WEBVTT - It Could Happen Here Weekly 22 0:00:01.440 --> 0:00:04.560 Look for your children's eyes, and you will discover the 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:08.280 true magic of a forest. Find a forest near you 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:11.920 and start exploring it. Discover the forest dot Org. Brought 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:14.120 to you by the United States Forest Service and the 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.800 AD Council. Hello, and welcome to our show. I'm Zoe 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.040 de Chanelle and I'm so excited to be joined by 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:22.640 my friends and cast meates Hannah Simone and Lamar and 0:00:22.720 --> 0:00:26.480 Morris to recap our hit television series, New Girl. Join 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:29.400 us every Monday on the Welcome to Our Show podcast, 0:00:29.440 --> 0:00:31.840 where we'll share behind the scenes stories of your favorite 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:34.600 New Girl episodes. Each week, we answer all your burning 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:37.640 questions like is there really a bear in every episode 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.599 of New Girl? Plus, you'll hear hilarious stories like this 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:42.720 that was one of your thanks you brought back from 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:51.839 all professional basketball players seven Yeah. Listen to the Welcome 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.200 to Our Show podcast on the I Heart Radio app, 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:59.720 Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Colleen. 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:03.320 Join me the host of Eating Wall Broke podcast While 0:01:03.360 --> 0:01:07.119 I eat a meal created by self made entrepreneurs, influencers, 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.560 and celebrities over a meal they once eight when they 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.319 were broke. Today I have the lovely AJ Crimson, the 0:01:12.400 --> 0:01:17.080 official Princess of comfin Asia, kidding and Assia. This is 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:19.840 the professor. We're here on Eating Wall Broke, and today 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:22.560 I'm gonna break down my meal that got me through 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:25.240 a time when I was broken. Listen to Eating Wall 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:28.280 Broke on the I Heart Radio app, on Apple podcast 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:32.039 or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, Robert Evans 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:33.880 here and I wanted to let you know. This is 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:37.400 a completion episode. So every episode of the week that 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:41.600 just happened is here in one convenient and with somewhat 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:44.360 less ads package for you to listen to in a 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:46.840 long stretch if you want. If you've been listening to 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:49.000 the episodes every day this week, there's gonna be nothing 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.640 new here for you. But you can make your own decisions. 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:00.440 It's Oregon. You don't get to consent. I'll tell you. 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:03.840 Open up the podcast. That's right, baby, look up one 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:10.040 party consent laws for recording recording. Um, this is it 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:14.000 could happen here a podcast about when you can legally 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:17.959 record people without their consent. Hint. Always in the state 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:23.400 of Oregon. Um, I'm Robert Evans. We're talking about bad things, 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:27.480 good things, things that are good and bad all that stuff. Woo, 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:32.359 what do we you know what? You know what we 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:34.080 should talk about? You know what no one has talked 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:42.760 about ever on the internet lately. Josephine Robinette Rogan. Oh, 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:45.240 I've never heard of him. What does he do? Well? 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:47.720 He has a podcast. If you heard a podcast, Garrison, 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:51.200 I'm unfamiliar, but just I'll just go with it. Yeah. Well, 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:57.240 it's like the radio, but easier to spread disinformation. Um 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:01.640 and also sexier for reasons that are hard to explain. Uh. 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:05.919 And Joe Rogan gets on his podcast and he says 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:07.920 a lot of stuff that people think is bad, and 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:10.000 then everybody gets angry at him, and then he makes 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.680 more money. And today we're going to talk about how 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:17.000 maybe we could handle this problem differently. Maybe we cannot 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:18.679 do the same thing over and over and it's quite 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:23.720 a different result. Yeah, And upfront, obviously we're talking about him. 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:26.240 We're trying to talk less about specifically what he's said 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:28.840 and more about kind of the problem he represents in 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:32.240 the ways in which the responses people have aren't having 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.160 the results they desire. We're gonna avoid using his name 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:37.600 in the title of the episode or the description, because 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:39.880 that doesn't feed into the algorithm kind of in the 0:03:39.920 --> 0:03:42.280 same way. But yeah, Garrison, you want to kick us 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.800 off here. Yeah, I've been watching the Rogan thing online 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:48.360 be getting kind of frustrated because of the way the 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:51.640 discourse is going, and it's just repeating the same loops 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:54.800 that we see every few months and nothing really changes 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:59.520 and regain just gets more popular. So earlier this month 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:01.800 or like the middle of I guess it was closer 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:04.720 to like January. UM, there was like a group of 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:08.400 like two d seventy doctors, healthcare workers, UM, and scientists 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:12.840 who are campaigning for Spotify to adopt a missuformation policy. UM. 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:15.200 This was prompted by a few episodes of the Joe 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:19.200 Rogan podcast that we've already actually talked about, UM about 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:23.719 Dr Robert Malone and someone else who said some stupid 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:29.360 things about the pandemic. UM. So I write when when 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:31.320 I when we talked about these episodes this last time, 0:04:31.360 --> 0:04:34.200 I tried to actually talk about what these doctors were doing, 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:37.279 and let not focus on Rogan himself, but specifically what 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:40.760 these doctors were doing and their ideology, because I didn't 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:44.560 want to add to the whole Rogan side of the discourse. UM. 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.159 And you know, for for this, for this, like a 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:50.480 letter that that these doctors sent to Spotify, if they 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:53.360 were not really advocating for Rogan to be removed from 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:56.440 the platform, um or even for episodes to be removed, 0:04:56.720 --> 0:05:01.400 just to have Spotify clarify their guidelines regard medical misinformation, 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:04.440 because you know, and it's important to note that Joe 0:05:04.560 --> 0:05:08.440 Rogan has a exclusivity contract with Spotify. He does not 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:11.719 work for them, but Rogan gets paid a lot of 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:15.200 money to get his podcast only published on Spotify's feed. 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:17.359 So it's it's not it's it's it's it's like a 0:05:17.560 --> 0:05:20.040 it's a it's a weird kind of set up, and 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:22.360 it can give a lot of like gray area for 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.560 like does Spotify count that's a publisher or not. You're like, well, 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.039 not really, because they could he could also just end 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:32.480 that contract and post his podcast everywhere. Um, I mean 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:34.440 I think it would take there. There's probably some sort 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:38.880 of exclusive time limit on the exclusivity agreement, etcetera. Um, 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.400 because it it is, it is mixed, because they did recently, 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:44.200 when it came out that he said the inn word 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:46.800 a whole bunch of times, Spotify removed those episodes. So 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:49.120 there's a degree to which they they have acted as 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:52.120 a publisher. Yeah, there's a whole lot of stuff to 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:55.039 kind of talk about this on the So the letter 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.640 gent kind of viral and it prompted this whole kind 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:00.679 of thing in the middle of January. But like deleting 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:05.120 your Spotify subscription, and then we had musicians, most uh, 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:09.120 most popularly Neil Young decides to remove all their music 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:12.840 from the Spotify platform, um as like a performative thing, 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.039 being like, Okay, if Spotify is gonna host all this 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:18.320 medical misinformation, we're going to remove this as protest now. 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:20.880 Of course, Neil Young then just sign an exclusivity deal 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:26.640 with Amazon. So oh great cool. We yes, Amazon, the 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.880 bastion of moral purity. Yeah, and they're not. I mean, 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.760 I think they are probably pay a better rate because 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:35.200 Spotify is pretty much at the bottom to musicians, but 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.920 I don't think it's good. Um, I think Napster actually 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:42.280 has the best rate, doesn't the best rate. I mean also, 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:44.719 if you want to be actually moral, just just just 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.720 use band camp. But I mean I use Spotify because 0:06:47.760 --> 0:06:50.080 it's really easy. And that's why Spotify works. It's because 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:52.760 it's super good. It is a well made product. That 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:54.840 does not mean it's an ethical product, but it does. 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:57.119 It does the thing that it's supposed to do quite well. 0:06:57.600 --> 0:07:00.679 So so yeah, it basically we've had a list discourse 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:04.359 since then about Joe Rogan about Spotify is the platform, 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:06.599 talking about how bad Spotify is, which yes, it is bad, 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:09.720 talking about how you know how bad Joe Rogan is, 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:11.960 and you know, the thing is, Joe Rogan already had 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:15.080 the most popular podcast in the world his exclusivity deal 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:18.160 with Spotify, and he's currently estimated to bring in eleven 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:21.480 million listeners per episode of his podcast. Yeah. For for 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:25.400 some reference, um, Behind the Bastards is one of the 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.960 largest podcasts out there. Um, and he's on average something 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:32.160 like ten times our traffic. Uh. Like it's and it's not. 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:35.200 He's not. He's not just the most popular podcast. He 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:39.080 helped invent what podcasting podcast? He was one of the first, 0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:41.800 and like he had a foundational role in how the 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.920 entire industry works. Since this letter and since he's episodes, 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.320 there's been a whole lot of discourse around if Spotify 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.400 should remove Joe Rogan from the platform, um, if they 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:52.880 should cancel his deal. You know, a lot of people 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:54.360 calling on Spotify to do that. A lot of people 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:57.440 are calling on Spotify to remove certain episodes, and Spotify 0:07:57.440 --> 0:08:00.200 has not been team too so like. But let's and 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:03.320 I know Jo Rogan himself did actually authorize the removal 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:05.320 of a certain amount of episodes, which for reasons we'll 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:08.720 talk about later. Um. But what's all this discourse and 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:13.560 outrage and articles and tweets actually doing to Spotify into Rogan? Okay? 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:16.040 In my opinion, kind of the end result is actually 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.880 very similar to all of the free advertising that companies 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:22.320 get whenever they make awoke statement that infuriate, that infuriates 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:25.840 the actionary right, you know, resulting in throwing your kel 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.440 Ag out your window, flushing your Gillette blade down the toilet, 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:31.600 and burning your nikes. Um. And it's even widely speculated 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:33.960 and kind of like a known fact that companies will 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:38.640 use progressive statements and policies to drum up this outrage um, 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:41.400 to give their company and product tons of free advertising 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:44.720 and just to get the brain name itself inside consumers heads. 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:48.400 And this is definitely happening. Was was Roken and Spotify 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:52.800 in terms of outrage being used as advertising. It may 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:56.320 not be intentional, but that is what the result is yeah, 0:08:56.440 --> 0:09:01.920 and I mean it's very It's it's both sides like 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:04.160 to make fun of the other for doing this, like 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:05.600 folks on the left like to make fun of their 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.920 right when they're when they're breaking their carrigs or whatever. Um. 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:12.960 But you know, it happens. It's equally profitable for both sides. 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:14.760 You just do the opposite. You know, you have someone 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:16.800 come on and talk about how they're a truth teller 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:20.120 being canceled, and they get a bunch of attention, money, 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:24.600 and and it works equally well both ways. Pretty much. Yeah, 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:27.640 So with Spotify and Rogan in the news every day 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:31.199 for the past like three weeks, the the the end 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:34.280 is that like the fact that it's just that people 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:36.360 are hearing these names in their head more often, and 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:40.840 they're probably subconsciously gonna use Spotify more often because you know, 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.760 despite a few people that might cancel their subscriptions, the 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:46.160 net effect will be more listeners who seem to Spotify 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:49.160 because there because the name is in my subconscious it's 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:51.320 it's it's in there. And all the effect that's going 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:53.240 to have on Rogan is giving him a way more 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:56.280 publicity to attract new listeners and and it's listeners who 0:09:56.360 --> 0:10:00.000 themselves are like attracted to unconventional ideas outside the mainstream, 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.560 and his more passive listeners are gonna like double down 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:04.880 on him because there's gonna be like the backfire effect, 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:07.880 so they will like feel defensive and then become more 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.080 of a fan of his because he's seen as a 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:12.840 cultural outsider, even though he's not an outsider. He is 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:15.440 the mainstream. He's the biggest podcaster in the world, but 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:18.080 he's seen as a cultural outsider. So you know, he 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:20.560 like brings on guests who say things that they're not 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.319 supposed to say. You know, So, who's actually going to 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:26.080 be convinced by all this outrage to not listen to 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:28.720 Rogan via pointing out all the wrong things he's said 0:10:28.720 --> 0:10:31.200 and all the slurs he's used, Like, is that really 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.079 going to stop fans from listening to Joe Rogan. It's 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:37.160 the same time really pointing out that Donald Trump illegally 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:40.520 took classified documents. It's like, yeah, I mean that's fucked 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:42.240 up and ship, but like he's never going to get 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:45.120 charged with crimes, and none of his supporters care. You're 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:47.360 the only people who are angry about this, and it 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:49.840 doesn't matter because the people you vote for aren't going 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:53.240 to punish him, so like just yeah, you know, chill 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:56.160 out a little bit. It's like all of the outrage 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:59.360 is simply inflating the importance of Joe Rogan on like 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:03.439 an entire cultural level. It's that he's becoming He's becoming 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.040 more important to his fans, more important to his haters, 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:09.199 and more important to himself and Spotify as an asset 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.080 because he generates a lot of exclusive listeners and news 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:15.440 coverage and buzz around the Spotify brand. And it's important 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:19.400 to talk about Like, so you have, broadly speaking within 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.960 the field of entertainment, like digital entertainment in particular, you 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:27.480 have like two ways that you can grow your audience. 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:30.360 One of them is organic growth, which is, you know, 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:33.559 I listened to Garrison's podcast. I like it. I tell 0:11:33.600 --> 0:11:36.600 a friend about Garrison's podcast. They like it. They tell 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:38.560 a friend about Garrett that that's like organic, you know, 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:41.560 it's very natural. That's purely the kind of quality of 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:44.800 the content UM reaching people. And then there is in 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:46.920 organic growth, which is can be the result of like 0:11:47.000 --> 0:11:50.880 ad campaigns can be the result of UM an algorithm. 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:53.920 Often in today we're talking about like oh, Twitter or 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:57.400 Facebook prioritizes this kind of content, So like something article 0:11:57.440 --> 0:11:59.800 on bright bared about black on white crime that would 0:11:59.800 --> 0:12:02.280 have been read ten thousand times ten years ago gets 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:04.320 read a million times because it spreads well on this 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:10.880 platform for reasons that aren't organic. Um. And with Joe Rogan, 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:13.440 one of the reasons why because we can talk about 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.240 like d platforming. If you want to talk about like 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.080 Alex Jones for example, or Meloiannopolis, good case that D 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:22.080 platforming really reduced both of their reaches. Now, Milo uh 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:25.120 pretty much wiped out as a person who mattered in 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:28.800 terms of the dispoce, thank christ. Alex Jones less so. Um, 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:31.640 it definitely hurt his business and it reduced his reach. 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:34.560 But by the time Facebook and Twitter and whatnot started 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:38.440 throttling him, he'd he had already inorganically increased his reach 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:40.480 enough that like he's able to, he had he had 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.679 a large a large enough audience to say somewhat relevant 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:47.080 and keep going. The thing about Joe Rogan is he 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:50.199 did not get famous and popular and organically. I'm sure 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:52.439 there was some degree of that on like social media, 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:56.400 but most of his growth before that, like people like him, 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:58.719 like whatever you think of him. He's a good broadcaster. 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:01.000 That's the thing. Even the like, you know, for all 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.960 this research, I don't like him. He says horrible things, 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:05.960 but you know, I was watching I watched all of 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.439 like Rogan's like, um, like Instagram videos he made like 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:12.200 a few ten minute things talking about the outrage, and 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.679 it's it sucks because when you listen to him, he's 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:16.920 like a really good talker. He's very good at what 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:20.760 he does. He's very good at like generating sympathy and 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:23.800 generating like good card Like It's it sucks because, yeah, 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:25.480 I wanted to like hate this person, but I'm like 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:28.160 listening to him talking about this issue, like oh wow, yeah, 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:30.600 like you actually have a decent grasp on what's going 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:33.959 on here. UM, And that's that's horrible. He is not 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:36.600 part of He gets some of his money from playing 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:40.959 like a dumb, chill stoner dude, but he's not dumb. 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:43.040 He's definitely a stoner. He's not a dumb man. He's 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:45.840 very intell. He's very good at what he does. Um. 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:47.640 One of the things we don't kind of talk about 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:49.640 enough when we talk about media that I think is 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:54.719 important to note is that UM being likable in a 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:58.400 professional sense, is a skill, and it's a skill like 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:01.200 any technical skill. It's like knowing how to how to 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:03.839 how to farm or weld. Um. It is a thing 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:06.200 that you build on over time. It is a thing 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.920 that um takes a lot of trial and error and 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:13.080 a lot of education to get right. Uh. It is 0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:16.080 a thing that Joe Rogan has been doing for longer 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:18.080 than a significant chunk of the people on this show, 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:21.440 including Garrison, have been alive. Uh. It's like like I've 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:23.280 been like this is this is more or less been 0:14:23.320 --> 0:14:25.200 my job for like thirteen or fourteen years. And it 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:28.120 is like a skill that you build. And the thing 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:30.480 that he is really good at is making people want 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.360 to listen to him. And so if you were to say, 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:37.640 kick him out of Spotify tomorrow, it's it's entirely possible 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:40.480 that his that that would increase the number of people 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:42.920 who who listen to podcast. There's there's a case to 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:46.600 be made that Spotify has limited his maximum audience, limiting 0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:48.960 him to Spotify as opposed to if he was just 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:51.240 any app he wanted to be on, maybe it'd be 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:53.640 twenty million you know, listening to every exactly. Yes, Like 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:57.120 even if did even the Spotify did drop him because 0:14:57.160 --> 0:14:59.080 of all these you know, outrage you know, and all 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:01.520 the tweets and they're all all of the petitions. Even 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:03.560 if they did drop him, he would probably not only 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:06.280 gain more listeners due to the outrage porn and and 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:10.520 free speech advocates, but also with his exclusivity ending help 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:13.160 his podcast will just be available in more platforms and 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:16.120 more people who will to listen to him, like really easily. 