and a tie iced tea. Um. But 383 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 1: that's not the point, guys. The point is this, Uh. 384 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: I think it's genius the way the calculus with which 385 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: Putin operates, um, because he he he's clearly somewhat concerned 386 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,360 Speaker 1: with the like patina of legitimacy, Like he doesn't want 387 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: to just like slam down his iron fist and say 388 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: I am president for life. He goes through it in 389 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: seemingly you know, uh legal ways and and by you know, 390 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: rewriting laws and passing new laws that clearly, to your point, 391 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,879 Speaker 1: Ben benefit himself. But he does it like through the 392 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 1: appropriate channels kind of. I don't know. I think it's 393 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,160 Speaker 1: kind of brilliant, the way he clearly is a brilliant 394 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: uh politician. Oh, I love it. The guys, the inside 395 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: of the guy's mind must be like a cathedral, you know, 396 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: so filled with chess pieces, filled the chess pieces and plans, 397 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: lots of plans. So, as we said, this means that 398 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:08,159 Speaker 1: not only would he not be uh legally liable for 399 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: anything before after he was president, he'd also be completely 400 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: fine with that period between two thousand eight two thousand 401 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: twelve when he was prime minister or you know whatever. 402 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: So now the speculation for some people this bill is 403 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: seen as a sign that he is getting an insurance 404 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 1: policy kind of that he's preparing to leave, uh leave 405 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 1: the post of the presidency as soon as early next year. 406 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: But that's still all speculation. Uh. But we know he 407 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 1: might still want to be involved in the country's politics. 408 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: Why else would he do this automatic lifetime senator thing. 409 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: But is there more to the story? Almost certainly. And 410 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: the thing is, when we ask about this flurry of legislation, 411 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: things become very very murky, very very quickly. Here's where 412 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: it gets crazy, as if it wasn't already crazy. I know, Yeah, 413 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,159 Speaker 1: that's what I'm saying. It's so we're into the land 414 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: wild speculation. None of the things we are discussing now 415 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: from this point on the real crazy stuff. None of 416 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: it's been officially confirmed, but it is fascinating. The first one, 417 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 1: the medical concerns, which is an entire like an ongoing 418 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:29,199 Speaker 1: kind of genre of speculation of which I was largely unaware. Yeah. 419 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: A British paper, The son Um cited a Russian professor 420 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: by the name of Valerie Solova, who is a political pundit, 421 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,479 Speaker 1: who had suggested on a Moscow radio station that Putin 422 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:47,640 Speaker 1: UM was being pressured to step down from his first 423 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: hone none awhile entourage UM due to his health failing 424 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,160 Speaker 1: health UH. Specifically, there was the implication that putin might 425 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: have Parkinson's disease and be preparing to UH to evacuate 426 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: his post because of this the Sun, which isn't isn't 427 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 1: this sound a little bit of like a like a 428 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:12,239 Speaker 1: daily mail contitution, Like yeah, so they're you know, not 429 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,640 Speaker 1: the most trustworthy of sources, but we continue. The Sun 430 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: also quoted a study from the Department of Neurology at 431 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: rad About University Medical Center in the Netherlands, which highlighted 432 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: perceived signs of Putin's uh walk um his gate the 433 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: way he moved, indicating Parkinson's. This is sort of like 434 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: you know, a virtual a visual diagnosis, right, um, which 435 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: we know that's problematic. The researchers pointed out that the 436 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:44,719 Speaker 1: sixty eight, by the way year old uh um Putin, 437 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: he looks fantastic ripped he remember those pictures of him 438 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: riding shirtless on a horse that was like not that 439 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: long ago. Well, you know, just to pause here, he's 440 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: sixty years old. Just really compare that to the way 441 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: um curb resident Trump looks compared Compare lad Reputin to 442 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: the way even um, you know, the incoming president Joe 443 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: Biden looks at seventy Are they both seventy seventy ish? 444 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: I know they're in their seventies, and this guy is 445 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: only a few years younger, and he he