1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 2: Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, 6 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 2: my name is Noelah. 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 3: They called me Ben. We're joined as always with our 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,919 Speaker 3: super producer Alexis codenamed Doc Holliday Jackson. Most importantly, you 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 3: are you. You are here, and that makes this the 10 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 3: stuff they don't want you to know. A lot of 11 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 3: news in the world these days, these evenings, A lot 12 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 3: of it surprise surprise, folks, is strange. So, fellow conspiracy realists, 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 3: we return to you again at the top of the 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 3: week with some very strange news. There are a lot 15 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 3: of stories we might not get to in full, but 16 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: we're going to explore some stuff Congress doesn't want you 17 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 3: to know. Maybe depending on your representative. We're going to 18 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 3: have an intensely troubling story about fast food joint spoiler, 19 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 3: have you ever felt like the person at the drive 20 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 3: through didn't want to be there? But before we do 21 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: any of that, we're going to talk a little bit 22 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 3: about how do you want to put a bent products. 23 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, we'll just talk about some products. It's about 24 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: imports and exports boys products. Ah oh yeah. This is 25 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: a story that comes to us from the BBC News. 26 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: It's an article that was published on Monday, December eleventh, 27 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 2: and the tale is from a little place called Stratfordshire. 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 2: It's just north of Birmingham, not Alabama, but in the 29 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: United Kingdom. 30 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 4: Is it upon Avon or is that a different Stratfordshire. 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 3: Oh, that's on Sandwich. 32 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 4: Carry on. 33 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: There's one town within this Stratfordshire, I guess county called 34 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: Burton upon Trent, which is kind of nice. Okay, But 35 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 2: here's the story. It's a little vague at first, and 36 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: we're doing this purposefully, so it's kind of a surprise 37 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 2: when you find out what the products are. Here we 38 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: go from the article in Stratfordshire, Trading Standard officers seized 39 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 2: eight pounds of illegal products from twenty two shops in 40 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 2: one rate and Burtened upon Trent. Over three hundred pounds 41 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 2: worth of band product was found in a local corner shop. 42 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: Last year, twenty five million pounds worth of US products 43 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 2: were imported, which is seventy percent more than in twenty seventeen. 44 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 2: What are we talking about here, guys? 45 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 3: Products? 46 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: Products, So let's jump to a quote from John Herriman. 47 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: I think Herriman. He's the chief executive of the Chartered 48 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: Trading Standards Institute or CTSI. This is the quote. Trading 49 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: standards work extremely hard to protect the public by removing 50 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 2: dangerous products from sale, but the popularity of these items 51 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: is being increased by videos on social media platforms such 52 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: as TikTok. The increase in demand means importers are sending 53 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: these through our ports and borders in the millions, and 54 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: these are then being widely distributed and ending up in 55 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 2: retail stores and in the hands of children. 56 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 4: Wait, and we're not talking about drugs here, are we? 57 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 4: Retail stores? What kind of affront is this? 58 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 3: What do children buy? Like? 59 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 2: Nuclear weapons, tires, dirty weapons, slam shots. No, here's a 60 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 2: short list of some of the products. The dangerous products 61 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: that were removed. Mountain dew, double bubble gum, Jolly Rancher 62 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 2: gummies and hard candies, Starburst gummies, hot to mollies, you know, 63 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 2: the candy Swedish fish, lemonheads and Little Debbie cupcakes. 64 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 3: The white phosphorus of snacks. 65 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, it will be the first one to say that 66 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 4: Swedish fish should be categorized as carcinogenic toxins because they're 67 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 4: really gross and they get stuck in your teeth. 68 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,839 Speaker 3: No, thank you, but thanks for laughing at the phosphorus joke. Man, 69 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 3: I go in a little place with this. So why 70 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 3: why these Why these specific? 71 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 2: Well, specifically because the United Kingdom has past legislation that 72 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: makes specific food additives that are in all of these products, 73 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 2: it makes them illegal. You cannot buy or sell food 74 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 2: products that have some of these things in them. Several 75 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: of them they classify, I guess you would say, as 76 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 2: being carcinogenic or genotoxic. 77 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 4: Yeah. When I first hear you talking about this, I'm 78 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 4: picturing this as being another one of the popular recall 79 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 4: stories of twenty twenty three. That's not the case. These 80 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 4: products are shipping as intended right, Like. 81 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 2: No, these are illegally being shipped into the United Kingdom 82 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: because these are it's essentially contraband. It's these are products 83 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 2: that you cannot sell inside the United Kingdom. 84 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 4: But the formula, it's not like there's some adulterants, Like 85 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 4: the stuff that's in these is what's the formula. It's 86 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,119 Speaker 4: not legally incidental. 87 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 3: Yes, I got it, Okay, legally manufactured in the United States. However, again, 88 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 3: the EU and the US have different standards, widely different 89 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 3: standards the and the UK and the UK. Oh, right, 90 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 3: shout out Brexit. But the main thing is the on 91 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 3: the other side of the pond, as you know, when 92 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 3: you look into this, on the other side of the pond, 93 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 3: the EU and the UK seem a little bit more 94 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 3: concerned about the safety of their residents. 95 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 2: Oh, it's fascinating, and we're going to end this segment 96 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: with a one more quote from a professor that is 97 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: just I think it's perfectly British and exactly like the 98 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 2: way the thinking differs between the FDA and then the 99 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 2: organizations within the UK government that monitor these kinds of 100 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: food additives. Right, so let's just talk about some of 101 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 2: those the ingredients that are the dangerous thing that's banned. 102 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 2: So if you look at Jolly Ranchers, the hard candies, 103 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 2: they contain mineral oil, which according to the UK government, 104 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:21,119 Speaker 2: if contaminated with other compounds, can quote initiate cancer formations. 105 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 2: But again totally fine for us to have it here 106 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: in the good old US. But again it's approved by 107 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 2: the FDA, So everything's fine. 108 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, and it's not like they're on the board 109 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 3: of Okay, well, you know what, leave it in. Just 110 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 3: play along at home, folks, choose your own adventure and 111 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 3: let us know your opinion on privatized healthcare. 112 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, then let's look at something like Mountain dew. 113 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 2: Why is that banned before the show? Mapp Well, it 114 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 2: is one of my favorites on this show. Numerous times 115 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: we've talked about brominated vegetable oil, which is one of 116 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 2: the big problems with that drink. You know, a flame 117 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 2: retardant ingredient that's for other things. There's also calcium disodium edta, 118 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: which is fully banned within any drinks in the United Kingdom. 