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:19.200 So yeah, he's only going to grow if people get 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.480 what they want. And like that makes you think, like this, 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:26.200 this outrage isn't actually meant to get the Joe Rogan 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:28.960 Joe Rogan problem taken care of, Like it's this, This 0:15:29.040 --> 0:15:32.560 actually isn't about stopping misinformation. It's this, this isn't actually 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.520 about having they're being less fans of Joe Rogan. All 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:39.960 those outrages about making you feel better because you feel 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:43.280 like you're doing something right, Like bad thing is happening 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:46.560 in the world, and it's easier to pretend like your 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:48.800 actions are hurting it than it is to accept that, 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:52.160 like maybe there's nothing I can do about this right now. Yeah, 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:54.560 it would be a really nice world if the Arrogan 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:58.080 problem could be solved so easily by Spotify dropping his 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:01.240 exclusivity deal, right, that would that would be great, But 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:03.520 that's not the world we live in. And tricking yourself 0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:06.760 into thinking that is just kind of delusional. Um, and 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:08.720 like yeah, it makes you feel better, but like that's 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.560 not actually helping because like, yeah, we can obviously compare 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:13.880 this to other like D platform and campaigns with people, 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:16.200 for like Alex Jones, but you know, Jones was way 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.680 more niche and way more extreme around the time of 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:22.680 his like D platforming campaign, and his campaign wasn't about 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:25.600 ending exclusivity deals. It was about getting him off of 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:29.480 popular platforms altogether. And that's not happening with Joe Rogan 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:31.800 because Joe Rogan isn't saying the things that are going 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:34.320 to get him booted from platforms. He's smart, he knows 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:37.040 what he can and cannot say. He's not He's not 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:40.360 dumb enough to get banned from these platforms, right and also, 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:42.600 you know he's a giant financial asset, so they wouldn't 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:45.520 bend him anyway. But like he's he's what he's doing 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:49.560 is bringing on people who say horrible things to continue 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:52.640 a cultural conversation, which gets him in the headlines. And 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:54.760 gives a platform like Spotify a whole bunch of room 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:57.120 to cry free speech and get away with it. Removing 0:16:57.120 --> 0:16:59.160 Alex Jones could be seen as like a monetary decision 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:02.400 in and of itself, because it is actually removing liability. 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:06.320 But this is this isn't really the case for Rogan, yeah, 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:10.480 and he's um, yeah, it's just not. One of the 0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:13.639 problems is that this kind of does fly in the 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:17.680 face of a lot of what people want to think. 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:19.359 And I don't want to be making the case that 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:21.159 it's as black and white as it is, because, for example, 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:23.480 I'm not saying that it was bad for someone to 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:25.639 go through the effort of finding and pointing out, hey, 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:28.040 there's like seventy episodes where Joe Rogan drops the inn 0:17:28.040 --> 0:17:30.760 word um and getting those pulled. I don't think that 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:35.320 I think that that was broadly speaking, a productive thing. 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:39.639 But keeping Joe Rogan at the forefront of the outrage 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:42.480 cycle is doing nothing but printing money for the guy. 0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:44.760 And that's that's not an easy thing to deal with 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:46.159 because it's like, do you want me to just like 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:50.040 stay quiet in the face of injustice? And it's like, no, 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:51.879 that's not what I want you to do. But I 0:17:51.920 --> 0:17:54.720 do want you to recognize that there are times in 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.800 ways of speaking up that are just putting putting gasoline 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:01.639 on an injustice fire. It's it's important to remember that 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:05.119 d platform ng is just a tactic and and single 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:08.520 tactics aren't always effective in every situation. That's what makes 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:10.760 them a tactic, right, Like, in order for a tactic 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:13.960 to work, you need to understand the scenario that's applying 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:16.880 the tactic to and seeing if that tactic achieves the goal. 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:19.240 And if it doesn't, great, but if it doesn't, you 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:21.440 need to choose other tactic and stop doing the same 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:23.919 thing over and over again and expecting a new result. 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.720 And this is one of those situations where like when 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:29.199 you bring up, hey, maybe nothing might be the best thing, 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:32.439 at least for for most people specifically to do. Like 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.439 the thing that gets brought up is like, well do 0:18:35.520 --> 0:18:38.000 you not want me to uh? Or like, well, what 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:40.360 do you suggest I do? Like you know you're saying 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:41.840 I shouldn't do this, but you're not telling me what 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:44.120 to do. And it's like, well, it's like if somebody 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:46.879 gets shot in the leg and one person has a 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:49.080 tourniquet and the other person has a bunch of razor 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:50.720 blades that they want to throw in their eyes, and 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:53.119 it's like, well, what do you want me to do? 0:18:53.160 --> 0:18:54.760 All I have is these razor blades. This is the 0:18:54.800 --> 0:18:56.840 only other thing I can do? Then just stand by 0:18:56.840 --> 0:18:58.400 and do nothing. And it's like, well, in this case, 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:00.840 doing nothing is the best thing to do, because it's 0:19:00.880 --> 0:19:05.080 it's not that's not going to help the problems. Boycotts 0:19:05.080 --> 0:19:08.080 of this scale kind of only tend to benefit brands 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:10.880 and businesses right like, because if if if the brand 0:19:10.920 --> 0:19:13.520 of business is a person is smaller in more niche 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:15.800 like and say like Alex Jones or Richard Spencer, right 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:19.840 then yes, these tactics about boycotts can really work to 0:19:19.920 --> 0:19:22.840 push things out of the cultural like market and also 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:25.159 in some cases in terms of businesses like the literal market. 0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:28.280 But when you're dealing with things like Target, Nike, and 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:31.479 Joe Rogan, that's not the case because those brands are 0:19:31.480 --> 0:19:34.400 way too big. Any any you know, any conservative boycott 0:19:34.440 --> 0:19:36.960 against Target isn't going to have that effect. It will 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:39.719 probably make weird liberals be like, oh, I'm gonna go 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:42.840 to Target now because the conservatives don't want me to. 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:47.119 It's so like it's it. I don't it's not. It's 0:19:47.119 --> 0:19:49.200 it's like, it's the problem is. It's like Joe Rogan 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:51.640 himself isn't really the problem either. You know, a lot 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:53.800 of the problem can be seen more as like content 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:58.359 algorithms that boost and reward misinformation and disinformation and conspiracism, 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:00.480 and that's more of like an actual issue at hand here. 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:03.080 Joe Rogan is just a business. That's how he hears 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:05.480 about a lot of these people. Yeah, they go viral 0:20:05.600 --> 0:20:07.679 somewhere else, and in a lot of cases it's an 0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:09.920 inorganic thing that brings them in front of them. It's 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:12.160 some fucking algorithm that and and that is a case 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:14.320 where you can target and work on deep exact forming 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:16.600 and it can be more productive that that. That was, 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:18.240 That was what that was what I was getting again, 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:21.080 It's like Joe Joe Rogan himself was just a visible 0:20:21.080 --> 0:20:23.879 outgrowth of the core problem. And the core problem is 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:27.240 these things getting onto his show in the first place. So, yeah, 0:20:27.320 --> 0:20:29.199 we can't stop his show, but maybe we should do 0:20:29.240 --> 0:20:32.320 more work to prevent to like figure out ways to do, 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:35.520 you know, start using these tactics to prevent algorithms from 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:37.960 boosting these things. So that Joe Roken sees them and 0:20:37.960 --> 0:20:40.919 then and then invites them on and yeah, that's a 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:44.520 lot more work than just being angry at Spotify. And yeah, 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:46.840 maybe it'll actually do something. And one thing that can 0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:49.480 do something is with spot and it won't work if 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:52.960 it's just Spotify. But I am one of those people 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.439 who thinks that maybe it's not the worst thing if 0:20:55.480 --> 0:20:59.200 things like Spotify are seen as publishers and thus when 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:03.480 they spread missing information that leads to disastrous health consequences, um, 0:21:03.720 --> 0:21:06.800 they can be held liable. Right. Uh, that's not the 0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:09.359 worst possible change, although it is a problematic one. I 0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:11.840 don't want to like boil that down to a simple question, 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:15.040 but I think that's an avenue that should be explored 0:21:15.160 --> 0:21:18.320 because I don't see that there's a lot of difference 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:21.320 in Spotify choosing to let something go to air or 0:21:21.320 --> 0:21:25.800 the New York Times printing misinformation. Um. And in fact, 0:21:25.840 --> 0:21:28.080 Spotify is going to reach more people because nobody cares 0:21:28.080 --> 0:21:31.879 what the New York Times says anymore. Yeah, so Spotify. 0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:35.960 The Spotify CEO did kind of address the ongoing controversy 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:40.040 around the you know, internal publishing stuff and how they 0:21:40.119 --> 0:21:43.920 view medical misinformation. UM. They did adopt a clarified policy 0:21:44.240 --> 0:21:48.560 that prohibits content that promotes dangerous, false, or dangerous deceptive 0:21:48.560 --> 0:21:52.119 medical information which may cause offline harm or pose a 0:21:52.160 --> 0:21:55.399 direct threat of public health. UM. And then the Post 0:21:55.440 --> 0:21:58.359 also announced that a Spotify would add content advisories to 0:21:58.400 --> 0:22:04.359 any content related to COVID on platform and Instagram. Have No, 0:22:04.520 --> 0:22:08.640 it's not, it's not. But but if you have the operation, 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:11.520 if you can again, if there is like an actual 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:17.680 dollar consequence to companies that air massive disinformation, UM, then 0:22:18.000 --> 0:22:20.800 you're not without sort of making Joe Rogan the focus. 0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:22.919 You can make it so that the people that he 0:22:23.000 --> 0:22:26.440 actually is accountable to, which is the people who make 0:22:26.520 --> 0:22:30.080 him give him the money that he gets, UH, have 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:33.439 a vested interest in tamping down on the worst excesses 0:22:33.640 --> 0:22:37.639 that he's responsible for. Like that might have an impact. 0:22:37.760 --> 0:22:39.520 I don't know, Like part of the problem is that. 0:22:39.840 --> 0:22:41.440 And one thing we should acknowledge here when we're talking 0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:43.840 about like what would work better than what's being done, 0:22:44.359 --> 0:22:47.840 This is a pretty new problem. Versions of it have 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:52.080 existed before, but without the Internet and without podcasts being 0:22:52.080 --> 0:22:54.199 what they are, this is a pretty new thing to 0:22:54.240 --> 0:22:57.119 be dealing with. And I'm not I don't. I'm not 0:22:57.160 --> 0:22:59.399 saying like this is here's the obvious solution to this, 0:22:59.760 --> 0:23:01.359 but I think we are trying to point out like 0:23:01.400 --> 0:23:04.720 what folks are doing doesn't work. The tactics being applied 0:23:04.720 --> 0:23:08.440 are not effective, and we should be exploring other opportunities 0:23:08.480 --> 0:23:11.359 to mitigate this harm that are not well. I guess 0:23:11.359 --> 0:23:14.199 it's time to delete another app and post about it 0:23:14.200 --> 0:23:17.880 on Twitter. Yeah. I think I think this is especially 0:23:17.880 --> 0:23:19.160 a thing with like it's like one of the other 0:23:19.160 --> 0:23:22.440 things that that's been popping up as broken's like weapons 0:23:22.480 --> 0:23:26.359 grade transphobia. Yes, oh yeah, jesus, Yeah, and that's that 0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:31.520 Stuffs is horrifying. Like the racism is also like really bad. 0:23:31.600 --> 0:23:35.160 He's extremely sexist, but it's like I think, misogynist racist. 0:23:37.359 --> 0:23:40.080 There's a lot of money and being that dude. Yeah. Well, 0:23:40.119 --> 0:23:44.600 and I think this is sort of you know this, 0:23:44.600 --> 0:23:46.560 this is you know, this is an inherent problem for 0:23:46.560 --> 0:23:51.639 the left because fighting it like this this kind of 0:23:51.680 --> 0:23:55.240 sort of like shock jockey information stuff works better like 0:23:55.280 --> 0:23:57.040 that that rage economy works better for the right, that 0:23:57.200 --> 0:23:59.960 does for the left. And I think in some way 0:24:00.000 --> 0:24:02.080 that means like you have to fight them in other spaces, 0:24:02.119 --> 0:24:04.560 you like, you know, you you. You can't just like 0:24:04.640 --> 0:24:07.159 keep throwing yourself. It's the same thing with like so 0:24:07.240 --> 0:24:10.320 why why why you don't have just like one line 0:24:10.359 --> 0:24:11.840 where you just run into a bunch of cops over 0:24:11.880 --> 0:24:16.720 and over again in one spot, right, like, but we try. Yeah, yeah, 0:24:16.800 --> 0:24:22.199 it's like college, the old college. Yeah, like you know, 0:24:23.119 --> 0:24:24.880 like in some in some sense, yeah, like it's it's 0:24:24.920 --> 0:24:26.840 it's it's it's hard to be too hard on these 0:24:26.840 --> 0:24:28.720 on people who doing this. And it's like if I 0:24:28.760 --> 0:24:30.240 think they're doing the right thing, but it's like you 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:35.320 have to you have to pick your battles. Yeah, you know, 0:24:35.359 --> 0:24:38.200 if if you're taking a fight that's fair, like that's 0:24:38.200 --> 0:24:40.000 a that's a bad fight. That is a bad fight 0:24:40.000 --> 0:24:42.159 for you. You you you need you need to be 0:24:42.160 --> 0:24:45.320 fighting them in different spheres. You need to be you know, 0:24:45.480 --> 0:24:47.880 I mean, working for example, on stuff like tech regulation 0:24:48.000 --> 0:24:51.479 like you you like, working on you know, unionizing these places, 0:24:51.560 --> 0:24:56.240 right like fighting purely finding them in information space, we 0:24:56.280 --> 0:24:59.679 will lose every time. The advantage that we have is 0:24:59.720 --> 0:25:02.320 that we also do other things. And it's it's you know, 0:25:02.520 --> 0:25:05.600 we're we're going to keep losing hearing if you know, 0:25:05.640 --> 0:25:07.520 if we keep fighting them in exactly the same way here, 0:25:07.560 --> 0:25:09.480 We're going to keep losing. So we have to you know, 0:25:09.640 --> 0:25:12.040 like we we we we have to fight in other places. 0:25:12.600 --> 0:25:15.920 And that's hard and it sucks because you know, this 0:25:16.000 --> 0:25:20.400 is such a misspart of just what reality is now 0:25:21.160 --> 0:25:25.399 is you know, yelling at people online. But like you 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:30.040 have to stop doing that because it's not the problem 0:25:30.119 --> 0:25:33.680 is that we've all gotten fucking caught for quite some 0:25:33.720 --> 0:25:37.600 time in this escalating culture war, and it's not It's 0:25:37.640 --> 0:25:41.440 not a battle ground that can be entirely ignored because 0:25:42.000 --> 0:25:45.400 when you kind of seed ground them, they create conspiracy 0:25:45.480 --> 0:25:48.520 theories about trans people attacking kids that lead to them 0:25:48.600 --> 0:25:51.320 murdering people in the streets, or they spread conspiracy theories 0:25:51.359 --> 0:25:54.320 about masks that lead to them occupying Ottawa. Um. So 0:25:54.520 --> 0:25:57.800 it can't the culture war battleground cannot be ignored. But 0:25:57.840 --> 0:25:59.720 at the end of the day, what we should rather 0:25:59.760 --> 0:26:02.320 than just like seeking new ways to engage with it, 0:26:02.320 --> 0:26:04.879 because the more you engage with it, and it is 0:26:04.920 --> 0:26:07.360 sometimes necessary to engage with but the more you engage 0:26:07.359 --> 0:26:10.439 with it, the stronger you make this whole thing, and 0:26:10.480 --> 0:26:13.200 the heavier it lies on all of us like a cloud. 0:26:13.720 --> 0:26:17.359 And in the only real way to actually win in 0:26:17.400 --> 0:26:19.359 the long run is to find a way to get 0:26:19.440 --> 0:26:22.280 off of that, to get out of this like this 0:26:22.320 --> 0:26:28.960 fucking treadmill of bullshit that has become everything all consuming, 0:26:29.000 --> 0:26:30.720 and it's it's in a lot of people's best interest 0:26:30.800 --> 0:26:35.160 for it to stay all consuming. Um, and I there's 0:26:35.200 --> 0:26:37.360 a there's a lot that's going on here because it's 0:26:37.359 --> 0:26:40.439 not I think sometimes when you criticize people for the 0:26:40.480 --> 0:26:44.280 actions they take in situations like this, they kind of 0:26:44.320 --> 0:26:47.080 interpreted as you saying, well, like you're stupid and you 0:26:47.160 --> 0:26:50.160 fucked up and never should have like done this, and 0:26:50.160 --> 0:26:52.160 and the way I think of it is more like 0:26:52.800 --> 0:26:55.640 this is a we have found ourselves trapped in a 0:26:55.680 --> 0:26:58.800 really messy situation and no one has figured out how 0:26:58.840 --> 0:27:00.719 to get out. So it's not a situation of like 0:27:00.760 --> 0:27:04.720 people are are dumb for having done something that's not effective. 0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:07.520 It's a situation of we are all trying to figure 0:27:07.520 --> 0:27:11.200 out what works in this new world we have kind 0:27:11.200 --> 0:27:15.520 of somewhat accidentally, somewhat purposefully built for ourselves, and it 0:27:15.640 --> 0:27:19.080 is important to have humility and be willing to accept it, like, 0:27:19.160 --> 0:27:21.280 you know what, that's not working, and we have to 0:27:21.280 --> 0:27:24.960 stop doing the thing that's not working. Rather than you know, 0:27:25.359 --> 0:27:27.480 treat it as if it's sort of a moral failing 0:27:27.560 --> 0:27:31.919 that something we we we tried was not effective. The 0:27:32.000 --> 0:27:33.760 last thing is it's like, really it's it's not just 0:27:33.840 --> 0:27:37.679 the non effectiveness, but also the the idea that the 0:27:37.720 --> 0:27:40.920 fact that this outrage is that just a constant is 0:27:40.960 --> 0:27:46.280 just a constant free bannerad for Spotify every everywhere online 0:27:46.640 --> 0:27:48.119 is like also not great. So it's not it's not 0:27:48.200 --> 0:27:51.000 even not not even just not effective, but you're just 0:27:51.040 --> 0:27:54.679 giving a corporation tons of free press. And maybe we 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:57.320 can reframe the way we approach these things so that 0:27:57.440 --> 0:27:59.879 we don't do that, because in the end, that's just 0:28:00.040 --> 0:28:02.600 kind of adding to promoting the misinformation that's kind of 0:28:02.680 --> 0:28:05.560 that's all that's kind of really doing. And it's not 0:28:05.840 --> 0:28:08.320 that's not nearly as you know, impactful as you know, 0:28:08.640 --> 0:28:10.800 just Rogan doing it himself, but it still is, it 0:28:10.840 --> 0:28:13.200 still is a contributing factor and and and it does 0:28:13.240 --> 0:28:16.439 contribute to the backfire effect of people who listen to 0:28:16.440 --> 0:28:19.000 his podcast. Maybe people who like don't even but they're 0:28:19.000 --> 0:28:22.199 still gonna get defensive over him because they're seeing this 0:28:22.240 --> 0:28:24.280 attack on him. And even though he's even though he 0:28:24.320 --> 0:28:26.920 is a huge figure he's seen as an outsider, so 0:28:27.400 --> 0:28:30.520 that that really does contribute to that back backfire effect 0:28:30.560 --> 0:28:33.680 thing of getting people more and more vested in him 0:28:33.760 --> 0:28:37.080 as a content creator. But yeah, it's really dumb. But 0:28:37.600 --> 0:28:39.120 the thing we need to deal with it, it's it's 0:28:39.120 --> 0:28:42.360 a version of the lesson people still didn't learn with Trump, 0:28:42.360 --> 0:28:46.920 which is that like, you can't you can't beat these 0:28:46.920 --> 0:28:49.520 people by dunking on them. It doesn't matter that Joe 0:28:49.600 --> 0:28:52.160 Rogan said something dumb. It doesn't matter that Joe Rogan 0:28:52.240 --> 0:28:57.160 is inconsistent, It doesn't matter that like Joe Rogan has 0:28:56.840 --> 0:28:59.840 tells lies or whatever. That's not going to change anybody's 0:28:59.840 --> 0:29:02.800 mind find about the dude, because it's not about Joe Rogan. 0:29:02.840 --> 0:29:06.880 They don't support him because they love They support him 0:29:07.080 --> 0:29:09.040 as much as anything. The people who are at least engaging, 0:29:09.120 --> 0:29:12.080 primarily online about it, most of his fans are just 0:29:12.440 --> 0:29:14.240 don't think about any of this because they're not as 0:29:14.240 --> 0:29:16.680 online as the rest of us. But the people who 0:29:16.680 --> 0:29:19.040 are kind of engaging with this and helping to fuel 0:29:19.040 --> 0:29:22.040 the culture war side of this thing, they don't care. 0:29:22.640 --> 0:29:26.720 There this This isn't about his inherent characteristics. This is 0:29:26.760 --> 0:29:29.960 about it's a chance to dunk on the enemy. Um so, 0:29:30.040 --> 0:29:32.200 like you, you're not going to convince them of anything. Ever, 0:29:34.200 --> 0:29:36.960 That's all I had to say on this. Yeah, I 0:29:37.000 --> 0:29:40.120 don't know. Yeah, because again, I really I really resisted 0:29:40.240 --> 0:29:43.400 writing this episode for a long time because I didn't 0:29:43.400 --> 0:29:46.000 want to add to the Rogan discourse. But after a while, 0:29:46.440 --> 0:29:50.400 the Rogan discourse itself became worth talking about. How we 0:29:50.480 --> 0:29:54.040 talk so because it is more of a meta angle, like, okay, 0:29:54.120 --> 0:29:56.920 that is actually worth talking about. But yeah, I am 0:29:57.040 --> 0:30:02.480 so tired of hearing, watching, and seeing the words too Rogan. Yeah, 0:30:02.600 --> 0:30:06.560 I'm exhausted by it. I hate that. Like it's a 0:30:06.560 --> 0:30:10.080 bigger story in the United States than the gigantic war 0:30:10.160 --> 0:30:14.280 that might break out in Eastern Europe. Um, it's it's 0:30:14.360 --> 0:30:17.440 just just a very frustrating time and the only way 0:30:17.440 --> 0:30:21.520 to win this particular game is not to play. Um. 0:30:21.600 --> 0:30:23.760 So that's that's why we're doing this. We're not going 0:30:23.800 --> 0:30:26.240 to stick his name in the description or the episode title. 0:30:27.040 --> 0:30:32.440 Um yeah it is. You know, the title we were 0:30:32.440 --> 0:30:34.240 working with this under that we're not going to use 0:30:34.400 --> 0:30:36.640 so as to not feed the algorithm was Joe Rogan 0:30:36.680 --> 0:30:39.680 the Egregor And that is really how I think about it. 0:30:39.760 --> 0:30:42.080 If you if you haven't listened to our episode on 0:30:42.720 --> 0:30:44.760 the book about the Flat Earth, book on Behind the 0:30:44.800 --> 0:30:49.360 Bastards that talks about as um and eggs. It's basically 0:30:49.400 --> 0:30:52.800 a god that is made up by the kind of 0:30:52.840 --> 0:30:56.360 directed thoughts of a population of people. It's like a 0:30:56.440 --> 0:31:00.600 costalt deity that exists like this thought form that if 0:31:00.600 --> 0:31:04.400 people put energy into it, it almost gains its own 0:31:04.960 --> 0:31:09.120 it's it's own like um um independence from the people 0:31:09.160 --> 0:31:11.120 that that like burst it, even though it is just 0:31:11.160 --> 0:31:12.959 like a thought form and it because it was just 0:31:13.000 --> 0:31:15.400 an idea or presence and now it basically is its 0:31:15.440 --> 0:31:18.960 own god that's self sustaining and it can impact the world. Yeah, 0:31:18.960 --> 0:31:22.479 global capital is an egregor And and the more that 0:31:22.640 --> 0:31:25.640 people kind of feed into the discourse around Joe Rogan, 0:31:26.160 --> 0:31:29.680 the more he turns into one kind of outside of 0:31:29.760 --> 0:31:33.920 his own actions, he this idea of him has an 0:31:33.920 --> 0:31:38.040 influence on everything around us. And boy, we don't need that, 0:31:38.120 --> 0:31:41.680 do we certainly did not just said we just put 0:31:41.720 --> 0:31:47.040 that one down, right, Try something else. Yeah, let's throw 0:31:47.040 --> 0:31:49.800 a brick at your sheriff instead. This will go better 0:31:49.840 --> 0:31:56.520 for you, I mean sure, sure, Chris, Yeah, Chris, Chris 0:31:56.520 --> 0:31:59.200 said it not me. Yeah, I mean obviously in Minecraft. 0:31:59.240 --> 0:32:02.600 He said, It's fine, Robert, Robert, Robert Robert, it's not 0:32:02.640 --> 0:32:06.680 Minecraft anymore. It's the roadblocks the feds cracked and Minecraft. Yeah, 0:32:06.680 --> 0:32:08.760 you're right. It's going to take weeks for them for 0:32:08.800 --> 0:32:13.560 them to their computers to realize what roadblocks is there. 0:32:13.800 --> 0:32:15.920 Look was a story I think I saw on Twitter 0:32:15.960 --> 0:32:18.440 about like like some yeah, so some some kids who 0:32:18.440 --> 0:32:21.560 actually legitimately got arrested in Brushford, like blowing up a 0:32:21.600 --> 0:32:25.120 building in Minecraft, so like like literally in the so 0:32:27.760 --> 0:32:32.080 uh yeah, and instead again again, it's roadblocks where nothing 0:32:32.120 --> 0:32:37.600 bad happens, nothing bad happens, all right, everybody get on roadblocks, um, 0:32:37.680 --> 0:32:40.920 and don't talk about Joe, and don't talk about Joe Rogan. 0:32:49.760 --> 0:32:52.440 Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not 0:32:52.560 --> 0:32:54.720 enough people know about, and we're here to change that. 0:32:54.920 --> 0:32:57.200 I'm April den What, the host of the new podcast 0:32:57.360 --> 0:33:02.120 Navigating Adoption presented by adopt Us. Each episode brings you compelling, 0:33:02.240 --> 0:33:05.280 real life adoption stories told by the families that lived them, 0:33:05.280 --> 0:33:09.120 with commentary from experts. Visit adopt us kids dot org, 0:33:09.200 --> 0:33:12.959 slash podcast, or subscribe to Navigating Adoption presented by adopt 0:33:13.040 --> 0:33:15.240 US Kids. Brought to you by the U S Department 0:33:15.240 --> 0:33:18.040 of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families 0:33:18.080 --> 0:33:22.600 and the ACT Council. M Hi, I'm Elizabeth Dutton and 0:33:22.680 --> 0:33:25.920 I'm Elizabeth Dutton. Wait sorry, Zaron, do you want to 0:33:25.920 --> 0:33:27.760 say your name? No, I'm good, good, go ahead. We're 0:33:27.800 --> 0:33:30.880 the hosts of Ridiculous Crime. People love true crime, right, 0:33:31.160 --> 0:33:34.840 the mystery, the intrigue, the human frailty. Totally. But what 0:33:34.920 --> 0:33:36.760 a lot of us don't like is the blood and 0:33:36.800 --> 0:33:38.840 the guts and the mayhem. Wait wait, wait, wait, some 0:33:38.880 --> 0:33:41.560 of us do like the mayhem. Okay, but let's be real, 0:33:41.760 --> 0:33:45.040 there's nothing funny about murder. Okay, that's our show gives 0:33:45.080 --> 0:33:48.320 you stories like the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr. And 0:33:48.360 --> 0:33:51.760 the Max Headrooms signal hijacking. Oh so you mean ridiculous 0:33:51.760 --> 0:33:56.680 stories like the UK cat Shaver and Pablo Escobars cocaine hippos. Yeah, 0:33:56.760 --> 0:33:59.920 stories like the dudes who Still Buzzy, the animatronic whateveryone 0:34:00.080 --> 0:34:02.280 is from Disney World, and the woman whose husband tried 0:34:02.280 --> 0:34:03.840 to kill her but came back from the dead and 0:34:03.880 --> 0:34:06.840 surprised him at her own funeral. Yeah, that does sound good. 0:34:06.920 --> 0:34:10.319 You can find this new podcast, Ridiculous Crime all over 0:34:10.320 --> 0:34:13.399 the place, the I Heart Radio app, the Apple podcast, 0:34:13.560 --> 0:34:15.440 or wherever you get your podcast. I don't know how 0:34:15.480 --> 0:34:20.400 you live Ridiculous Crime. Look for your children's eyes to 0:34:20.480 --> 0:34:24.000 see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook 0:34:24.040 --> 0:34:27.120 world for them. You look and see a tree, They 0:34:27.160 --> 0:34:30.560 see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched 0:34:30.560 --> 0:34:33.879 to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see 0:34:33.880 --> 0:34:37.000 a windy path that could lead to adventure, and they 0:34:37.040 --> 0:34:41.640 see you. They're fearless. Guide. Is this fascinating world? Find 0:34:41.640 --> 0:34:44.360 a forest near you and start exploring a Discover the 0:34:44.400 --> 0:34:46.880 Forest dot org brought to you by the United States 0:34:46.880 --> 0:34:55.920 Forest Service and the ad Council. Hundreds of truckers continued 0:34:56.000 --> 0:34:58.520 to roll east and with war joing the movement. With 0:34:58.560 --> 0:35:03.040 each passing city, links towards vaccine mandates have heightened. I 0:35:03.120 --> 0:35:06.680 advocate civil war. If people don't want to stand up, 0:35:07.040 --> 0:35:09.600 we got guns, will stand up and we'll bring them on. 0:35:09.719 --> 0:35:11.840 Sucking a guys, let's get pumped for this. Let's go 0:35:11.880 --> 0:35:14.279 to fucking Ottawa. Let's I want to see one of 0:35:14.280 --> 0:35:17.760 those truckers. I wouldn't prize, not not, not our guys obviously, 0:35:17.840 --> 0:35:20.440 but I would like to see our own January six event. 