looks still 446 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: like he's yeah, I don't know, like a man of 447 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: action that would go out on the field somewhere and 448 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: take care of business. Years old, by the way. Way, 449 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: actually you know what, No, he's not. He's seventy. Yeah 450 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: he is. He's seventy eight now as of today. No, 451 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: so he will be uh starting to sidetrack with the 452 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 1: oldest president in history, um Putin. I have a theory 453 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: about why Putin looks so good because the man don't 454 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: give up. He doesn't need to and hasn't for a 455 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: very very long time. I would say he gives a 456 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: great many but they may not be the that other 457 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: people give. What I'm saying is he is he is bulletproof. 458 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: He is so like he waves his hand and things happen. 459 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: He's not worried, you know, That's all I'm saying. I 460 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 1: think worry is what makes you old, and you know, 461 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: criticism and and being you know, like but Russian media. 462 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,479 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know. He's so in control of 463 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: everything that he does and of his country that I 464 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: just don't think. I think he's impervious to that stuff. 465 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 1: Just a theory. I think anyway, I think he also 466 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: has a team of like you know, there's a the 467 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: m c U transformation Marvel Cinematic Universe transformation is famous 468 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: for making people like ripped and in really good health. 469 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: And that's why, you know, you see a lot of 470 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: well to do people are going to be in better 471 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: shape often not all the time, not all the time, 472 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: but wealthy people are often going to be in better 473 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: shape because of the access they have not just a 474 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: medical care, but to personal trainers and expertise. Putin has 475 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: just applied himself and use that personal discipline as well 476 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: as probably an army of people monitoring his physical health, 477 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. It's not like he is 478 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: cutting out time and meetings himself to do a couple 479 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: uh what's a silly exercise plank. It's not like he's like, Okay, 480 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 1: let's pause the call, I'm gonna plank for my health. 481 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: What I mean. They they always find poutin planking various 482 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: parts of the Kremlin, and he's just like on a bookshelf, 483 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 1: you know, like that episode of The Office. Um but 484 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: but but back back to the study that they they 485 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 1: called this thing that he had, uh, this this particular 486 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: style of walking or what have you. And they looked 487 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: at pointing to that as a as a symptom of 488 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: potentially as Parkinson's, but very quickly it came out that 489 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: this could be. Ben. I love that you found this 490 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: I don't know if you knew about this already. A 491 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: gun slinger's walk with I think we can all picture 492 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: what that is, you know, with the kind of a 493 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: wide stance, and you got your hands pinned down to 494 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: your sides and out to keep your guns close to 495 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: you in case you need to whip him out real 496 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 1: quick and getting into a firefight in a saloon or something. Um, 497 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 1: but yeah, that's that. That is a thing that KGB 498 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: agents are trained to do to keep their weapons tightly 499 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: pinned to their left hand side. And his left arm 500 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: wasn't moving when it was Yeah, that's so. Yeah, it 501 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: was either he's lost some mobility in that left arm 502 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: or he's just ready. Yeah, he's strapped. He's got he's 503 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: got some kind of future weapon there just waiting in 504 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: case he needs it. Yeah, that's that's the idea. And 505 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: you know, of course we're not we're not in any 506 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: way uh mocking serious medical conditions. It's just this is 507 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: the kind of speculation that happens when a person lives 508 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: their life in a black box. There's a ton of 509 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 1: stuff we do not know about this guy. And when 510 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: I say we, I mean like other intelligence agencies don't 511 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: know some stuff about him. The Kremlin responded to this speculation, 512 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: and they were pretty explicit. Krimlin, spokesman to meet Pisco, said, 513 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: this is absolute nonsense. Everything is fine with the president, 514 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 1: he's an excellent health, etcetera. And to be fair, the 515 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: guy we mentioned, the professor, may not be the best source. 