119 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 2: In animal studies, according to this article from the BBC, 120 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: the crystalline powder caused adverse reproductive and developmental effects and 121 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 2: has been shown to contribute to cancer in the colon. 122 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 3: And obviously, obviously Swedish fish contain a lot of thlidamide, Right. 123 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 2: Is that what it is? 124 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 4: Or perhaps mercury maybe too right, I don't. 125 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 3: Know, there's a question here, Matt. Before we continue, we 126 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 3: know that the EU, the UK, and previously just the 127 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 3: EU and the US have a booming trade relationship with 128 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 3: these sorts of consumer products, and this has been a 129 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 3: known issue for a while. But why the raid didn't 130 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 3: this happen before? That these things would get shipped. 131 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: Over This is a thing that occurs fairly regularly. That 132 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: group we quoted a person, John Harriman, I think is 133 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 2: how you would say it. The chief executive of the 134 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 2: Chartered Trading Standards Institute, that person, and that group does 135 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 2: these kinds of checks, almost like looking into shops to 136 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 2: see if there's any kind of dangerous materials for sale. 137 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 2: Maybe it's a real problem because again social media TikTok 138 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 2: in particular, there are a lot of people putting out 139 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: videos that just show someone enjoying, you know, any of 140 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 2: these things. Lemonheads. Wow, these lemonheads are incredible, but you 141 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:40,719 Speaker 2: can't get them. You can't buy them on a high 142 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 2: street anywhere in the UK. But well yeah, but then 143 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 2: some big, big box chain stores are guilty of this, 144 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 2: and then a lot of smaller stores will find a 145 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 2: way to import these products and then put them for sale, 146 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 2: you know, in a corner shop, right, a bodega type situation. 147 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 2: And then this group goes in and just does checks basically, 148 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 2: and they pull stuff off the shelves. They literally do that. 149 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,959 Speaker 2: In the UK, you can buy mountain dew, but it's 150 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 2: a very different mountain dew with many fewer ingredients, and 151 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 2: it tastes very different and it looks very different. 152 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 3: I can vouch for that with soda in general and 153 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 3: other parts of the world. The uh, the ingred It's 154 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: refreshing to read an ingredient list in the United Kingdom 155 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 3: or in Japan or something, or the EU as well, 156 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 3: because there are far fewer difficult to pronounce chemical combinations 157 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 3: added in at the end. And also, you know, shout 158 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 3: out to Little's right, isn't that the grocery chain that's 159 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 3: like the New Jersey of selling stuff. They might not 160 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 3: sell you lemonheads, but they'll sell you like citrus uh, 161 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 3: citrus cums. Yeah. 162 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 2: Well yes, it's just crazy to think of. I just 163 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 2: really quickly, just to listen to more things. If you 164 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 2: go down the cereal I in the UK, you're not 165 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 2: gonna see fruit loops or lucky charms or frosted flakes 166 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 2: because those are all banned because of the stuff that 167 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 2: they've got in them. Gatorade, coffee, mate creamer, pop tarts, 168 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 2: ritz crackers, depleted depleted uranium, wheat thins. I mean these 169 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 2: are all. 170 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 4: Things which wheat thins. I thought those were healthy. 171 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 2: It's it's the again, the food additives that go into 172 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 2: that stuff. BHD is what it's called, I think, beutilated. 173 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 2: That's probably not wrong. 174 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 4: Probably the sweetest breakfast cereal you get over there is 175 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 4: like something like puffins. 176 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,319 Speaker 2: You know, Yeah, that's probably right. 177 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 4: A lot of cereals are really popular too over there, 178 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 4: are like musely and very very not vanilla flavor, just 179 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 4: very like basic kind of health food type cereals. 180 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 3: Hot cereals. Still a very big market for porridge. 181 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, but not not oatmeal at least not Quaker oats 182 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 2: because those also have additives in them. Most almost every 183 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 2: single bread this manufactured in the US cannot be sold 184 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 2: in the UK. Almost every chock full of sugar. 185 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 3: Right people in People in other countries say the US 186 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 3: doesn't make bread, it makes cake. 187 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: But it is so weird that this stuff is just 188 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 2: what we eat every day. Any any place you go 189 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 2: and do to buy food in the US has most 190 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 2: of these products, if not. 191 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 4: All of these products totally. I mean, I did have 192 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 4: one question. I didn't notice in any of the articles 193 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 4: that you've shared any talk of like food dyes like 194 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 4: yellow number five and. 195 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 3: Red whatever all of that. 196 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 4: Have you read anything about any of those being banned 197 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,439 Speaker 4: or is that a thing over there? Maybe that's less 198 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 4: of an issue in this particular story. 199 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 2: Yes, artificial colors as additives are also banned, such as 200 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 2: yellow five, yellow six, and red forty. For sure. 201 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 3: Check out our previous episode. 202 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 2: Exactly for sure. 203 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 4: It's so funny though, because my kid recently told me 204 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 4: that a lot of these TikTok videos sharing this kind 205 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 4: of stuff, they're almost kind of nihilistic in nature, where 206 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 4: they acknowledge how potentially dangerous they are. It's almost like 207 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 4: tempting fate. And they're really like like red forty and 208 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 4: yellow five, those are almost like buzz terms in the 209 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 4: in the gen z, you know, kind of parlance. 210 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 2: Yes, exactly. I would recommend everybody, if you've got time, 211 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,719 Speaker 2: head over to Stratford Sure dot gov dot UK and 212 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 2: check out their newsroom because they've got they've just got 213 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 2: a little, i guess, an official statement about this this 214 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 2: series of raids and the number of stores they went into, 215 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 2: and you know, like basically the pounds of product that 216 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 2: they pulled off the shelves, and it is a regularly 217 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 2: occurring thing and I don't think it's gonna stop anytime soon. 218 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: The real, I guess question here is is the United 219 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 2: Kingdom's government being overly cautious about these things or is 220 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 2: the FDA just you know, being do it do whatever, 221 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: ye giant food corporations put whatever you want in there? 222 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 2: Or is it somewhere in between. 223 00:12:59,040 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 4: I think it's that. 224 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 2: I don't know. 225 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 4: I think it's in between. I mean, because you know, now, 226 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 4: I don't want to overgeneralize here. Maybe this is offensive 227 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 4: to even bring up, but I do feel like I 228 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 4: have to. You know how, there's a reputation somewhat for 229 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 4: British people not having the best of dental hygiene, you know, 230 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 4: and then there's you can see that sometimes and maybe 231 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 4: it has to do with insurance or whatever, just genes 232 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 4: or something, which I wonder is that maybe a mitigating 233 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 4: factor where it's like we've already were already a little 234 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 4: bit behind the eight ball in terms of like mouthhealth. 