0:35:20.760 --> 0:35:23.160 See some of those truckers plow right through that sixteen 0:35:23.200 --> 0:35:36.200 football Welcome to It could happen here, or in this case, 0:35:36.320 --> 0:35:41.359 it did happen here, slashes still happening here, and uh 0:35:41.400 --> 0:35:44.920 the here in this case being Canada. In recent weeks, 0:35:45.560 --> 0:35:49.360 the idea of only a few thousand people totally choking 0:35:49.400 --> 0:35:53.280 a major city, holding it hostage to bargain for political demands, 0:35:53.400 --> 0:35:56.480 while overwhelming and getting a foot up on law enforcement, 0:35:56.800 --> 0:35:59.360 taking over and shutting down a sizeable portion of a 0:35:59.480 --> 0:36:04.800 popular metropolitan area and simultaneously blocking off supply lines, trade routes, 0:36:04.880 --> 0:36:08.120 and multiple international border crossings is exactly the kind of 0:36:08.120 --> 0:36:11.000 thing this podcast has been talking about for years as 0:36:11.000 --> 0:36:14.480 a potential anti government resistance tactic that could become more 0:36:14.600 --> 0:36:20.000 common as political tensions rise in North America. Specifically, a 0:36:20.000 --> 0:36:22.840 few weeks ago, when the so called Trucker Convoy was 0:36:22.840 --> 0:36:25.960 still in its planning stages, I wasn't super eager to 0:36:26.040 --> 0:36:28.520 cover it on the pod. Actually, I assumed it would 0:36:28.520 --> 0:36:31.520 be a flop and just another dumb anti COVID protest 0:36:31.600 --> 0:36:35.080 in a long line of anti COVID protests happening in Canada. 0:36:35.680 --> 0:36:38.160 Flash forward to me at the end of January, and 0:36:38.200 --> 0:36:41.480 it became apparent that I was sorely mistaken and this 0:36:41.520 --> 0:36:44.239 thing was shaping up to be a significant factor in 0:36:44.320 --> 0:36:49.399 Canada's political ecosystem going forward. In my haste to catch 0:36:49.480 --> 0:36:51.640 up to the moment, I recorded two episodes with the 0:36:51.640 --> 0:36:55.799 wonderful journalist Dan Cullen, explaining the situation as it was 0:36:55.920 --> 0:36:59.800 at the prospective times of recording. But as the tensions 0:36:59.800 --> 0:37:03.279 and Ottawa and all across Canada arose and the situation 0:37:03.360 --> 0:37:06.520 gained more and more complexity, I decided that the convoy 0:37:06.560 --> 0:37:11.280 and subsequent blockades required a more researched and scripted deep dive. 0:37:12.239 --> 0:37:14.440 The more I dug into the situation, the more it 0:37:14.560 --> 0:37:17.200 seems to embody the exact thing I was warning about 0:37:17.239 --> 0:37:20.600 in my two previous scripted episodes about Canada and the 0:37:20.640 --> 0:37:25.840 far right, titled Canadian Fascism A. The apologies for the title, 0:37:25.920 --> 0:37:27.640 but you can find those of you scroll through. It 0:37:27.680 --> 0:37:29.600 could happen here. Feed don't think they came out around 0:37:29.640 --> 0:37:33.920 like November ish. What I wanted to get across in 0:37:33.920 --> 0:37:37.000 those episodes is that Canada is often seen as an 0:37:37.280 --> 0:37:41.000 escape from the more divisive, violent, and fascist elements of 0:37:41.200 --> 0:37:46.560 US politics and culture. But just like climate change, capitalism, 0:37:46.640 --> 0:37:50.680 or any other enveloping force cough cough, hyper objects cough cough, 0:37:51.520 --> 0:37:56.399 fascism and the slide towards it can never be truly escaped. Right. 0:37:56.440 --> 0:38:00.279 There is no other, there is no away, and it's 0:38:00.360 --> 0:38:03.160 especially hard to see it when it's growing on the 0:38:03.200 --> 0:38:08.000 back of your own head, primarily through Islamophobia. Far right 0:38:08.080 --> 0:38:11.120 ethno nationalist tendencies have been bubbling under the surface of 0:38:11.160 --> 0:38:14.800 Canada for a long while, and since Trudeau has taken 0:38:14.800 --> 0:38:18.280 office in twenty fifteen, there has been a perfect politically 0:38:18.320 --> 0:38:22.640 allowed boogeyman to blame every problem onto That can include 0:38:22.640 --> 0:38:26.560 everything from Trudeau is taking away our oil and gas jobs, 0:38:26.680 --> 0:38:30.640 or Trudeau is bringing in Muslim terrorists to Canada, or 0:38:31.000 --> 0:38:35.400 Trudeau is starving your children through health man dates. Canadian 0:38:35.520 --> 0:38:38.760 right wing protests has been steadily growing the past five years. 0:38:39.200 --> 0:38:41.680 There's been multiple flare ups of far right rhetoric with 0:38:41.800 --> 0:38:44.960 the Canadian Yellow Vests, the Westerns that produced we Exit 0:38:45.239 --> 0:38:49.440 or Western Exit movement, and the pseudo fascist People's Party 0:38:49.440 --> 0:38:55.400 of Canada. The incorporation of pandemic conspiracies and anti vaccine 0:38:55.440 --> 0:38:59.640 sentiments into the already disaffected rural Canadian right wingers. Starting 0:38:59.640 --> 0:39:03.319 in twenty twenty and continuing to the present, has accelerated 0:39:03.400 --> 0:39:06.920 not only the conspiratorial fall right rhetoric among conservative voters, 0:39:06.960 --> 0:39:09.960 but also what is seen as a valid political action 0:39:10.160 --> 0:39:13.640 in those people's eyes. But before we get into how 0:39:13.719 --> 0:39:17.520 the convoy started with anger concerning COVID nineteen health man 0:39:17.600 --> 0:39:21.719 dates and misinformation concerning empty store shelves, we have to 0:39:21.760 --> 0:39:24.080 first go back in time to even before the COVID 0:39:24.160 --> 0:39:28.440 nineteen virus was a blip on anyone's radar. In February 0:39:28.520 --> 0:39:33.400 twenty nineteen, the Canadian Yellowsts organized something called the United 0:39:33.520 --> 0:39:37.080 We Roll Convoy. The result was around a hundred and 0:39:37.160 --> 0:39:40.680 seventy trucks driving cross country through the more liberal East 0:39:40.800 --> 0:39:44.560 to Ottawa. The result was around a hundred seventy trucks 0:39:44.920 --> 0:39:47.720 driving from the West cross country to the more liberal 0:39:47.760 --> 0:39:50.960 East and eventually to Ottawa. The goal was to represent 0:39:51.040 --> 0:39:54.319 the concerns of disenfranchised oil and gas workers in the 0:39:54.320 --> 0:39:58.719 Western provinces and their opposition to propose environmental and new 0:39:58.840 --> 0:40:03.759 energy policies. Yellow Vests Canada was largely founded by individuals 0:40:03.840 --> 0:40:07.439 already associated with Canada's far right, which at the time 0:40:07.520 --> 0:40:12.400 was primarily united through anti Muslim racism and Islamophobia. Inspired 0:40:12.440 --> 0:40:15.319 by the French Heelovest movement, they copied their aesthetics and 0:40:15.360 --> 0:40:18.799 adopted new grievances and reactionary matoric and we get them 0:40:18.840 --> 0:40:22.359 a much larger audience. By the time United We Roll 0:40:22.480 --> 0:40:24.960 arrived in Ottawa, the media started to catch on to 0:40:25.000 --> 0:40:29.000 the more problematic elements about their organization. Neo Nazi faith 0:40:29.040 --> 0:40:32.040 goal Eat spoke on a stage. Many members of hate 0:40:32.040 --> 0:40:35.160 groups responded in attendance, and with the numbers so low, 0:40:35.560 --> 0:40:39.520 it made their more extreme participants stick out. Instead of 0:40:39.520 --> 0:40:42.400 focusing the message on oil and gas, as they claimed 0:40:42.400 --> 0:40:46.160 to represent Western alienation from a distant liberal Ottawa, some 0:40:46.280 --> 0:40:50.319 of its participants seemed more interested in protesting Ottawa's immigration 0:40:50.440 --> 0:40:55.880 policies than arguing for specific fixes for Alberta's oil patch. Plus, 0:40:55.920 --> 0:40:59.160 if you peeked inside any Canadian yellow vest Facebook group, 0:40:59.520 --> 0:41:02.200 you would be letted with hundreds of examples of explicit 0:41:02.280 --> 0:41:05.360 anti Muslim racism and calls for a Prime Minister Justin 0:41:05.440 --> 0:41:10.240 Trudeau's arrest and execution, a theme that remains common among 0:41:10.640 --> 0:41:15.120 COVID conspiracy demonstrations today, but at the end of it, 0:41:15.360 --> 0:41:18.480 United We Rule was widely considered a bust, with only 0:41:18.480 --> 0:41:21.440 a few hundred participants in Ottawa, and despite raising almost 0:41:21.480 --> 0:41:24.360 a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, the organizers failed to 0:41:24.400 --> 0:41:27.120 exclose how much of that money was actually spent on 0:41:27.239 --> 0:41:31.280 convoy expenses like gas and food. Afterwards, the Yellows Canada 0:41:31.360 --> 0:41:34.120 movement started to kind of die out, though some holdouts 0:41:34.200 --> 0:41:38.160 kept smaller demonstrations going for months, particularly in the conservative 0:41:38.200 --> 0:41:42.160 oil province of Alberta. But to us now, United We 0:41:42.280 --> 0:41:44.319 Rule can be seen as a small test run for 0:41:44.360 --> 0:41:48.319 the current situation in in fact, it shares many of 0:41:48.320 --> 0:41:51.920 the same organizers and even the same promotional materials, except 0:41:52.080 --> 0:41:55.200 this time they have the added weight of many more 0:41:55.239 --> 0:41:59.960 people radicalized into conspiracism throughout the pandemic and much more funding. 0:42:00.600 --> 0:42:03.120 So with that in mind, let's dive into the components 0:42:03.160 --> 0:42:08.520 of the initial organizing effort. On January four, two go 0:42:08.640 --> 0:42:10.880 fund me account was set up for a so called 0:42:11.080 --> 0:42:15.160 trucker convoy ahead of the January fifteenth adoption of the 0:42:15.160 --> 0:42:19.000 mandate requiring all cross border transportation drivers to be fully 0:42:19.040 --> 0:42:23.640 vaccinated against COVID nineteen. Vaccine mandates in Canada have been 0:42:23.680 --> 0:42:28.480 in effect since October for ship crews, railways and airline workers, 0:42:29.080 --> 0:42:32.600 but effective January fifteenth, the federal government expanded the requirement 0:42:32.680 --> 0:42:35.400 to truck drivers returning from the States, and those who 0:42:35.440 --> 0:42:37.920 will remain unvaccinated will not be able to enter Canada 0:42:37.920 --> 0:42:41.480 without quarantine. One week later, a reciprocal policy went into 0:42:41.520 --> 0:42:44.359 effect in the United States for Canadian truckers crossing into 0:42:44.360 --> 0:42:47.279 their border, which means going forward, you cannot really cross 0:42:47.280 --> 0:42:51.120 the border at all, well remaining unvaccinated. At this point 0:42:51.120 --> 0:42:54.440 in mid January, a majority of Canadians still broadly supported 0:42:54.480 --> 0:42:57.319 health mandates aimed at limiting the spread of COVID, but 0:42:57.400 --> 0:42:59.560 a big part of the early propaganda push for the 0:42:59.600 --> 0:43:02.840 convoy was photos alleged to have been from current Canadian 0:43:02.840 --> 0:43:06.160 grocery stores which they were not, with barren empty shelves. 0:43:06.440 --> 0:43:10.320 The idea was that COVID restrictions were already severely impacting 0:43:10.320 --> 0:43:13.279 the supply line, and any additional mandates would begin to 0:43:13.280 --> 0:43:16.840 start with the population and effectively shut down international trade. 0:43:17.360 --> 0:43:19.480 Put a note in this idea, by the way, it 0:43:19.480 --> 0:43:23.719 will come up later. Ideas for another truck Convoy like 0:43:23.800 --> 0:43:26.799 United we Roll, have been tossed around for a while online, 0:43:27.680 --> 0:43:30.520 and with this new mandate on truckers and vaccines, a 0:43:30.680 --> 0:43:33.759 time presented itself to give the convoy idea another go. 0:43:35.360 --> 0:43:38.720 In the early Truck Convoy organizing, they were primarily four 0:43:38.840 --> 0:43:42.560 familiar far right faces who working together to set things up, 0:43:42.960 --> 0:43:45.880 none of whom are truck drivers. By the way, the 0:43:45.920 --> 0:43:49.080 originally listed organizers on the go fund me page were 0:43:49.120 --> 0:43:53.320 Tomorrow Litch and b J. Ditcher, Both have notable experience 0:43:53.360 --> 0:43:57.279 with far right organizing. Tomorrow Litch was born in my 0:43:57.360 --> 0:44:00.520 home province of Saskatchewan, but now Hey alls from the 0:44:00.560 --> 0:44:03.319 town of Medicine Hat, Alberta, where she served as an 0:44:03.400 --> 0:44:07.520 organizer for Yellow Vests Canada, a regional coordinator for the 0:44:07.600 --> 0:44:11.959 separatist Western Exit or Wexit movement in Alberta, and now 0:44:12.000 --> 0:44:15.120 the secretary for the Maverick Party, another far right extreme 0:44:15.160 --> 0:44:19.000 acceeparatist movement and fringe political party. Let's started attending and 0:44:19.000 --> 0:44:22.880 boosting Yellow Vest events starting in and her social media 0:44:22.920 --> 0:44:25.440 posts from around the time show in one moment calling 0:44:25.440 --> 0:44:28.400 out some hateful rhetoric from within the movement, while also 0:44:28.560 --> 0:44:32.319 posting islamophobic articles of her own and conspiracies about the 0:44:32.400 --> 0:44:36.840 Muslim brotherhood operating in Canada. A few days after the 0:44:36.880 --> 0:44:40.520 go fund me was created, Benjamin B. J. Ditcher, one 0:44:40.520 --> 0:44:44.360 time Conservative Party of Canada candidate, People's Party of Canada 0:44:44.360 --> 0:44:48.360 booster and co founder of a Canadian far right podcast network, 0:44:48.719 --> 0:44:52.160 appeared as a cool organizer on the go fund me page. 0:44:52.560 --> 0:44:57.120 Twenty nineteen. He claimed that Islamist entryism is rotting away 0:44:57.120 --> 0:45:00.920 our society like syphilis. Benjamin it Sure was also one 0:45:00.920 --> 0:45:03.120 of the first people to give a speech at the 0:45:03.160 --> 0:45:06.840 first proto fascist People's Party of Canada conference in Quebec, 0:45:07.120 --> 0:45:10.040 saying that the Conservative Party of Canada is suffering from 0:45:10.040 --> 0:45:13.319 the stench of cultural relativism and political Islam and a 0:45:13.320 --> 0:45:15.359 whole bunch of stuff you know in that general vein. 0:45:16.200 --> 0:45:19.279 James Botter was another one of the four key organizers 0:45:19.320 --> 0:45:22.840 of the Trucker convoy to Ottawa. Botter is an admitted 0:45:22.880 --> 0:45:25.560 conspiracy theorist who has endorsed Q and on and called 0:45:25.640 --> 0:45:29.279 COVID the biggest political scam in history. He's also a 0:45:29.320 --> 0:45:32.640 former activist with the Yellow Vests Canada and United we Role. 0:45:33.160 --> 0:45:37.279 Barter's main project, however, is running the Canada Unity website, 0:45:37.320 --> 0:45:39.960 which is one of the original nexus points for organizing 0:45:40.000 --> 0:45:43.640 and spreading word about this convoy. The group contends that 0:45:43.840 --> 0:45:48.279 vaccine mandates and passports are illegal under Canada's constitution, the 0:45:48.400 --> 0:45:53.040 Nuremberg Code, and a host of other international conventions. Boter 0:45:53.160 --> 0:45:56.440 has long been a fringe figure, but his movements started 0:45:56.480 --> 0:46:00.120 picking up steam and support as announcements and continuations of 0:46:00.160 --> 0:46:04.759 restrictions aimed at curbing COVID nineteen spread have continued. The 0:46:04.800 --> 0:46:08.000 supposed plight of the Trucker's proved to be a stympathetic 0:46:08.120 --> 0:46:12.040 cause on Facebook and attracted an array of fellow travelers. 0:46:12.920 --> 0:46:16.600 The last big major player is Patrick King, another former 0:46:16.680 --> 0:46:20.360 Yellow Vest one time major figure in the Wexit movement 0:46:20.600 --> 0:46:25.120 as well as United we Roll. On January two, pet 0:46:25.239 --> 0:46:28.480 King hosted a live stream for James Potter to promote 0:46:28.520 --> 0:46:31.759 the Canada Unity website and to announce it as the 0:46:31.800 --> 0:46:35.600 official page for the Freedom Trucker Convoy, or as they 0:46:35.600 --> 0:46:40.360 called it, Operation Bear. Hug. King is a conspiracy theorist 0:46:40.400 --> 0:46:44.319 and popular streamer that attracts the audience farther right than 0:46:44.400 --> 0:46:48.840 Canada's usual conservatives. Kings made headlines for drumming up fear 0:46:48.880 --> 0:46:52.279 and then following through with his supporters with violence at 0:46:52.360 --> 0:46:56.640 rally's put on by BLM and Antifa. Kings also known 0:46:56.680 --> 0:46:59.520 for spreading what are basically neo Nazi talking points, and 0:46:59.560 --> 0:47:01.880 I'm just a quote from an article by the Canadian 0:47:01.920 --> 0:47:04.279 Anti Hate Network here because they did a great job 0:47:04.480 --> 0:47:08.359 tracking his past extremism quote. In the past, King has 0:47:08.400 --> 0:47:11.759 gone on record about his feelings on the Anglo Saxon 0:47:11.840 --> 0:47:16.480 replacement that plans to quote flood Canada with refugees and 0:47:16.600 --> 0:47:20.040 subvert the education system, which is a thin rebranding of 0:47:20.080 --> 0:47:24.520 the Great Replacement theory touted by ethno nationalists. At other points, 0:47:24.480 --> 0:47:27.719 the King is expressed overtly racist and anti Semitic statements. 0:47:28.040 --> 0:47:31.440 In the twenty nineteen stream about the then upcoming federal election, 0:47:31.800 --> 0:47:33.799 King complained that he had to leave the movement due 0:47:33.800 --> 0:47:36.359 to their lack of success, saying, quote the election mote 0:47:36.400 --> 0:47:38.680 matter unless you want to change your national language to 0:47:38.800 --> 0:47:42.520 Chinese or Mandarin or Hebrew. He then went on to 0:47:42.560 --> 0:47:46.400 compare Chinese names to the sound of change falling downstairs. 0:47:47.120 --> 0:47:49.959 He is publicly distorted facts, but the Holocaust of form 0:47:50.000 --> 0:47:53.239 of Holocaust denial, saying I do know that the Holocaust 0:47:53.320 --> 0:47:55.680 was reduced to one point five million and not the 0:47:55.719 --> 0:47:58.239 six million that it was said to be. He then 0:47:58.280 --> 0:48:01.440 invoked the anti Semitic conspiracy theory that Jewish people are 0:48:01.520 --> 0:48:05.480 secretly in control of world governance, media, and finances, saying, 0:48:05.600 --> 0:48:09.360 quote the questions that have been asked several times to 0:48:09.520 --> 0:48:12.279 the A d L and to the Jewish government and communities, 0:48:12.840 --> 0:48:16.280 we have Jewish world bankers who are dictating our government 0:48:16.280 --> 0:48:22.800 policies and controlling our politicians unquote. So yeah. Considering King's 0:48:22.840 --> 0:48:27.360 history of saying blatantly fascist things, some organizers and Convoy 0:48:27.440 --> 0:48:31.000 supporters tried to distance King from the Freedom Convoy movement 0:48:31.520 --> 0:48:36.280 to not damage the initial fundraising effort. The controversy around 0:48:36.400 --> 0:48:39.360 King resulted in a statement being released onto the fundraising 0:48:39.440 --> 0:48:42.240 page saying King is not and has never been affiliate 0:48:42.320 --> 0:48:44.120 with our movement, nor has he been a part of 0:48:44.160 --> 0:48:48.920 our great team of volunteers. The update was afterwards deleted, 0:48:49.200 --> 0:48:51.760 and then King claimed in a video that the statement 0:48:51.800 --> 0:48:54.680 was a public relations move because he was being attacked online. 0:48:55.400 --> 0:48:58.080 For a while, King was still listed as the Northern 0:48:58.120 --> 0:49:02.920 Alberta contact for a western portion of the convoy. So 0:49:03.080 --> 0:49:05.880 those are the four people that laid the organizing groundwork 0:49:06.000 --> 0:49:09.200 that spawned this entire thing and put it into motion. 0:49:09.719 --> 0:49:12.080 But what made this convoy different from United We rule 0:49:12.200 --> 0:49:15.440 one point, oh is the almost two years of COVID isolation, 0:49:15.600 --> 0:49:17.920 which has given ample time for groups like the Yellow 0:49:17.960 --> 0:49:21.560 Vests and extreme far right groups to completely fold into 0:49:21.600 --> 0:49:25.480 the rapidly growing anti vax and COVID conspiracy movement in Canada, 0:49:25.960 --> 0:49:28.759 and along with that, using people's seething hatred of Justin 0:49:28.800 --> 0:49:32.360 Trudeau to radicalize thousands of thousands of people online to 0:49:32.480 --> 0:49:36.120 getting them more comfortable with the idea of participating in 0:49:36.160 --> 0:49:40.440 political protest. It's really important to mention that the protests 0:49:40.480 --> 0:49:44.400 are not organized by Canadian trucking unions or really Canadian truckers. 0:49:45.000 --> 0:49:47.640 The largest trucking unions have come out against the protests 0:49:47.920 --> 0:49:49.960 and they do not appear to reflect the values of 0:49:50.040 --> 0:49:53.640 most Canadians or most Canadian truckers. More than of the 0:49:53.640 --> 0:49:57.400 Canadian public is vaccinated, including almost of truckers, according to 0:49:57.520 --> 0:50:01.840 Canada's Minister of Transport. The Canadian Trucking Alliance issued a 0:50:01.880 --> 0:50:04.920 statement saying it does not support and strongly disapproves of 0:50:04.960 --> 0:50:09.080 any protests on public roads, highways or bridges. The Canadian 0:50:09.120 --> 0:50:11.440 Trucking Alliance President set in the joint statement with the 0:50:11.440 --> 0:50:14.640 Ministers of Labor and Transport that the Government of Canada 0:50:14.680 --> 0:50:17.879 and the Canadian Trucking Alliance both agree that vaccination used 0:50:17.880 --> 0:50:21.680 in combination with preventative health measures, is the most effective 0:50:21.680 --> 0:50:24.239 tool to reduce the risk of COVID nineteen for Canadians 0:50:24.239 --> 0:50:28.200 and to protect public health. According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, 0:50:28.280 --> 0:50:32.240 the mandate could impact around twelve to sixteen thousand Canadian 0:50:32.280 --> 0:50:36.440 commercial drivers, which is just about ten to fifteen percent 0:50:36.520 --> 0:50:41.000 of the industry's cross border drivers during the pandemic. Repeated 0:50:41.040 --> 0:50:43.840 polls have shown that a majority of Canadians support public 0:50:43.880 --> 0:50:47.160 health measures to contain the pandemic, but the number of 0:50:47.200 --> 0:50:50.560 Canadians who would like to see restrictions end has risen 0:50:50.600 --> 0:50:53.600 in recent weeks. With owner crown cases on the decline, 0:50:53.840 --> 0:50:57.799 some provinces are starting to remove restrictions and requirements, the 0:50:57.840 --> 0:51:01.320 public sentiment appears to be moving the direction of opening 0:51:01.360 --> 0:51:05.120 up communities. Throughout the last two weeks of January, the 0:51:05.200 --> 0:51:07.200 number of Canadians saying that they would like to see 0:51:07.200 --> 0:51:11.200 restrictions and has risen by fifteen percentage points to a 0:51:11.239 --> 0:51:15.360 majority of fifty percent, demonstrations have found a way to 0:51:15.440 --> 0:51:19.560 tap into pandemic fatigue among conservatives across the country. After 0:51:19.640 --> 0:51:22.480 months of lockdown, more than two thirds of Canadians have 0:51:22.520 --> 0:51:24.560 said they have very little in common with how the 0:51:24.560 --> 0:51:28.239 Ottawa protesters see things, but say that they have a 0:51:28.239 --> 0:51:30.759 lot in common, according to a recent survey connected by 0:51:30.760 --> 0:51:34.760 a Canadian research firm. Though the idea of vaccine mandates 0:51:34.760 --> 0:51:39.000 for Canadian truckers kind of prompted what turned into this convoy, 0:51:39.200 --> 0:51:42.560 very quickly became a general battle cry against pandemic restrictions 0:51:42.600 --> 0:51:46.080 as a whole, and the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 0:51:46.920 --> 0:51:50.800 Unlike United we Roll, the Freedom Convoy against health mandates 0:51:50.880 --> 0:51:54.200 was able to successfully capitalize on Western feelings of neglect 0:51:54.200 --> 0:51:57.200 and isolation from the ruling liberal elite in the East 0:51:57.400 --> 0:52:00.360 and in the capital of Ottawa. The right in Meadians 0:52:00.360 --> 0:52:03.880 at the right time flung the Trucker Freedom Convoy into 0:52:03.960 --> 0:52:06.839 the conservative zeitgeist. The original and girl fund me page, 0:52:06.880 --> 0:52:10.879 set up on January fourteenth to financially support convoy participants, 0:52:11.200 --> 0:52:14.000 was able to raise ten million dollars in just under 0:52:14.080 --> 0:52:18.120 three weeks. As the truck Convoy idea picked up steam. 0:52:18.280 --> 0:52:21.320 The first expected wave of attendees were planned to arrive 0:52:21.400 --> 0:52:26.160 in Ottawa on Saturday, January twenty ninth. Vehicles started rolling 0:52:26.200 --> 0:52:29.040 in a few days prior, throughout Thursday and the Friday 0:52:29.120 --> 0:52:31.759 night before the big day on the twenty nine, and 0:52:31.800 --> 0:52:34.480 as Saturday the twenty nine came, the numbers of trucks 0:52:34.480 --> 0:52:38.200 and protest participants greatly exceeded the initial expected numbers that 0:52:38.280 --> 0:52:41.600 I and many other people had figured, while obviously falling 0:52:41.640 --> 0:52:45.080 short of the heavily mocked fifty thousand truckers prediction made 0:52:45.080 --> 0:52:49.520 by some convoy supporters. While writing these episodes, I talked 0:52:49.560 --> 0:52:52.480 with Paul, a citizen of Ottawa who's been living inside 0:52:52.520 --> 0:52:55.880 the occupied zone since the twenty ninth of January, and 0:52:55.920 --> 0:52:58.400 this is what he had to say about expectations leading 0:52:58.480 --> 0:53:01.440 up to the convoys arrival. There was at least a 0:53:01.480 --> 0:53:04.160 week of lead up where we it was about all 0:53:04.200 --> 0:53:06.920 we heard about. So from when they sort of declared 0:53:06.920 --> 0:53:09.360 their intention to come down to when they started rallying 0:53:09.400 --> 0:53:11.400 and b C. And you know in the west and 0:53:11.480 --> 0:53:16.440 coming across Um, there was an anticipation that something was 0:53:16.440 --> 0:53:20.080 going to happen. And you know, people around here because 0:53:20.200 --> 0:53:23.200 like where I'm sitting right now is less than a 0:53:23.280 --> 0:53:27.120 kilometer from Parliament Hill and directly in between two of 0:53:27.120 --> 0:53:29.000 the streets that they've blocked off, sort of on the 0:53:29.040 --> 0:53:31.520 way into town. You know, we we were nervous, but 0:53:32.640 --> 0:53:34.600 we kind of were just sort of assuming it was 0:53:34.600 --> 0:53:36.279 going to be a one day affair. It was gonna 0:53:36.280 --> 0:53:39.560 be small at first, but then you heard I mean, 0:53:39.760 --> 0:53:45.480 nobody believed the fifty trucks and that like that was it. 0:53:45.640 --> 0:53:47.520 I mean, to put in perspective, the numbers that they 0:53:47.560 --> 0:53:50.880 were claiming were on their way here, um are larger 0:53:50.920 --> 0:53:53.320 than the entire population of the city by like a 0:53:53.360 --> 0:53:57.560 couple hundred thousand people, so that that didn't seem likely. 0:53:57.680 --> 0:54:00.960 But you know, when we were hearing that already forty thousand, 0:54:00.960 --> 0:54:04.000 when we heard about multiple convoys with you know, a 0:54:04.120 --> 0:54:06.279 hundred to two hundred trucks like that was when it 0:54:06.320 --> 0:54:12.240 was like, Okay, this isn't gonna be great. So people 0:54:12.440 --> 0:54:16.839 started arriving on what Friday, Saturday. The first group started 0:54:16.920 --> 0:54:19.960 rolling to town on Thursday night. Um, they were they 0:54:19.960 --> 0:54:21.920 were small in numbers. They didn't really start blocking anything 0:54:21.960 --> 0:54:23.840 off because they just weren't enough of them. So but 0:54:23.880 --> 0:54:27.239 you could hear the horns starting on Thursday night UM, 0:54:27.520 --> 0:54:29.120 and I think a lot of some of them were 0:54:29.200 --> 0:54:33.120 going into hotels. UM. They were smaller groups too, mostly 0:54:33.239 --> 0:54:39.239 from sort of local groups UM. And then around ten 0:54:39.280 --> 0:54:42.240 or eleven in the morning on Friday, UM, we started 0:54:42.280 --> 0:54:45.319 hearing reports at Kingston, which is about an hour issue away, 0:54:45.320 --> 0:54:47.440 an hour and a half UM that there was a 0:54:47.480 --> 0:54:50.080 group moving out of there. So around one o'clock in 0:54:50.080 --> 0:54:52.520 the afternoon Friday, the first group started to arrive and 0:54:52.520 --> 0:54:56.279 started to congregate downtown. And one of the things about 0:54:56.280 --> 0:54:59.080 Ottawa is UM it's a lot like a lot of 0:54:59.080 --> 0:55:01.680 big downtowns, it's out of one way streets. So the 0:55:01.719 --> 0:55:04.480 moment you get the trucks starting to get into intersections 0:55:04.560 --> 0:55:07.920 or near intersections, you're blocking off all passage in certain directions. 0:55:08.160 --> 0:55:11.880 So they started blocking off the northbound really quickly, just 0:55:11.920 --> 0:55:14.600 because that's where how they were coming in. UM. And 0:55:14.640 --> 0:55:17.359 there's only like three gas stations downtown as well, which 0:55:17.400 --> 0:55:19.200 is it kind of plays a big factor in the 0:55:19.280 --> 0:55:22.160 route that they took. So they all passed by, especially 0:55:22.239 --> 0:55:25.000 the passenger cars that were running mow UM passed by 0:55:25.040 --> 0:55:27.320 and through that way, and yeah, by about two or 0:55:27.400 --> 0:55:32.359 three o'clock in the afternoon. Everything south of Somerset, which 0:55:32.360 --> 0:55:35.560 is about a kilometer and a half from Parliament, was 0:55:35.600 --> 0:55:39.279 pretty much jammed at that point. As Saturday nights came, 0:55:39.600 --> 0:55:42.440 much of the group supporters and truckers alike spent that 0:55:42.600 --> 0:55:45.560 time partying late into the night as heavily backed up 0:55:45.560 --> 0:55:49.280 traffic continued to effectively shut down roads and large areas 0:55:49.280 --> 0:55:53.200 of the city around Parliament Throughout the weekend. Businesses in 0:55:53.239 --> 0:55:55.480 the surrounding areas that did not close ahead of the 0:55:55.480 --> 0:55:59.480 protest were swarmed by customers, many refusing to wear masks. 