516 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: He's one of those he's he's a pundit, he's a 517 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 1: political commentator. But he said weird stuff in the past, 518 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 1: and he's also been wrong in the past. Yeah, he 519 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: said he was a part of some Illuminati type thing, right, 520 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 1: this is the guy that's him, Yeah, powerful secret organization. 521 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: He also said there would be no Western sanctions over 522 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,480 Speaker 1: the war in Ukraine and that was wrong. And in 523 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: sixteen he said Prutin is going to be leaving off 524 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: as very soon. History has shown that was also incorrect, 525 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: depending on how you define very soon to speak. Wow, 526 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 1: before we jump off the Parkinson's thing and just want 527 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: to give a nod to Michael j. Fox. I don't 528 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 1: know if anybody else saw this, but he he's a 529 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 1: actually ending his career by his own choice because he 530 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: you know, of complications to the disease. And uh, you know, 531 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:10,839 Speaker 1: it isn't we We've talked about this all the time, 532 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:14,319 Speaker 1: but it's not We're certainly not trying to make light 533 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 1: of that in any way. We we've already stated that 534 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: in this episode. But just a shout out to him 535 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,920 Speaker 1: for being awesome. He's a There's a great MPR interview 536 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 1: with him that I would recommend that anybody wants to 537 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:29,319 Speaker 1: check out his his reasoning behind it, as well as 538 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,880 Speaker 1: some of the philanthropic work that he is doing and 539 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: planning to focus on in the future post acting career. 540 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 1: And I do want to point out too that he 541 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,879 Speaker 1: was in a great episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where 542 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: he you know, sort of makes light of his condition 543 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: and in a very like owning it way, which I 544 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 1: appreciate it, you know, like it becomes a plot point 545 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: in the show, like in typical Curb fashion. But I 546 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 1: thought it was interesting that he you know, used a 547 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: real life condition and obviously a very difficult thing to 548 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: be going through um and made it into something that 549 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,720 Speaker 1: could make people, you know, smile. And he's done multiple 550 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: He's done that with multiple uh media appearances or appearances 551 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 1: on other shows, you know, playing himself on air and 552 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: acknowledging this. So going back to so we went to 553 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:20,720 Speaker 1: we ended up in Michael J. Fox. But we're talking 554 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:25,239 Speaker 1: about possible medical scares for the president of Russia. There's 555 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: a less um dire possibility. Could Vladimir Putin, after decades 556 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: as one of the world's most powerful people, just want 557 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: to kick back, you know what I mean, like prop 558 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:41,880 Speaker 1: up his feet by the shores of the Baltic and 559 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 1: and live the good life. You know, does he just 560 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 1: want to buy the farm? Maybe because he is older, 561 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,839 Speaker 1: he is sixty eight years old. But as you could imagine, 562 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 1: he has a lot of enemies both for it and 563 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:58,200 Speaker 1: domestic and unless he had protections in place, he could 564 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,840 Speaker 1: become a huge target. He will will become a huge 565 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: target for activists, for opposition parties, other oligarchs that he 566 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: has waged hidden war on in the past, or even 567 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:13,560 Speaker 1: think about this. Prosecutors who are just corrupt, who don't 568 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 1: care what the what the actual crimes are. They just 569 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:21,320 Speaker 1: want to shake down this guy. It's an enormously dangerous gamble, 570 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 1: but potentially it could be a gold mine because do 571 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: you know how wealthy Vladimir Putin is? The answer is no, 572 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,320 Speaker 1: unless you're Vladimir Putin. This guy has so much money 573 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: and has so much control over so many different things 574 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,719 Speaker 1: that no one knows how much cash he actually has, Like, 575 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:49,399 Speaker 1: we don't know his his wealth is dot dot dot 576 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 1: question mark and you can see some um you can 577 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: see some stats that gather, like the estimates. You'll see 578 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: someone saying that he's worth two billion dollars, someone saying 579 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: that conservatively it's more like seventy billion. Ah, it's tough. 