235 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 4: Maybe we don't want to tempt fate by having all 236 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 4: this crazy stuff out there that could further, you know, 237 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 4: cause issues with dental health care. 238 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 3: I don't know. I think it's to the points that 239 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 3: we're exploring here. I think it's more a to answer 240 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 3: your question, Matt, I would say if the three options 241 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 3: you outlined in that question, the second, I do think 242 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 3: there are a ton of great people working at the FDA, 243 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,199 Speaker 3: and they're experts, but I do think the FDA also 244 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 3: has a systemic problem with a quiet sort of corruption. 245 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 3: You know what I mean. The revolving door with private 246 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 3: and public policy is real. And to your point, with 247 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 3: the idea of dental health, we know, for instance, if 248 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 3: we look at a comp country, let's look at Iran. 249 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 3: Iran has a lot of dental issues because the country 250 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 3: loves suites. So if you want to make a lot 251 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 3: of money in Iran, be a dentist, by the way, 252 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 3: and maybe it's less of a like I see what 253 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 3: you're saying. I think it's less of a United Kingdom 254 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 3: fighting back against sugary foods and more a large scale, 255 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 3: deep disagreement with what one country deems safe versus what 256 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 3: another country is paid to deem safe. 257 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 4: You're totally right, and I'm looking it up now and 258 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 4: it feels like largely the idea of British people being 259 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 4: more likely to have issues with their teeth. It's largely 260 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 4: a myth. So I apologize if you can bring that up. 261 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 4: Sometimes I just spitball, I retract, and I yield my time. 262 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, because most of these bands have to do with 263 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 2: again carcinogens or potential carcinogens or potential again gene damaging materials. 264 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, let's talk about that. What genotoxic? 265 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is stuff that can affect like the way 266 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 2: your white blood cells function in your body. Not great, 267 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 2: stuff that can have effects on the way your reproductive 268 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: organs are functioning, or at least the let's say, the 269 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 2: contents of your reproductive organs. I don't know, the stuff 270 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 2: that you need to transfer your DNA into a new being. 271 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: It can mess with that. It's really it's messed up stuff, guys. 272 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: And just to get back to that thing of is 273 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 2: it overly cautious? Is it too you know? Is the 274 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 2: FDA just letting everybody do whatever? I'm gonna go to 275 00:15:55,080 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 2: This quote from Eric Millstone or Millstone Millstone, I think 276 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: is how you'd say it. He's from the University of Sussex. 277 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 2: He's an emeritus professor there, and this is what he 278 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 2: has to say, and I think this will tell us 279 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 2: a lot about the UK government's perspective on these food additives. Quote. 280 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 2: The US typically demands proof that something is harmful, whereas 281 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 2: here we are prepared to restrict compounds even if there 282 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 2: yet isn't solid proof. Don't panic about anything you've done 283 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 2: in the past, but if you can avoid them in 284 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 2: the future, that's a prudent thing to do. Basically saying 285 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 2: it would be prudent for us to probably not allow 286 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 2: some of these compounds that are suspect in our foods. 287 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 2: It doesn't mean that they are actually cancer causing for humans, right, 288 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 2: but it does seem as though there could be something there, 289 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 2: so we're going to restrict it before it becomes a 290 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 2: major problem for our healthcare system and our you know, citizens. 291 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 3: Preventative Yeah, I mean that makes the argument of caution 292 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 3: over caution, over valor or whatever makes sense. In the 293 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 3: previous cases we see of things like lead contaminants or 294 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 3: things like narcotics added to over the counter medicinal stuff 295 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,479 Speaker 3: shout out Coca cola, et cetera. I'm wondering there's an 296 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 3: episode here, I think in the origin of why these 297 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 3: things happen. Yeah, the FDA has had a problem with corruption, 298 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 3: but also what if you are I mean, because the 299 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 3: United Kingdom in particular has a lot of Venn diagrams 300 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 3: of people at the top, and a lot of the 301 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 3: people making the laws own an interest in a lot 302 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 3: of the company's manufacturing stuff. So could this be a 303 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 3: trade war in disguise, you know what I mean? An 304 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 3: some to think about it could be. 305 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 2: Remember at the start of this it was a very 306 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 2: small number of products and small I guess of money 307 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 2: that was going to be potentially made by these corner 308 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 2: shops by having these products. So I don't know if 309 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: there's going to be a major trade thing here. I 310 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: think it's just more of a It was striking to 311 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:15,479 Speaker 2: me thinking that this was a BBC article. This was 312 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 2: this was deemed dangerous enough that BBC News was like, 313 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 2: oh man, these dangerous things are getting on our soil 314 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 2: and let's write about it. 315 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 4: I don't know. 316 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 2: Maybe maybe that's my own weird perspective. I agree with it, 317 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 2: but there is definitely something here in is fascinating. We 318 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 2: would love to hear from anyone who lives in the 319 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 2: UK that has seen this kind of stuff, like the 320 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 2: American products that are not allowed, but they're still there somehow, 321 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 2: and just what your opinions are on these things. We 322 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 2: will be right back with more strange. 323 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 3: News, and we have returned going into the idea. I 324 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 3: love how you set up the idea of food here, Matt, 325 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 3: because our second story takes us to something that everyone 326 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 3: has experienced. If you have ever eaten fast food, have 327 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 3: you gone through the drive through or entered the counter 328 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,680 Speaker 3: and thought, man, this person really doesn't want to be here. 329 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 2: Yes, quite often. 330 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 3: We've talked about it before. You know, there is a 331 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 3: somewhat inverse relationship between how good the food is at 332 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 3: some joints versus how not friendly the service might be. 333 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:40,640 Speaker 3: Like the best Popeyes in town here in Atlanta legendary, 334 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 3: legendarily bad people's skills, but the chicken is amazing. 335 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 2: Ben, I think that's a Popeye's thing because the one 336 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 2: up near my parents' house and the one where I 337 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 2: used to live, same problem. Amazing chicken. Just it seems 338 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 2: like nobody wants to be there. 339 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 4: Well, I mean, the grouchy er, the serve us, the 340 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 4: tasty or the chicken. That's the old, old expression from 341 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 4: the old country. 