0:56:00.280 --> 0:56:02.759 A local Homa shelter and soup kitchen was harassed by 0:56:02.760 --> 0:56:06.120 convoy participants who were turned away from restaurants after refusing 0:56:06.160 --> 0:56:09.000 to wear a mask. A large number of the convoy 0:56:09.000 --> 0:56:11.680 attendees surrounded the shelter, demanding to be fed by the 0:56:11.719 --> 0:56:16.200 facility staff. According to the shelters president, convoy participants assaulted 0:56:16.200 --> 0:56:18.720 a client of the shelter and her old racial slurs 0:56:18.760 --> 0:56:22.000 at a security guard who attempted to intervene. Workers and 0:56:22.080 --> 0:56:25.040 volunteers at the shelter noted that parked vehicles blocked the shelter, 0:56:25.200 --> 0:56:28.400 making it difficult for ambliances to reach the facility and 0:56:28.520 --> 0:56:32.279 for staff to assist community members in need. A home 0:56:32.320 --> 0:56:34.560 in the downtown area was pelted with rocks and snow, 0:56:34.600 --> 0:56:37.680 as well as vandalized with human feces, all for showing 0:56:37.680 --> 0:56:40.840 a Pride flag in their window. The operations commander for 0:56:40.880 --> 0:56:44.040 the Ottawa Paramedic Service said that an ambiliance was pelted 0:56:44.120 --> 0:56:46.880 with rocks and paramedics checking the damage were called racial 0:56:46.880 --> 0:56:51.560 slurs by convoy participants. Ottawa Paramedics have since requested police escorts, 0:56:51.560 --> 0:56:55.920 citing safety concerns. More public backlash was prompted after reports 0:56:55.920 --> 0:56:59.080 surface of a monument dedicated to commemorating Terry Fox being 0:56:59.080 --> 0:57:01.680 covered in protests lines and being stage to hold an 0:57:01.760 --> 0:57:05.920 upside down Canadian flag. No restroom main Saturday night related 0:57:06.040 --> 0:57:09.399 to the convoy, but as the convoy stuck around even 0:57:09.440 --> 0:57:12.320 past the weekend, there was this growing feeling of downtown 0:57:12.360 --> 0:57:15.600 residents that they've been abandoned by the city and law enforcement, 0:57:16.160 --> 0:57:18.919 but the whole situation in response to the situation making 0:57:18.920 --> 0:57:22.120 them afraid to leave their homes. I asked Paul what 0:57:22.320 --> 0:57:25.000 his experience on the first weekend of the occupation was 0:57:25.440 --> 0:57:29.120 and the general feeling in the area of downtown Ottawa 0:57:29.280 --> 0:57:31.240 and you're living like right in the middle of this. 0:57:31.320 --> 0:57:33.680 How much has this affected like your day to day 0:57:33.720 --> 0:57:35.720 life and all like your neighbors and stuff like what 0:57:35.720 --> 0:57:37.960 what what are you able to do and not do 0:57:38.080 --> 0:57:42.959 at this point? Well, it's the weekend was was especially bad, 0:57:43.000 --> 0:57:44.760 and we're all kind of bracing for what this weekend 0:57:44.800 --> 0:57:46.560 is going to be because that's when you had just 0:57:46.920 --> 0:57:50.840 you know, there were between somewhere between ten and fifteen 0:57:51.080 --> 0:57:53.840 eighteen thousand people as the estimates have heard, um, all 0:57:53.840 --> 0:57:57.520 crowding downtown in the streets. So at that point, I 0:57:57.560 --> 0:57:59.280 mean that was when the police we're telling people not 0:57:59.360 --> 0:58:02.760 to wear a mask out um because you know, you're 0:58:02.840 --> 0:58:06.160 kind of putting yourself at risk, uh, because it'll be 0:58:06.200 --> 0:58:10.040 targeted for violence. Yeah. So I mean I was like 0:58:10.120 --> 0:58:12.520 basically anytime I've left the house. So we have a 0:58:12.560 --> 0:58:15.080 mask mandate still in effect in Ottawa, so you have 0:58:15.120 --> 0:58:17.760 to wear them indoors pretty much everywhere. Um, So I 0:58:17.800 --> 0:58:19.240 have to wear my building, I have to wear at 0:58:19.240 --> 0:58:21.280 the convenience store. If I'm gonna go go buy, say, 0:58:21.480 --> 0:58:23.120 you know, a pack of cigarettes, I'm not going to 0:58:23.200 --> 0:58:25.880 take it off. It's a thirty second walk and so 0:58:25.920 --> 0:58:29.360 that with that, the harassment around that started on Friday. UM, 0:58:29.440 --> 0:58:32.680 and then it just became anyone who was out and 0:58:32.720 --> 0:58:34.480 about that didn't look like they were part of it, 0:58:35.400 --> 0:58:39.480 UM started getting hassled. UM. Other people I know who 0:58:39.560 --> 0:58:42.240 live in the area, especially women, UM, have been targeted 0:58:42.360 --> 0:58:45.920 a great deal. UM. Anyone who's part of you know, 0:58:46.160 --> 0:58:51.840 the LGBTQ community has been It's it's not really just 0:58:51.960 --> 0:58:53.360 it's just not safe to be out on the streets 0:58:53.360 --> 0:58:54.959 and it's not really safe to show that you don't 0:58:55.160 --> 0:58:58.160 support what they're doing. At points since the convoy started 0:58:58.240 --> 0:59:01.200 arriving in Ottawa, the extreme elements of the protest have 0:59:01.360 --> 0:59:04.880 been pretty visible. Among the thousands of attendees were recognizable 0:59:04.880 --> 0:59:08.120 members of white nationalists, hate groups Neo not seeing Confederate 0:59:08.160 --> 0:59:11.560 flags were seen flying too and on. Logos were emblazoned 0:59:11.560 --> 0:59:14.360 on trucks and sides, and stickers were pasted on telephone 0:59:14.360 --> 0:59:17.960 polls around the occupied area baring Trudeau's face reading wanted 0:59:18.000 --> 0:59:22.640 for crimes against humanity, the official line from original convoy 0:59:22.800 --> 0:59:26.440 organizers minus Pat King, of course, however, has tried to 0:59:26.480 --> 0:59:30.040 remain focused. In a Facebook live broadcast, James Boder of 0:59:30.120 --> 0:59:33.360 Canada Unity instructed his supporters to stop talking about the 0:59:33.400 --> 0:59:36.840 vaccine and instead stick the messages of freedom. The goal 0:59:36.840 --> 0:59:39.960 of adopting a more restricted and relatable protest cause is 0:59:39.960 --> 0:59:43.880 to hopefully jump up more widespread support and validity, and 0:59:43.920 --> 0:59:46.600 it initially worked in some ways and not in others. 0:59:47.200 --> 0:59:50.040 Numerous members of the Conservative Party have come out to 0:59:50.080 --> 0:59:53.640 meet protesters, especially throughout the first few days now. Former 0:59:53.680 --> 0:59:57.480 Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole met with convoy participants, albeit 0:59:57.520 --> 1:00:01.040 away from the main protest site. Both People's Party of 1:00:01.040 --> 1:00:04.880 Canada leader Maxie and Bernair and Ontario Member of Provincial 1:00:04.920 --> 1:00:08.280 Parliament and leader of the de facto Ontario arm of 1:00:08.320 --> 1:00:11.440 the PPC, Randy Healer, who has made many recent and 1:00:11.600 --> 1:00:15.080 semitic comments, both gave speeches on Saturday the twenty nine 1:00:15.160 --> 1:00:17.959 in front of the Parliament building. People like Elon Musk 1:00:18.000 --> 1:00:21.040 and Donald Trump have both endorsed the convoy, and Fox 1:00:21.120 --> 1:00:24.600 News has been endlessly broadcasting glowing updates of the convoy 1:00:24.720 --> 1:00:29.040 since its arrival in Ottawa. According to the convoy participants 1:00:29.040 --> 1:00:32.080 and organizers, they are vowing to camp out in front 1:00:32.160 --> 1:00:34.920 of the Parliament until their demands of dropping all COVID 1:00:35.000 --> 1:00:38.920 nineteen health measures are met wild stated grievances can be 1:00:39.040 --> 1:00:42.160 broader and more vast on the ground. The current Memorandum 1:00:42.200 --> 1:00:45.640 of Understanding, posted on the Canada Unity website, which collected 1:00:45.640 --> 1:00:49.200 over thirty thousand signatures, served as a sort of bargaining 1:00:49.240 --> 1:00:54.120 pitch between the convoy and the Canadian government. The Memorandum 1:00:54.120 --> 1:00:57.640 of Understanding, or the m o U, calls on Canada's 1:00:57.640 --> 1:01:01.840 appointed senators and Canada's governor role the representative of Queen 1:01:01.840 --> 1:01:05.960 Elizabeth the second in Canada's constitutional monarchy, to abolish all 1:01:06.040 --> 1:01:10.000 COVID nineteen related restrictions and to allow all unvaccinated workers 1:01:10.000 --> 1:01:13.320 whose employment was terminated because of vaccine mandates to get 1:01:13.320 --> 1:01:16.720 their jobs back. James Potter, the guy who runs Canada Unity, 1:01:16.920 --> 1:01:19.200 insisted to his followers that the m o U would 1:01:19.280 --> 1:01:23.000 force the government's hand and possibly even trigger fresh elections 1:01:23.280 --> 1:01:27.520 if enough people signed. Another Canada Unity organizer went further, 1:01:27.880 --> 1:01:30.240 saying it would require the Senate to go after the 1:01:30.240 --> 1:01:34.120 Prime Minister for corruption and fascism, which, of course, there's 1:01:34.160 --> 1:01:36.280 no legal basis for any of these claims around the 1:01:36.440 --> 1:01:38.680 m o you, but you know that doesn't really matter 1:01:38.720 --> 1:01:41.440 in the end, because people still believe it. So it's 1:01:41.440 --> 1:01:43.760 going to have an impact on what they do. The 1:01:43.800 --> 1:01:47.360 more controversial Pat King laid out an alternative, however, a 1:01:47.440 --> 1:01:50.880 more direct plan of action to the occupiers. In a 1:01:51.000 --> 1:01:54.400 January Facebook livestream, King said that what we want to 1:01:54.400 --> 1:01:58.720 focus on is our politicians, their houses, their locations. If 1:01:58.760 --> 1:02:02.520 political pressure doesn't blocking major supply chains will be later on, 1:02:03.120 --> 1:02:07.120 so more more on that idea later. After the first 1:02:07.120 --> 1:02:10.520 weekend of protests kind of turned occupations, go fund me 1:02:10.600 --> 1:02:13.560 released a reported one million dollars of the total ten 1:02:13.600 --> 1:02:16.640 million raised for the convoy. As the end of the 1:02:16.640 --> 1:02:20.320 weekend approached, many convoy participants who rolled into the nation's 1:02:20.360 --> 1:02:23.280 capital began heading home, and the highways on Sunday night 1:02:23.360 --> 1:02:26.520 saw no shortage of vehicles heading away from Ottawa with 1:02:26.560 --> 1:02:31.080 their approtest signs and flags still in tow, but plenty 1:02:31.120 --> 1:02:34.400 of people stuck around to continue the fight. Thousands and 1:02:34.520 --> 1:02:37.360 thousands of people and hundreds of vehicles, including a fleet 1:02:37.400 --> 1:02:40.920 of semitrucks, commercial vehicles, r V campers, and regular cars 1:02:41.440 --> 1:02:43.520 were more than enough to keep the roads in a 1:02:43.600 --> 1:02:47.640 large portion of Ottawa around Parliament effectively shut down. I 1:02:47.680 --> 1:02:50.720 can't help but draw comparisons to the fear mongering narrative 1:02:50.800 --> 1:02:54.760 of bust fuls of Antifa, you know, protesters coming from 1:02:54.800 --> 1:02:58.200 out of town into places they don't live, terrorizing locals, 1:02:58.240 --> 1:03:01.240 shutting down cities. You know. The other comparison is to 1:03:01.280 --> 1:03:03.640 like the chop where the chas in Seattle was taking 1:03:03.640 --> 1:03:05.640 over a large portion of the city and how that 1:03:05.760 --> 1:03:09.920 was so vilified. Except, you know, this is so much 1:03:09.960 --> 1:03:13.760 bigger and impactful than anything so called Antifa or the 1:03:13.760 --> 1:03:17.520 Black Lives Matter protests have ever done, especially in Canada, 1:03:17.840 --> 1:03:21.000 in terms of actually impacting the functionality of a city 1:03:21.280 --> 1:03:25.920 and restricting the local, national, and international capitalist trade. The 1:03:25.960 --> 1:03:30.040 Freedom Convoy has done everything and more its proponents warned 1:03:30.080 --> 1:03:33.360 that Antifa was going to do to Canada. Obviously, part 1:03:33.440 --> 1:03:36.040 of the reason the Convoy protest was able to get 1:03:36.120 --> 1:03:39.360 to this point is not just because of its large size, 1:03:39.560 --> 1:03:43.000 but also the initial hands off approach by police that 1:03:43.080 --> 1:03:46.360 allowed the Convoy participants the opportunity to get a strong 1:03:46.440 --> 1:03:50.600 foothold within the city. The difference in initial law enforcement 1:03:50.600 --> 1:03:54.560 reaction to the protest Convoy made up of largely you know, conservative, 1:03:54.680 --> 1:03:57.960 middle class white Canadians, compared to other protests, like you know, 1:03:58.040 --> 1:04:01.440 the Black Lives Matter protests, or say the rcmps typical 1:04:01.520 --> 1:04:05.240 response to First Nations protests and blockings defending their land. 1:04:05.760 --> 1:04:10.040 The comparisons cannot be over analyzed. You know. The latter 1:04:10.080 --> 1:04:13.680 two forms of protest I mentioned actually do challenge societal 1:04:13.680 --> 1:04:16.960 power structures that prop up White Canada, while as this 1:04:17.080 --> 1:04:20.200 convoy protest does not and instead plays into those very 1:04:20.200 --> 1:04:24.040 power structures. That dynamic played a major role into how 1:04:24.040 --> 1:04:27.200 the police handled or didn't handle the first few days 1:04:27.240 --> 1:04:30.280 of the protest, in which during those early days the 1:04:30.320 --> 1:04:33.880 convoy attendees were free to build infrastructure that resulted in 1:04:33.920 --> 1:04:38.120 the protest escalating into a full scale occupation. The Monday 1:04:38.200 --> 1:04:41.320 after the first initial weekend, the city's mayor, Jim Watson, 1:04:41.400 --> 1:04:44.200 declared a state of emergency, but at that point Autawa 1:04:44.200 --> 1:04:47.080 Police thought it was already too late for the protest 1:04:47.160 --> 1:04:50.920 to be ended by sheer force without vastly increasing the 1:04:50.960 --> 1:04:54.200 likelihood of severe damage and life threatening outcomes to the 1:04:54.200 --> 1:04:58.440 convoy participants, police officers, and regular citizens of Ottawa. On 1:04:58.600 --> 1:05:02.720 February twod Ottawa Police East Chief Peter Slowly explicitly said 1:05:02.840 --> 1:05:05.520 that there may not be a police solution to ending 1:05:05.520 --> 1:05:10.000 the convoy and occupation. There are similar demonstrations taking place 1:05:10.160 --> 1:05:13.120 in many other parts of this country, indeed many other 1:05:13.160 --> 1:05:17.000 parts around this continent in the world. What happens here 1:05:17.040 --> 1:05:22.400 affects there. What happens there affects here. We have seen 1:05:22.440 --> 1:05:25.880 in the last twenty four hours attempts by other police 1:05:25.920 --> 1:05:28.840 and other jurisdictions to do just what you have suggested. 1:05:29.680 --> 1:05:33.240 They were not effective, and they created additional safety issues, 1:05:33.800 --> 1:05:38.920 potential life threatening safety issues. I have great compassion for 1:05:38.960 --> 1:05:42.480 those that have been significantly affected, if not traumatized, and 1:05:42.560 --> 1:05:47.120 we know criminally victimized. We will do everything we can 1:05:47.160 --> 1:05:49.480 to hold those who have done that to account. Will 1:05:49.480 --> 1:05:53.800 continue arresting and charging people as we have been. But 1:05:54.040 --> 1:05:59.280 any action taken without understanding the totality of the context 1:05:59.600 --> 1:06:04.160 that took, value the risk, it would be irresponsible. You're 1:06:04.160 --> 1:06:10.880 trying to be responsible, lawful, ethical, and measured. My last 1:06:10.920 --> 1:06:14.200 comment when I wrapped up, I'll share again now. The 1:06:14.280 --> 1:06:17.880 longer this goes on, the more I'm convinced there may 1:06:17.920 --> 1:06:23.520 not be a police solution to this demonstration. There are 1:06:23.560 --> 1:06:27.720 police chiefs commissioners across this country that are dealing with 1:06:27.760 --> 1:06:33.560 demonstrations that are starting underway and significantly advanced. This is 1:06:33.600 --> 1:06:37.720 a national issue not an Attawa issue. From the start. 1:06:37.760 --> 1:06:40.560 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been playing down the notion 1:06:40.600 --> 1:06:44.080 of a military response to the ongoing Ottawa protest. During 1:06:44.120 --> 1:06:46.720 the first week, he said that sending in troops is 1:06:46.760 --> 1:06:49.600 not in the cards right now. On the February second, 1:06:49.720 --> 1:06:51.720 the Automa police chiefs said that all options are on 1:06:51.760 --> 1:06:55.240 the table, including eventually calling in the military, but one 1:06:55.320 --> 1:06:57.960 must be very very cautious about deploying troops in Canadian 1:06:58.000 --> 1:07:01.400 soil in such cases. Trudeau said that a news conference 1:07:01.440 --> 1:07:03.840 in the February that it's not something that anyone should 1:07:03.960 --> 1:07:08.640 enter into lightly, with police basically leaving the Ottawa residents 1:07:08.640 --> 1:07:11.760 who live near and within the Convoy occupation to fend 1:07:11.760 --> 1:07:14.560 for themselves. I was curious what sorts of things the 1:07:14.560 --> 1:07:17.880 local community might be doing to live around this massive, 1:07:17.920 --> 1:07:22.160 conspiracy filled group of reactionary out of town campers. What 1:07:22.280 --> 1:07:24.480 sort of things have the has the community been doing 1:07:24.520 --> 1:07:29.280 to kind of help survive this this Like has there 1:07:29.280 --> 1:07:31.400 been like mutual aid projects in the neighborhood to help 1:07:31.400 --> 1:07:33.840 support other neighbors, you know that that sort of thing 1:07:34.320 --> 1:07:36.560 there have Um, it's actually been kind of wonderful the 1:07:36.560 --> 1:07:38.920 way the community has been coming together, especially after two 1:07:38.960 --> 1:07:41.040 years of pandemic where we've all been kind of like 1:07:41.080 --> 1:07:44.840 Ottawa and Ontario have been one of the more restricted 1:07:44.920 --> 1:07:48.240 jurisdictions in North America. UM. I mean, and I say 1:07:48.280 --> 1:07:50.760 this as a restaurant manager, like in my opinion rightly so, 1:07:50.840 --> 1:07:52.760 like it's about keeping people safe, and we've done a 1:07:52.800 --> 1:07:55.600 fairly good job of that by and large. But the 1:07:55.680 --> 1:07:58.560 thing is that, you know, our community hasn't felt a 1:07:58.600 --> 1:08:01.240 lot like a community in a while. And this week, 1:08:01.600 --> 1:08:04.920 I mean, one of the few positives has been UM 1:08:04.960 --> 1:08:08.080 both individuals and organizations, so I mean, ROWS and some 1:08:08.120 --> 1:08:09.920 of the other organizations that we mentioned on Friday have 1:08:09.960 --> 1:08:12.520 done a great job. There's also been some really really 1:08:12.520 --> 1:08:15.760 great organic organizing coming out of UM, some activists as 1:08:15.800 --> 1:08:18.840 well as just people in the community. So there's a 1:08:18.840 --> 1:08:21.479 a few discord servers set up right now. So there's 1:08:21.479 --> 1:08:23.880 been a huge issue with people, people with disabilities and 1:08:23.880 --> 1:08:27.679 the elderly getting groceries because deliveries aren't possible downtown UM. 1:08:27.880 --> 1:08:30.880 So it started on Twitter, UM, but there's been an 1:08:31.000 --> 1:08:33.960 organization set up to help people get those groceries, whether 1:08:34.000 --> 1:08:36.880 it's a cost issue or just a physical delivery issue. 1:08:36.880 --> 1:08:40.160 We're ensured. People are ensuring that that's happening. Um as 1:08:40.200 --> 1:08:44.000 of today, UM, there's gonna be a safe Walks program. Um, 1:08:44.040 --> 1:08:46.160 there's well, there's two. There's one on discord where it's 1:08:46.160 --> 1:08:48.040 people offering to you know, make sure you can get 1:08:48.040 --> 1:08:52.759 through the space safe. Today though, Um, in a positive 1:08:52.800 --> 1:08:54.760 and more passive sense, we kind of started taking the 1:08:54.760 --> 1:08:58.519 streets back. So UM, we had about four or five 1:08:58.560 --> 1:09:00.920 groups of people ranging from town in the fifty just 1:09:00.920 --> 1:09:04.160 just walking the streets and not not confronting anybody, not 1:09:04.240 --> 1:09:07.240 getting getting into any direct engagement, just going out to 1:09:07.280 --> 1:09:09.519 show that we can still walk on our streets and 1:09:09.800 --> 1:09:13.200 letting our you know, our our neighbors know that we 1:09:13.240 --> 1:09:16.240 can actually be together and you know, stand up just 1:09:16.600 --> 1:09:19.120 to be together, which is something that I think a 1:09:19.120 --> 1:09:21.320 lot of people have lost over the last week. I mean, 1:09:21.400 --> 1:09:24.000 like the fact that that's even a big step is 1:09:24.200 --> 1:09:29.040 showing how tired the situation is. The fact that just 1:09:29.400 --> 1:09:31.960 getting to that point we're walking around in a group 1:09:31.960 --> 1:09:35.679 where you feel safe is like a big thing. That. Yeah, 1:09:35.720 --> 1:09:39.840 that's like a really interesting and horrible indicator of what 1:09:39.880 --> 1:09:42.559 the mood has been like there for people like living 1:09:42.680 --> 1:09:45.760 in this area. That is yeah, that is a big 1:09:45.760 --> 1:09:47.360 part of it. And it's something that was actually talked 1:09:47.400 --> 1:09:49.680 about a lot today, which was how refreshing it was 1:09:49.720 --> 1:09:51.439 to be able to do it, but also that it 1:09:51.439 --> 1:09:54.719 shouldn't feel radical to take a safe walk in your community, 1:09:54.760 --> 1:09:58.920 but it somehow did um and it speaks a lot 1:09:58.960 --> 1:10:02.360 to this feel things, the lack of safety, of the 1:10:02.400 --> 1:10:05.720 loss of you know, safety in this community and has 1:10:05.760 --> 1:10:09.479 been pretty immense. I should mention that another community led 1:10:09.520 --> 1:10:13.720 effort to deal with the occupation is the ram Ranch Resistance, 1:10:13.960 --> 1:10:16.280 a loose the organized counter movement to the Chuck Our 1:10:16.360 --> 1:10:20.160 Convoy that started with people joining the convoys online communications 1:10:20.240 --> 1:10:24.439 channels and blasting the home of erotic country song ram Ranch. 1:10:25.160 --> 1:10:27.840 The song is by a Canadian artist and features some 1:10:27.960 --> 1:10:32.439 flawless lyrics like eighteen naked cowboys wanting to be fucked, 1:10:32.600 --> 1:10:35.800 cowboys in the showers at ram Ranch on their knees 1:10:35.920 --> 1:10:40.680 wanting to suck cowboy cox. Ram Ranch really rocks. The 1:10:40.720 --> 1:10:46.320 result is not only making the convoy folks uncomfortable because gay, 1:10:46.360 --> 1:10:49.560 but also it is hijacking and making their online communications 1:10:49.640 --> 1:10:53.000 channels kind of useless for any non cowboy cock sucking 1:10:53.000 --> 1:10:58.480 political organizing efforts disruptive resistance to the convoys online communications 1:10:58.560 --> 1:11:01.000 is not just limited to the ram Ranch song, however, 1:11:01.479 --> 1:11:04.400 Other vulgar songs have also been introduced into the chats 1:11:04.439 --> 1:11:07.120 as well. I'm gonna just kind of give you a 1:11:07.200 --> 1:11:11.400 brief look at what it's like inside these chats, right Yeah, 1:11:11.520 --> 1:11:13.880 I'm gonna. I'm gonna, I'm gonna role play it. The 1:11:14.000 --> 1:11:16.639 ram Ranch guys are finally gone. It's about freaking time. 1:11:16.720 --> 1:11:18.800 I've had to shut that stuff off. One person has 1:11:18.920 --> 1:11:21.840 heard saying and a clip from a chat immediately followed 1:11:21.880 --> 1:11:25.080 by a robotic voice saying, welcome to the come zone. 1:11:25.240 --> 1:11:28.880 Only come inside anime girls, quivering clip, double jointed pussy 1:11:29.000 --> 1:11:32.280 fresh balls. Since then, the movement has taken on as 1:11:32.280 --> 1:11:34.080 something of a life of its own. The ram Ranch 1:11:34.120 --> 1:11:36.960 Resistance hashtag has been used as a way for people 1:11:36.960 --> 1:11:41.000 to share information regarding the convoy, and welcome to the 1:11:41.080 --> 1:11:43.599 ram Ranch signs have been popping up at convoy counter 1:11:43.640 --> 1:11:47.799 protests around the country. Another ram rancher created the website 1:11:47.880 --> 1:11:51.080 ram Ranch dot c, a linking to downtown organizations that 1:11:51.120 --> 1:11:53.840 have been impacted by the trucker convoy, as well as 1:11:53.920 --> 1:11:58.640 charities aiding indigenous people's as the convoy settled in, it 1:11:58.680 --> 1:12:01.280 appeared that the demonstrators and the government had reached a 1:12:01.400 --> 1:12:04.759 sort of stalemate. Currently, there are more than four hundred 1:12:04.800 --> 1:12:08.160 trucks parked downtown and Ottawa Police say that they can't 1:12:08.240 --> 1:12:11.599 move them because the two operators with city contracts are 1:12:11.600 --> 1:12:15.360 refusing to help, making matters only more difficult. Police say 1:12:15.360 --> 1:12:18.080 that families with children are sleeping in approximately a quarter 1:12:18.200 --> 1:12:21.479 of those trucks. To get an idea of what some 1:12:21.600 --> 1:12:25.559 Autawa residents who live within the occupied zone see in 1:12:25.680 --> 1:12:28.719 terms of a potential end in sight, I posed Paul 1:12:28.920 --> 1:12:32.519 this question, how do you even see the situation resolving 1:12:32.520 --> 1:12:34.320 at this point? Like do you do you think they're 1:12:34.439 --> 1:12:36.160 like the truckers and the people who are in the 1:12:36.200 --> 1:12:39.479 city are gonna are gonna back down and leave eventually, 1:12:39.600 --> 1:12:41.680 or like or do you think they have to be 1:12:41.720 --> 1:12:43.920 forced out? Like what do you see kind of an 1:12:44.000 --> 1:12:48.120 end to this at this point? Well, it's at this point. 1:12:48.520 --> 1:12:50.160 Probably one of the hardest things to admit is that 1:12:50.200 --> 1:12:53.960 I don't um the hardest core that are here committed. 1:12:54.040 --> 1:12:57.439 They have a significant amount of funding behind them. And 1:12:57.479 --> 1:13:01.040 the thing is that you know, with an OCCU patient protests, 1:13:01.560 --> 1:13:03.960 they if you don't nip it in the bud. It's 1:13:03.960 --> 1:13:07.240 snowballs and gathers momentum for a while, um, and I 1:13:07.280 --> 1:13:09.400 mean eventually they either peter out or they have to 1:13:09.400 --> 1:13:13.479 be removed. And this one is still snowballing. Um. We've 1:13:13.479 --> 1:13:17.160 seen some more extreme elements coming into the city this week. Um. 1:13:17.240 --> 1:13:23.479 Yesterday Romana did dulo the human on Queen of Canada 1:13:23.560 --> 1:13:26.920 arrived in birth Brent the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill, 1:13:26.960 --> 1:13:29.160 which whatever you think about the Canadian flag, and it's 1:13:29.320 --> 1:13:32.680 simple as a simpler propression. Um, you know, that's not 1:13:32.720 --> 1:13:35.160 a great look for them. But the other side of 1:13:35.200 --> 1:13:36.679 it is is that this is a woman with seventy 1:13:36.720 --> 1:13:39.679 thou followers who you know, has called for the mass 1:13:39.680 --> 1:13:44.240 execution of her enemies, and you know is currently parked 1:13:44.240 --> 1:13:46.800 in or Winnebago two and a half blocks from my 1:13:46.840 --> 1:13:50.680 house right now, um so and with a bunch of 1:13:50.680 --> 1:13:55.360 her followers down with her. And so they're committed. They 1:13:55.439 --> 1:14:00.360 know they don't know that I did occupy a lot 1:14:00.360 --> 1:14:03.400 of years ago. And the question that people asked us, 1:14:03.400 --> 1:14:06.120 and sometimes it was the police, was what gets you 1:14:06.160 --> 1:14:09.120 out of the park. And in a weird way, there's 1:14:09.160 --> 1:14:11.840 a parallel here which is that the hardest answer with 1:14:11.880 --> 1:14:15.120 occupy was always kind of like, everything is kind of fucked, 1:14:15.240 --> 1:14:18.320 so how do we fix everything? That's the discussion we 1:14:18.320 --> 1:14:21.240 should be having. So in this case, to these people, 1:14:22.000 --> 1:14:26.240 in their worldview, everything is kind of fucked, and there's 1:14:26.280 --> 1:14:28.120 no answer that you can give those kind of people 1:14:28.120 --> 1:14:32.240 in negotiations. The police right now are not looking at 1:14:32.280 --> 1:14:34.639 removal as a serious option, I don't think, or if 1:14:34.640 --> 1:14:37.400 they are, they haven't figured out how to get to 1:14:37.439 --> 1:14:39.960 that place yet. And one of the weird things about 1:14:39.960 --> 1:14:44.800 Ottawa is is that technically in various spaces because the 1:14:44.800 --> 1:14:48.719 way it's designated, there's a whole mishmash of jurisdictions between 1:14:48.720 --> 1:14:52.680 the various police agencies. So like again with occupy, that 1:14:52.720 --> 1:14:54.959 we picked the park, like the park that was occupied 1:14:55.000 --> 1:14:58.800 was partially picked because it was on like this weird 1:14:58.920 --> 1:15:01.920 jurisdictional hole where it was hard to figure out who 1:15:01.920 --> 1:15:05.439 the cops were at, who should police it were, um so, 1:15:05.600 --> 1:15:07.360 and they've ended up in the same park where they 1:15:07.360 --> 1:15:12.200 now have like fifty five cylinders appropane sitting about five 1:15:12.560 --> 1:15:15.280 yards from the Department of National Defense. So it's a 1:15:16.760 --> 1:15:18.800 it's tricky to figure out how you how you get 1:15:18.880 --> 1:15:20.160 get out of that, because all it's going to take 1:15:20.200 --> 1:15:21.559 is one of them with something in their cab and 1:15:21.560 --> 1:15:25.840 it's done. Yep. Ye. Well, do you have any hope 1:15:25.840 --> 1:15:28.360 for anything? Do you have any like indicators for how 1:15:28.400 --> 1:15:32.680 it can turn out? Well, I mean in terms of 1:15:32.720 --> 1:15:35.960 the occupation, I mean, we'll see how it goes. Um, 1:15:36.000 --> 1:15:38.599 maybe there can become some kind of motors vivendi between 1:15:39.200 --> 1:15:41.080 them and the rest of the city. I don't know 1:15:41.120 --> 1:15:43.720 how that happens, but maybe there can be, but I 1:15:43.720 --> 1:15:47.040 don't know. It's the only silver lining I see right 1:15:47.040 --> 1:15:49.920 now is you know, the walk that I was on 1:15:49.960 --> 1:15:52.280 earlier today and the chat that I was having with 1:15:52.280 --> 1:15:55.240 other people in the community and the discord server and 1:15:55.320 --> 1:15:59.360 everywhere else, like, this is a really strong community that 1:15:59.400 --> 1:16:01.519 cares a great about itself and sometimes needed to be 1:16:01.640 --> 1:16:04.200 needs to be reminded of that. And uh, I think 1:16:04.200 --> 1:16:06.040 this is an opportunity for that to happen. Then I 1:16:06.040 --> 1:16:08.960 think that that's the positive that can come out, is 1:16:09.000 --> 1:16:10.800 that we will take care of ourselves and we'll take 1:16:10.840 --> 1:16:13.559 care of each other. And that's uh. You know what, 1:16:13.560 --> 1:16:15.040 what more can you ask? Where I guess out of this? 1:16:15.600 --> 1:16:18.759 Reports of assaults perpetrated by members of the Convoy protest 1:16:19.000 --> 1:16:22.160 have been steadily ruling in the past few weeks, not 1:16:22.240 --> 1:16:24.960 to mention the seemingly constant presence of honking in the 1:16:25.000 --> 1:16:28.599 downtown area that's been affecting residents every day and even 1:16:28.680 --> 1:16:31.719 into the night. I will offer you this short sample 1:16:31.840 --> 1:16:34.240 to help complete the picture of what it's like, both 1:16:34.280 --> 1:16:54.240 indoors and outdoors in downtown Ottawa. So apologies about that. Yeah, 1:16:54.280 --> 1:16:57.200 that was pretty bad and as annoying and frustrating as 1:16:57.200 --> 1:16:59.559 it may be. Before I close out part one, I'm 1:16:59.600 --> 1:17:01.639 going to play some audio from one of the truckers 1:17:01.720 --> 1:17:05.400 or you know, just Convoy participants as he addresses fellow 1:17:05.560 --> 1:17:09.560 convoy ors on why it's good and in fact revolutionary 1:17:09.680 --> 1:17:13.160 to hunk horns late into the night. I think it 1:17:13.200 --> 1:17:15.960 gives you some valuable insight into how these people frame 1:17:16.080 --> 1:17:19.040 their actions in their own heads, and you know, it'll 1:17:19.080 --> 1:17:21.559 give you an opportunity to hear some of these Convoy 1:17:21.600 --> 1:17:25.360 people directly. So here we go. Yeah, what's going on? 1:17:26.040 --> 1:17:28.280 There was quiet when I got here, but now they're 1:17:28.280 --> 1:17:31.479 starting to be They're starting to make some noise. Now 1:17:31.520 --> 1:17:33.559 I get it. I saw some proments saying that you 1:17:33.560 --> 1:17:35.240 want to go from nine to five, and you want 1:17:35.240 --> 1:17:37.400 to turn your horns off, and you want to you know, 1:17:37.560 --> 1:17:40.360 be respectful and play the optics war. And you've done 1:17:40.360 --> 1:17:42.880 You've done all the map man, I get it. I 1:17:43.160 --> 1:17:46.800 We've done everything. Every piece of garbage has been picked up. Statistically, 1:17:46.840 --> 1:17:49.360 there is no crime. And when I mean statistically, if 1:17:49.400 --> 1:17:52.160 you have some drunk guy acted, you know, silly on 1:17:52.160 --> 1:17:55.120 one street quickly gets you know, talk to and then 1:17:55.120 --> 1:17:57.080 the Patriots taken back to his car and maybe there 1:17:57.120 --> 1:17:59.879 was something incident of mission. I've heard reports of Antima 1:18:00.040 --> 1:18:02.479 rowing rocks and trucks, tag and stuff. They're the ones 1:18:02.520 --> 1:18:04.640 committing the crime. But other than that, this has been 1:18:04.680 --> 1:18:07.760 the most well behave revolution on earth. And now the 1:18:07.840 --> 1:18:10.559 big complaint is can you get them to only blow 1:18:10.600 --> 1:18:14.800 their horns between nine and five? I'm sorry, what has 1:18:14.840 --> 1:18:18.000 compliant got you guys so far? What is just little 1:18:18.040 --> 1:18:20.679 by little? Oh? Just do this? Yeah, just just don't 1:18:20.680 --> 1:18:22.680 peep your horns between nine and five, That's all we're 1:18:22.680 --> 1:18:26.559 gonna ask. Then were two masks, then just go right 1:18:26.560 --> 1:18:29.439 back to square one. How about you put your blame 1:18:29.560 --> 1:18:32.560 right where it belongs, right in the eye of Sauron, 1:18:33.479 --> 1:18:36.520 And that's who we handle this with and every mandate. 