580 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 1: There's one quote that I think was really weird. A 581 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: Russian banker who is now living in exile called Sergey 582 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: Pugachev one time said that quote, any attempt to calculate 583 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: Putin's net worth won't succeed. He is the richest person 584 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:29,239 Speaker 1: in the world until he leaves power. It's wild. Yeah, 585 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: it really is wild. Maybe it's just that concept of 586 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: in many ways, when you're the head of the state, 587 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: you kind of had to have unlimited power to print money. Yeah, 588 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,439 Speaker 1: that's that's odd though, But it's not just the money right. 589 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:52,239 Speaker 1: I mean power comes in many forms and yeah even 590 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,320 Speaker 1: you know, well you've probably heard of this before Forbes 591 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:58,360 Speaker 1: magazine or was once just Forbes magazine, But Forbes the 592 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:05,799 Speaker 1: entity uh it In considered Vladimir Putin to be one 593 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 1: of the most most powerful people on the planet. There 594 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:14,839 Speaker 1: were the top two ready, uh g Jinping? Who is 595 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 1: I think general? Is the title general secretary if you 596 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 1: had the exact title that uh he holds, but I 597 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: think it's eventually big Dog of China. Um that was 598 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: the number one, and then Vladimir Putin was number two 599 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: on the list General Secretary. Sorry, I feel bad, okay, 600 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:38,880 Speaker 1: general Secretary, big Dog. I'm thinking of you guys. Remember 601 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 1: those T shirts, like the big Dog T shirts. There 602 00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 1: were the fear with the cartoon, Yeah, the cartoon women 603 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 1: like the large breasts. That was something else that was 604 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 1: a big bubba big Johnson Johnson Excuse me, I thought 605 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:57,879 Speaker 1: were brilliant? How what insightful, what incisive commentary? I had 606 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:00,840 Speaker 1: wearing those shirts. It was a golden on for novelty 607 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:04,040 Speaker 1: T shirts. It was we need more novelty T shirts. 608 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: Check out our T public store. So you're right, power, 609 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: how is it defined? It is a multidimensional thing, right, 610 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: and it exists in many different spheres. But some things 611 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: remain true regardless of the times. You know, we opened 612 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 1: with some statements about kings heavy as the head and 613 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: so on. There's another statement about kings, which is this, 614 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:33,839 Speaker 1: if you shoot at the king, don't miss. You know 615 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 1: what I mean, not to be too eminem or Hamilton's 616 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,560 Speaker 1: about it. It's a one shot situation. Yes, for sure, 617 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,400 Speaker 1: don't don't aim in the king and miss, or you 618 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:46,719 Speaker 1: will find polonium or maybe just you know, some other 619 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,319 Speaker 1: kind of pesticide in your water. I'm gonna drink this. 620 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: Let's go to a break. We'll be right back. And 621 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,919 Speaker 1: we're back. We have not mysteriously fallen out of any 622 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 1: third story windows, which is pretty cool. It's good to 623 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 1: see everybody. Uh and uh. We have to talk about danger. 624 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:13,800 Speaker 1: There's another aspect. What if What if the current president 625 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: of Russia is somehow afraid. You don't have to be 626 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,799 Speaker 1: a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, so 627 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 1: what if the what if he feels an ill wind 628 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: on the way. There's a guy who's a professor at 629 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 1: the Center for Russian and Central Asian and East European 630 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:35,760 Speaker 1: studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. His name is Sanjay Kumar 631 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 1: Pandy and this M. Pandi studies this stuff all the time. 632 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:49,759 Speaker 1: He he initially was ignoring rumors about medical concerns, not 633 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: because he thought it was just some anti Russian spin, 634 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,520 Speaker 1: but because he thought Putin himself had planted this fake 635 00:40:56,600 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 1: news to gauge public reaction, uh and see if he 636 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: had supporters. But when he saw this new legislation coming in, 637 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:09,279 Speaker 1: he said, Okay, we can't just call this like conspiracy. 