342 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,679 Speaker 3: There's a yeah, I won't belabor the time to have 343 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 3: with you guys today by talking too much about the 344 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 3: legendary Popeyes at our old Alma matter of pods, de 345 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 3: lay on. But if you're hearing this, you guys are 346 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 3: the best. Thank you. There was something that stood out 347 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 3: to me quite recently. This is a developing story. As 348 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 3: we're listening this evening, a lawsuit came from Alabama again, 349 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 3: just like we're recording this on Wednesday, December thirteenth, and 350 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 3: on Tuesday, December twelfth, the lawsuit went public. The state 351 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:48,360 Speaker 3: of Alabama has apparently been using prisoners as slave labor 352 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:52,959 Speaker 3: at fast food joints. Jeez, yeah, it might sound hyperbolic, 353 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 3: but I looked into it, and as far as I 354 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 3: can tell, this is not a conspiracy theory. This is 355 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 3: a genuine when conspiracy. Let's go to Michael Levinson, writing 356 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 3: for the New York Times. He depicts the ins and 357 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 3: outs of this lawsuit. I looked it up. We'll tell you. 358 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 3: We'll tell you at the end of this how to 359 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 3: find the lawsuit and read it yourself, and it is 360 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 3: quite a read for legal ease. Here's what Levinson writes. 361 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 3: A group of former and current prisoners sued Alabama the 362 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 3: State of Alabama on Tuesday, saying that the state system 363 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 3: of prison labor is a quote modern day form of 364 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 3: slavery that forces them to work, often for little or 365 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 3: no money, for the benefit of government agencies and private businesses. 366 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 3: They go on to say the ten plaintiffs, who are 367 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 3: all black Americans, say the state has regularly denied incarcerated 368 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 3: people parole and instead leased them out to produce hundreds 369 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 3: of millions of dollars in profits for local and state 370 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 3: agencies as well as again and private businesses for years. 371 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,439 Speaker 3: I almost texted our pal Jason Flam about this from 372 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 3: Lava for Good. I'm sure he knows about it. 373 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, Oh my gosh, this is I mean, hold on 374 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 4: a second. So this is while they're incarcerated, Yes, and 375 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 4: this is like they get a day passed or I 376 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 4: don't understand these fast food restaurants. Where are they located? 377 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 2: Well, isn't it like the work release program before? 378 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, prison work program, work release. It's not the kind 379 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 3: of thing where you know, in some cases you'll have 380 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 3: people who are incarcerated and serve their time, or they 381 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 3: serve jail time, not prison time, but they serve jail 382 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 3: time by checking in on the weekends to the World's 383 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 3: worth sleepover. But what is happening with these folks is 384 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 3: that the Alabama Parole Board is denying parole to anyone 385 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 3: convicted of a violent offense, regardless of the contact, regardless 386 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:07,959 Speaker 3: of any mitigating or extenuating circumstance, and they are targeting 387 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 3: people who are deemed low risk and most importantly, who 388 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 3: are eligible to participate in these prison work programs. This 389 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 3: lawsuit calls upon some powerful and quite disturbing precedent earlier conspiracies. 390 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 3: I would call them the idea of convict leasing, which is, 391 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 3: you know, eighteen seventy five until nineteen twenty eight in 392 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,439 Speaker 3: the state of Alabama, if you were in prison, and 393 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 3: if you were black, you were going to be forced 394 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 3: to work for these private companies and they weren't paying you, really, 395 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 3: they were paying kickbacks to state and county governments. 396 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 2: Dude. It's a little confusing to me because we know, again, 397 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 2: I think collectively, maybe even as a country or even 398 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 2: as a world, that the prison la favor system in 399 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,360 Speaker 2: the US's nuts, even when it comes to just inside 400 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 2: the prison jobs, right like the hourly wage, if there 401 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 2: is one at all, is so far below minimum wage. 402 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 2: It's nuts. But the concept of private companies then benefiting 403 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 2: is it's hurting me. It's hurting my brain a little bit. 404 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 2: Do we know which companies are benefiting from this? 405 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:30,360 Speaker 3: Yes? We do, Yes, let's play these reindeer games. Since 406 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 3: about twenty eighteen, a little less than six hundred different companies, 407 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 3: so we can't name them all, wow, in the time 408 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 3: we have today, but more than one hundred public agencies 409 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 3: we're added to this, so let's call it six hundred 410 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 3: and seventy five discrete entities. They have used incarcerated people 411 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 3: as landscapers, janitors, drivers, metal fabricators, fast food workers every 412 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 3: year since twenty eighteen. At least, lawsuit alleges they've made 413 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 3: four hundred and fifty million dollars in that. Yeah, spoiler, 414 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 3: The folks that are being forced to labor in these 415 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 3: circumstances haven't seen much of that money. 416 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, what does the lawsuit have to say about the 417 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 4: pattern they're observing? And I mean, you would think that 418 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 4: the prison you know, officials would be smart enough to 419 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 4: cover their butts in a way where they could deny 420 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 4: you know, that this was they were being denied a 421 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 4: parole for any other reason than that they had done 422 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,120 Speaker 4: something you know, worthy of being denied parole. But does 423 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 4: the lawsuit allege anything specific about how this pattern was 424 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:40,360 Speaker 4: kind of sussed out. 425 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, the fig lea for the fig lea for the 426 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:47,679 Speaker 3: corruption here was the idea of violent crime. Right, So 427 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,440 Speaker 3: even if you even if you had been locked up 428 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,120 Speaker 3: fifteen or twenty years ago for an efense, you had 429 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 3: made good on your time, you paid your debt, you know, 430 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 3: then you would be a vulnerable target. Right, that's what 431 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 3: they're looking for. They're looking for people who do not 432 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 3: have the wherewithal to bring their case to court. They're 433 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:12,439 Speaker 3: looking for the people that do not have community or 434 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 3: resources to avoid this sort of predation. And look, the 435 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 3: plaintiffs also aren't just I don't want to say just. 436 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 3: They're not simply people who have been incarcerated. There are 437 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 3: labor unions like the Union of Southern Service Workers, the 438 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 3: Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union, the Mid South Council, 439 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:39,120 Speaker 3: an Alabama nonprofit called the Woods Foundation. People on the outside, right, 440 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 3: people who have people who represent fast food workers. We're saying, 441 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 3: look at this, this is egregious. This is slavery with 442 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 3: a euphemism painted over it. 443 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 4: Well, we also certainly know that the state of Alabama 444 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 4: doesn't exactly have the squeakiest clean of track records when 445 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 4: it comes to dealing with people of color, you know, 446 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,119 Speaker 4: and treating them in the most inhumane of ways. So 447 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 4: this to me feels extra egregious coming from a state 448 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 4: like Alabama that really does have something to prove in 449 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 4: terms of trying to make up for their past, you know, 450 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 4: transgressions like under folks like George Wallace. 