1:18:36.680 --> 1:18:39.080 We're not allowed to exist in society. I'm not allowed 1:18:39.080 --> 1:18:40.320 to go to a movie. I'm not allowed to go 1:18:40.360 --> 1:18:43.160 to a restaurant. I'm not allowed to leave the country. 1:18:43.320 --> 1:18:47.320 You can't even leave, you can't travel on planes, you 1:18:47.400 --> 1:18:49.960 can't do anything that Trudeau can get his fingers on 1:18:50.000 --> 1:18:54.360 to discriminate against us in society. Meanwhile, he'll blame us 1:18:54.760 --> 1:18:58.479 for side effects of his guinea pigs. It's an insane world. 1:18:58.520 --> 1:19:01.600 And you've complied long enough, eyes and the madness in 1:19:01.680 --> 1:19:03.920 the horns stop. But I am in no place to 1:19:03.960 --> 1:19:06.320 go tell these guys, oh excuse me? Can you turn 1:19:06.360 --> 1:19:08.880 your horn off? Can you get used to complying again? 1:19:09.400 --> 1:19:12.240 We want freedom. We're not asking for anything unreasonable, and 1:19:12.280 --> 1:19:14.360 we're doing it on your behalf. The least you can 1:19:14.360 --> 1:19:16.920 do is turn off your televisions and stop letting their 1:19:17.000 --> 1:19:21.000 horrible objections to this revolution, and they're horrible false flags 1:19:21.240 --> 1:19:24.160 and whatever else they bring. I'm sorry about the noise complaints. 1:19:24.520 --> 1:19:27.439 Now are you sorry about banishing me from society and 1:19:27.479 --> 1:19:30.160 treating me like I'm some sort of lemm because I 1:19:30.200 --> 1:19:34.519 want to keep my immune system intech. Sorry, guys, the 1:19:34.640 --> 1:19:37.960 horns a stand stuff it up your ass. Anyone that 1:19:38.080 --> 1:19:40.639 has a problem with loud noises, we have a problem 1:19:40.720 --> 1:19:45.320 being banished from society. Apologies for that. But now I 1:19:45.320 --> 1:19:47.920 hope you have a better understanding of the type of 1:19:47.920 --> 1:19:51.840 conspiratorial thinking among the people in this convoy and the 1:19:51.920 --> 1:19:56.200 importance this whole thing means to them. So with this, 1:19:56.400 --> 1:19:59.000 that wraps up my part one of my deep dive 1:19:59.080 --> 1:20:03.120 into the Canadian Freedom Convoy. In the next episode, we'll 1:20:03.160 --> 1:20:06.479 get into the border blockades both in Alberta and the 1:20:06.520 --> 1:20:10.280 Ambassador Bridge, which is preventing some international trade. We'll get 1:20:10.280 --> 1:20:12.880 into some of the smaller protests and attempted occupations in 1:20:13.000 --> 1:20:16.439 other cities across Canada, and how the situation is evolving 1:20:16.479 --> 1:20:19.840 in Ottawa and what types of long term political ramifications 1:20:19.920 --> 1:20:22.800 this protest and any attempt to suppress it will have. 1:20:23.720 --> 1:20:36.320 So with that, see you on the other side. If 1:20:36.360 --> 1:20:38.800 I could be you and you could be me for 1:20:38.920 --> 1:20:41.320 just one hour, if you could find a way to 1:20:41.400 --> 1:20:45.519 get inside each other's mind, walk a mile in my shoes, 1:20:45.800 --> 1:20:50.360 wac a mile in my shoes shoes. We've all felt 1:20:50.439 --> 1:20:53.640 left out, and for some that feeling lasts more than 1:20:53.680 --> 1:20:57.160 a moment. We can change that learn how it belonging 1:20:57.240 --> 1:20:59.559 begins with us dot org, brought to you by the 1:20:59.600 --> 1:21:08.559 account us all. I'll come out in the shine. Have 1:21:08.760 --> 1:21:11.400 you ever wanted to learn about cryptocurrency but don't know 1:21:11.439 --> 1:21:15.000 where to start, Well, the Coin Bureau podcast is here 1:21:15.040 --> 1:21:17.559 to help. My name is Guy. I'm the host of 1:21:17.600 --> 1:21:20.320 the biggest crypto channel on YouTube, and I've persuaded my 1:21:20.400 --> 1:21:24.400 old friend Mike to sit down and talk crypto with me. 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Welcome to it could happen here And 1:22:47.080 --> 1:22:50.439 the second part of my little mini series going into 1:22:50.479 --> 1:22:56.360 the occupation and blockade protests all across Canada that's been 1:22:56.360 --> 1:23:00.320 happening the past three weeks. For part two, will be 1:23:00.320 --> 1:23:04.240 starting off with a change of scenery. Instead of the loud, 1:23:04.360 --> 1:23:08.360 cramped streets of Datown, Ottawa and the castle like Parliament building, 1:23:08.840 --> 1:23:12.560 We'll be taking a detour to the snow covered prairies 1:23:12.680 --> 1:23:18.040 and oil fields of rural Alberta. As the convoy officially 1:23:18.080 --> 1:23:22.360 arrived in Ottawa on January nine, smaller protests against health 1:23:22.400 --> 1:23:26.240 mandates were also happening across the entire country. One of 1:23:26.280 --> 1:23:28.960 these mini protests was happening in the small city of 1:23:29.080 --> 1:23:33.800 Lethbridge in southern Alberta, but unlike the majority of other 1:23:34.280 --> 1:23:38.679 non Ottawa protests, The one based around lefth Bridge didn't 1:23:38.720 --> 1:23:41.680 turn out to be a simple weekend of fair. With 1:23:41.880 --> 1:23:45.040 hundreds of vehicles, including some semi trucks, r vs and 1:23:45.160 --> 1:23:48.880 farm tractors all gathered together. It was decided to take 1:23:48.920 --> 1:23:52.519 part in a little mini convoy of their own, but 1:23:52.560 --> 1:23:56.160 instead of going to a capital building, they rolled towards 1:23:56.160 --> 1:23:59.880 the international border crossing used by truckers in the area. 1:24:00.840 --> 1:24:03.920 I was able to interview gen a left Bridge local 1:24:04.040 --> 1:24:06.519 who also happens to work near the area of the 1:24:06.560 --> 1:24:10.320 Alberta border block gade. They kind of gathered in left 1:24:10.320 --> 1:24:12.719 Bridge here and took off about four thirty in the morning, 1:24:13.479 --> 1:24:17.000 and so they made it down to the village of Coots, Um, 1:24:17.080 --> 1:24:21.880 which is essentially right on the borders, the last stop 1:24:21.920 --> 1:24:26.400 before you hit the border at um Coots, Alberta, sweet Grass, Montana. 1:24:27.240 --> 1:24:32.559 And they blocked off the highway completely um heading both 1:24:32.960 --> 1:24:37.320 northbound and southbound, and they've been camped out since. So 1:24:37.680 --> 1:24:41.639 it's my understanding that at that point in time, throughout 1:24:41.840 --> 1:24:46.519 you know, day one, two and three of their protest um, 1:24:46.560 --> 1:24:49.400 there was no getting in or out out of the 1:24:49.479 --> 1:24:52.719 village of Coots, which is it is a small village 1:24:52.760 --> 1:24:56.160 about two hundred and fifty residents UM and it was 1:24:56.200 --> 1:24:59.080 so bad that not even emergency services could get through 1:24:59.760 --> 1:25:03.439 uh um again blocking both lanes of the highway in 1:25:03.439 --> 1:25:07.960 either direction in the ditches UM and just weren't letting up. 1:25:08.840 --> 1:25:12.120 And so are they even driving anywhere? Or is it 1:25:12.200 --> 1:25:15.280 are they just like camped there, just camped out there, 1:25:15.320 --> 1:25:18.680 parked um. And of course you know there's people that 1:25:18.760 --> 1:25:22.000 will drive down to the border and participate for a 1:25:22.040 --> 1:25:23.960 couple of hours and you know, turn around and go 1:25:24.160 --> 1:25:28.160 home kind of thing. But there is that core group UM, 1:25:28.720 --> 1:25:31.519 the majority of which are actually farmers bringing down like 1:25:31.560 --> 1:25:36.280 their tractors, and of course there is some semitruck drivers 1:25:36.640 --> 1:25:39.200 who are all a part of it and just not 1:25:39.400 --> 1:25:42.880 allowing anyone to get through on either side, so you know, 1:25:42.960 --> 1:25:46.760 holding up a lot of a lot of our supplies, 1:25:46.800 --> 1:25:50.519 a lot of our UM food and things like that. 1:25:50.920 --> 1:25:55.200 At first, local police and RCMP just waited out the blockade, 1:25:55.320 --> 1:25:57.360 I guess, hoping to see if the people would just 1:25:57.400 --> 1:25:59.960 get tired of camping out in the cold and then 1:26:00.160 --> 1:26:03.840 you know, go home. But after a few days that 1:26:03.920 --> 1:26:09.000 possibility seemed less and less likely. Then when the RCMP 1:26:09.280 --> 1:26:11.960 did start to get more actively involved with kind of 1:26:12.040 --> 1:26:14.920 managing the blockade, albeit you know, with a very gentle 1:26:15.000 --> 1:26:19.240 hand and extremely start contrast to how RCMP handles blockades, 1:26:19.280 --> 1:26:22.160 you know, defending indigenous land. But at that point it 1:26:22.200 --> 1:26:25.080 was already kind of too late and the pacified police 1:26:25.080 --> 1:26:30.240 action only spread the protests efforts. On day four of 1:26:30.280 --> 1:26:34.400 the blockade at the border UM, the RCMP had kind 1:26:34.400 --> 1:26:36.439 of moved in a little bit and tried to break 1:26:36.479 --> 1:26:40.439 it up. So some of the protesters had kind of 1:26:40.479 --> 1:26:43.400 broken off and decided to blockade's mother areas. So there 1:26:43.479 --> 1:26:47.679 was a blockade that happened on Highway three just outside 1:26:47.720 --> 1:26:50.559 of the town of Fort McLoud, on the way to 1:26:51.280 --> 1:26:53.759 the town of Brockett, which would be on the Blood 1:26:53.800 --> 1:26:57.320 Reserve here in Alberta. UM. They blockaded the highway and 1:26:57.320 --> 1:27:00.800 wouldn't let anyone through, and then they set up another 1:27:00.880 --> 1:27:05.400 blockade UM on Highway twenty three, which of course would 1:27:05.439 --> 1:27:08.639 be the the next north south route, given that Highway 1:27:08.640 --> 1:27:10.920 three was now blocked off. The Highway three going to 1:27:11.000 --> 1:27:16.240 Highway two. UM. So they've blocked off Highway twenty three. UM. 1:27:16.280 --> 1:27:19.640 At there's a traffic circle or a roundabout kind of 1:27:19.640 --> 1:27:22.120 in the middle of nowhere in the highway at the 1:27:22.200 --> 1:27:26.519 village of Nobleford, sorry, town of Nobleford, and they set 1:27:26.560 --> 1:27:28.640 up a blockade at the roundabout as well. Wouldn't let 1:27:28.680 --> 1:27:32.719 anyone come in north south east west, didn't matter. Um, 1:27:32.760 --> 1:27:41.439 So that was Tuesday, Tuesday to uh four and three, Yeah, 1:27:42.200 --> 1:27:44.920 effectively shutting down any kind of like travel for like 1:27:44.960 --> 1:27:50.320 food and supplies for like all four directions pretty much exactly. Yeah. Like, 1:27:50.360 --> 1:27:54.839 there was a lot of chatter on social media. Um, 1:27:55.000 --> 1:27:57.840 we have a local Facebook group for road conditions, and 1:27:57.880 --> 1:28:00.080 there was a lot of chatter, you know, where do 1:28:00.160 --> 1:28:02.639 we go, how do we get around this? What back roads? 1:28:02.680 --> 1:28:06.519 Should I take? Secondary highways? That sort of thing. And thankfully, 1:28:06.560 --> 1:28:09.240 you know, there was still I suppose some ways to 1:28:09.280 --> 1:28:11.720 get around it. The RCMP we're kind of setting up 1:28:11.840 --> 1:28:17.080 detours and things like that. But those main routes were blockaded, 1:28:17.560 --> 1:28:21.080 um on Tuesday, which would have been I guess what 1:28:21.200 --> 1:28:25.679 days that February one. The static highway blockades preventing traffic 1:28:25.680 --> 1:28:28.599 in all four directions were mostly a one day affair. 1:28:29.360 --> 1:28:32.759 The next Wednesday morning, more effort was put back into 1:28:32.800 --> 1:28:35.880 the main blockade at the border near Coots with some 1:28:35.920 --> 1:28:39.360 folks still participating in the rolling blockades of sorts, you know, 1:28:39.760 --> 1:28:42.760 on the surrounding highways. So instead of just blocking the 1:28:42.840 --> 1:28:46.520 roads by staying parked people in vehicles, kept a slow 1:28:46.680 --> 1:28:49.960 loop of traffic moving through the highway system to clog 1:28:50.040 --> 1:28:52.960 up travel. And then like the contingent at closer to 1:28:53.160 --> 1:28:56.559 the border has been more consistent, you would say, yeah, 1:28:56.640 --> 1:29:00.719 definitely the contingent at the border on highway for like 1:29:00.760 --> 1:29:03.960 I said at Coots, Alberta, they've been set up all 1:29:04.000 --> 1:29:07.479 the way through since the twenty nine UM. There has 1:29:07.520 --> 1:29:11.639 been days where the tensions are definitely very high where 1:29:11.680 --> 1:29:16.280 those protesters are saying we will not leave until UM, 1:29:16.400 --> 1:29:19.240 or we won't even come to the negotiating table until 1:29:19.439 --> 1:29:25.280 these restrictions are gone, like we won't even attempt And 1:29:25.360 --> 1:29:29.519 so the RCMP have been kind of in negotiations with 1:29:29.640 --> 1:29:31.880 them over the last few days. There's been a couple 1:29:31.920 --> 1:29:34.240 of times where they thought they had resolution to open 1:29:34.320 --> 1:29:37.240 up lanes of travel to get some of these trucks 1:29:37.280 --> 1:29:41.040 with goods through UM. And of course there's been people 1:29:41.080 --> 1:29:43.360 stuck in their cars as well for quite a few 1:29:43.400 --> 1:29:47.320 days without food. At that point, UM the protesters originally 1:29:47.320 --> 1:29:49.120 had come to an agreement with the r CDP to 1:29:49.200 --> 1:29:52.880 let some people through and then turn around and decided, well, 1:29:52.920 --> 1:29:56.920 we don't really want to. So that was kind of 1:29:56.920 --> 1:30:03.120 ongoing from I'm going to suggest up until about second UM. 1:30:03.200 --> 1:30:06.200 On the second the RCMP had set up a roadblock 1:30:07.120 --> 1:30:11.160 at the town of Milk River too, I guess, dissuade 1:30:11.960 --> 1:30:15.840 the the locals from coming out and adding to the 1:30:15.880 --> 1:30:19.280 congestion and adding to the problems. And at one point 1:30:19.680 --> 1:30:22.639 UM there was a group of people and videos are 1:30:23.280 --> 1:30:27.280 on TikTok, they're on Facebook, they're on Twitter where people 1:30:27.360 --> 1:30:31.880 are blasting through the barricades, going through the ditch, going 1:30:31.880 --> 1:30:36.040 through the median, just bypassing it completely to get down 1:30:36.080 --> 1:30:41.880 to the convoy protest. As I record this, the border 1:30:41.920 --> 1:30:44.840 crossing port of entry near the town of Coots has 1:30:44.840 --> 1:30:49.639 been largely impassable for over two weeks. It's a major 1:30:49.680 --> 1:30:53.160 trade hub where millions of dollars worth of agricultural products 1:30:53.200 --> 1:30:57.559 like meat and feed trade hands each day. The first 1:30:57.600 --> 1:31:00.880 day had hundreds of vehicles participating in blocking access to 1:31:01.040 --> 1:31:04.360 the trade route along highway for but after a week 1:31:04.360 --> 1:31:08.240 of blockading the Alberta, Montana border crossing, around eighty big 1:31:08.320 --> 1:31:11.960 rigs continued to remain along the highway for a majority 1:31:12.000 --> 1:31:15.120 of the time. Since the twenty ninth of January, vehicle 1:31:15.160 --> 1:31:17.840 access has been either completely stopped to and from the 1:31:17.840 --> 1:31:21.960 border or at least substantially slowed down. The occasional day 1:31:21.960 --> 1:31:24.680 where vehicles are being let through on one lane of 1:31:24.760 --> 1:31:28.280 traffic has an estimated seven hours of stall time order 1:31:28.360 --> 1:31:31.600 to get through just that tiny area of road. The 1:31:31.640 --> 1:31:34.960 blockade of that international port of entry at Coots and 1:31:35.120 --> 1:31:38.920 the only seven commercial land crossing in Alberta is a 1:31:38.920 --> 1:31:43.360 direct threat to the economic well being of growers, producers, manufacturers, 1:31:43.439 --> 1:31:45.960 and many other businesses that rely on the movement of 1:31:46.000 --> 1:31:50.479 both raw materials and finished goods in and out along 1:31:50.560 --> 1:31:55.759 the can m X corridor end quote. Lewington has warned 1:31:55.800 --> 1:31:58.439 that manufacturing plants in the region will be forced to 1:31:58.479 --> 1:32:01.760 either reduce or canceled production as their supplies run out 1:32:02.080 --> 1:32:05.080 and they're unable to get their goods to international markets. 1:32:05.680 --> 1:32:08.400 This is something farmers and food producers are dealing with 1:32:08.439 --> 1:32:11.320 as well as agricultural experts are one of the region's 1:32:11.400 --> 1:32:17.040 main economic drivers. In the Left Bridge metropolitan area exported 1:32:17.120 --> 1:32:20.599 nearly one point eight billion dollars worth of goods around 1:32:20.640 --> 1:32:23.160 eighty percent of which went to the United States. A 1:32:23.200 --> 1:32:26.799 vast majority of these exports went through this Coots border crossing. 1:32:27.439 --> 1:32:29.760 That means for the city of lefth Bridge alone, they're 1:32:29.800 --> 1:32:32.519 facing a roughly three million dollar a day impact on 1:32:32.560 --> 1:32:35.439 the economic damage based on the road and rail travel 1:32:35.520 --> 1:32:38.439 that must move through that port of entry. The impact 1:32:38.479 --> 1:32:40.599 is of course four or five times larger than if 1:32:40.640 --> 1:32:43.360 you consider the movement of other Alberta goods in and 1:32:43.360 --> 1:32:47.559 out of that same North South corridor. It's only more 1:32:47.600 --> 1:32:51.200 ironic and frustrating considering that the idea of shutting down 1:32:51.240 --> 1:32:55.160 international capitalist trade, you know, costing millions dollars in losses 1:32:55.200 --> 1:32:57.680 each and every day, is exactly the sort of thing 1:32:57.760 --> 1:33:01.479 that these same conservatives would complain that BLM or Antifa 1:33:01.520 --> 1:33:04.519 would do, you know, like, in terms of anti capitalist action, 1:33:05.040 --> 1:33:08.080 this is actually more successful in causing damage to capital 1:33:08.120 --> 1:33:10.960 than really anything I've seen the Canadian left do in 1:33:11.000 --> 1:33:15.280 recent memory. Now, obviously police response to a left wing protest, 1:33:15.680 --> 1:33:19.320 you know, doing similar tactics would probably greatly differ, you know. 1:33:19.479 --> 1:33:22.680 Plus the fact that these people are participating in these 1:33:22.720 --> 1:33:26.000 blockades are the same types of people that talk about 1:33:26.000 --> 1:33:29.200 their desire to run down protesters in trucks, you know, 1:33:29.479 --> 1:33:32.040 whenever there's marching in the street or an indigenous road 1:33:32.040 --> 1:33:35.519 blockade to a new oil pipeline. Nevertheless, on top of 1:33:35.560 --> 1:33:40.000 the police inability, whether by choice or imagination, to handle 1:33:40.000 --> 1:33:44.200 the situation, and considering both the conspiracy fueled political issues 1:33:44.240 --> 1:33:46.880 around masks of vaccines and health man dates and the 1:33:46.960 --> 1:33:50.840 growing economic problems the blockade is causing, it's not super 1:33:50.840 --> 1:33:54.439 surprising that the Conservative government of Alberta again the process 1:33:54.479 --> 1:33:58.280 of removing health mandates as the protests striked on, and 1:33:58.360 --> 1:34:01.760 unfortunately it seems like the province is listening and they're 1:34:01.800 --> 1:34:05.479 taking it seriously. I know. Um last night our premier 1:34:05.560 --> 1:34:09.320 had gone on Facebook Live and had an ounce that 1:34:09.720 --> 1:34:12.280 come Monday, the caucus will vote as to whether or 1:34:12.280 --> 1:34:16.200 not to scrap it um, which would mean that, like 1:34:16.240 --> 1:34:19.160 I said, now there's no longer that requirement to access 1:34:19.200 --> 1:34:23.320 some of these these services from private businesses, and then 1:34:23.400 --> 1:34:27.400 ultimately that would lead us back into our letter rip 1:34:27.479 --> 1:34:30.720 model that we had last summer. The Monday vote came 1:34:30.760 --> 1:34:35.280 in the next day, February. Alberta premiere and premiers are 1:34:35.320 --> 1:34:38.000 like the you know, equivalent of governors for the states, 1:34:38.200 --> 1:34:41.720 but Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that the provinces so 1:34:41.840 --> 1:34:47.120 called COVID nineteen vaccine passport program would end immediately, explaining 1:34:47.120 --> 1:34:49.800 that the restruction program had service purpose, but it's no 1:34:49.840 --> 1:34:52.320 longer needed since Alberta has passed the peak of omner 1:34:52.360 --> 1:34:56.000 con infections about three weeks ago. Capacity limits were also 1:34:56.040 --> 1:34:59.479 next Tuesday night for venues with capacity limits under five 1:34:59.520 --> 1:35:02.599 hundred and fluding libraries and places of worship. An effect 1:35:02.600 --> 1:35:06.360 of this past Sunday, February, the province will also no 1:35:06.439 --> 1:35:10.000 longer require masking for children and youth in schools and 1:35:10.080 --> 1:35:13.559 for any Alberton's aged twelve and under in any setting. 1:35:14.320 --> 1:35:17.080 There is a second phase for Alberta's COVID restriction and 1:35:17.080 --> 1:35:19.880 removal plan. On March one, the province is set to 1:35:19.880 --> 1:35:23.439 remove any remaining restrictions, including the indoor mask mandate, work 1:35:23.439 --> 1:35:27.040 from home requirements, any remaining caracity limits, and limits on 1:35:27.040 --> 1:35:31.240 social gatherings and screenings for youth activities. Jason Kenny did 1:35:31.320 --> 1:35:33.640 deny that the move has anything to do with the 1:35:33.680 --> 1:35:36.519 protests from those you know demanding the repeal of vaccine 1:35:36.520 --> 1:35:40.080 mandates of all types across the country, including the blockade 1:35:40.120 --> 1:35:44.960 that the government had condemned illegal at the Coots border crossing, saying, quote, 1:35:45.160 --> 1:35:46.840 none of that has anything to do with a few 1:35:46.880 --> 1:35:50.320 trucks participating at the Coots border crossing. Um, who added 1:35:50.360 --> 1:35:54.439 that keeping previous rules in place would invite widespread non 1:35:54.439 --> 1:35:57.760 compliance for no purpose, saying why keep this going on 1:35:57.880 --> 1:35:59.639 for a few days when we know that in many 1:35:59.680 --> 1:36:04.320 areas as we're already having non compliance problems. So yeah, Um, 1:36:04.400 --> 1:36:09.000 of course, the demonstrations have continued despite Alberta dropping multiple 1:36:09.040 --> 1:36:12.240 health measures and agreeing to a demand made by a 1:36:12.240 --> 1:36:15.880 lot of the anti mandate protesters, which implies that this 1:36:16.000 --> 1:36:20.080 protest is about much more than simple COVID health measures. Right. 1:36:20.360 --> 1:36:23.160 It points to the movement being more about taking political 1:36:23.200 --> 1:36:27.000 power and forcing everyone to comply with their own conspiratorial 1:36:27.080 --> 1:36:30.720 and alienated understanding of the world. As someone who's like 1:36:30.800 --> 1:36:33.400 living in Alberta, which is, you know, one of the 1:36:33.400 --> 1:36:37.840 more conservative provinces of Canada, Um, how much do you 1:36:37.920 --> 1:36:42.440 see this kind of this kind of you know, spontaneous 1:36:42.439 --> 1:36:46.879 revolt and resistance to be actually tied to the health mandates, 1:36:46.880 --> 1:36:48.240 And how much do you see it? It's more like 1:36:48.280 --> 1:36:52.000 a revolt around like Trudeau and Canada's like Canada's like 1:36:52.240 --> 1:36:55.519 um veneer of liberalism, like like like how like how 1:36:55.600 --> 1:36:57.040 much do you did you see? It's more like a 1:36:57.520 --> 1:37:01.040 urban rule divide thing that's now just getting pushed into 1:37:01.080 --> 1:37:04.200 the spotlight because of covid um or do you think 1:37:04.200 --> 1:37:08.280 it really is way more about COVID itself? Um. I 1:37:08.320 --> 1:37:10.640 think that the pandemic has definitely had a role to 1:37:10.720 --> 1:37:14.680 play in sparking a lot of this this fearer and 1:37:14.920 --> 1:37:20.320 this uh, this disconnect. But the seeds have been sown 1:37:20.439 --> 1:37:24.800 for many years, through many successive provincial governments and and 1:37:25.280 --> 1:37:29.960 much rhetoric that um, the West has always been ignored 1:37:30.080 --> 1:37:34.200 by the East, by our political institutions in the East, 1:37:34.439 --> 1:37:37.719 namely Otto our federal government, the seat of our federal 1:37:37.760 --> 1:37:42.200 government in favor of you know, Ontario and Quebec and 1:37:42.240 --> 1:37:46.840 what they want to Alberton's have always seen themselves with 1:37:46.880 --> 1:37:49.360 a bit of a martyr complex where we are the 1:37:49.400 --> 1:37:53.320 economic powerhouse of the country, but we are the ugly 1:37:53.360 --> 1:37:58.120 stepchild and we are ignored in favor of the wonderful 1:37:58.560 --> 1:38:02.720 children in the East. And so that that disconnect and 1:38:02.720 --> 1:38:06.160 that divide has always been there, and the pandemic has 1:38:06.160 --> 1:38:09.719 been the catalyst um and of course, you know, whenever 1:38:09.840 --> 1:38:14.280 there is a federal liberal party that's in in power, 1:38:15.640 --> 1:38:19.640 the conservatives feel the Conservatives in Alberta and in the 1:38:19.720 --> 1:38:24.840 West they feel even more disenfranchised. They feel that this 1:38:25.320 --> 1:38:27.880 this government doesn't hear them, they don't listen to them, 1:38:27.880 --> 1:38:32.080 they don't you know, follow the whims of you know, 1:38:32.160 --> 1:38:35.799 the died in the world conservatives. And so that rhetoric 1:38:35.880 --> 1:38:39.000 has built and built and built over the years, um 1:38:39.120 --> 1:38:41.000 and it's all tied into other things as well. It's 1:38:41.000 --> 1:38:45.200 tied into the economic policies and the policies of the 1:38:45.240 --> 1:38:49.639 liberal government with in regards to climate change and carbon 1:38:49.720 --> 1:38:55.720 tax and how how that's been hitting um Albertan's you know, 1:38:55.960 --> 1:39:00.679 they our province is very heavily depend and in upon 1:39:01.280 --> 1:39:03.920 the oil and gas sector, and it always has been 1:39:03.960 --> 1:39:08.479 for the last I'm gonna suggest fifty six years. And 1:39:08.560 --> 1:39:11.840 so when they see things like in Autumna, where they're 1:39:11.840 --> 1:39:14.760 talking about climate change and they're talking about you know, 1:39:14.880 --> 1:39:18.439 green energy, it makes these conservatives angry because this has 1:39:18.520 --> 1:39:21.400 been our bread and butter for years. This is what's 1:39:21.439 --> 1:39:25.519 fed our families. They don't recognize that, you know, this 1:39:25.640 --> 1:39:28.680 is this is the path forward all they hear is 1:39:29.320 --> 1:39:31.960 we don't want you, we don't want your jobs, we 1:39:32.000 --> 1:39:36.639 don't want your products, and they're angry, and this has 1:39:36.680 --> 1:39:41.880 been the catalyst now where they're just fed up. They're 1:39:41.880 --> 1:39:46.599 set up with with not being heard. Unfortunately, all that 1:39:46.760 --> 1:39:49.320 built up anger and resentment towards the government and its 1:39:49.400 --> 1:39:53.000 leadership is ending up being taken out against just any 1:39:53.040 --> 1:39:56.360 symbol of liberalism, not really the government directly. You know. 1:39:56.960 --> 1:40:01.160 Within this worldview, homophobic attacks can be then thought up 1:40:01.200 --> 1:40:04.400 as this weird form of punching up because gainness is 1:40:04.439 --> 1:40:08.400 associated with liberalism, so it's seen as almost this system 1:40:08.439 --> 1:40:12.280 of power, even though it's that's obviously backwards. It's this 1:40:12.840 --> 1:40:15.519 kind of weird backwards thing where you can view like 1:40:15.840 --> 1:40:19.360 attacking progressive things as an attack on the system. So 1:40:19.439 --> 1:40:24.120 that means like being racist or being homophobic, is this 1:40:24.800 --> 1:40:28.559 rebellion against you know, the system itself, even though it 1:40:28.600 --> 1:40:31.880 just ties into all those same systemic issues. Just the 1:40:31.920 --> 1:40:35.880 other day in Edmonton, there was a business owner, uh, 1:40:35.920 --> 1:40:40.559 a hair salon owner who's been very outspoken about this 1:40:40.760 --> 1:40:44.080 Freedom Convoy and about how she doesn't agree with their 1:40:44.120 --> 1:40:50.559 messaging and and their their ideas, and she was actually 1:40:50.920 --> 1:40:54.320 hunted down on social media, UM hunted down in person. 1:40:54.360 --> 1:40:57.840 They found her, someone found her her business, went to 1:40:57.960 --> 1:41:01.240 her business and confronted her and a altered her UM 1:41:01.280 --> 1:41:05.519 at her business all because she uh does not support 1:41:05.600 --> 1:41:09.680 the convoy and apparently this individual did. UM. You know, 1:41:09.720 --> 1:41:15.080 we definitely, we definitely see here that UM. The feeling 1:41:15.200 --> 1:41:17.800 is is that if you are a liberal in Alberta, 1:41:18.160 --> 1:41:21.680 this is not the place for you. UM. You know, 1:41:21.720 --> 1:41:27.599 if you if you believe in you know, equal rights 1:41:27.600 --> 1:41:30.360 for everyone, this is not the place for you. If 1:41:30.360 --> 1:41:36.600 you believe in the rights of marginalized and minority communities, 1:41:37.240 --> 1:41:40.040 this is not the place for you. And we I've 1:41:40.080 --> 1:41:44.640 seen that, you know, and taking part in various protests 1:41:44.680 --> 1:41:47.559 I suppose that could be branded as liberal protests, like 1:41:47.600 --> 1:41:51.840 the Black Lives Matter protests and um, the protests and 1:41:53.360 --> 1:41:56.640 rallies that were held in support of the indigenous communities 1:41:57.200 --> 1:42:00.960 last summer upon you know, the news kind of shook 1:42:01.000 --> 1:42:07.280 the world regarding UM graves at residential schools, and you know, 1:42:07.320 --> 1:42:11.680 you see it with the indigenous communities that protest pipelines 1:42:11.840 --> 1:42:15.640 on their traditional lands and they block you know, railways, 1:42:15.680 --> 1:42:18.719 and the same people that are screaming for jail time 1:42:18.920 --> 1:42:25.799 and for violence and and police intervention on these various 1:42:25.840 --> 1:42:28.519 protests are the same people that are taking part in 1:42:28.560 --> 1:42:31.880 a convoy. Protesters at the Cootes border crossing will now 1:42:31.880 --> 1:42:35.440 be charged or find according to the province and the RCMP. 1:42:36.400 --> 1:42:39.320 R CMP Deputy Chief Curtis is a blockie said in 1:42:39.400 --> 1:42:41.760 a news conference during the start out the second week 1:42:41.840 --> 1:42:45.320 of the Alberta border blockade that police are actually working 1:42:45.320 --> 1:42:48.879 to diffuse situation at the most important border crossing in Alberta, 1:42:49.320 --> 1:42:52.400 but are trying to do so peacefully, saying, make no mistake, 1:42:52.479 --> 1:42:55.400 there are criminal activities taking place at these process sites 1:42:55.600 --> 1:42:59.120 that violate both criminal code and provincial laws. We've seen 1:42:59.160 --> 1:43:02.080 activities that are both dangerous and reckless and are having 1:43:02.080 --> 1:43:04.920 a very negative effect on Alberton's who live in the area. 1:43:05.520 --> 1:43:08.240 He then pointed to you know, dwindling numbers involving the 1:43:08.240 --> 1:43:11.640 blockade from a high of around two fifty vehicles to 1:43:11.720 --> 1:43:16.120 begin with two around fifty vehicles last Tuesday afternoon as 1:43:16.120 --> 1:43:19.680 a success of their efforts to this point. But you 1:43:19.720 --> 1:43:23.519 know this isn't convinced everyone since the blockade is still happening. 1:43:23.880 --> 1:43:28.759 So Acting Justice Minister and Solicitor General Sonia Savage called 1:43:28.840 --> 1:43:31.400 the blockade intolerable and said that those taking part in 1:43:31.400 --> 1:43:34.880 the demonstration can be charged under several different federal and 1:43:34.920 --> 1:43:39.200 provincial laws, including the Federal Criminal Code, the Provincial Traffic 1:43:39.240 --> 1:43:43.320 Safety Act, and the new Critical Infrastructure Defense Act, which 1:43:43.360 --> 1:43:46.560 was enacted right in the middle of during the international 1:43:46.680 --> 1:43:50.679 George Floyd uprising and the certain rail blockades in Canada. 1:43:51.000 --> 1:43:52.760 I'm going to go into many tangent here just because 1:43:52.800 --> 1:43:55.320 of how terrible this bill is. The bill gives law 1:43:55.400 --> 1:43:59.000 enforcement and the judicial system extra power to dish out 1:43:59.040 --> 1:44:03.240 significant monetary refinds an extra jail time for actions deemed 1:44:03.240 --> 1:44:08.680 to interfere with so called essential infrastructure quote unquote. The 1:44:08.760 --> 1:44:11.639 stated goal of the bill is harsher penalties and charges 1:44:11.960 --> 1:44:16.479 for quote damage or interference caused by blockades, protests, or 1:44:16.520 --> 1:44:20.960 similar activities who can cause significant public safety, social, economic, 1:44:21.160 --> 1:44:25.559 and environmental consequences. The Act bills on existing trespassing laws 1:44:25.600 --> 1:44:29.840 to create offenses for trespassing on destroying, damaging, and obstructing 1:44:29.840 --> 1:44:33.880 the use or operation of any essential infrastructure, also under 1:44:33.920 --> 1:44:37.559 the banner of essential infrastructure that includes public and private property. 