638 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:14,120 Speaker 1: Something is definitely wrong. Something is rotten in Moscow. We 639 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:17,800 Speaker 1: just don't know what. So he thinks maybe Putin is 640 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:22,439 Speaker 1: afraid of losing the next election in Yeah. Well, and 641 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 1: and this is good something. We're gonna talk about the 642 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:27,319 Speaker 1: details of this. I just before we get into it 643 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,440 Speaker 1: too too deeply, I just want to point out that 644 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:31,920 Speaker 1: the BBC and a couple other places that in the 645 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:36,759 Speaker 1: West have been reporting on the effect that the coronavirus 646 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 1: and COVID nineteen have had on leaders across the world. 647 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:45,640 Speaker 1: And this situation has certainly negatively affected the public view 648 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:51,440 Speaker 1: of Vladimir Putin within Russia. And it again, this is 649 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:55,360 Speaker 1: this is West reporting so who knows if you know 650 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:57,920 Speaker 1: how much truth there is to that, But it does 651 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 1: seem like approval ratings are down. It's I think it's 652 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:04,400 Speaker 1: the he's got the lowest approval rating right now that 653 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:09,080 Speaker 1: he's had in his entire career as a politician. Um, 654 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: so just let's make sure that is sitting there in 655 00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:16,640 Speaker 1: our knowledge before we jump into uh, Kumar Sanja Kumar 656 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:21,279 Speaker 1: Pandy's uh, yeah, yeah, and he thinks that's a very 657 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:25,240 Speaker 1: good point because COVID has affected everything. So Pandy also 658 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 1: thinks that seeing the situation Belarus may have affected Putin's calculus. 659 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 1: He said, you know, to paraphrase, He's like, look at 660 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: the demonstrations that Lukashenko, the dictator of Belarus was facing. Uh. 661 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:45,319 Speaker 1: He knows that if he tried to put in this 662 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:52,839 Speaker 1: law like in in election year, Uh, then there would 663 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:56,640 Speaker 1: be a lot of criticism, a lot of protesting, which 664 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:59,600 Speaker 1: means a lot of government crackdowns. So he's maybe trying 665 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:01,960 Speaker 1: to just get in front of this and do it 666 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:05,759 Speaker 1: in advance. The opposition leaders, one of whom would be 667 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:10,840 Speaker 1: Kennedy Goodkov, say that Putinent probably already agreed to leave, 668 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: like behind the scenes, and this is you know, this 669 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 1: is building the parachute before you jump out of the plane. 670 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:21,560 Speaker 1: And this guy also says, to your point at something interesting, 671 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: he said, Putin has been behaving strangely since the beginning 672 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 1: of the pandemic, and he's become much worse at speaking. 673 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:32,040 Speaker 1: And to sew this up, as we mentioned before, we 674 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 1: were talking about this on a Strange News segment, these 675 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:37,760 Speaker 1: things do not occur in a vacuum. These bills became 676 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:42,280 Speaker 1: public knowledge while there was an incredibly divisive US election, 677 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:45,760 Speaker 1: and you have to wonder whether the possibility of a 678 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:50,760 Speaker 1: different US administration might have in some way pushed Putin 679 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:54,520 Speaker 1: to pull the trigger. Now absolutely, and combine that with 680 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:58,960 Speaker 1: these COVID restrictions where in in Russia, I think currently 681 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:02,480 Speaker 1: and as these bills are being talked about and passed 682 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: through through their parliament um or the Duma, they citizens 683 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:13,040 Speaker 1: can't gather in large numbers to protest any of this 684 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:18,960 Speaker 1: because of the restrictions. Like how crazy is that it 685 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,799 Speaker 1: doesn't matter if you support food or not or the 686 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:24,400 Speaker 1: current government. There's nothing you can do about it to 687 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:28,480 Speaker 1: show I mean, even anyway, there's a that's there's a 688 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:30,760 Speaker 1: lot to went pack there. But I think that's another 689 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:34,760 Speaker 1: piece of the strategy. Very smart, astute man. I like it. 690 00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:39,240 Speaker 1: You may have. You may well be in the running 691 00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: to be the next Russian president with a with a 692 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 1: sharp mind like that. We just have just have to 693 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:47,360 Speaker 1: get over the fact that you're from the US. Well, 694 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 1: just give some you know, forge a couple of documents, 695 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:53,040 Speaker 1: will be Do you do a pretty pretty sweet Russian accent? 