451 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, dirty, intergenerational friar Greece. Right. We also so we 452 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 3: said that there are hundreds of people or entities alleged 453 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 3: to have profited from this scheme since twenty eighteen. Some 454 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 3: of those here's the tricky part. The big companies, three 455 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 3: of whom I'm about to name on air, are going 456 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 3: to get away with it. Just so you know, they're 457 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 3: going to be fine. Those three fast food companies or four, 458 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 3: I should say, would be McDonald's, KFC, sorry Japan, I 459 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 3: know it's almost Christmas time, Wendy's and Burger King. However, 460 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 3: here's how they're going to get away. They're going to 461 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 3: get away because of the franchise model. So McDonald's corporate 462 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 3: can say, uh, you know, we're kind of like, do 463 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,679 Speaker 3: what thou wilt. We have plausible deniability. We had no 464 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 3: idea this was going on, and I don't know how 465 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,360 Speaker 3: the case is going to go yet. The defendants, there 466 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,479 Speaker 3: are quite a few defendants obviously, but they're taking shots 467 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 3: at the king here in the lawsuit. We're talking about 468 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 3: the current governor of Alabama Kivy, the state Attorney General, 469 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 3: Steve Marshall. So they're fighting like the final boss of 470 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 3: Alabama legislature and the chair of the Board for Pardons 471 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 3: and Paroles. This is this is crazy because technically, if 472 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 3: they're correct, if their arguments correct, then technically and in spirit, 473 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 3: I would say this is a violation of some very 474 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 3: important US laws, one of the primary being the federal 475 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 3: law that protects victims of trafficking. 476 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly what it is, especially if the prison 477 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 2: system is really making forty percent off of any wage 478 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 2: that any of these workers is getting. 479 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 4: And that's the gross Yeah, and then they're claiming or 480 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 4: whatever saying they're using it to offset the cost of 481 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 4: their incarceration, which, as sure is expensive. But that's no 482 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 4: damn excuse, is it. 483 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 2: I mean? 484 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, no, it's as in a way I would say, 485 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 3: it's a kissing cousin to the dangers of the company 486 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 3: town right, or the company's store, because in your way, 487 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 3: with your labors, right, and without a choice in your 488 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 3: pursuit of labor. Also, these private companies that are legally 489 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 3: required to pay people, you know, the bottom barrel minimum wage, 490 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 3: they are ostensibly paying that to the individual, but then 491 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 3: the individual is running into all these baked in cost, 492 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 3: all these hidden fees to simply that you incur simply 493 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:04,959 Speaker 3: by existing day to day in the US prison system. 494 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 3: We're talking like fifteen dollars a month for laundry, five 495 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:12,959 Speaker 3: dollars a day for transportation to work. And you know, 496 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 3: I know, gas prices go up and down, but five 497 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 3: dollars a day is a lot, especially if you're going 498 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 3: every day. So again, our journalists for places like the 499 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 3: Washington Post and New York Times break it down in 500 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 3: simple what politicians would call dinner table conversation terms. A 501 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 3: prisoner working for a private laundry service, you might get 502 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 3: seven bucks and a quarter an hour, but then you've 503 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 3: got forty percent of that going to the state prison system. Then, 504 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 3: of course, guess what, folks, it's America. So unless you're 505 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 3: a billionaire, you pay taxes. So then they have to 506 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 3: pay federal taxes, state taxes, and then they have to 507 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 3: pay that fifteen dollars a month laundry fee, they have 508 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 3: to pay that five dollars day transportation costs. All told, 509 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 3: the average person in this private laundry service makes two 510 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 3: dollars and six cents an hour, no tips, by the way. 511 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 4: And as taxpayers, we're subsidizing these kind of grease payments, 512 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 4: right or like these sort of you know, sweetheart deals 513 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 4: for these corporations because we're also paying for the cost 514 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 4: of the incarceration, and then this labor is giving a 515 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 4: sweet deal to these fat cats. And also, you know, subsidizing, 516 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 4: are subsidizing, right, So it's like we're kind of getting 517 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 4: screwed here too. 518 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 3: It costs less in real terms to the American public 519 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 3: to send someone in prison to college and to get 520 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 3: them a four year degree than it does to keep 521 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 3: them in prison for four years. That's it. And you know, 522 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 3: not to mention the knock on effect of giving someone 523 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 3: opportunity for higher education versus the knock on effect of 524 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 3: sending them to criminal university, which is what a lot 525 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 3: of federal and functions as at this point, I don't know. 526 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 3: I think it's I think it's unclean, and I'm startled 527 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 3: that it's It's going to be one of those stories 528 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 3: that I genuinely believe is going to make the rounds 529 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 3: for a few weeks, right, and then when it goes 530 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 3: to court, it goes to appeal process. We're talking about 531 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 3: very disadvantaged people fighting very powerful people who are entrenched 532 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 3: in a system of corruption and criminality. We'll get an 533 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 3: update when it hits some sort of legal roadblock, and 534 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 3: then the world quite possibly may forget about it because 535 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 3: a lot of other terrible things are happening. But if 536 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 3: you are listening to this and you live in the 537 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 3: United States, you need to realize this is your fight 538 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 3: as well. 539 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there might be some cognitive dissonance in 540 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 2: people's minds simply because some of the human beings of 541 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 2: by these laws that are terrible were convicted of doing 542 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 2: terrible things and they actually did those terrible things. Then 543 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,239 Speaker 2: some of the people that are being affected by this 544 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 2: got convicted of terrible things and they didn't do anything, 545 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 2: you know, or they at least didn't do that thing. 546 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 2: And you know, as in as an individual looking at this, 547 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 2: you know, from afar or from above. There's no way 548 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 2: to differentiate between you know, people that maybe deserve like 549 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 2: some serious like punishment to people who are just in 550 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 2: there receiving this punishment because they got caught up in 551 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 2: the system, which is a really awful. It's an awful 552 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 2: thing all around. I guess I can imagine it being 553 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 2: hard for people to get past the well, so one 554 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 2: of the you know, some of them deserve it. When 555 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 2: when you know, I've heard I've heard people in my 556 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 2: family say stuff like that, you know, So it's just 557 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 2: I don't know, it's it's it's tough, man. 558 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 3: Hey, but guess what, there's more, wait, there's more. It 559 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 3: does get worse. Let's talk Yeah, let's talk a little 560 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 3: bit about unpaid labor forced upon people in the prison system. 