1:44:37.600 --> 1:44:40.439 By the way, the bill was obviously aimed at left 1:44:40.439 --> 1:44:44.439 wing protests and specifically equal defense and environmental protests and 1:44:44.680 --> 1:44:48.599 or sabotage as the first two things defined as essential 1:44:48.640 --> 1:44:52.920 infrastructure in the bill are quote, pipelines and related infrastructure 1:44:53.000 --> 1:44:57.280 and oil and gas production and refinery sites. So yeah. 1:44:57.400 --> 1:45:00.879 There's also been pressure from government officials to include forfiture 1:45:01.000 --> 1:45:04.920 property in the commission of crime through the Civil Forfeiture Act. 1:45:05.320 --> 1:45:08.360 Our CMP Deputy chiefs the blocks the charges will be 1:45:08.400 --> 1:45:10.800 coming for those taking part in the protest and could 1:45:10.840 --> 1:45:13.240 be as simple as the way they are illegally parked 1:45:13.280 --> 1:45:16.360 on the highway. He didn't note that the RCMP has 1:45:16.400 --> 1:45:19.639 attempted to hire local towing companies to move the trucks 1:45:19.680 --> 1:45:22.360 and other equipment off the road, but have been unable 1:45:22.400 --> 1:45:25.920 to do so, with the companies sitting concerns over damaged 1:45:25.960 --> 1:45:29.160 their business long term or just safety issues in general. 1:45:29.600 --> 1:45:31.960 This has also been a huge factor in attempts to 1:45:32.000 --> 1:45:35.840 deal with the Ottawa occupation. Zablocki said that there are 1:45:36.000 --> 1:45:38.760 concerns over safety and violence in response to the more 1:45:38.760 --> 1:45:41.720 aggressive approaches to breaking up the blockade. So far, the 1:45:41.760 --> 1:45:44.439 main action law enforcement has taken to dissuay people from 1:45:44.479 --> 1:45:47.679 blocking the border is just giving out tickets and fines 1:45:47.800 --> 1:45:50.960 for illegal parking. Premier Jason Kenny say that he is 1:45:51.000 --> 1:45:54.479 supportive of our CMP handling this as they see fit 1:45:55.000 --> 1:45:57.200 through the means that they already have, and has been 1:45:57.280 --> 1:46:00.800 supportive of using the you know, pretty horrible the authoritarian 1:46:01.200 --> 1:46:06.040 Critical Infrastructure Defense Act, saying quote, last year we passed 1:46:06.040 --> 1:46:09.960 the Defense of Critical Infrastructure Act, which gives police enormous 1:46:09.960 --> 1:46:13.680 powers and various defines the penalties, including the power of imprisonment. 1:46:14.240 --> 1:46:15.920 We have made it clear to the RCMP, who is 1:46:15.960 --> 1:46:19.360 our provincial policing service, that they can and should use 1:46:19.439 --> 1:46:22.519 all of these powers. They're dealing with a very fluid situation, 1:46:22.600 --> 1:46:25.960 and I have respect for their judgment. Prime Minister Justin 1:46:26.000 --> 1:46:29.719 Trudeau addressed the ongoing blockades and protests across the country 1:46:29.760 --> 1:46:34.160 this past Friday, encouraging demonstrators to leave, while also passing 1:46:34.160 --> 1:46:37.200 the buck on any blame, saying quote, I want to 1:46:37.240 --> 1:46:40.400 remind everybody that politicians don't direct police departments to enforce 1:46:40.439 --> 1:46:45.600 the law. Instead, Trudeau made vague threats around revoking licenses 1:46:45.640 --> 1:46:50.040 and criminal records for those continuing to protest, saying everything 1:46:50.080 --> 1:46:53.000 is on the table because this unlawful blockade has to 1:46:53.160 --> 1:46:57.360 end and will end. The blockade at the Coots border 1:46:57.400 --> 1:47:01.040 crossing is not the only convoy aligned test in Alberta. 1:47:01.479 --> 1:47:05.160 There have been many demonstrations in basically every major city 1:47:05.479 --> 1:47:09.439 in Calgary, The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says that 1:47:09.560 --> 1:47:13.360 frontline healthcare workers, patients and people living around the Sheldon 1:47:13.439 --> 1:47:17.320 Came Health Center have dealt with protests for weeks, but 1:47:17.640 --> 1:47:20.320 things have only gotten worse since the truck convoy hit 1:47:20.400 --> 1:47:24.720 the news. The vice president of the Alberta Union for 1:47:24.760 --> 1:47:28.639 Provincial Employees said that protesters have blocked the ambulance bain, 1:47:28.720 --> 1:47:31.000 they have harassed workers and patients as they come to 1:47:31.280 --> 1:47:33.880 and from the center. They've banged on the windows of 1:47:33.920 --> 1:47:36.799 the facility and upset people inside, and they have blocked 1:47:36.800 --> 1:47:40.120 the roads around the center. Moving on to the province 1:47:40.120 --> 1:47:43.760 of British Columbia. As the second weekend of protest was 1:47:43.840 --> 1:47:47.000 set to descend on Vancouver the weekend of February five. 1:47:47.640 --> 1:47:50.559 In preparation fearing attacks would be carried out against healthcare 1:47:50.600 --> 1:47:53.439 workers like they have in the past, Vancouver's to health 1:47:53.520 --> 1:47:57.840 authorities issued internal ms telling health workers to hide indoors 1:47:57.880 --> 1:48:00.559 as the convoy pass through the city and to quote 1:48:00.800 --> 1:48:04.479 refrain from wearing scrubs and or your ID badge outside 1:48:04.520 --> 1:48:07.880 the hospital during the demonstration. If you do encounter any protesters, 1:48:07.880 --> 1:48:10.360 please do not engage with them or respond to their questions, 1:48:10.600 --> 1:48:12.920 and please do not ask protesters to put on a 1:48:13.000 --> 1:48:17.439 face mask. Similarly, ahead of a protest in Toronto, the 1:48:17.479 --> 1:48:20.920 Toronto Police sent letters to hospitals advising their workers to 1:48:21.000 --> 1:48:24.000 not wear any clothing or markings that identified them as 1:48:24.080 --> 1:48:28.879 working in healthcare, fearing attacks by protesters. As the second 1:48:28.880 --> 1:48:32.120 wave of the convoy arrived during the second weekend of 1:48:32.160 --> 1:48:35.240 the occupation in Ottawa, some of the on the ground 1:48:35.479 --> 1:48:40.280 organizational structure started to morphin of vols. The police estimated 1:48:40.320 --> 1:48:43.280 around this time that five thousand people were still protesting 1:48:43.320 --> 1:48:47.080 in Ottawa and around one thousand vehicles were clogging the 1:48:47.160 --> 1:48:50.280 streets during the second week of protests. In an effort 1:48:50.360 --> 1:48:54.920 to improve optics, considering the four original organizers explicit connections 1:48:54.920 --> 1:48:58.800 to the far right, a new lead, organizational, public relations, 1:48:58.920 --> 1:49:01.840 and bargaining team was assembled for the group, calling themselves 1:49:01.880 --> 1:49:06.639 the Freedom Convoy. The new pseudo leadership team consists of 1:49:07.040 --> 1:49:10.760 Daniel Bulford, a former RCMP officer who was on the 1:49:10.800 --> 1:49:14.639 Prime Minister's security detail. He quit last year after refusing 1:49:14.680 --> 1:49:17.080 to get the vaccine and is now the convoy's head 1:49:17.080 --> 1:49:22.040 of security. Tom Quicken, former military intelligence officer who also 1:49:22.080 --> 1:49:24.360 worked with the RCMP and was considered one of the 1:49:24.400 --> 1:49:30.120 country's top counter terrorism experts. And Tom Marazo, an ex 1:49:30.200 --> 1:49:34.120 military officer who, according to his linked in profile, served 1:49:34.120 --> 1:49:37.759 in the Canadian Armed Forces for twenty years and ours 1:49:37.800 --> 1:49:41.320 as a freelance software developer. And just side note in 1:49:41.400 --> 1:49:45.320 terms of you know, police and former military participating in 1:49:45.360 --> 1:49:49.320 the protests, there was an organization full of retired police 1:49:49.360 --> 1:49:52.240 that endorsed the convoy a few weeks ago and said 1:49:52.240 --> 1:49:55.880 that they have people on the ground there and just 1:49:55.960 --> 1:49:59.400 got announced as as I'm recording this, that two members 1:49:59.439 --> 1:50:03.800 of Canada Military counter Terrorism Unit is under investigation for 1:50:03.840 --> 1:50:08.559 allegedly taking part in the Ottawa Convoy protests. So yeah, 1:50:08.600 --> 1:50:12.559 that's fun. The occupation has been getting more and more 1:50:12.680 --> 1:50:15.639 organized on the ground the past two weeks and has 1:50:15.680 --> 1:50:18.040 been able to keep one step ahead of any action 1:50:18.120 --> 1:50:23.280 taken against police against the occupation. Even just what the 1:50:23.360 --> 1:50:26.960 convoy participants have physically built is impressive. But less than 1:50:27.000 --> 1:50:29.320 a week after the convoy arrived, he started to see 1:50:29.400 --> 1:50:32.240 Wooden structures being built around the roads and a growing 1:50:32.240 --> 1:50:36.280 stockpile of propane and diesel fuel. There is an impressive 1:50:36.320 --> 1:50:39.439 amount of tents and wooden structures used for kitchens that 1:50:39.520 --> 1:50:42.639 local organizers have set up, and a whole supply chain 1:50:42.680 --> 1:50:45.320 has sprung up across the city to keep these people fed, 1:50:45.600 --> 1:50:48.920 working and protesting. I'm now going to quote a good 1:50:49.000 --> 1:50:52.880 article in the CBC by Judy Trent. Quote. The group 1:50:52.960 --> 1:50:55.559 is set up not only near the Parliament in Ottawa, 1:50:55.840 --> 1:50:58.800 but they have also built two encampment areas where they 1:50:58.840 --> 1:51:02.679 carry out logistical and supply work. Recent reporting has painted 1:51:02.680 --> 1:51:05.599 a picture that these areas are far more organized than 1:51:05.680 --> 1:51:09.040 widely thought. The group is also trying out new tactics, 1:51:09.120 --> 1:51:12.160 such as attempting to clog up traffic at the Ottawa Airport. 1:51:12.680 --> 1:51:16.200 Other tactics like swatting have been reported as well. Ottawa 1:51:16.200 --> 1:51:19.160 Police say they're aware of a concerted effort to flood 1:51:19.160 --> 1:51:23.559 our one and non emergency police reporting lines, tweeting that 1:51:23.960 --> 1:51:27.880 this endangers lives and is completely unacceptable. Determined to not 1:51:27.960 --> 1:51:31.759 be outdone by their fellow protesters in the West. After 1:51:31.800 --> 1:51:35.160 the second wave arrived, the members of the Ottawa Convoy 1:51:35.320 --> 1:51:39.120 organized away for the convoy occupation to stay, but also 1:51:39.240 --> 1:51:43.839 put up a border crossing blockade of their own. Starting Sunday, 1:51:43.880 --> 1:51:49.360 February six, scores of truckers blocked the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, 1:51:49.560 --> 1:51:52.840 to Detroit, Michigan, disrupting the flow of auto parts and 1:51:52.880 --> 1:51:56.920 other products between the two countries. While this protest has 1:51:56.920 --> 1:52:00.280 been conducted more by pickup trucks than big rigs has 1:52:00.320 --> 1:52:03.720 been holding up the lanes. The bridge is the busiest 1:52:03.880 --> 1:52:07.200 US Canada border crossing and the key cog in both 1:52:07.240 --> 1:52:10.479 the US and Canadian economies, as it carries around twenty 1:52:10.520 --> 1:52:14.160 five percent of trade between the two countries. The effects 1:52:14.200 --> 1:52:17.400 of the blockade there were felt rapidly. The bridge regularly 1:52:17.439 --> 1:52:21.160 carries around three hundred sixty million dollars a day in 1:52:21.280 --> 1:52:25.080 two way cargoes, but traffic is limited by its nineteen 1:52:25.479 --> 1:52:29.080 nine physical footprint. There's just two lanes each way with 1:52:29.120 --> 1:52:33.639 no shoulders and antiquated customers boots, with the northern side 1:52:33.680 --> 1:52:37.760 just emptying out into the city streets. The bumper to 1:52:37.800 --> 1:52:41.040 bumper demonstration forced auto plants on both sides the border 1:52:41.080 --> 1:52:44.479 to shut down or scale back production. The halting of 1:52:44.520 --> 1:52:48.240 trade has bottlenecked automaker Ford's ability to get parts from 1:52:48.240 --> 1:52:52.120 the US to its Canadian plants in Windsor and Oaksville. 1:52:52.760 --> 1:52:55.000 Ford to shut down the doors of its Windsor plan 1:52:55.080 --> 1:52:58.600 and reduced the work schedule in Oakville. Ford set in 1:52:58.600 --> 1:53:04.960 a statement the eruption on the Detroit Windsor Bridge hurts customers, autoworkers, suppliers, communities, 1:53:04.960 --> 1:53:07.559 and companies on both sides of the border. We hope 1:53:07.560 --> 1:53:10.800 the situation is resolved quickly because it could have widespread 1:53:10.800 --> 1:53:15.360 impact on all automakers in the US and Canada. Automaker 1:53:15.479 --> 1:53:18.920 Toyota said that it's three D plants in Ontario closed 1:53:18.920 --> 1:53:21.560 for the rest of the week because of parts shortages, 1:53:21.800 --> 1:53:26.559 and production has also been curtailed in Georgetown, Kentucky. More 1:53:26.640 --> 1:53:29.559 on the U s side of things, GM, Jeep, and 1:53:29.720 --> 1:53:32.880 Honda all had hours cut and assembly lines shut down 1:53:32.920 --> 1:53:37.240 at their factories across Michigan and Ohio. Michigan Governor Gretchen 1:53:37.320 --> 1:53:40.719 Whittemore urged Canadian authorities to quickly resolve the stand off, 1:53:40.920 --> 1:53:44.480 saying it's hitting paychecks and production lines and that is unacceptable. 1:53:45.240 --> 1:53:47.679 The Federal Public Safety Minister has said that the Royal 1:53:47.720 --> 1:53:51.559 Canadian Mounted Police reinforcements are being sent to Windsor, Ottawa 1:53:52.000 --> 1:53:55.320 and to Coots, Alberta, where the other border blockade is happening. 1:53:56.000 --> 1:54:00.639 With political and economic pressure mounting, Windsor Mayor Rude Dilkins 1:54:00.720 --> 1:54:03.320 announced that the city would seek a court injunction to 1:54:03.520 --> 1:54:07.040 end the occupation, saying that the economic harm is just 1:54:07.120 --> 1:54:11.040 not sustainable and it must come to an end. On Thursday, 1:54:11.080 --> 1:54:15.080 February tenth, the Biden administration urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 1:54:15.080 --> 1:54:18.200 government on Thursday to use its federal powers to end 1:54:18.240 --> 1:54:20.960 the truck blockade at the other side of the Detroit border. 1:54:21.600 --> 1:54:24.120 Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products have been 1:54:24.120 --> 1:54:27.200 held back for days as fifty to sixty vehicles and 1:54:27.240 --> 1:54:30.680 around a hundred anti mandate protesters camp out on the 1:54:30.720 --> 1:54:34.240 main road that leads on and off the bridge. And yes, 1:54:34.320 --> 1:54:36.920 it is ironic that the same people who are trying 1:54:36.960 --> 1:54:40.040 to sell Canadians fake stories about failing supply lines and 1:54:40.120 --> 1:54:43.720 empty shelves are now causing those supply lines to fail 1:54:44.000 --> 1:54:46.440 and causing those shelves to go empty. The irony is 1:54:46.440 --> 1:54:48.720 not lost on me, but it may be lost on 1:54:48.720 --> 1:54:53.000 the convoy participants throughout running these episodes, I was fortunate 1:54:53.080 --> 1:54:55.120 enough to get to talk to multiple people who have 1:54:55.200 --> 1:54:58.680 been on the ground in downtown Ottawa. One such of 1:54:58.720 --> 1:55:02.280 these people's is p dur Smith, an investigative journalist for 1:55:02.360 --> 1:55:06.280 the Canadian Anti Hate Network. We recorded our conversation and 1:55:06.320 --> 1:55:08.360 I'm going to include some audio clips throughout the rest 1:55:08.360 --> 1:55:11.440 of the episode. We started off by discussing what made 1:55:11.440 --> 1:55:14.640 this protest movement pop off in this specific time and place. 1:55:15.520 --> 1:55:18.480 I do think it was maybe capitalizing on a moment, 1:55:18.520 --> 1:55:21.600 but also a fair amount of luck. You know, since 1:55:21.680 --> 1:55:24.840 two thousand nine, the same organizers have attempted to put 1:55:24.880 --> 1:55:28.480 together other convoys, you know, generally never rising to the 1:55:28.520 --> 1:55:32.640 amount of attention that they had in two thousand nine. Um, 1:55:32.680 --> 1:55:37.200 you know, this convoy was also planned long before they 1:55:37.240 --> 1:55:42.040 specifically started focusing on truckers, and then it was It 1:55:42.080 --> 1:55:45.120 was a galvanizing issue. It resonated with people who are 1:55:45.120 --> 1:55:50.600 frustrated with the Trudeau government, um and just they're they're 1:55:50.640 --> 1:55:55.000 handling of of health measures as well as just became 1:55:55.040 --> 1:55:58.800 a like a vehicle for expressing their general dissatisfaction with 1:55:58.840 --> 1:56:02.000 their own problemses Like most of our health mandates are provincial, 1:56:02.120 --> 1:56:07.840 like the Alberta government is handing down what's happening in Alberta. UM, 1:56:08.040 --> 1:56:12.360 so it's it's not just it's not just a federal issue, 1:56:12.800 --> 1:56:15.760 but coming down here and occupying the streets of Ottawa 1:56:16.200 --> 1:56:21.839 and that now we're seeing occupying most of our major cities. UM. 1:56:21.880 --> 1:56:25.000 You know, ones like Winnipeg gets significantly less attention, but 1:56:25.040 --> 1:56:29.800 are incredibly disruptive locally, um and in some cases more 1:56:29.880 --> 1:56:32.040 kind of inceniary than the one that we have out here, 1:56:32.840 --> 1:56:35.960 where you know, participants and organizers are desperately trying to 1:56:36.680 --> 1:56:40.320 clamp down on on any individuals who's engaging in harassment 1:56:40.560 --> 1:56:44.120 or yuh well, or is more common blaming it on 1:56:44.200 --> 1:56:48.480 liberal plants. Um. Yeah, it just it became this kind 1:56:48.480 --> 1:56:52.960 of expression of all of the frustration and very quickly 1:56:53.080 --> 1:56:55.320 drew attention even from people who've been dismissive of it 1:56:55.400 --> 1:56:58.760 very early on because of some of the organizers. Um. 1:56:58.840 --> 1:57:01.920 Once it really started to galvin it galvanized attention and 1:57:01.960 --> 1:57:09.200 of course money. Uh, people couldn't couldn't stay away. I 1:57:09.200 --> 1:57:12.200 mean to the point that we even have mainstream conservative 1:57:12.200 --> 1:57:15.640 politicians now getting on board with it, including the man 1:57:15.720 --> 1:57:17.720 who is very likely to be the future leader of 1:57:17.760 --> 1:57:20.640 the Conservative Party here. I mean, we're in a very 1:57:20.720 --> 1:57:23.560 unique moment um, you know, are our far right and 1:57:23.640 --> 1:57:26.920 kind of conspiracy culture in Canada has also been getting 1:57:26.960 --> 1:57:30.280 better at organizing over the course of the pandemic. Wants 1:57:30.320 --> 1:57:33.680 to get like all major cities have and many small 1:57:33.720 --> 1:57:38.120 towns continue to have anti mandate um anti lockdown protests. 1:57:38.120 --> 1:57:40.720 We usually refer to them as the COVID conspiracy movement 1:57:41.600 --> 1:57:44.280 just because of how and heavily heavily informed it is 1:57:44.760 --> 1:57:49.440 by conspiratorial thinking. Um. So it's it's like you had 1:57:49.440 --> 1:57:51.680 a large amount of people kind of spending the past 1:57:51.680 --> 1:57:54.440 two years and like a on the ground boot camp 1:57:55.160 --> 1:57:57.360 of how to organize within these cities and how to 1:57:57.400 --> 1:57:59.680 get people's attention. And of course, like like a lot 1:57:59.680 --> 1:58:02.360 of the are right here, it fragmented, there was a 1:58:02.360 --> 1:58:05.800 lot of infighting, um and then you know, once there 1:58:05.840 --> 1:58:08.760 became a central point that was was galvanizing a lot 1:58:08.800 --> 1:58:12.640 of attention, it started receiving international attention. You know, There's 1:58:12.640 --> 1:58:15.560 been some questions about the source of some of the money, 1:58:15.560 --> 1:58:21.600 but certainly the initial totals seemed to be organically Canadian. Yeah. Um, 1:58:21.600 --> 1:58:25.160 it just became too big to fall apart. Essentially at 1:58:25.240 --> 1:58:28.520 least at this point. Um. There has been some spats 1:58:28.520 --> 1:58:33.240 of infighting, but mostly you know, the most polarizing figures 1:58:33.280 --> 1:58:36.000 are either just keeping their head down or in some 1:58:36.040 --> 1:58:38.480 cases even choosing to stay away from the main events 1:58:39.120 --> 1:58:42.800 so as not to be a distraction. Um. There's a 1:58:42.800 --> 1:58:45.000 lot One of the lines I see a lot is like, 1:58:45.200 --> 1:58:48.880 this is the moment, this is for all the marvels. Um. 1:58:48.920 --> 1:58:52.000 So there's a huge amount of importance being placed on that. 1:58:53.200 --> 1:58:57.560 What actually happens, like whether they're able to paint what 1:58:57.600 --> 1:59:01.280 we've the like the actual rolling back command adates that 1:59:01.360 --> 1:59:04.720 we were already starting to see before the convoy began, 1:59:05.400 --> 1:59:08.960 um as some type of victory for them, um or 1:59:09.000 --> 1:59:11.800 if this leads to further disillusionment. You know, we don't 1:59:11.840 --> 1:59:14.760 really know at this point, but I think this moment 1:59:14.800 --> 1:59:18.400 is going to be a propaganda tool, um and kind 1:59:18.400 --> 1:59:22.520 of a a point of I think it's gonna be 1:59:22.520 --> 1:59:26.280 a propaganda tool and uh like a point of motivation 1:59:26.320 --> 1:59:29.360 for a long time from your like both on the 1:59:29.440 --> 1:59:32.920 ground stuff and just from monitoring stuff online. What do 1:59:32.960 --> 1:59:37.640 you think, like the actual actionable intention was once they 1:59:37.680 --> 1:59:40.240 arrived in Ottawa, Like, do you think they had a 1:59:40.280 --> 1:59:42.160 clear plan of what to do, or was it more 1:59:42.240 --> 1:59:49.000 like let's go here and then we'll figure things out. Well, 1:59:49.040 --> 1:59:51.840 initially there there was a manium. Initially there was a 1:59:51.840 --> 1:59:55.320 memorandum of understanding which laid out kind of the points 1:59:55.360 --> 1:59:58.800 of what the initial organizers were hoping to accomplish, something 1:59:58.840 --> 2:00:02.120 they call the Operation may Or hug Um, which includes 2:00:02.160 --> 2:00:04.640 having the Governor General and our Senate, both of whom 2:00:04.680 --> 2:00:10.640 are unelected UH dissolved parliament and reform the government immediately 2:00:10.680 --> 2:00:15.600 after we had a federal election. UM. Since then, the 2:00:15.640 --> 2:00:21.400 message has evolved like they're trying to stay very very 2:00:21.440 --> 2:00:25.400 like on script with this just being about freedom, um, 2:00:25.400 --> 2:00:29.200 this just being about mandates. You know, initially there was 2:00:29.240 --> 2:00:31.080 a lot of attempts to even get people to to 2:00:31.120 --> 2:00:33.720 stop mentioning the vaccine, though those seemed to kind of 2:00:34.400 --> 2:00:36.760 fallen by the wayside, especially when you start looking at 2:00:36.800 --> 2:00:41.360 the speakers. It is interesting to kind of wonder what 2:00:41.760 --> 2:00:46.280 the actual goal is there. They've started meeting with public officials, 2:00:46.800 --> 2:00:53.400 you know, there is some type of negotiation going on. UM. Obstensively, 2:00:53.480 --> 2:00:56.720 the goal is just to have these border restrictions lifted 2:00:57.440 --> 2:01:00.720 on people on truckers who are unvaccinated return from the US. 2:01:01.760 --> 2:01:03.320 You know, the obvious thing is the point out that 2:01:03.360 --> 2:01:05.880 the US still has a very similar policy in reversinggain 2:01:05.920 --> 2:01:09.800 here would have no impact um on their ability to 2:01:09.800 --> 2:01:13.800 to avoid this quarantine. But um it seems like the 2:01:13.800 --> 2:01:17.600 goals are fairly murky, and that's almost deliberate because then 2:01:17.640 --> 2:01:22.000 they can declare victory kind of when it suits them. 2:01:22.800 --> 2:01:26.880 Ambiguity around protest goals, demands, and purpose itself can be 2:01:26.960 --> 2:01:30.720 a useful tactic. The Crime Think zine slash article titled 2:01:30.880 --> 2:01:34.040 why we Don't make Demands makes such a case. I 2:01:34.080 --> 2:01:36.480 don't have time to summarize it here, but I recommend 2:01:36.480 --> 2:01:38.760 you give the article a look if you're interested in 2:01:38.800 --> 2:01:41.960 this train of thought as an intentional tactic. But on 2:01:42.000 --> 2:01:44.920 the flip side, you know, vague and direction lest protest 2:01:45.040 --> 2:01:48.040 without much of a focus on a specific goal can 2:01:48.120 --> 2:01:51.160 also cause protests to peter out without having any lasting 2:01:51.200 --> 2:01:54.840 impact on the world. A discussion worth having is how 2:01:54.920 --> 2:01:58.480 the individual people that make up the convay participants have 2:01:58.600 --> 2:02:01.920 been convinced to take part in an occupation protest and 2:02:01.960 --> 2:02:05.640 how what is considered valid political action has broadened in 2:02:05.680 --> 2:02:08.760 their own heads. If they're the ones doing the action, 2:02:08.800 --> 2:02:11.920 of course, because from their point of view, since they 2:02:11.960 --> 2:02:15.200 are doing it, the cause must be valid and therefore 2:02:15.400 --> 2:02:22.160 the action is justified. In we have the wetsuin rail blockades, um, 2:02:22.160 --> 2:02:25.000 that was put on by various members of our first nations, 2:02:25.000 --> 2:02:28.400 and then people who supported them, you know, the same 2:02:28.440 --> 2:02:33.920 politicians they're meeting with the truckers, embracing them, um, saying 2:02:33.920 --> 2:02:38.560 that our current prime ministers demonizing them by kind of 2:02:38.600 --> 2:02:42.320 casting them as under desirables. We're you know, we're actively 2:02:42.360 --> 2:02:46.000 calling people sitting on train tracks as terrorists who are 2:02:46.000 --> 2:02:50.320 disrupting our economy. Um. Obviously, in the context of the 2:02:50.320 --> 2:02:54.040 pandemic pandemic, that's very different because there has been kind 2:02:54.040 --> 2:02:58.480 of mass disruption too to our economy. But this kind 2:02:58.480 --> 2:03:01.800 of picking and choosing, of of suiting the narrative to 2:03:01.960 --> 2:03:05.440 court far eve voters seems to be popular. You know how, 2:03:05.480 --> 2:03:10.040 Conservatives typically aren't seen as the protesting type. Right, Conservatives 2:03:10.040 --> 2:03:11.920 are supposed to be the type of people who drive 2:03:12.000 --> 2:03:14.840 by the protest and yell get a job. They're not 2:03:14.920 --> 2:03:17.560 the ones who are out in the streets picketing. But 2:03:17.720 --> 2:03:20.920 first of all, that's not really true historically, in just 2:03:21.000 --> 2:03:24.600 the past one years, there's always been conservative protests for 2:03:24.760 --> 2:03:29.120 you know, regressive and reactionary goals. Also, conservatives have been 2:03:29.560 --> 2:03:33.400 much better at organizing off the street for their political policies, 2:03:33.800 --> 2:03:38.760 specifically around like abortion or Christian dominionism, anti queer legislation, 2:03:38.960 --> 2:03:42.920 or recent stuff around anti CRT and just the mainstream 2:03:43.080 --> 2:03:48.720 racism denial that's been propagated through media. But even if 2:03:48.760 --> 2:03:52.640 there is historical precedent for conservative protest, bridging the gap 2:03:52.680 --> 2:03:55.400 of what is seen as valid political action in the 2:03:55.480 --> 2:03:58.880 minds of these convoy attendees did still take place over 2:03:59.000 --> 2:04:02.520 just the past few years years, just the past two years, specifically, 2:04:02.560 --> 2:04:06.360 there's been so much conservative protests around COVID. A whole 2:04:06.360 --> 2:04:09.160 bunch of the people at the Ottawa protest probably five 2:04:09.240 --> 2:04:12.400 years ago would have never seen themselves going to protest 2:04:12.400 --> 2:04:15.520 in the Canadian capital, Right Like, if you told them 2:04:15.520 --> 2:04:18.960 a few years ago that you're gonna drive all these 2:04:19.000 --> 2:04:21.960 kilometers to the Parliament to camp out in the cold 2:04:22.080 --> 2:04:25.080 for weeks to protest against the government and its rules 2:04:25.160 --> 2:04:28.480 for helping not spread the deadliest pandemic in a century, 2:04:28.840 --> 2:04:31.120 they would have probably laughed out of the room. So 2:04:31.600 --> 2:04:34.800 what is the logical progression of conservative people who generally, 2:04:34.840 --> 2:04:37.360 you know, look down on any type of protest, especially 2:04:37.400 --> 2:04:40.720 occupy style protests, to the point where they are driving 2:04:40.720 --> 2:04:42.640 all the way to the capital to camp outside the 2:04:42.640 --> 2:04:46.040 building to honk Korn's day and night. A lot of 2:04:46.040 --> 2:04:49.520 that political change the past few years correlates to the pandemic, 2:04:49.640 --> 2:04:52.760 to the social isolation and the great opportunity for the 2:04:52.840 --> 2:04:56.920 fast spread of conspiratorial politics that it offered. Over the 2:04:56.920 --> 2:04:59.360 course of the pandemic, there's been this huge blending of 2:04:59.400 --> 2:05:02.680 rhetoric on line and especially in Canada, this kind of 2:05:02.960 --> 2:05:07.320 villainization of the other side. Increasingly less and less criticism 2:05:07.560 --> 2:05:11.160 against the current government is less based on its policy 2:05:11.520 --> 2:05:14.120 and more based on its figurehead and the image of 2:05:14.200 --> 2:05:19.240 Trudeau as a globalist politics as opposition to whatever Trudeaux 2:05:19.280 --> 2:05:21.960 and the Liberals are doing. The result of that is 2:05:22.000 --> 2:05:24.400 just a whole bunch of escalation, because you have to 2:05:24.520 --> 2:05:28.640 keep always being antagonistic and always being contrarian no matter 2:05:28.760 --> 2:05:32.440 what the opposition actually does. The thing is a lot 2:05:32.480 --> 2:05:35.200 of people who used to just be kind of more 2:05:35.240 --> 2:05:39.840 general conservatives, as they get radicalized online and get caught 2:05:39.920 --> 2:05:42.800 up with farther right extreme most elements, most of them 2:05:42.840 --> 2:05:46.120 still view themselves as like the norm. They don't think 2:05:46.160 --> 2:05:49.080 they've politically changed the past five years, but if you 2:05:49.120 --> 2:05:52.520 look at their rhetoric and actions, they definitely have kind 2:05:52.560 --> 2:05:55.840 of substantially, But they still view themselves the same way 2:05:55.880 --> 2:05:58.600 they would when they were voting forced to even harper. 2:05:59.480 --> 2:06:03.480 Unless you're a self described extremist, you typically view everything 2:06:03.520 --> 2:06:07.160 that you do and say as normal and reasonable. Like you, 2:06:07.160 --> 2:06:10.200 you are the actual normal. Everyone else is shifted either 2:06:10.240 --> 2:06:14.440 way relative to you. During our talk, I asked investigative 2:06:14.480 --> 2:06:18.360 journalist Peter Smith on his opinions about what sorts of 2:06:18.400 --> 2:06:22.440 political and social factors have allowed the occupation and blockades 2:06:22.760 --> 2:06:27.360 to have enough numbers to last and continue on so long. Um. 2:06:27.480 --> 2:06:29.920 Kind of having spent a lot of time on the 2:06:29.920 --> 2:06:32.440 ground at the Ottawa convoy just talking to people as 2:06:32.520 --> 2:06:36.440 like as a normal guy without my press hat on. Um, 2:06:36.480 --> 2:06:39.240 it does seem like when there's a lot of owner 2:06:39.320 --> 2:06:43.560 operators there, like when it comes to the trucks themselves. Um, 2:06:43.600 --> 2:06:47.920 these people are the business owners um or like very 2:06:47.920 --> 2:06:51.720 close like they're kind of independent contractors exactly. UM. I 2:06:51.760 --> 2:06:53.880 think there was a report that came out showing a 2:06:53.880 --> 2:06:56.720 survey that done that like roughly half of the people 2:06:56.760 --> 2:07:03.200 there were unemployed. UM. So like the financial promise of 2:07:03.240 --> 2:07:05.240 all the money raised may have been a big drawlic 2:07:05.320 --> 2:07:07.920 not to say that these people don't legitimately believe the 2:07:07.960 --> 2:07:13.400 reasons absolutely, um, but it created an incentive. Um. But 2:07:13.440 --> 2:07:16.760 then having roughly half of them, you know, still having jobs. 2:07:17.400 --> 2:07:19.440 You know, it comes down to a little bit more 2:07:19.480 --> 2:07:24.280 than just money. Like it's about actual belief, actual ideology. UM. 2:07:24.360 --> 2:07:26.440 But it is interesting for a large amount of people 2:07:26.480 --> 2:07:31.320 who are extremely worried about supply lines, about people having 2:07:31.440 --> 2:07:35.040 enough food initially um to kind of creating this self 2:07:35.080 --> 2:07:39.000 fulfilling prophecy where where that seems to be the main 2:07:39.080 --> 2:07:41.400 tactic is just to grind as much to a halt 2:07:41.440 --> 2:07:45.400 as they can, using as much as many people as 2:07:45.400 --> 2:07:48.040 they can muster. And then just the kind of general 2:07:48.960 --> 2:07:52.120 hands off approach that law enforcement is taking with them, 2:07:52.880 --> 2:07:56.640 um has allowed them to organize better, to evolve their 2:07:56.680 --> 2:07:59.840 tactics to be more effective. UM. Like, I certainly don't 2:07:59.840 --> 2:08:03.080 think a policing solution is is what's going to solve this, 2:08:03.240 --> 2:08:05.920 and you know, there's a lot of calls for that, 2:08:06.040 --> 2:08:07.560 which is I think just gonna result in a lot 2:08:07.560 --> 2:08:12.920 of people getting hurt in the street. Um. But but yeah, 2:08:13.000 --> 2:08:16.240 like it is interesting that how it kind of it 2:08:16.480 --> 2:08:19.640 came from the West mostly and then landed in Ottawa 2:08:19.680 --> 2:08:22.880 and then kind of spread out from there once people 2:08:22.920 --> 2:08:26.840 realized it was effective, once people realized, you know, there 2:08:26.880 --> 2:08:30.920 was there was safety in these numbers. Um, it's it's drawn, 2:08:33.360 --> 2:08:35.920 it's drawn so many people to it. It's it's honestly shocked. 