696 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:55,480 Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, I don't know what that is 697 00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: bad taking someone else, that's method. He doesn't characters and 698 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:08,399 Speaker 1: accents he becomes so so yeah, you're right, that's that's 699 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:12,120 Speaker 1: a really good point. Um. There's another thing that popped 700 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 1: up that I think and maybe a little pepe silvia 701 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,360 Speaker 1: to connect these, but they occurred around the same time, 702 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:23,239 Speaker 1: which is that Edward Snowden received permanent Russian citizenship. He's 703 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 1: been living there since twenty Initially he was granted asylum. 704 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:32,120 Speaker 1: He fled the United States after leaking information on U 705 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:39,520 Speaker 1: S intelligence agencies just incredibly insidious and successful methods of 706 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:43,759 Speaker 1: electronic surveillance and how they were eavesdropping on everybody, including 707 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:48,439 Speaker 1: other countries, and breaking several laws. In October, just last month, 708 00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:51,520 Speaker 1: as we record this, he was given permanent Russian residency 709 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:55,839 Speaker 1: and recently this month he announced plans for he and 710 00:45:56,080 --> 00:46:01,280 Speaker 1: his spouse to apply for full Russian citizenship. So he's 711 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:05,960 Speaker 1: not leaving well. And it's really interesting because Snowdon himself, 712 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:10,280 Speaker 1: like the the whistleblower and activist, Now he was playing 713 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:12,960 Speaker 1: chess right now, Like there's no doubt he was making 714 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:16,440 Speaker 1: moves there, and you have to think that eventually he 715 00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:19,839 Speaker 1: figured he was just gonna make this move to stay 716 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:24,960 Speaker 1: in Russia and to get citizenship essentially. Um. But you 717 00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:28,640 Speaker 1: also have to wonder if like Russia itself and in 718 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:32,399 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin, who again has been in power since since 719 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:35,880 Speaker 1: all of that has begun to occur in what was 720 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:40,840 Speaker 1: it we said? Um, like, is he is Snowdon a 721 00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:45,600 Speaker 1: chess piece that is being played by Russia right by 722 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:48,799 Speaker 1: keeping him there? And like what other information? Did he 723 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: really release all the information that there's so much speculation 724 00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:53,960 Speaker 1: to be to be done there and it is speculation, 725 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: have like have no doubt, um, but it is fascinating 726 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:01,600 Speaker 1: to think about. Yeah, and there is uh, there's another 727 00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:07,840 Speaker 1: consideration of what Look, we're we're saying some offhand things, 728 00:47:07,960 --> 00:47:12,279 Speaker 1: but we are referring to true events. When we talk 729 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:16,400 Speaker 1: about poison and sad. There is no secret that the 730 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,719 Speaker 1: Putan administration has made a name for itself based on 731 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:24,479 Speaker 1: some pretty brutal, classic Cold War power moves. We're talking 732 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:29,440 Speaker 1: about poisoning journalists and dissidents, rigging elections, putting your opponents 733 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:33,400 Speaker 1: just in jail, uh for the heck of it, shutting 734 00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:35,719 Speaker 1: down the media. The list goes on and on and on, 735 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:39,920 Speaker 1: and then cracking down on oligarchs, even if you used 736 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:41,640 Speaker 1: to get along with them, if they don't tow the 737 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 1: line like that one of my favorite examples. Feels weird 738 00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:50,080 Speaker 1: to call this a favorite example, but there is proof. 739 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:56,239 Speaker 1: There is hard evidence of Vladimir Putin's personal involvement in 740 00:47:56,280 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: the assassination of his leading opponent in ting former Deputy 741 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:06,360 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov. It's we can't I guess. I 742 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 1: can't say it's conclusively proven because it hasn't gone to court, 743 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:14,960 Speaker 1: But various institutions, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation 744 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 1: in Europe, have witness testimony saying yeah, I don't when 745 00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:25,280 Speaker 1: and where and how Putin gave the order for that assassination, 746 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,560 Speaker 1: Like we can give you the quote, uh, and Russia 747 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:36,240 Speaker 1: ignored it. He's literally known for doing this assassination zero consequences. Uh, 748 00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:39,319 Speaker 1: but that that to me, all that means is that 749 00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:43,800 Speaker 1: whatever the real motivation for this new legislation, this legal 750 00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:49,320 Speaker 1: conspiracy might be the problem. Whatever it is is something 751 00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:52,600 Speaker 1: that cannot be solved by poison this time. Courts are 752 00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:56,719 Speaker 1: not perfect. But unlike journalists, they are immune to polonium. Well, 753 00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:00,239 Speaker 1: I don't know when has anyone tested it yet? The 754 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:08,480 Speaker 1: entire court gets polonium? Yeah, we're always sunny episode. Uh 755 00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 1: So right now, the story is ongoing, but we can 756 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:14,280 Speaker 1: tell you a little bit about where we're at currently. 