561 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 3: Right where you are. You are now your serving time, 562 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:17,319 Speaker 3: and now you are coerced into functioning as someone who 563 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 3: does labor in the prison system in terms of like housekeeping, unloading, 564 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 3: loading supplies, cooking things like that. What if you're not 565 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 3: paid for that, why would you say yes to it? Well, 566 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 3: according to folks like Lekira Walker, who was incarcerated for 567 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,319 Speaker 3: fifteen years, in Alabama. If you don't say yes to 568 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,959 Speaker 3: this stuff, then you are at risk of being sent 569 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,919 Speaker 3: back to prison, and they'll say, well, you don't get 570 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,760 Speaker 3: to choose your job work for these folks, or you're 571 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 3: back to lock up. Or if you are in prison 572 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 3: and refuse to participate in this modern day slavery scheme, 573 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 3: you could get a discipline infraction which adds on to 574 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 3: your prison sentence. And unfortunately, for anyone who has not 575 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 3: had the dubious privilege of visiting the US prison system, 576 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 3: disciplinary infractions are incredibly subjective and you have no real 577 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 3: means of appealing a disciplinary infraction. It can be a 578 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 3: case where it can be a case where a guard 579 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 3: has a bad day and you just caught them at 580 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 3: the wrong moment, or they didn't care for you for 581 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 3: some reason. You may not have violated a rule and 582 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:38,879 Speaker 3: it could end up being months or years more off 583 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 3: of your life. So I think we're going to follow 584 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 3: this one for a while. We want to hear from you. 585 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 3: We want to hear your opinion of this sort of practice. 586 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 3: Do you think these allegations are hyperbolic or overblown? Do 587 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 3: you think there's more to the story in your neck 588 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:59,040 Speaker 3: of the Global Woods. Is there something similar afoot? Is 589 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 3: there something they don't want you to know? Conspiracy Guyheart 590 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 3: Radio one eight three to three std WYTK will be 591 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 3: back after word from our sponsor with one more piece 592 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 3: of strange news. 593 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 4: And we've returned with today's last piece of strange news. 594 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 4: This one comes sort of by way of an update 595 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 4: to a very intense piece of legislation that I know 596 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 4: we have talked about in the past. This is called 597 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 4: the Section seven two of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 598 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:43,319 Speaker 4: or FISA, which of course allows the US government to 599 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 4: essentially force domestic communications companies, organizations, corporations to aid them 600 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 4: in surveilling any non US individuals who are outside of 601 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,879 Speaker 4: the country by giving access to their streams of communication, 602 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 4: which sounds, I guess a little bit basic and not 603 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 4: dull exactly, but when you start to really think about 604 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 4: what is meant by streams of communication, that's when things 605 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 4: get very interesting. This bill, which was set out by 606 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 4: the Intelligence Committee, or a pair of bills rather by 607 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 4: the Intelligence Committee and won by the Judiciary Committee, were 608 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 4: intended to change the language and reauthorize Section seven O 609 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:41,440 Speaker 4: two of FAISA in order to completely overhaul the idea 610 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 4: of what these communication streams might be referring to and 611 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 4: what that language would have changed to were these to 612 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 4: have gone forward, was that it would have expanded the 613 00:37:56,080 --> 00:38:00,720 Speaker 4: definition of electronic communications service provider to include any types 614 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 4: of equipment that are used to transmit from the language 615 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:10,160 Speaker 4: of the legislation to transmit or store such communication, which, 616 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 4: if interpreted broadly enough, which would be the idea here, 617 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 4: that could include something like a Wi Fi router at 618 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 4: an Internet cafe or or a public library, perhaps essentially 619 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 4: allowing this term to refer to any type of publicly 620 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 4: available Internet stream. 621 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 2: Can I just tell you how far down my thinking 622 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:34,160 Speaker 2: in this already? Oh? 623 00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 3: Please? 624 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:39,000 Speaker 2: Just maybe in my negative assumptions about it. 625 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:40,440 Speaker 4: Nothing much positive to take from it? 626 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:40,719 Speaker 2: Please? 627 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 4: Man? 628 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 2: Well, I just feel like that was already happening, and 629 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 2: maybe I'm i dot. 630 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,239 Speaker 4: Okay, I have no doubt, But I mean, you know, 631 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,720 Speaker 4: we know that sometimes while a lot of legalese tends 632 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 4: to be very bespoke and specific, you know, it also 633 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,840 Speaker 4: tends to be almost is equally vague, sometimes by design. 634 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 4: But here's the good news. The update here is that 635 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 4: you know, to your guys' point, this list, these laws 636 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 4: already existed, and the expansion, while maybe not overt and 637 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 4: like set forth in these reforms that were official. Of course, 638 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 4: stuff like that was already happening. But I guess I 639 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 4: would argue that, you know, if this stuff were to 640 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 4: be broadened in such a way, then it would be 641 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:30,040 Speaker 4: even easier for them to do and they could probably 642 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,839 Speaker 4: secretly broaden them even further. Right, So the good news 643 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 4: is that this was shot down. The House of Representatives 644 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 4: will not, in fact vote on these two bills, these 645 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 4: proposed surveillance bills that would have essentially given unilateral, you know, 646 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:51,239 Speaker 4: freedom to the government to surveil any kinds of these 647 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 4: public streams. 648 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,600 Speaker 3: Still need that rubber stamp from PFISA. Right, they're famous 649 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:58,759 Speaker 3: for being I can't even finish at PISA's kind of 650 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:00,520 Speaker 3: bullshit right now, Oh for sure. 651 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,359 Speaker 4: Yeah, and this was thanks to the Rules Committee, keed. 652 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:07,760 Speaker 4: You got your Rules Committee, you got your Intelligence Committee, 653 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 4: and you got your Judiciary Committee, Intelligence and Judiciary. We're 654 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 4: all about this, and that Rules decided to shoot it down. 655 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 4: So take from that what you will. There is a 656 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,239 Speaker 4: term here, maybe you guys are familiar. They were said 657 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:24,400 Speaker 4: to be voted on simultaneously yesterday as we record this 658 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 4: on December thirteenth, and what was referred to as a 659 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 4: Queen of the Hill vote? Do you know what a 660 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:32,440 Speaker 4: Queen of the Hill vote is? The first time I've 661 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 4: heard this term before. 662 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,600 Speaker 2: Isn't that where there are two basically competing bills that 663 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 2: get voted on and then instead of like voting one 664 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,359 Speaker 2: yes or no, you've you know what I mean, like, yeah, 665 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 2: both of them don't get a yes or no. It's 666 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:49,239 Speaker 2: basically a or B. 667 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:52,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, most votes. When I see I say, got done 668 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 3: in a Queen of the Hill thing, I think it's 669 00:40:55,520 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 3: also it's also a snapshot into what I see is 670 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:05,719 Speaker 3: a very serious problem in US discourse. Congress has a 671 00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 3: lot of parliamentary rules, procedural rules, you know, just housekeeping things, 672 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:15,240 Speaker 3: and the US public is by a large not aware 673 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 3: of a lot of these. So when you read some 674 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:22,719 Speaker 3: kind of street name for a slick procedural move like 675 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:25,360 Speaker 3: Quaene of the Hill, then the first thing you think is, 676 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,720 Speaker 3: you know, if you're most Americans, you think, wait, didn't 677 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:32,720 Speaker 3: we have a war about not having a queen? What's 678 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:35,239 Speaker 3: really going on? And next thing you know, you're in 679 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 3: a TikTok rabbit hole where there's further misinformation propagating, and 680 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 3: if bills like this go through, then the surveillance state 681 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:47,319 Speaker 3: only extends even further. I would I would posit this 682 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:51,919 Speaker 3: is not about, in terms of practice and operation, expanding 683 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 3: government surveillance abilities. This is about laying the groundwork to 684 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 3: justify previous and current That's right. 