2:08:36.080 --> 2:08:38.960 It's it has been shocking, truly how quickly it is 2:08:39.000 --> 2:08:42.640 spread and how effective it has been. It's not January 2:08:42.760 --> 2:08:44.880 six in the sense that like people are running around 2:08:44.880 --> 2:08:48.680 Parliament and like trying to find you know, every liberal politician, 2:08:48.720 --> 2:08:50.720 but in the sense that it's a large amount of 2:08:50.720 --> 2:08:55.480 people motivated by conspiracy. Yeah, that's where I view the parallel. 2:08:55.800 --> 2:08:59.600 And because they and honestly, the the actual sincerity of 2:08:59.640 --> 2:09:03.280 it poses more of a political threat than the animosity 2:09:03.280 --> 2:09:07.080 of January six. Um, in terms of like long term 2:09:07.160 --> 2:09:10.120 like actual social change and using this type of like 2:09:10.200 --> 2:09:13.320 occupation as a tactic. The more sincere you are, the 2:09:13.400 --> 2:09:15.280 more of an actual political threat you can be in 2:09:15.320 --> 2:09:17.320 the long term, because yeah, if they start, if they 2:09:17.360 --> 2:09:19.320 store in Parliament, then I'll get shut down in a 2:09:19.400 --> 2:09:21.400 day and then they will be demonized and then then 2:09:21.400 --> 2:09:23.960 the problem is over, um at least at least in 2:09:23.960 --> 2:09:26.760 the short term. Right. Um. But if you actually like 2:09:26.920 --> 2:09:31.280 do this sincerely and actually get people to buckle under pressure, 2:09:31.560 --> 2:09:35.240 then that's like actual successful politics. Like that is you're 2:09:35.280 --> 2:09:38.760 you're actually doing politics objectively. Well, um, and that's more 2:09:38.840 --> 2:09:43.400 interesting to point out. The problem isn't protesting, Like protesting 2:09:43.160 --> 2:09:46.520 as a concept isn't the issue. The problem isn't even 2:09:46.560 --> 2:09:49.640 blockade Like, No, the problem is not blockades either. Yeah, 2:09:49.720 --> 2:09:53.520 all these things are just tactics, and tactics are value neutral. Um. 2:09:53.640 --> 2:09:56.200 Usually you know, it's until you get take a genocide 2:09:56.200 --> 2:09:59.440 when it's usually that's a kind of kind of kind 2:09:59.480 --> 2:10:03.680 of a downer generally. Um. But in generally I kind 2:10:03.680 --> 2:10:06.680 of you put protoce tactics as more value neutral. It's 2:10:06.680 --> 2:10:11.280 about kind of what the underlying cultural motivation is and 2:10:11.440 --> 2:10:15.400 what they want the results to be. And even still 2:10:15.440 --> 2:10:17.320 you know, some of the some of the points they 2:10:17.320 --> 2:10:21.440 have are not completely invalid um. But once it gets 2:10:21.480 --> 2:10:24.160 caught up in a cultural war kind of mindset, it's 2:10:24.200 --> 2:10:26.240 like you have to oppose it to just because they're 2:10:26.240 --> 2:10:28.920 on the other side. Um. So I kind of want 2:10:28.920 --> 2:10:32.000 to talk about like the reasons why they are actually 2:10:32.520 --> 2:10:34.920 kind of bad, like like for like on like a 2:10:35.000 --> 2:10:38.320 very sincere way, but then also kind of point out 2:10:38.680 --> 2:10:40.400 some things that are like yeah, maybe in the scene, 2:10:40.440 --> 2:10:42.640 these are things we should consider and it shouldn't take 2:10:43.040 --> 2:10:45.760 this type of occupation to have us reconsider some of 2:10:45.760 --> 2:10:50.920 these rules and regulations. Yeah, like completely, Like I think 2:10:50.960 --> 2:10:55.840 there's no issue with having being uncomfortable with mandates, um, like, 2:10:55.880 --> 2:10:58.520 even if you feel they're necessary, like being uncomfortable with 2:10:58.560 --> 2:11:04.120 the amount of state power that is being accumulated. Um. 2:11:04.160 --> 2:11:07.320 You know, in Canada, you know, there have been sweeping 2:11:07.400 --> 2:11:09.320 changes to the way that we live our life, Like 2:11:09.480 --> 2:11:13.400 I know that that's been universal. Um but there there 2:11:13.480 --> 2:11:16.800 is not a province that hasn't really suffered, like hasn't 2:11:16.840 --> 2:11:21.440 really impacted people's lives dealing with covid um. And you 2:11:21.440 --> 2:11:23.760 know this is this is one of the biggest issues 2:11:23.760 --> 2:11:30.040 when trying to point out disparate responses in policing. Um, Well, 2:11:30.080 --> 2:11:32.560 it's like, oh, it's like, so we should treat the 2:11:32.640 --> 2:11:36.000 convoy participants like they treated everybody else. And it's it's 2:11:36.000 --> 2:11:41.720 like no, like like you know, the the police chief 2:11:41.880 --> 2:11:43.640 of Ottawa got a lot of ship for saying he 2:11:43.680 --> 2:11:46.520 doesn't think there's a policing solution, and it's like, I 2:11:46.880 --> 2:11:48.960 do agree with the criticism of him because he has 2:11:48.960 --> 2:11:52.400 attempted to kick responsibility to just about every other level 2:11:52.400 --> 2:11:57.960 of government available. Um. But dragging people out, like towing 2:11:57.960 --> 2:12:00.800 their vehicles and taking away their livelihood and dragging a 2:12:00.840 --> 2:12:02.600 lot of people out into the street and then into 2:12:02.680 --> 2:12:07.760 jail is not gonna resolve these issues, no, um. And 2:12:07.880 --> 2:12:11.040 if anything, it could could bring more support. Like again, 2:12:11.080 --> 2:12:15.880 there was another report today that I think it's of 2:12:15.960 --> 2:12:20.200 people who have camped out have children with them, Like, 2:12:20.680 --> 2:12:23.000 you know, this is gonna be an incredibly traumatic experience. 2:12:23.000 --> 2:12:25.440 It's gonna help radicalize more people, and it's gonna lend 2:12:25.880 --> 2:12:28.280 credence to their cause if they just go in and 2:12:28.320 --> 2:12:31.480 bust heads. And it's like if the main focus of 2:12:31.520 --> 2:12:34.360 this convoy had been in Toronto, where we have an 2:12:34.360 --> 2:12:37.200 incredibly aggressive police force when it comes to like homeless 2:12:37.240 --> 2:12:41.200 encampments for instance, Um, you know, I think the result 2:12:41.280 --> 2:12:49.160 could have been very different. Yeah. And then because a 2:12:49.160 --> 2:12:51.320 lot of stuff around the question of governments and stuff. Yeah, 2:12:51.480 --> 2:12:53.720 It's it's the type of things I can agree with with, 2:12:53.800 --> 2:12:57.800 Like right wing libertarians is Yeah, you do have a 2:12:57.840 --> 2:13:01.280 lot of points I can simple hazed with around the 2:13:01.360 --> 2:13:05.080 state and around control, but the way you address them 2:13:05.120 --> 2:13:08.400 don't actually address the underlying power structures which give the 2:13:08.480 --> 2:13:13.560 state legitimacy in the first place. Yeah. Absolutely, And the 2:13:13.600 --> 2:13:15.320 world that you kind of want in the end is 2:13:15.360 --> 2:13:18.880 still a world full of hierarchies, just hierarchies that make 2:13:18.960 --> 2:13:22.080 your life easier, sw and skew and your favor just 2:13:22.160 --> 2:13:26.040 like asking for two unelected bodies to reoplate replace your 2:13:26.520 --> 2:13:30.800 democratically elected government. It's like we had ten years of 2:13:30.840 --> 2:13:35.720 Stephen Harper, like um, people were unhappy and extremely critical 2:13:35.760 --> 2:13:37.960 of that government from the center and from the left, 2:13:38.000 --> 2:13:41.839 but you know, there wasn't this kind of broad support 2:13:41.920 --> 2:13:45.240 for the idea that that government was illegitimate, which is 2:13:45.280 --> 2:13:48.120 I think what we see mostly today, which is the 2:13:48.240 --> 2:13:51.440 most disturbing and kind of anti democratic part of the 2:13:51.480 --> 2:13:53.640 whole pot. Yeah, and that's the kind of what the 2:13:53.720 --> 2:13:55.120 last thing I want to talk about is, like, what 2:13:55.200 --> 2:13:59.120 do you see Like eventually people will go home, either 2:13:59.440 --> 2:14:03.400 out of exhaustion, it'll maybe fizzle away, like like the 2:14:03.400 --> 2:14:07.520 protests in Portland did. Maybe they'll eventually police will kind 2:14:07.560 --> 2:14:10.200 of clear out small sections of like who who knows, 2:14:10.200 --> 2:14:14.680 but like this is not going knock ye one here, 2:14:14.760 --> 2:14:17.120 but this this isn't gonna last like a year, right, 2:14:17.280 --> 2:14:19.280 It's not. It's not gonna like they're I don't think 2:14:19.480 --> 2:14:21.760 they're gonna have thousands of people camp out in front 2:14:21.800 --> 2:14:25.480 of the government forever. Um. So what but what are 2:14:25.480 --> 2:14:28.640 the actual loum term political ramifications of this, Because we 2:14:28.640 --> 2:14:31.879 already saw the leader of the Conservative Party step down, um, 2:14:32.000 --> 2:14:34.240 So like I want to talk about, like specifically with 2:14:34.280 --> 2:14:37.080 the guy who's probably more most likely to take his place, 2:14:37.360 --> 2:14:39.880 how this just does kind of play into the more 2:14:39.920 --> 2:14:42.720 negative aspects of the convoy, is like how they're going 2:14:42.760 --> 2:14:45.320 to use this as a political symbol and a political 2:14:45.360 --> 2:14:49.440 tool to push for policies and forms the government and 2:14:49.520 --> 2:14:52.880 actions that will end up hurting a lot of um 2:14:53.160 --> 2:14:55.720 and well up hurting a lot of people, um in 2:14:55.840 --> 2:14:57.320 terms of you know, how how it's going to be 2:14:57.400 --> 2:15:00.680 used in propaganda and rhetoric. Yeah, Well, certainly if we 2:15:00.800 --> 2:15:05.880 have um, you know, strong legal ramifications put in place 2:15:06.160 --> 2:15:10.640 that make it easier for provinces, the federal government whatever 2:15:10.720 --> 2:15:15.600 to crackdown on on protests in general, which I think 2:15:15.680 --> 2:15:19.600 is something that might be very attractive to our carent government. Um, 2:15:19.720 --> 2:15:22.959 you know that's going to have obviously very far reaching effects. 2:15:23.000 --> 2:15:26.880 You know, one of our opposition parties, which is you know, 2:15:27.040 --> 2:15:29.600 generally further to the left then than the Liberals, the 2:15:29.680 --> 2:15:33.280 n DP, UM, their leader was proposing ways to stop 2:15:34.000 --> 2:15:38.600 foreign funding from coming in to supplied to the protests. Um. 2:15:38.640 --> 2:15:41.480 You know, once again, we we had protests a couple 2:15:41.520 --> 2:15:44.880 of years ago by indigenous people and people who support 2:15:45.240 --> 2:15:50.480 indigenous movements. Um. You know that that raised money using 2:15:50.520 --> 2:15:53.960 the same platforms and the same methods. You know, So 2:15:54.120 --> 2:15:56.760 I worry about like one of the legal ramifications like 2:15:58.240 --> 2:16:00.760 to just this this idea, like if the government does 2:16:00.800 --> 2:16:03.480 crack down very hard, this idea of real grievance and 2:16:03.560 --> 2:16:06.000 alienation that the West has already been struggling with. Like 2:16:06.040 --> 2:16:10.320 we've had a real renewed separatist movement, not from Quebec 2:16:10.440 --> 2:16:13.160 um where it's generally been the most successful, but from 2:16:13.320 --> 2:16:17.880 the Western provinces, you know, not not really getting close 2:16:17.920 --> 2:16:21.600 to obtaining any real political power, but you know, kind 2:16:21.600 --> 2:16:25.120 of steadily gaining support, pulling a showing that you know, 2:16:25.800 --> 2:16:28.920 there is a real feeling of Western alienation that they 2:16:28.960 --> 2:16:31.200 don't feel represented and you know, a lot of the 2:16:31.200 --> 2:16:38.000 ways our government are set up actually makes that true. Um. Yeah. Ultimately, 2:16:38.000 --> 2:16:42.280 as people I think become more and more disenfranchised, UM, 2:16:42.360 --> 2:16:48.520 when government action begins to kind of justify imagined ideas 2:16:48.520 --> 2:16:52.440 of oppression, UM, you're gonna have a real hardening. And 2:16:52.520 --> 2:16:55.959 since the government in power is a progressive one is 2:16:56.800 --> 2:16:59.760 or at least one that espouses you know, tries tries 2:16:59.800 --> 2:17:03.119 to each for progressive values, you know, there's a good 2:17:03.200 --> 2:17:05.480 chance that those issues are gonna get caught up with 2:17:06.200 --> 2:17:10.000 what is just like a quote unquote leftist agenda, Whereas 2:17:10.080 --> 2:17:13.560 up until probably a decade ago, those things were very 2:17:13.640 --> 2:17:17.040 much seen as kind of inherent Canadian values that were 2:17:17.080 --> 2:17:22.359 embraced by both sides. UM. The current candidate for leadership, 2:17:22.360 --> 2:17:25.359 he hasn't been he hasn't won the seat in the 2:17:25.360 --> 2:17:28.520 the Conservative Party yet. But Pierre Pouliver has kind of 2:17:28.560 --> 2:17:33.720 always flirted to some degree with UM far right talking 2:17:33.760 --> 2:17:37.039 points like I don't I I specialize in hey groups, 2:17:37.080 --> 2:17:41.040 I don't want to make too many pronouncements about mainstream conservatism. Um. 2:17:41.120 --> 2:17:43.800 But even by kind of members of the very far 2:17:43.920 --> 2:17:46.840 right who often have turned against the Conservative Party over 2:17:46.879 --> 2:17:49.600 the course of the pandemic. He's often referred to as 2:17:49.600 --> 2:17:54.439 the adult in the room. Um, and while still a politician, 2:17:55.240 --> 2:17:58.199 kind of their best bet for getting someone in office 2:17:58.200 --> 2:18:01.320 that they would actually like to see in power. Um, 2:18:01.360 --> 2:18:03.600 which could I mean could be interesting to see how 2:18:03.640 --> 2:18:07.840 they if they will be continued support for the PPC 2:18:08.000 --> 2:18:12.640 and two to four years. Um. But yeah, I just 2:18:12.680 --> 2:18:15.640 think there there is a real hardening of the right. 2:18:15.680 --> 2:18:19.320 And it's not like the Overton window is shifting. It's 2:18:19.320 --> 2:18:22.080 just like it's getting wider, like more and more is 2:18:22.120 --> 2:18:25.040 being incorporated as opposed to be just going in one 2:18:25.040 --> 2:18:29.879 direction or another. That disenfranchisement is a driving factor. Like 2:18:29.920 --> 2:18:33.560 they view this populist kind of uprising or up swelling 2:18:34.680 --> 2:18:38.320 um that they're seeing now as a function of democracy 2:18:38.400 --> 2:18:41.560 or like part of how democracy is supposed to function. 2:18:42.280 --> 2:18:44.200 So again, like if if you talk to them, they 2:18:44.240 --> 2:18:47.199 will quite earnestly say many of them anyway, we'll quite 2:18:47.200 --> 2:18:49.480 earnestly say it like this is about freedom, is about 2:18:49.480 --> 2:18:53.640 having my voice heard. Yeah, but without a lot of 2:18:54.320 --> 2:18:59.240 thought about how that will actually functioned in a broader scale. 2:19:00.000 --> 2:19:02.280 I mean that just plays into like alienation as like 2:19:02.320 --> 2:19:05.920 a general concept, right, Like we're so disconnected from everything 2:19:05.959 --> 2:19:09.000 about our lives, disconnected from you know, the way we work, 2:19:09.800 --> 2:19:13.039 disconnected from our interactions with other people, between disconnected from 2:19:13.080 --> 2:19:15.560 like you know, money or food, you know, it's all 2:19:15.560 --> 2:19:18.280 the stuff, and like disconnected from politics. Is that the 2:19:18.320 --> 2:19:21.120 only way that you can actually something that feels real, 2:19:21.560 --> 2:19:24.119 the only thing that actually feels like reality, is going 2:19:24.160 --> 2:19:26.440 to do this thing in person because everything else is 2:19:26.520 --> 2:19:30.800 so disjointed. Um it's there is so much of that 2:19:30.959 --> 2:19:35.840 space in between the phenomenon and the actual thing that is. 2:19:36.200 --> 2:19:38.560 It leaves you wanting something which you don't know quite what. 2:19:38.879 --> 2:19:40.640 So yeah, you're going to drive to Ottawa because that 2:19:40.640 --> 2:19:43.200 feels so much more real. That feels like actual politics, 2:19:43.320 --> 2:19:45.760 and the kind of it is like that's like, that's 2:19:45.879 --> 2:19:48.040 that's that's always when it feels like when you're when 2:19:48.080 --> 2:19:50.240 you're like when you're when you're protesting, it's like, yeah, 2:19:50.240 --> 2:19:54.280 I'm actually doing politics now, because that's how everything gets 2:19:54.280 --> 2:19:56.560 set up is by that type of like you know, 2:19:56.840 --> 2:19:59.879 getting people on the ground, and it's such a more 2:20:00.000 --> 2:20:03.240 personal way to engage than you know, putting a no 2:20:03.520 --> 2:20:06.320 into a box every two to four years. Like yeah, 2:20:06.360 --> 2:20:10.000 I I imagine it does feel substantive. And then I mean, 2:20:10.080 --> 2:20:13.039 voting power is centered in our urban centers as well, 2:20:13.160 --> 2:20:16.400 so there is there is a real disconnect with the 2:20:16.480 --> 2:20:21.959 representation that that rural people again Western the Western provinces received. 2:20:23.160 --> 2:20:26.520 I now want to specifically talk about police response and 2:20:26.560 --> 2:20:29.879 the way needs this occupation and blockades being handled will 2:20:29.920 --> 2:20:34.040 affect the political organizing in the future. I think initially 2:20:34.120 --> 2:20:36.920 the majority of police concerns and what they were actually 2:20:36.920 --> 2:20:40.960 focused on responding to was fears around the convoy storming 2:20:41.040 --> 2:20:44.000 Parliament or if the convoys were going to do something 2:20:44.040 --> 2:20:48.400 exceedingly violent, which I don't think was necessarily the convoys 2:20:48.440 --> 2:20:51.680 actionable objective from the beginning, if you listen to what 2:20:51.720 --> 2:20:54.320 they were actually saying, it will it was more about 2:20:54.440 --> 2:20:57.440 choking out the city and applying pressure on government officials. 2:20:58.080 --> 2:21:00.600 But the initial non violence, coupled with the shield of 2:21:00.640 --> 2:21:03.560 being conservative, white and middle class whom you know the 2:21:03.560 --> 2:21:06.680 police are less likely to react as brutally to allowed 2:21:06.680 --> 2:21:09.600 time for the infrastructure to rise that let the protest 2:21:09.720 --> 2:21:13.080 turn into a full scale occupation of a North American city. 2:21:14.080 --> 2:21:17.680 The first real action police took against the occupation was 2:21:17.800 --> 2:21:22.560 on the evening of Sunday, February six, Demonstrators were gathering 2:21:22.600 --> 2:21:25.520 for dinner than dozens of officers and riot gear carrying 2:21:25.600 --> 2:21:29.760 munitions launchers raided a camp after footage of stockpiles and 2:21:29.800 --> 2:21:33.680 gas cans went viral days previous, in an attempt to 2:21:33.760 --> 2:21:36.920 cut the supply route. Police say they seized around three 2:21:36.959 --> 2:21:41.240 thousand and seven liters of fuel and two vehicles, including 2:21:41.280 --> 2:21:45.160 a diesel tank, but within hours of the raid, protesters 2:21:45.160 --> 2:21:48.680 from the camp broadcast reassurance to their supporters and continue 2:21:48.720 --> 2:21:53.120 to organize just goodalizing smarter tactics. The day after the 2:21:53.160 --> 2:21:57.560 police raid, protesters continued to deliver fuel to downtown truckers 2:21:57.600 --> 2:22:01.120 as they executed a coordinated effort to exhaust police resources. 2:22:01.760 --> 2:22:05.200 Hundreds of demonstrators carried fuel cans, some empty, some not, 2:22:05.680 --> 2:22:09.720 just right past officers, who mostly stood watched as hundreds 2:22:09.760 --> 2:22:13.200 of people trolled them with decoy cans, while others smuggled 2:22:13.200 --> 2:22:16.320 in more fuel within the safety of the large crowd 2:22:16.680 --> 2:22:19.600 right in the middle of the day. Ottawa Police Deputy 2:22:19.680 --> 2:22:23.720 Chief Steve Bell said the demonstrators were filling cast cans 2:22:23.800 --> 2:22:27.879 with water to distract officers attempting to subvert their efforts, 2:22:27.920 --> 2:22:30.400 and that one officer was swarmed by the crowd while 2:22:30.480 --> 2:22:34.400 trying to confiscate fuel. To date, police have made around 2:22:34.440 --> 2:22:38.040 thirty arrests and issued thousands of tickets, launched more than 2:22:38.080 --> 2:22:42.240 eighty criminal investigations, and four hundred plus hate incidents are 2:22:42.280 --> 2:22:46.520 also being investigated. Earlier this week, Peter slowly said that 2:22:46.560 --> 2:22:48.800 the force would turn up the heat as the police 2:22:48.840 --> 2:22:52.040 started to crack down on anyone bringing material aid such 2:22:52.040 --> 2:22:56.160 as fuel too protesters. Police dismantled a protest camp near 2:22:56.280 --> 2:22:59.920 the Readieu Canal downtown and a fuel operation on the 2:23:00.080 --> 2:23:03.520 Coventry Road east of the Core, but some trucks and 2:23:03.560 --> 2:23:08.560 demonstrators continued to occupy downtown streets and the staging area 2:23:08.760 --> 2:23:13.080 on Coventry. Police say that they need an additional eighteen 2:23:13.160 --> 2:23:17.560 hundred more reinforcements from federal and provincial governments to help 2:23:17.760 --> 2:23:21.640 end the crisis. The entire Ottawa Police force numbers only 2:23:21.680 --> 2:23:24.960 twelve hundred, but it's been supplemented with several hundred officers 2:23:25.160 --> 2:23:29.000 from the Ontario Provisional Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2:23:29.280 --> 2:23:32.879 as well as local police forces elsewhere in Ontario over 2:23:32.879 --> 2:23:36.360 the past few weeks. Near the end of the second 2:23:36.400 --> 2:23:40.480 week of occupation, dug Ford, the Premier of Ontario declared 2:23:40.520 --> 2:23:43.920 a state of emergency for the entire province, warning protesters 2:23:43.959 --> 2:23:46.840 demanding an end to pandemic restrictions that if they do 2:23:46.920 --> 2:23:50.439 not disband, there will be consequences and they will be severe. 2:23:51.120 --> 2:23:53.520 He said that those who continue to impede the movement 2:23:53.520 --> 2:23:55.840 of people and goods could face fines and up to 2:23:55.840 --> 2:23:59.120 one hundred thousand Canadian dollars, up to a year in prison, 2:23:59.400 --> 2:24:03.560 and the vocation of their driver's license. During the cold 2:24:03.640 --> 2:24:08.280 morning of Sunday, February, police largely cleared the portion of 2:24:08.320 --> 2:24:11.920 the self styled freedom of Convoy blocking the Ambassador Bridge 2:24:12.040 --> 2:24:16.080 US Canada border crossing on the road between Windsor, Ontario, 2:24:16.200 --> 2:24:20.039 and Detroit. The clearing marked a week since the border 2:24:20.040 --> 2:24:24.760 blockade had begun. Police made several arrests and towed vehicles 2:24:24.760 --> 2:24:27.840 in connection to the demonstration that had disrupted traffic and 2:24:27.879 --> 2:24:31.119 the flow of goods. After law enforcement enforced the injunction 2:24:31.240 --> 2:24:34.440 enacted two days prior, ordering truckers and our supporters to leave, 2:24:34.800 --> 2:24:37.960 and ticketed and towed vehicles. A defined core of some 2:24:38.000 --> 2:24:42.040 two dozen protesters had remained on foot as temperatures dropped 2:24:42.080 --> 2:24:45.760 below freezing, but around nine thirty local time, police had 2:24:45.760 --> 2:24:48.680 mostly cleared the street to the bridge and were deployed 2:24:48.680 --> 2:24:52.480 around the area. It was unclear, however, how large police 2:24:52.480 --> 2:24:57.400 presidents would remain to prevent vehicles and demonstrators from returning there. Meanwhile, 2:24:57.440 --> 2:24:59.840 in the capital of Ottawa, police grappled with an in 2:25:00.000 --> 2:25:03.480 flux of anti government and anti vaccine mandate demonstrators for 2:25:03.520 --> 2:25:07.760 a third straight weekend. Despite both local and provincial officials 2:25:07.760 --> 2:25:11.920 declaring states of emergency, law enforcement appeared to be unsuccessful 2:25:11.959 --> 2:25:15.039 in attempts to get the Freedom Convoy protesters to leave 2:25:15.480 --> 2:25:18.600 by threatening them with fines, prison time, and loss of 2:25:18.640 --> 2:25:21.760 their licenses. Police have not made any large effort to 2:25:21.800 --> 2:25:24.400 asrupt to the convoys in Ottawa, similar to what they 2:25:24.440 --> 2:25:28.960 did on Sunday in Windsor, Ontario. Otto Police say that 2:25:29.080 --> 2:25:33.840 over four thousand demonstrators were in this city throughout the day. However, 2:25:34.000 --> 2:25:38.080 on Monday, February fourteenth, police action was taken against the 2:25:38.080 --> 2:25:41.120 blockade at the Coots border crossing that had shut down 2:25:41.200 --> 2:25:45.160 cross border travel for almost three weeks. The RCNP said 2:25:45.160 --> 2:25:47.400 in a press release early Monday morning that they became 2:25:47.440 --> 2:25:50.320 aware of a small organized group within the larger protest 2:25:50.360 --> 2:25:54.040 at Coots, which led to eleven arrests. They say that 2:25:54.080 --> 2:25:56.520 they had information that the group had access to a 2:25:56.600 --> 2:26:00.560 cash of firearms and ammunition in three trailers. During the raid, 2:26:00.600 --> 2:26:04.520 officers seized long guns, handguns, multiple sets of body armor, 2:26:04.720 --> 2:26:08.400 a machete, and a large commantity of ammunition and some 2:26:08.480 --> 2:26:12.840 high capacity magazines. Later that day, to other arrests were 2:26:12.879 --> 2:26:16.800 made in connection to the blockade. Following the police raid 2:26:16.879 --> 2:26:20.120 and the thirteen arrests, some other organizers of the protest 2:26:20.240 --> 2:26:23.680 said a decision was reached voluntarily to leave the Coots area. 2:26:23.879 --> 2:26:28.000 Around Tuesday morning. The organizers made a statement saying, quote, 2:26:28.320 --> 2:26:31.879 we were infiltrated by an extreme element. Our objective was 2:26:31.920 --> 2:26:34.600 to be here peacefully to keep that message going. We 2:26:34.640 --> 2:26:37.920 wanted to peacefully leave Coots and return to our families. 2:26:39.000 --> 2:26:43.480 As of Tuesday, both the border crossing at the Ambassador 2:26:43.480 --> 2:26:46.120 Bridge to Detroit and the Coot Sport of entry to 2:26:46.200 --> 2:26:50.000 Montana are open once again. As the border opened back 2:26:50.080 --> 2:26:54.640 up in Coots the previous blockade, protesters and police embraced 2:26:54.680 --> 2:26:59.879 each other with hugs and handshakes. Meanwhile, on Monday, prim 2:27:00.000 --> 2:27:03.240 As Our Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the 2:27:03.280 --> 2:27:06.640 first time in Canadian history to give the federal government 2:27:06.840 --> 2:27:11.039 and police extra powers to handle the ongoing blockades and 2:27:11.160 --> 2:27:15.720 protests against pandemic restrictions. Here's how the measures were taking 2:27:15.760 --> 2:27:20.640 today will help get the situation under control. The police 2:27:20.640 --> 2:27:24.520 will be given more tools to restore order in places 2:27:24.520 --> 2:27:29.520 where public assemblies can constitute illegal and dangerous activities, such 2:27:29.600 --> 2:27:33.879 as blockades and occupations as seen in Ottawa, the Ambassador 2:27:33.920 --> 2:27:39.760 Bridge and elsewhere. These tools include strengthening their ability to 2:27:39.800 --> 2:27:46.640 impose fines or imprisonment. The government will designate secure and 2:27:46.760 --> 2:27:51.120 protect places and infrastructure that are critical to our economy 2:27:51.440 --> 2:27:57.560 and people's jobs, including border crossings and airports. We cannot 2:27:58.040 --> 2:28:03.720 and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue. 2:28:05.000 --> 2:28:08.560 The Emergencies Act will also allow the government to make 2:28:08.600 --> 2:28:12.480 sure essential services are rendered, for example, in order to 2:28:12.480 --> 2:28:19.360 tow vehicles blocking roads. In addition, financial institutions will be 2:28:19.480 --> 2:28:24.400 authorized or directed to render essential services to help address 2:28:24.480 --> 2:28:29.039 the situation, including by regulating and prohibiting the use of 2:28:29.120 --> 2:28:36.080 property to fund or support illegal blockades. Finally, will enable 2:28:36.240 --> 2:28:39.800 the r c MP to enforce municipal by laws and 2:28:39.879 --> 2:28:46.600 provincial offenses where required. This is what the Emergencies Act 2:28:47.240 --> 2:28:51.280 does The Emergencies Act, which replaced the War Measures Act 2:28:51.640 --> 2:28:55.920 in the nineteen eighties, defines a national emergency as a temporary, 2:28:56.360 --> 2:28:59.960 urgent and critical situation that is seriously endangers the line, 2:29:00.280 --> 2:29:04.039 health or safety of Canadians and is of such proportions 2:29:04.120 --> 2:29:07.840 or nature as to extend the capacity of authority of 2:29:07.879 --> 2:29:11.760 a province to deal with it. The unprecedented deployment of 2:29:11.800 --> 2:29:15.359 the Emergency's Act gives police quote more tools to restore 2:29:15.440 --> 2:29:18.240 order in places where public assembly is constitute illegal and 2:29:18.360 --> 2:29:22.959 dangerous activities, such as blockades and occupations. According to Trudeau, 2:29:23.600 --> 2:29:26.800 but the thing is police already had all the tools 2:29:26.840 --> 2:29:30.520 they needed. The illegal occupations and blockades were already illegal, 2:29:30.879 --> 2:29:33.480 they just didn't want to enforce it. You can look 2:29:33.560 --> 2:29:37.480 at how the coots, protesters and the police are hugging, right. 2:29:37.640 --> 2:29:40.720 This isn't a matter of having not enough tools. All 2:29:40.800 --> 2:29:44.240 this does is set a terrible precedent for using this 2:29:44.320 --> 2:29:47.599 type of extra power in the future to respond to protests, 2:29:47.800 --> 2:29:50.440 because the cops are still going to take a very 2:29:50.440 --> 2:29:53.320 gentle approach if they ever are forced to take physical 2:29:53.360 --> 2:29:57.320 action against the Ottawa occupation. While using the extra powers 2:29:57.400 --> 2:30:00.879 of the Emergencies Act. The Finance Minister of Hanada also 2:30:00.920 --> 2:30:04.680 announced on Monday a broadening of the laws regarding financing 2:30:04.760 --> 2:30:09.800 of crime and terrorism to now include crowdfunding and also 2:30:09.879 --> 2:30:13.039 extra surveillance measures against people who donate and use crowd 2:30:13.040 --> 2:30:18.000 funds for criminal acts, including illegal protests. As part of 2:30:18.040 --> 2:30:24.840 invoking the Emergencies Act, we are announcing the following immediate actions. First, 2:30:25.360 --> 2:30:28.600 we are broadening the scope of Canada's anti money lauder 2:30:28.920 --> 2:30:34.560 laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover crowdfunding 2:30:34.680 --> 2:30:40.359 platforms and the payment service providers they use. These changes 2:30:40.440 --> 2:30:47.680 cover all forms of transactions, including digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. 