757 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:20,640 Speaker 1: These proposals this immune from anything forever, rush your shoulders 758 00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:25,120 Speaker 1: off if you're a Russian president law. It hasn't passed yet. Yeah, 759 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: but I don't know, Like, given this track record, I 760 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:35,239 Speaker 1: don't really see any uh, particularly insurmountable roadblocks, do you. Well, well, 761 00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:38,200 Speaker 1: it's really all all that has to happen is the 762 00:49:38,239 --> 00:49:43,319 Speaker 1: lower house of Parliament has to approve, right, and and 763 00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:45,720 Speaker 1: then there are two other votes that have to occur. 764 00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:48,480 Speaker 1: It has to go I think it's the Upper house, 765 00:49:48,880 --> 00:49:54,120 Speaker 1: and then reviewed again and then signs by the man himself. Yeah, 766 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 1: it goes to his office and he's like, hey, this 767 00:49:56,000 --> 00:49:59,480 Speaker 1: sounds like a great idea. Come up with this, brilliant 768 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:02,600 Speaker 1: But again, those houses of of of the legislature you're 769 00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:05,640 Speaker 1: talking about, those are all his people. Well it's not, 770 00:50:05,680 --> 00:50:10,000 Speaker 1: it's not all of them, but the majority right right. 771 00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:14,000 Speaker 1: I don't see it not passing. And what a power 772 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:17,799 Speaker 1: move I am. I am now superman. You know you 773 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:20,960 Speaker 1: cannot touch me as much as he was that already before. 774 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:24,400 Speaker 1: And it's something that I'm sure our current sitting president 775 00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:28,879 Speaker 1: is keenly interested in, but alas, I do not feel 776 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:31,640 Speaker 1: that we have the mechanisms to do such a thing. 777 00:50:32,239 --> 00:50:35,200 Speaker 1: Uh here in the United States. Yeah, it's it's incredibly 778 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:41,319 Speaker 1: sensitive in the US. Any talk of changing the term 779 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:45,879 Speaker 1: limits on the presidency is a political no go right 780 00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:50,080 Speaker 1: now for sure. Um, hey, but adding people to the 781 00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:58,120 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, let's do it anyway. Everything's fine, Everything's okay, Yeah, exactly. 782 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:01,440 Speaker 1: Our country has nine ring rates and they're in charge 783 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:06,959 Speaker 1: of everything and you can't elect them. Yeah, and they're 784 00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:09,920 Speaker 1: here forever. It's just that's the best way to explain 785 00:51:09,960 --> 00:51:13,839 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court to people outside of the US. Add 786 00:51:14,239 --> 00:51:18,520 Speaker 1: other ring raths, they're kinder, gentler ring raths potentially right 787 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:21,520 Speaker 1: or more evil ring rates, you know what I mean, 788 00:51:22,040 --> 00:51:28,640 Speaker 1: It goes either way. I love that idea of just like, 789 00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:32,759 Speaker 1: let's just increase the number of ring rates. That sounds good. 790 00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:36,200 Speaker 1: Let's expand the franchise, you guys, you know what I mean? 791 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:40,200 Speaker 1: What about what about Duke of the rings or Lord 792 00:51:40,239 --> 00:51:46,879 Speaker 1: of the bracelets? You know? So, yeah, you're you're right, 793 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:50,239 Speaker 1: and you know you're bringing up a really good point there. No, 794 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:58,040 Speaker 1: it's it's it's nearly it's absurd, right, it's absurd to 795 00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:01,799 Speaker 1: have the the idea of this guy signing a bill going, 796 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:04,920 Speaker 1: oh what who came up with this? You guys, you 797 00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:09,440 Speaker 1: shouldn't have well, I guess twist my arm. That's bizarre 798 00:52:09,480 --> 00:52:12,799 Speaker 1: and that's maybe not the way government should work. Right 799 00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:14,680 Speaker 1: as we were going and we talked about this little 800 00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:17,560 Speaker 1: off air, right as we were going in, we learned 801 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:20,399 Speaker 1: that a couple of days ago, Prutinent sparked even more 802 00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:23,959 Speaker 1: speculation about his health. There was a televised meeting about 803 00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:26,680 Speaker 1: coronavirus with some top officials. It's like an hour and 804 00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:31,080 Speaker 1: a half meeting, and he had a coughing fit. And 805 00:52:31,160 --> 00:52:35,600 Speaker 1: that's totally understandable. People cough people, far, people sneeze whatever, 806 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:41,200 Speaker 1: they're people. And the thing that they massively I think 807 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:44,680 Speaker 1: dropped the ball on is they when they re aired 808 00:52:44,680 --> 00:52:49,280 Speaker 1: the video on the evening news or later iterations, someone 809 00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:52,640 Speaker 1: had edited the coughing out of the video, but everyone 810 00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:56,320 Speaker 1: had already seen it. So take it from us, folks. 