685 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,360 Speaker 4: And now let's hear a little bit from the Electronic 686 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:08,359 Speaker 4: Frontier Foundation, which had this to say about Section seven 687 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:09,880 Speaker 4: O two that it was by the way, this is 688 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 4: from some great reporting done and vice by Jules Roscoe, 689 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:17,600 Speaker 4: and this is what they had to say. It was 690 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 4: designed to allow government to warrantlessly surveil non US citizens 691 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:27,439 Speaker 4: abroad for foreign intelligence purposes. Increasingly, it's this US side 692 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:32,000 Speaker 4: of digital conversation that domestic law enforcement agencies trawl through, 693 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 4: all without a warrant. FBI agents have been using the 694 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 4: Section seven to two databases to conduct millions of invasive 695 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:44,440 Speaker 4: searches for Americans, and that includes things relating to protesters, 696 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:50,000 Speaker 4: racial justice activists. Remember what happened with the Rico cases 697 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:54,319 Speaker 4: against some of the forest defenders here in Atlanta. You know, 698 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 4: it's similar to that, and probably we were using this 699 00:42:57,239 --> 00:43:01,920 Speaker 4: type of expanded you know, language to surveil those folks 700 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:07,240 Speaker 4: and then build these reco charges against them, journalists, donors 701 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:11,440 Speaker 4: to congressional campaigns, and even members of Congress themselves. 702 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 2: Okay, and yeah, yeah, podcasters don't for you podcasters, Sure 703 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:19,680 Speaker 2: you guys noticed the weird sounds on your phones when 704 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:21,799 Speaker 2: you make calls? Well, do you guys ever notice that? 705 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 3: Well? 706 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:24,279 Speaker 2: Uh, cool, it's fine, it's fine. 707 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 3: Okay, let's just stay in Plato's cavern of surveillance for 708 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:30,960 Speaker 3: a moment here. But let's also point out, you know, folks, 709 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:33,920 Speaker 3: not to always be plugging our book, but we do 710 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 3: have a pretty solid chapter on the expansion of surveillance. 711 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 3: And there's something else here happening, which is seven O 712 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:48,760 Speaker 3: two is sort of attempting to podify or to justify 713 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 3: or rationalize things that are always already happening via the 714 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:57,239 Speaker 3: five eyes loophole. Right, Like, you can't spy on your 715 00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 3: own citizens, but New Zealand and the UK sure can. 716 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,839 Speaker 3: And if they happen to slide just some information at 717 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 3: the next embassy hangout, or even if it's just a 718 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:10,279 Speaker 3: couple guys at a bar, well then it's all in 719 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:12,520 Speaker 3: the service of a greater good. So I think they're 720 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:15,360 Speaker 3: just trying to This feels like trying to put some 721 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:20,919 Speaker 3: trying to put some touch up paint over something they've 722 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:21,760 Speaker 3: already marred. 723 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,239 Speaker 4: You're a hundred recent, right, Ben. And just to follow up, 724 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,600 Speaker 4: statement from some folks opposing this from the Brennan Center 725 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:31,720 Speaker 4: for Justice and the Electronic Privacy Information Center or EPIC, 726 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 4: which is an EPIC acronym, referred to the bill as 727 00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:38,080 Speaker 4: a wolf in sheep's clothing that would target businesses far 728 00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:41,680 Speaker 4: outside the tech sector that do not even have access 729 00:44:41,719 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 4: to communications, and they listed some potential misuses of this 730 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:51,840 Speaker 4: in monitoring places like hotels, libraries, coffee shops, other businesses 731 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,160 Speaker 4: that provide Wi Fi could be compelled to serve as 732 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,879 Speaker 4: surrogate spies, structuring their systems so that they can give 733 00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:01,320 Speaker 4: the government access to entire communication streams. 734 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 2: Dude, it's it's exactly what inward facing in outward facing 735 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:10,239 Speaker 2: intelligence agencies want. Just let us have the keys to 736 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:12,560 Speaker 2: all the stuff given it. If we need to look, 737 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:16,400 Speaker 2: will look because we're trying to protect What do you do? 738 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 3: You do you not support the troops? 739 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:18,800 Speaker 4: You know, like safety? 740 00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 3: Do you know what I mean? 741 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:25,600 Speaker 2: Come on, god, oh my god, we're just watching. 742 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,479 Speaker 3: The protect and hey, by the way, bro, we saw 743 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:33,120 Speaker 3: that you read War's racket well carefully right, shout out 744 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:36,959 Speaker 3: Smethley Butler. I mean that there's I don't know there. 745 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:39,160 Speaker 3: I'm glad you brought this story up. No, because there 746 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 3: are all sorts of conflicts of interest here, But to 747 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:44,240 Speaker 3: your earlier point, this is right. 748 00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:44,600 Speaker 4: Now. 749 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:50,560 Speaker 3: Overall, this is good news because they did say no, right, yeah. 750 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:53,680 Speaker 4: No again, And I thought it was I didn't remember 751 00:45:53,719 --> 00:45:56,960 Speaker 4: if we had specifically talked about this being up potentially, 752 00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 4: and it seemed initially like it was gonna just kind 753 00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:02,840 Speaker 4: of be just sail right through. But thankfully it didn't, 754 00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:04,880 Speaker 4: so I did want to go into some of the background. 755 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:07,640 Speaker 4: Hopefully it wasn't too redundant. But the good news here 756 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:10,719 Speaker 4: is that this attempt, at the very least, you know, 757 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:14,000 Speaker 4: was not successful. But that's not to say that it 758 00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:17,200 Speaker 4: won't be attempted again and again, you know, with just 759 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:21,400 Speaker 4: slightly tweaked language to make whoever may have objected to 760 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:25,239 Speaker 4: it in this case happier, or you know, maybe they 761 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:28,280 Speaker 4: just needed a little something something to agree, because I 762 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:30,640 Speaker 4: have no doubt in my mind that so many of 763 00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:34,000 Speaker 4: these types of decisions are not about what's right, they're 764 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 4: about what are you going to do for me? And 765 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,920 Speaker 4: how can you help me in my efforts legislatively speaking 766 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:40,600 Speaker 4: moving forward? 767 00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:44,000 Speaker 2: Because it's directly tied to the National Defense Authorization Act 768 00:46:44,200 --> 00:46:47,440 Speaker 2: that happens every year, right, Like they have to do 769 00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:47,960 Speaker 2: that every year. 770 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:53,520 Speaker 3: She should be cool. You're absolutely Matt, You're absolutely right, 771 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:58,440 Speaker 3: you know. And sometimes it's like a matter of pr messaging, 772 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:02,280 Speaker 3: like what is the what is the most non objectionable 773 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:05,920 Speaker 3: name we can find for? Like this the Patriot Act? 774 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:09,960 Speaker 3: Oh what you vote against? Patriots? Dog? Like it sounds weird, 775 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,480 Speaker 3: but that that's how it works, you know. Like maybe 776 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:17,080 Speaker 3: seven o two returns uh sooner than we think. And 777 00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:22,920 Speaker 3: now it's just called the the the Puppy Act or something, Right. 778 00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 2: Do Sweet Widow Puppies, Sweet. 779 00:47:25,239 --> 00:47:26,359 Speaker 3: Widows Puppies Act? 780 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:31,719 Speaker 4: You have to do dona against cuteness. You don't like snuggles, this, 781 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:34,360 Speaker 4: you don't like kisses? You don't like kisses. 