811 00:52:56,800 --> 00:53:01,480 Speaker 1: If you want to start a conspiracy theory, editing a 812 00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:06,680 Speaker 1: video in an obvious way is a fantastic first step. Yeah, 813 00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:10,440 Speaker 1: it really is. They didn't even added out Giuliani's makeup mishap. 814 00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:14,680 Speaker 1: You know, we gotta give him credit where that's you know, 815 00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:18,239 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, we're in in Russia and in 816 00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:22,800 Speaker 1: Putin's a case you could just edit. You know, photographs 817 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:26,800 Speaker 1: of people are just completely take them out of historical 818 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:32,520 Speaker 1: photographs and photoshops. Still never never gives Stalin the shout 819 00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:38,040 Speaker 1: out he deserves from that photoshop photoshop. I guess, you know, 820 00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:40,640 Speaker 1: shouting out Stalin is is probably kind of a tone 821 00:53:40,680 --> 00:53:45,600 Speaker 1: deaf move a little bit. Uh, Stalin is like the 822 00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:49,880 Speaker 1: top person credited in the like dev Team credits photoshop 823 00:53:49,960 --> 00:53:55,520 Speaker 1: about me. Uh you know so right now, as we mentioned, 824 00:53:55,840 --> 00:54:00,800 Speaker 1: Putin is younger than people may have me. He certainly 825 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:03,640 Speaker 1: looks younger than he is. He's sixty eight years old. 826 00:54:04,040 --> 00:54:08,960 Speaker 1: He has no publicly endorsed successor to his presidency. Their 827 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:12,680 Speaker 1: protest multiple Russian cities. As you said, Matt, his numbers 828 00:54:12,680 --> 00:54:16,200 Speaker 1: and the polls are plummeting. His party is losing some 829 00:54:16,280 --> 00:54:19,680 Speaker 1: local elections. Even the loyalist in his crew were starting 830 00:54:19,719 --> 00:54:24,040 Speaker 1: to say, well, what's next? Can we do Putinism without 831 00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:27,719 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin? And if we could look inside the cathedral 832 00:54:27,760 --> 00:54:31,520 Speaker 1: of this man's mind, what does he see in the future. 833 00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:34,600 Speaker 1: Is this a set up for peaceful transition to power, 834 00:54:34,880 --> 00:54:39,000 Speaker 1: a reaction to something else, a hidden medical condition, or 835 00:54:39,239 --> 00:54:44,240 Speaker 1: is this as the Kremlin said, fine, so well, it's fine, 836 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:48,040 Speaker 1: I M yeah, Just we want to know what you think. 837 00:54:48,040 --> 00:54:50,319 Speaker 1: We know what we think, and we've you know, we've 838 00:54:50,360 --> 00:54:52,759 Speaker 1: talked about a lot of it today, but we we 839 00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:55,640 Speaker 1: certainly want to know where your head is out, especially 840 00:54:55,719 --> 00:54:58,279 Speaker 1: if you are listening to this. Are you listening to 841 00:54:58,280 --> 00:55:01,800 Speaker 1: this somewhere h in Asia and then in that region 842 00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:06,040 Speaker 1: or like we'd love to just hear what people are 843 00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:09,600 Speaker 1: thinking and not have it filtered through the BBC or 844 00:55:10,120 --> 00:55:13,759 Speaker 1: you know, some other Western outlet as we're getting information, 845 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:17,239 Speaker 1: So please please please find us on social media. We 846 00:55:17,560 --> 00:55:22,799 Speaker 1: are conspiracy Stuff at Facebook and Twitter, on Instagram where 847 00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:26,120 Speaker 1: your conspiracy Stuff show. You can find us on YouTube. 848 00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:30,560 Speaker 1: It's YouTube dot com slash conspiracy Stuff. You can see 849 00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:33,839 Speaker 1: some of these podcasts and chats on video of us 850 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:37,239 Speaker 1: hanging out in our houses with our you know, gym 851 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,920 Speaker 1: bays and such and if you if you don't want 852 00:55:40,960 --> 00:55:43,800 Speaker 1: to do that, you can always give us a call. 853 00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:46,480 Speaker 1: That's right. You can reach us at one three st 854 00:55:46,719 --> 00:55:49,680 Speaker 1: d w y t K leave a method at the 855 00:55:49,760 --> 00:55:53,399 Speaker 1: sound of Ben's dulcet tone, um, and then you can 856 00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:58,920 Speaker 1: tell a story about whatever floats your boat. What Ben's 857 00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:01,200 Speaker 1: face was InCred of well when you can said he 858 00:56:01,280 --> 00:56:04,760 Speaker 1: had a dulcet tone, it's just I'm just speaking that basically. 859 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:08,720 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. My night throw it's crazy, No no COVID, 860 00:56:09,200 --> 00:56:11,640 Speaker 1: but good. You can tell us a story about whatever 861 00:56:11,719 --> 00:56:14,520 Speaker 1: you know, whatever is on your mind, preferably keep it 862 00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:16,960 Speaker 1: to three minutes and make it about something relating to 863 00:56:17,080 --> 00:56:20,600 Speaker 1: the show, and then you you you will I guarantee 864 00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:23,680 Speaker 1: potentially be featured on the show. Is let us know 865 00:56:23,719 --> 00:56:25,719 Speaker 1: if that's okay, and how you want us to refer 866 00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:28,480 Speaker 1: to your first name only anonymous. We're here for it. 867 00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:30,160 Speaker 1: And if you don't want to do any of those things, 868 00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:32,160 Speaker 1: but you'd still love to get into contact with us, 869 00:56:32,239 --> 00:56:36,000 Speaker 1: we have a good old fashioned email. It's simple here. 870 00:56:36,040 --> 00:56:58,800 Speaker 1: It is conspiracy at i heeart radio dot com. Stuff 871 00:56:58,840 --> 00:57:00,719 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know is a production of 872 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:03,760 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 873 00:57:03,920 --> 00:57:06,680 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 874 00:57:06,840 --> 00:57:08,120 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.