782 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,200 Speaker 3: Now, I'm sure we can all agree that there are 783 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 3: some real cute little vomments out there in American soil, 784 00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:43,280 Speaker 3: and it's our job to do our best to protect them, 785 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:47,839 Speaker 3: God and our country. However, my opponent seems to have 786 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:49,880 Speaker 3: a problem with children. 787 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:54,720 Speaker 4: As I yield the floor to you, this hot wet 788 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:57,040 Speaker 4: down there, sir. 789 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:01,080 Speaker 3: Do you deny that your childhood puppy has indeed expired 790 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:01,920 Speaker 3: under your ka. 791 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:06,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, like that's how she was hidden between 792 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:07,080 Speaker 4: the couch cushions. 793 00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:07,840 Speaker 2: It was an accident. 794 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:09,239 Speaker 4: It was a horrible accidents. 795 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 3: But that's how it's that's how it's framed, you know, 796 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:13,959 Speaker 3: and that's why this work. Like you know, you said 797 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:17,560 Speaker 3: at the top, you're worried maybe this would be dry 798 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:20,200 Speaker 3: or in the weeds, but I think it is absolutely not. 799 00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:25,239 Speaker 3: I think this is mission critical stuff to understand, you know, 800 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,120 Speaker 3: And it's not going to get a ton of news 801 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:31,680 Speaker 3: coverage because there's not a celebrity face attached to it, 802 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:32,760 Speaker 3: right sadly. 803 00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:33,360 Speaker 4: Uh. 804 00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:39,319 Speaker 3: But the people that are going to encounter consequences for this, 805 00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:42,000 Speaker 3: some may be celebrities, a lot are going to be 806 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:44,960 Speaker 3: journalists that we rely on to learn more about the world. 807 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:47,279 Speaker 3: A lot are going to be protesters, like you said 808 00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:50,800 Speaker 3: with stop Coop City, with forest defenders, those folks got rico, 809 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:57,960 Speaker 3: laude and unfairly and law and as this stuff. As 810 00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:01,799 Speaker 3: these sorts of things, these mac nations occur in the background, 811 00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 3: then We're going to see more and more clamping down, 812 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:09,200 Speaker 3: more and more attempts. I think it. I mean, maybe 813 00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:13,200 Speaker 3: it verges upon conspiratorial to say we have to be vigilant, 814 00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,600 Speaker 3: because I know that's a dog whistle for some people. 815 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 3: But you do have to keep an eye on this, 816 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:22,359 Speaker 3: and I don't know. Sometimes it's tough. It's tough to 817 00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:27,480 Speaker 3: not be nihilistic. Right to the point about TikTok candy experiments, right, like, 818 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 3: what can one do? The truth of the matter is, 819 00:49:32,719 --> 00:49:37,840 Speaker 3: I would say what one can do is collaborate with many, 820 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:41,439 Speaker 3: right and through the many we move. There are more 821 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:43,600 Speaker 3: good people than there are bad people out there. 822 00:49:43,840 --> 00:49:48,040 Speaker 2: Yes, good people who move to farmland in the mountains 823 00:49:48,360 --> 00:49:51,560 Speaker 2: somewhere in North Georgia. 824 00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:53,840 Speaker 3: Faiza loves our group chats. 825 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:58,680 Speaker 2: By the way, guys, really, you guys think we get 826 00:49:58,680 --> 00:50:02,000 Speaker 2: looked at a little bit. I think we have to 827 00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:05,960 Speaker 2: be probably. I think it's like it's literally just a 828 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:07,759 Speaker 2: checking a box kind of well, and just make sure 829 00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:11,160 Speaker 2: they're not doing anything other than talking about this story. 830 00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:16,000 Speaker 3: We get algorithmically checked, so the checking on us is automated. 831 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:21,040 Speaker 3: Intern Steve, I am happy to report, is now a 832 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:25,000 Speaker 3: tourist traveling certain segments of the world. Best of luck, Steve, 833 00:50:25,280 --> 00:50:29,040 Speaker 3: how do you know that he just sends us? He 834 00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:32,959 Speaker 3: sends us communicats every so often. But yeah, to answer 835 00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:35,080 Speaker 3: your question, I think for a lot of us, right, 836 00:50:35,320 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 3: the idea like paranoia can be so tempting, right. 837 00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:41,279 Speaker 2: Well, it's not not paranoia in my mind. It's like, 838 00:50:41,560 --> 00:50:44,000 Speaker 2: I guess, just if they have this stuff in place 839 00:50:44,120 --> 00:50:47,560 Speaker 2: around the capability right well, I mean I don't know. 840 00:50:47,719 --> 00:50:51,360 Speaker 3: I'm telling you though, it's these systems are also pretty lazy. 841 00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:53,759 Speaker 4: Oh exactly, that's a great point. 842 00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:58,560 Speaker 3: The first past, dude, It's just it's algorithmically hoovering up 843 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:02,400 Speaker 3: stuff right in an automated How how close are you 844 00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 3: to knowing Kevin Bacon or and ser Kevin Bacon here? 845 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,800 Speaker 3: And then like maybe there are key words for things 846 00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:12,760 Speaker 3: that you talk about. I don't know. I genuinely guys, 847 00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:17,520 Speaker 3: I doubt that there is someone at the Puzzle Palace 848 00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:21,440 Speaker 3: who is like I got to tune in to stuff 849 00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:23,439 Speaker 3: they don't want you to know. Did they figure out 850 00:51:23,480 --> 00:51:26,000 Speaker 3: Glenn Miller, because that's still important to me. 851 00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:28,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I hear you. We don't have to talk 852 00:51:28,320 --> 00:51:30,480 Speaker 2: about this now together. It's just I think about some 853 00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:34,480 Speaker 2: of the travel that we've been doing recently, and because 854 00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:37,560 Speaker 2: generally outside of the US is what these you know, 855 00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:40,719 Speaker 2: these courts are for, right, and these authorizations and all 856 00:51:40,760 --> 00:51:44,320 Speaker 2: of this stuff. It just makes me nervous even traveling 857 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,080 Speaker 2: in country just to different states and stuff. It just 858 00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:50,640 Speaker 2: feels I don't know, it feels like what the thing 859 00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:51,279 Speaker 2: was made for. 860 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:53,800 Speaker 4: Oh, one hundred percent, and yeah, I know. Thanks for 861 00:51:54,080 --> 00:51:56,640 Speaker 4: all the additional perspective on this, guys, And again, hey, 862 00:51:56,840 --> 00:51:58,600 Speaker 4: let's look at this one as a win, shall we. 863 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:03,000 Speaker 4: Maybe we end this episode with feeling a little less 864 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:06,040 Speaker 4: hopeless when it comes to this kind of stuff. But unfortunately, 865 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:08,360 Speaker 4: there always will be the next swing. But for now 866 00:52:08,760 --> 00:52:11,120 Speaker 4: seems like we've at the very least staved off making 867 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:14,160 Speaker 4: this stuff even more egregiously invasively agreed. 868 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:20,200 Speaker 3: And while unfortunately activities or attempts like this will always occur, 869 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:23,160 Speaker 3: we can say that we are very fortunate to be 870 00:52:23,280 --> 00:52:26,000 Speaker 3: hanging out with you this evening, folks, and we would 871 00:52:26,040 --> 00:52:28,880 Speaker 3: consider it a win. If you join up with the show. 872 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:32,360 Speaker 3: Let us know your thoughts, let us let us know 873 00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:35,160 Speaker 3: where you get the good limit heads or the good 874 00:52:35,200 --> 00:52:39,040 Speaker 3: Mountain do with the bodega. Let us know if you 875 00:52:39,160 --> 00:52:43,640 Speaker 3: have seen any any programs similar to that horrifying thing 876 00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:46,440 Speaker 3: in Alabama and your neck of the global woods, wherever 877 00:52:46,600 --> 00:52:51,080 Speaker 3: those may be. We try to be easy to find online. 878 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:52,480 Speaker 4: It's right. You can find us with the handle of 879 00:52:52,560 --> 00:52:57,719 Speaker 4: Conspiracy Stuff on x YouTube and Facebook, where we have 880 00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:00,880 Speaker 4: our Facebook group. Here's where it gets crazy. On Instagram 881 00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 4: and TikTok, you can find us a Conspiracy Stuff show. 882 00:53:03,920 --> 00:53:06,840 Speaker 2: Our phone number, which is a voicemail system and you 883 00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:10,040 Speaker 2: can dial it twenty four hours every day, is one 884 00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:14,840 Speaker 2: eight three three st d WYTK. It's a three minute 885 00:53:14,880 --> 00:53:17,560 Speaker 2: voicemail that you can leave. Please try to leave one 886 00:53:17,719 --> 00:53:20,680 Speaker 2: detailed message, and if you got more to send us, 887 00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:23,280 Speaker 2: why not instead send us a good old fashioned email. 888 00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:27,240 Speaker 3: We are snitch here at five eyes dot Gov'm kidding, 889 00:53:27,520 --> 00:53:48,399 Speaker 3: it's conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com. 890 00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:50,640 Speaker 2: Stuff they don't want you to know is a production 891 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:55,280 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 892 00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:58,480 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.