2:30:48.840 --> 2:30:53.439 The illegal blockades have highlighted the fact that crowdfunding platforms 2:30:54.120 --> 2:30:58.000 and some of the payment service providers they use are 2:30:58.120 --> 2:31:03.120 not fully captured under Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act. 2:31:04.320 --> 2:31:08.720 Our banks and financial institutions are already obligated to report 2:31:08.840 --> 2:31:13.840 to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada 2:31:14.200 --> 2:31:20.520 or FINTRACK. As of today, all crowdfunding platforms and the 2:31:20.560 --> 2:31:26.200 payment service providers they use must register with fintrack and 2:31:26.280 --> 2:31:33.879 they must report large and suspicious transactions to fintrack. This 2:31:34.080 --> 2:31:39.199 will help mitigate the risk that these platforms receive illicit funds, 2:31:40.360 --> 2:31:45.080 increase the quality and quantity of intelligence received by fintrack, 2:31:46.080 --> 2:31:51.000 and make more information available to support investigations by law 2:31:51.080 --> 2:31:55.800 enforcement into these illegal blockades. That's kind of all the 2:31:55.800 --> 2:31:58.600 information I have at the time of recording. So now 2:31:58.600 --> 2:32:01.920 I'm going to talk more about the potential political effects 2:32:01.920 --> 2:32:04.920 that this protest could have, not just on Canada, but 2:32:05.000 --> 2:32:08.959 also in how we view protest in general. So the 2:32:09.000 --> 2:32:12.720 actual result of liberal media framing this type of protest 2:32:12.840 --> 2:32:17.760 as scary terrorism is laying the groundwork for brutal police 2:32:17.840 --> 2:32:23.040 actions against massive, mostly non violent, and tactically smart protests 2:32:23.080 --> 2:32:27.800 to be more normalized across Canada, and extremely brutal police 2:32:27.800 --> 2:32:31.320 response and harsh charges are unlikely to be leveled against 2:32:31.320 --> 2:32:35.199 a protest made up of these conservatives, but will absolutely 2:32:35.240 --> 2:32:39.080 happen to any future progressive social justice cause, especially if 2:32:39.120 --> 2:32:43.600 they use occupy style tactics. The more powers police obtain 2:32:44.120 --> 2:32:46.560 and the legal precedents that are set will have long 2:32:46.640 --> 2:32:50.320 lasting implications, with legal consequences that will always come down 2:32:50.400 --> 2:32:52.560 harder on the left than they do on the right. 2:32:53.200 --> 2:32:56.840 Police will do a bare minimum to resolve this conservative 2:32:56.959 --> 2:33:00.360 so called freedom protest, but then will you it as 2:33:00.400 --> 2:33:04.320 a justification to grab greater resources and power and use 2:33:04.400 --> 2:33:09.360 this movement to justify severe preventative protest suppression in the future. 2:33:10.240 --> 2:33:14.080 If liberals can widely celebrate and thirst for harsh crackdowns 2:33:14.080 --> 2:33:17.640 of a protest made up of white conservatives and their families, 2:33:18.000 --> 2:33:21.520 calling the entire movement a criminal enterprise, and cheering on 2:33:21.560 --> 2:33:24.840 as police steal property of the protesters despite what the 2:33:24.879 --> 2:33:27.760 majority of these protesters are doing, just being kind of 2:33:27.800 --> 2:33:30.360 camping onside of a street. Think of all of the 2:33:30.400 --> 2:33:33.520 ways that consent can be manufactured to clamp down on 2:33:33.680 --> 2:33:38.160 any future large scale protest, especially when the movement isn't 2:33:38.200 --> 2:33:40.320 made up of a bunch of regular white people and 2:33:40.360 --> 2:33:43.760 their kids, and instead of actually challenges the underlying power 2:33:43.760 --> 2:33:47.280 structures that prop up white Canada, instead of just reinforcing 2:33:47.280 --> 2:33:50.600 it like the Convoy does. I have a similar issue 2:33:50.640 --> 2:33:54.640 around all of the hubbub around the fundraisers right. Restricting 2:33:54.680 --> 2:33:58.600 where crowdfunded resources can come from will only result in 2:33:58.680 --> 2:34:02.800 future political social us as causes to be negatively impacted, 2:34:03.080 --> 2:34:06.480 whether that be bail funds or supporting indigenous blockades from 2:34:06.480 --> 2:34:10.560 out of country. On February ten, the Canadian federal government 2:34:10.560 --> 2:34:14.840 effectively shut down the Freedom Convoys gives end go fundraiser, 2:34:15.160 --> 2:34:17.320 making it illegal for the funds to be used in 2:34:17.360 --> 2:34:21.080 any way. Governments setting the precedent for shutting down protest 2:34:21.120 --> 2:34:24.680 crowdfunding is not a good thing now. Any future of 2:34:24.720 --> 2:34:28.000 protest bail funds and crowdfunding for the set In blockade 2:34:28.120 --> 2:34:31.600 will always be in jeopardy, and by no means saying 2:34:31.640 --> 2:34:35.760 that action against a generally hateful, anti democratic, and dangerously 2:34:35.879 --> 2:34:41.000 conspiratorial protest isn't justified, but just when governments start using 2:34:41.000 --> 2:34:45.199 it as reasons for more power and creating new precedents 2:34:45.280 --> 2:34:48.440 for years in jail and hundreds of thousands of dollars 2:34:48.440 --> 2:34:52.160 and fines for an occupation. Protest like that shouldn't be 2:34:52.240 --> 2:34:55.039 cheered on because those things will only come back to 2:34:55.120 --> 2:34:58.039 bite progressive causes a lot harder than they will be 2:34:58.160 --> 2:35:02.440 used against the conservative con lawyers. There has increasingly been 2:35:02.480 --> 2:35:06.280 attempts at counter protesting the Ottawa Convoy and the various 2:35:06.320 --> 2:35:09.920 Convoy inspired protests around the country, many of which faced 2:35:09.920 --> 2:35:12.680 harsher police response than any of the convert protests have 2:35:13.040 --> 2:35:17.360 up until this point, but those community led counterprotesting efforts 2:35:17.440 --> 2:35:21.400 are vital. The RAM Ranch resistance actions are still ongoing. 2:35:21.920 --> 2:35:24.199 On Sunday night, the u r L for the Gifts 2:35:24.280 --> 2:35:27.720 End Go fundraiser was hacked by activists who redirected the 2:35:27.720 --> 2:35:30.600 page to a video of the frozen song Let It Go, 2:35:31.080 --> 2:35:35.440 accompanying a manifesto condemning the fundraiser and the Convoy. And 2:35:35.560 --> 2:35:38.560 that's great, and that is wonderful counter protesting. That is 2:35:38.760 --> 2:35:41.840 very in terms of effective ways to shut down fundraising 2:35:41.840 --> 2:35:47.320 efforts for basically pseudo fascist you know, anti anti democratic, 2:35:47.480 --> 2:35:51.960 conspiracy led movement. That's great, right. And this was hours 2:35:52.000 --> 2:35:54.880 after it was officially confirmed via data leaks that around 2:35:54.959 --> 2:35:58.080 fifty scent of gives End Go donations for the Convoy 2:35:58.360 --> 2:36:02.240 came from the United States, around came from Canada, and 2:36:02.280 --> 2:36:05.280 then two percent came from the UK. Although I think 2:36:05.280 --> 2:36:08.080 it's worth mentioning that for the initial ten million dollar 2:36:08.280 --> 2:36:11.760 go fund me, we only have confirmation that around thirty 2:36:11.840 --> 2:36:15.519 three thou dollars came from the United States. To understand 2:36:15.560 --> 2:36:19.440 how the Convoy flash blockade is working, it's useful to 2:36:19.440 --> 2:36:23.920 get away from painting all of the participants themselves as extremists, 2:36:24.200 --> 2:36:27.560 because the fact that regular Canadian right wingers are what's 2:36:27.600 --> 2:36:30.840 making this possible, has a whole bunch of other implications 2:36:30.879 --> 2:36:34.160 that people aren't really talking about. I'm seeing a lot 2:36:34.200 --> 2:36:36.480 of Canadians who are just really upset about how the 2:36:36.640 --> 2:36:40.440 convoys affecting cities and the country as a whole, which, 2:36:40.520 --> 2:36:43.200 you know, reasonable, I am, it is a thing to 2:36:43.240 --> 2:36:45.920 be upset about. But then just jumping to insist that 2:36:45.920 --> 2:36:49.440 it must be inorganic, I think is kind of faulty 2:36:49.959 --> 2:36:54.480 focusing instead on theories around foreign influences and ashtar organizing, 2:36:54.920 --> 2:36:58.360 elements of which have been present, sure, but also the 2:36:58.400 --> 2:37:00.560 impact in which is I think kind of an overblown 2:37:00.879 --> 2:37:04.560 But even if those things are completely true and major factors, 2:37:05.080 --> 2:37:07.880 that still overlooks the fact that there are thousands of 2:37:08.120 --> 2:37:12.160 real Canadians from around the country camped up in Ottawa, 2:37:12.680 --> 2:37:15.279 and the majority of those Canadians sitting in the streets 2:37:15.400 --> 2:37:19.280 are not Nazis right or really even extremists, and most 2:37:19.280 --> 2:37:22.320 of those people are not receiving personal funding from dark 2:37:22.400 --> 2:37:27.480 money billionaires. They consider themselves regular, working class, freedom loving Canadians. 2:37:28.280 --> 2:37:31.920 It's much harder to reconcile a homegrown movement full of 2:37:31.959 --> 2:37:34.360 participants that have slid further to the right over the 2:37:34.360 --> 2:37:37.720 past two years due to rampant online misinformation coupled with 2:37:37.800 --> 2:37:42.080 ineffectual government support during the pandemic. It's easy to point 2:37:42.120 --> 2:37:45.560 to so called organizers who are definitely more fashion, large 2:37:45.560 --> 2:37:48.640 scale sketchy donations, and far right media figures who are 2:37:48.640 --> 2:37:51.800 trying to jump support for the Convoy. But those things 2:37:51.840 --> 2:37:55.320 alone don't get many of thousands and thousands of people 2:37:55.480 --> 2:37:58.160 and their kids to drive across country for a cause 2:37:58.200 --> 2:38:02.000 that they earnestly believe in the years of political alienation 2:38:02.080 --> 2:38:05.680 and disenfrantisement that caused that to happen is a lot 2:38:05.720 --> 2:38:09.119 harder to solve than just cracking down on organizers and donations. 2:38:10.160 --> 2:38:14.480 Watching homegrown reactionary street politics that one day can grow 2:38:14.520 --> 2:38:18.360 into an actual far right, populist and fascist movement is 2:38:18.400 --> 2:38:22.720 a lot more frightening than the idea of overseased astroturft organizing. 2:38:23.240 --> 2:38:25.720 Not that those things are mutually exclusive always, but I'm 2:38:25.720 --> 2:38:28.840 just trying to make a good point here. Despite cries 2:38:28.920 --> 2:38:32.600 to make this Canada's January six, in a way, the 2:38:32.600 --> 2:38:35.360 Convoy is more effective the January six in terms of 2:38:35.400 --> 2:38:39.920 the evolution of valid political action. It's pushed the boundary 2:38:39.920 --> 2:38:42.760 on what is deemed as acceptable and even possible for 2:38:42.920 --> 2:38:46.800 large scale occupations and supply line blockades in the major 2:38:47.000 --> 2:38:51.920 North American urban setting. People who would never consider themselves 2:38:51.920 --> 2:38:56.160 militant are now involved in multiple border crossing blockades. That's 2:38:56.240 --> 2:38:58.800 cost hundreds of millions of dollars and to get to 2:38:58.840 --> 2:39:02.400 this point, So how many things need to happen? COVID 2:39:02.400 --> 2:39:06.440 isolation offered fertile ground for people's politics to unknowing these slide. 2:39:06.560 --> 2:39:09.640 More to the extreme, the many in person connections that 2:39:09.680 --> 2:39:13.200 help prevent people from falling prey to conspiratorial thinking ceased 2:39:13.240 --> 2:39:17.560 to exist. General frustration at Trudeau and the perceived notion 2:39:17.640 --> 2:39:21.920 of liberalism and elitism has been steadily growing since, and 2:39:22.040 --> 2:39:25.600 all that mounted up frustration is now being released and 2:39:25.720 --> 2:39:29.160 as a result, the invisible Overton window of acceptable political 2:39:29.200 --> 2:39:34.200 action has shifted right in regular conservatives minds, and a 2:39:34.240 --> 2:39:38.160 movement like this is hard to dissolve. Police actions have 2:39:38.240 --> 2:39:42.280 the chance of escalating the situation and elongating people's willingness 2:39:42.320 --> 2:39:46.240 to protest, and even if more mandates get removed, that 2:39:46.280 --> 2:39:49.280 doesn't mean the protests will stop either. Removing the Alberta 2:39:49.320 --> 2:39:53.000 mandates didn't stop the Coots border blockade, for instance, because 2:39:53.080 --> 2:39:56.160 you know, even if all the mandates in Canada get rescinded, 2:39:56.200 --> 2:39:59.040 which which they won't and whish they shouldn't. But even 2:39:59.040 --> 2:40:02.200 if they did, that would still leave the US's Vaccine 2:40:02.200 --> 2:40:05.959 Board requirements which are preventing vaccinated truckers from entering the 2:40:05.959 --> 2:40:10.440 States anyway. Similar tactics and protests inspired by the Canadian 2:40:10.480 --> 2:40:14.960 convoy have broken out overseas in recent weeks. The convoy 2:40:15.000 --> 2:40:17.800 and blocking inspired protests in New Zealand have led to 2:40:17.920 --> 2:40:21.400 frequent clashes with police outside New Zealand's Parliament building. For 2:40:21.440 --> 2:40:25.000 the past two weeks. French protesters formed their own Freedom 2:40:25.040 --> 2:40:29.200 Convoy against the government's vaccine mandates. The convoy converged on 2:40:29.280 --> 2:40:33.279 the Shan's Aliza in Paris on February second, where protesters 2:40:33.280 --> 2:40:37.039 were met by seven thousand police members and tear gas. 2:40:37.680 --> 2:40:40.840 Unlike Canada, where the government failed to stop a blockade 2:40:40.920 --> 2:40:43.760 at the U S border, French authorities got way ahead 2:40:43.760 --> 2:40:46.599 of this protest by stopping at least five hundred vehicles 2:40:46.600 --> 2:40:49.560 before they even got to Paris. Only a few dicent 2:40:49.560 --> 2:40:52.240 cars made it to the Seans Aliz, and the police 2:40:52.240 --> 2:40:55.480 ticketed three hundred protesters who were present at the demonstration. 2:40:56.160 --> 2:40:59.840 Protests against government coronavirus restrictions have cut on in Europe 2:40:59.840 --> 2:41:02.360 and other parts of the world in recent days, but 2:41:02.440 --> 2:41:06.400 they remained more subdued than the Canadian demonstrations. A convoy 2:41:06.400 --> 2:41:09.080 of about five hundred vehicles, mostly from France who are 2:41:09.080 --> 2:41:11.520 borrowed from entering Brussels of just a few days ago, 2:41:11.959 --> 2:41:15.000 leaving several hundred protesters to gather on foot at a 2:41:15.080 --> 2:41:19.640 city square instead. Another convoy of several hundred vehicles blocked 2:41:19.680 --> 2:41:22.240 access to the seat of the Netherlands government in the 2:41:22.320 --> 2:41:26.600 Hague on February twelve, And of course many political figures 2:41:26.640 --> 2:41:29.840 in the US are really trying to get a convoy 2:41:30.000 --> 2:41:34.000 esque protest kicked off here in the United States, Tucker 2:41:34.000 --> 2:41:36.600 Carlson and Fox News in general has covered the convoy 2:41:37.000 --> 2:41:40.560 non stop, giving it tons and tons of support. Tucker 2:41:40.600 --> 2:41:43.920 has said that the Canadian trucker convoy is the single 2:41:44.000 --> 2:41:48.440 most successful human rights protest in a generation. Senator Ran 2:41:48.600 --> 2:41:51.439 Paul So that he hopes the truckers come to America 2:41:51.720 --> 2:41:55.279 and specifically to clog up cities. At least nine members 2:41:55.320 --> 2:41:58.560 of Congress, all Republicans, have all publicized their support for 2:41:58.560 --> 2:42:02.720 the convoy. Participants on Twitter. Self appointed organizers for a 2:42:02.840 --> 2:42:06.680 US based convoy have found quick support from conservative outlets. 2:42:07.440 --> 2:42:11.160 US convoy organizer Brian Brace has been making the rounds 2:42:11.200 --> 2:42:14.200 on Fox News, sitting down with Carlson, as well as 2:42:14.200 --> 2:42:17.760 the networks Fox and Friends Morning Show. Brace says that 2:42:17.800 --> 2:42:21.640 he hoped to organize a cross country convoy from California 2:42:21.680 --> 2:42:25.920 to Washington, d C starting around March fourth. Routes to 2:42:26.080 --> 2:42:29.160 converge on d C from across the country are being planned, 2:42:29.440 --> 2:42:32.840 while the group's telegram channel is actively soliciting volunteers and 2:42:32.879 --> 2:42:36.920 donations of items like tents, generators, and p A systems. 2:42:37.879 --> 2:42:40.240 I kind of hope people on the left can look 2:42:40.280 --> 2:42:43.400 at the tactics being used in Canada, some that have 2:42:43.480 --> 2:42:46.200 worked and some that have faltered. But in terms of 2:42:46.360 --> 2:42:49.400 like anti capitalist action, you can't do much better than 2:42:49.440 --> 2:42:52.400 causing hundreds and millions of dollars and losses to international 2:42:52.440 --> 2:42:55.360 trade between two of the biggest countries in the world. 2:42:55.720 --> 2:43:00.680 Right now, no protest movement can be replicated it any 2:43:00.760 --> 2:43:04.520 movement can be analyzed, and that can inform how folks 2:43:04.520 --> 2:43:09.039 approach future movements as they spontaneously arise, and I at 2:43:09.040 --> 2:43:11.080 the very least help you have a better idea now 2:43:11.400 --> 2:43:14.199 of how only a few thousand people can totally choke 2:43:14.240 --> 2:43:17.800 out a major city, because we've talked about this possibility before. 2:43:17.879 --> 2:43:20.840 You know, a group of people overwhelming local law enforcement 2:43:21.040 --> 2:43:23.800 and taking over and shutting down a sizable portion of 2:43:23.800 --> 2:43:27.360 a popular metropolitan area, not to mention simultaneously blocking off 2:43:27.400 --> 2:43:32.160 supply lines, trade routes, and international border crossings. The evolution 2:43:32.240 --> 2:43:35.920 of these medium scale anti government resistance tactics is something 2:43:36.000 --> 2:43:38.960 we all should be paying attention to as the political 2:43:39.000 --> 2:43:42.960 tensions continue to rise right outside our doorstep, because it's 2:43:42.959 --> 2:43:46.080 always too late when you realize the calls coming from 2:43:46.120 --> 2:43:58.520 inside the house. Hey there, I'm Scott Rank, host of 2:43:58.560 --> 2:44:01.400 the podcast History Unplugged. And if you're dreaming of being 2:44:01.400 --> 2:44:03.959 a full time podcaster someday, you and I have a 2:44:04.000 --> 2:44:06.640 lot in common. I used to teach history for a living, 2:44:06.680 --> 2:44:10.119 which was great, but I wanted something more and maybe 2:44:10.160 --> 2:44:13.000 you know what I mean. So I gave podcasting a try, 2:44:13.040 --> 2:44:15.520 and I did it with Spreaker. From my heart, I 2:44:15.560 --> 2:44:17.959 could explain how it works in about ninety seconds, but 2:44:18.000 --> 2:44:20.080 all you really need to know now is that, in 2:44:20.120 --> 2:44:22.840 my experience, the ad revenue with Spreaker has been three 2:44:22.879 --> 2:44:25.000 to four times higher than it has been with any 2:44:25.000 --> 2:44:27.440 other host I've worked with. Now I get to do 2:44:27.480 --> 2:44:30.600 what I'm passionate about, teach history, but with more freedom 2:44:30.640 --> 2:44:34.560 and less stress, while still earning a respectable salary. From 2:44:34.640 --> 2:44:37.000 just getting started and doing the very basic stuff to 2:44:37.640 --> 2:44:40.080 taking your podcast in whatever direction you want to take it, 2:44:40.440 --> 2:44:43.000 Speaker has all sorts of great tools. So if you 2:44:43.000 --> 2:44:44.879 want to turn your passion into a podcast and give 2:44:44.920 --> 2:44:48.440 this a try, visit speaker dot com. That's sp r 2:44:48.760 --> 2:44:51.680 e a k e er dot com. Get paid to 2:44:51.760 --> 2:44:54.640 talk about the things you love with spreaker, from my 2:44:54.840 --> 2:45:01.240 heart what grows in the forest to sure you know 2:45:01.320 --> 2:45:04.720 what else? Girls in the forest, our imagination, our sense 2:45:04.760 --> 2:45:08.160 of wonder, and our family bonds grow too, because when 2:45:08.160 --> 2:45:14.960 we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect 2:45:15.000 --> 2:45:18.039 with each other. The forest is closer than you think. 2:45:18.360 --> 2:45:21.680 Find a forest near you and start exploring. I Discover 2:45:21.760 --> 2:45:24.240 the Forest dot org, brought to you by the United 2:45:24.280 --> 2:45:30.199 States Forest Service and the AD Council. Okay, it's deer Lipa. 2:45:30.280 --> 2:45:32.360 I'm here to tell you about my brand new podcasts, 2:45:32.360 --> 2:45:36.640 deer Leper at your service, I'll be sitting down with 2:45:36.680 --> 2:45:39.600 the world's most inspiring minds to uncover what makes them tick, 2:45:39.760 --> 2:45:42.760 what they've learned from their successes, failures, and the obstacles 2:45:42.800 --> 2:45:47.000 life of throad at them. We're going deep with people 2:45:47.040 --> 2:45:51.120 revolutionizing not just their own industries, but also culture more broadly. 2:45:51.720 --> 2:45:54.400 From Least today, the author redefining what it means to 2:45:54.440 --> 2:45:58.640 tell women's stories to the fashion industry. Virtuoso Olivier Roosting. 2:46:00.840 --> 2:46:02.680 You'll even hear me break bread with some of the 2:46:02.680 --> 2:46:06.440 most iconic and disseous names in pop culture, like Sir 2:46:06.560 --> 2:46:10.000 Elton John. After a lot of upsets, a lot of disappointments, 2:46:10.000 --> 2:46:12.240 a lot of betrayals, It's turned out to be the 2:46:12.280 --> 2:46:15.480 most wonderful life right now that I've could ever imagined. 2:46:15.720 --> 2:46:17.560 I can't wait to share all of this and more 2:46:17.600 --> 2:46:20.080 with you. Listen to do Relie but at your service 2:46:20.200 --> 2:46:23.360 on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 2:46:23.400 --> 2:46:44.680 you get your podcasts. Words incapable of being racist people 2:46:44.879 --> 2:46:48.560 joking about Canadians. Can't do it to Canada. Can't do 2:46:48.600 --> 2:46:51.039 it to Canada or the fuss it could happen here 2:46:51.760 --> 2:46:55.440 the French. We can be racist against the French. It's true. Yeah, 2:46:55.720 --> 2:46:59.400 speaking of speaking that makes Quebec angrier, but like speaking 2:46:59.400 --> 2:47:03.680 of racism, Chris, what's our topic today? Yeah, today's episode 2:47:03.760 --> 2:47:07.360 is about why I hate the cops. Yeah, specifically it 2:47:07.480 --> 2:47:12.520 is about is about Chicago Police Department and the many, many, many, 2:47:12.560 --> 2:47:15.560 many many crimes they have committed. Uh, we're gonna talk 2:47:15.560 --> 2:47:19.440 about well, Okay. To lead us in to explain what 2:47:19.440 --> 2:47:21.520 we're doing here today, I'm going to read a quote 2:47:21.520 --> 2:47:24.000 from from the late anthropologist David Graber from this book 2:47:24.000 --> 2:47:28.120 The Democracy Project. For my own part, I find what 2:47:28.200 --> 2:47:30.920 I call the rape torture and Murder test very useful. 2:47:31.200 --> 2:47:34.080 It's quite simple when presented with the political entity of 2:47:34.120 --> 2:47:36.680 some kind or another, whether a government, a social movement, 2:47:36.720 --> 2:47:39.680 a guerilla army, or really any other organized group, and 2:47:39.720 --> 2:47:43.440 trying to decide whether they deserve condemnation or support. First 2:47:43.480 --> 2:47:46.440 ask do they commit or do they order others to 2:47:46.480 --> 2:47:50.000 commit acts of rape, torture or murder. It seems a 2:47:50.040 --> 2:47:53.800 self evident question. But again it's surprising how rarely, or better, 2:47:53.920 --> 2:47:57.279 how selectively it is applied. Or perhaps it might seem 2:47:57.320 --> 2:48:00.280 surprising until one starts applying it and discovers conventional wisdom 2:48:00.320 --> 2:48:03.720 of many will political issues instantly turned upside down. In 2:48:03.720 --> 2:48:06.160 two thousand six, for example, most people in the United 2:48:06.160 --> 2:48:09.320 States read about the Mexican governments sending federal troops to 2:48:09.360 --> 2:48:12.240 quell a popular revolt initiated by a teachers union against 2:48:12.280 --> 2:48:15.600 notoriously corrupt governor in the southern state of Wahaka. In 2:48:15.640 --> 2:48:18.240 the US media, this was universally presented as a good thing, 2:48:18.320 --> 2:48:21.600 a restoration of order. The rebels, after all, were violent, 2:48:21.760 --> 2:48:24.280 having thrown rocks and molotov cocktails, even if they only 2:48:24.320 --> 2:48:27.039 threw them at heavily armed police, causing no serious injuries. 2:48:27.440 --> 2:48:29.240 No one, to my knowledge, has ever suggested that the 2:48:29.280 --> 2:48:33.560 rebels raped, tortured, or murdered anyone. Neither, as anyone who 2:48:33.560 --> 2:48:36.120 knows anything about the events and questions seriously contested the 2:48:36.160 --> 2:48:38.680 fact that forces loyal to the Mexican government had raped, tortured, 2:48:38.720 --> 2:48:41.000 and murdered quite a number of people in suppressing the rebellion. 2:48:41.760 --> 2:48:44.800 Yet somehow such acts, unlike the rebels stone throwing, cannot 2:48:44.840 --> 2:48:47.760 be described as violent at all, let alone as rape, torture, 2:48:47.800 --> 2:48:50.800 or murder, but only appear, if at all, as accusations 2:48:50.840 --> 2:48:58.240 of human rights violations, or in some similarly bloodless legalistic language. Yeah, 2:48:58.280 --> 2:48:59.960 and and that that's the framework that I want to 2:49:00.000 --> 2:49:05.440 take the Chicago Police Department so people can understand why 2:49:06.040 --> 2:49:10.440 and how and just just sort of get people can 2:49:10.440 --> 2:49:13.520 get a taste of the sheer horror that anti police 2:49:13.600 --> 2:49:15.959 organizers and just like regular people in Chicago are fighting 2:49:15.959 --> 2:49:18.520 every day because Chicago Police Department fails the rape torture 2:49:18.560 --> 2:49:23.480 murder test again and again and again and again. And 2:49:23.520 --> 2:49:26.840 so we are going to tell four stories of torture, rape, 2:49:26.879 --> 2:49:31.360 and murder by the Chicago Police Department. That seems fun. 2:49:32.280 --> 2:49:37.000 It's gonna be great. Happy pants on, kids, go for 2:49:37.080 --> 2:49:40.800 a cruise, you know, take the top down. Um, it's 2:49:40.920 --> 2:49:47.120 it's time for a good old fest. So our our 2:49:47.160 --> 2:49:49.320 first story of torture, rape and murder by the CPD 2:49:49.480 --> 2:49:52.880 is the story of Chicago's infamous torture ring, led by 2:49:52.920 --> 2:49:57.640 a man named John Burch. Yeah. Now, John Bird has 2:49:57.680 --> 2:50:00.080 been a military police sergeant working at a poduble you 2:50:00.200 --> 2:50:02.560 camp in Vietnam. So so immediately you have a guy 2:50:02.600 --> 2:50:05.680 who's not only a troop cop, but he's he's he's 2:50:05.720 --> 2:50:07.760 a troop cop while he was a troop and then 2:50:07.800 --> 2:50:13.400 he becomes a cop and you know, nothing, nothing good 2:50:13.440 --> 2:50:16.760 can possibly come from that. And the other thing and 2:50:16.800 --> 2:50:18.840 nothing good can possibly come from, is the fact that 2:50:18.840 --> 2:50:21.039 while Burge was in Vietnam, the US was doing some 2:50:21.240 --> 2:50:25.160 just really six ships to Vietnamese prisoners, including rape, gang rape, 2:50:25.240 --> 2:50:28.160 rape with hard objects, and rape followed by murder. UH. 2:50:28.480 --> 2:50:31.800 The electric shock called the bell telephone hour rendered by 2:50:31.840 --> 2:50:34.800 attaching wires to the genitals and keep your keep that 2:50:34.840 --> 2:50:36.280 one in mind. We have not seen the last of 2:50:36.280 --> 2:50:39.160 that UH and rape using eels and snakes, as we 2:50:39.200 --> 2:50:43.000 have talked about on bastards of it before. Um. They're 2:50:43.000 --> 2:50:45.560 also like they're also a huge water boarding fans. So this, 2:50:45.560 --> 2:50:47.560 this is, this is the environment that Burge is sort 2:50:47.600 --> 2:50:49.680 of you know, being trained as a copy in right, 2:50:49.680 --> 2:50:51.880 He's he's one of those these these p W camps 2:50:52.760 --> 2:50:55.280 and he gets the purple heart for his service. Now 2:50:55.480 --> 2:50:58.800 when when he comes back to the US and he 2:50:58.879 --> 2:51:02.720 becomes a cop, and within about three years Burge and 2:51:02.760 --> 2:51:05.400 his white cock buddy start just absolutely beating the crap 2:51:05.440 --> 2:51:10.720 out of black suspects. UM. One of these prisoners, a 2:51:10.760 --> 2:51:14.119 man named Anthony Holmes, was repeatedly tortured with electric shocks 2:51:14.200 --> 2:51:16.160 and almost suffocated a death of a bag put over 2:51:16.200 --> 2:51:19.400 his head. Holmes was tortured so badly he literally thought 2:51:19.400 --> 2:51:21.320 he was going to die, so he confessed to a 2:51:21.320 --> 2:51:24.240 crime he didn't commit and spent thirty years in prison. Yeah. 2:51:24.240 --> 2:51:26.920 I actually interviewed one of the people tortured by Burge 2:51:27.480 --> 2:51:31.200 who was had his testicles electrocut. Didn't. Yeah, yeah, we're 2:51:31.200 --> 2:51:34.480 gonna get into that. But yeah, it's it's it's horrible. 2:51:34.600 --> 2:51:39.480 It's it's pretty the worst things I've ever read. Uh. Yeah, 2:51:39.520 --> 2:51:44.120 and Holmes, this case is particularly grim because so he 2:51:44.160 --> 2:51:47.279 tells his lawyers that he's been tortured, and his lawyers 2:51:47.320 --> 2:51:54.000 don't believe him, and so you know, he, yeah, he 2:51:54.560 --> 2:51:56.720 went to spending thirty years in prison that he didn't do. 2:51:57.000 --> 2:52:02.200 Um those shocks. Yeah yeah, So okay, So that they 2:52:02.200 --> 2:52:05.280 have this box, right, it's his box as a handcrate generator. 2:52:06.560 --> 2:52:10.200 Birge calls at the N word box. Uh. And he 2:52:10.400 --> 2:52:13.320 just attaches people's like it's just attached it to people. 2:52:13.440 --> 2:52:16.480 I wonder what, Oh yeah, no, it's he's all of 2:52:16.520 --> 2:52:24.320 these people are so indescribably racist. It's like, yeah, he 2:52:24.720 --> 2:52:27.200 he just like he keeps this box like on his 2:52:27.360 --> 2:52:29.840 desk at the Chicago Police Department. Like it's just on 2:52:29.920 --> 2:52:33.040 his desk at work. Um. Now. The other thing is 2:52:33.080 --> 2:52:34.680 notable about this is that he he and the people 2:52:34.680 --> 2:52:37.760 around him would call just electrocuting people by touching alligator 2:52:37.800 --> 2:52:39.720 lamps to them and putting nine thousand, two undred vaults 2:52:39.720 --> 2:52:42.160 into them. They called it the Vietnamese treatment because I 2:52:42.200 --> 2:52:45.680 guess what he learned this in Vietnam. Um Now, Birch 2:52:45.800 --> 2:52:48.120 is so called Midnight Crew had had an incredibly high 2:52:48.160 --> 2:52:50.160 rate of solving crimes, and he has an incredibly high 2:52:50.240 --> 2:52:52.640 rate of quote unquote solving crimes because he's just torturing 2:52:52.680 --> 2:52:56.560 random black people until they confess um and you know, 2:52:57.160 --> 2:52:59.440 it's it's it's not like people don't know he's doing this. 2:52:59.520 --> 2:53:02.600 There's there's detective from the seventies who like walks in 2:53:02.760 --> 2:53:05.920 on Burde torturing a guy, and he goes through superiors 2:53:05.920 --> 2:53:08.440 and it's like Burgess Burgess torturing the people, and that 2:53:08.480 --> 2:53:11.640 detective gets reprimanded and were reprimanded for like reporting the 2:53:11.720 --> 2:53:15.200 torture and transferred to another area. So Burge gets promoted 2:53:15.240 --> 2:53:17.120 to sergeant in nineteen seventy seven and then again to 2:53:17.120 --> 2:53:19.080 lieutenant in nineteen eighty, and he gets he gets put 2:53:19.080 --> 2:53:22.760 in charge of the newly formed Violent Crimes Unit. And 2:53:23.120 --> 2:53:26.039 from from from this position, his rate of terror intensifies. 2:53:27.280 --> 2:53:31.800 And so so in nineteen eight two, someone shoots two 2:53:31.800 --> 2:53:35.560 white cops. And you know, this is one of one 2:53:35.600 --> 2:53:37.560 of the sort of classic police things. Anytime a cop 2:53:37.640 --> 2:53:41.879 dies the the the police department just goes fucking ballistic. 2:53:43.600 --> 2:53:46.680 Yeah yeah. And and in this case, with with with 2:53:46.760 --> 2:53:50.080 Burge in charge, he basically turns the entire South Side 2:53:50.080 --> 2:53:53.440 into what can only be described as a fascist police state. Um, 2:53:53.520 --> 2:53:56.600 here's this is. This is from the Chicago police torture scandal, 2:53:56.640 --> 2:54:01.279 illegal and political history. In in Cuney's Law Review, police 2:54:01.360 --> 2:54:04.240 kicked down doors and terrorized scores of African Americans. And 2:54:04.280 --> 2:54:09.119 what Jesse Jackson of Operation Push Push and Raynald Robinson 2:54:09.120 --> 2:54:11.840 if the Afro American police lead condemned as quote martial 2:54:11.920 --> 2:54:15.800 law that smacked of Nazi Germany. Thirteen witnesses were smothered 2:54:15.800 --> 2:54:18.120 with bags and threatened with bolt cutters and bursion as 2:54:18.120 --> 2:54:21.000 detectives took several young men who they wrongly suspected to 2:54:21.000 --> 2:54:24.680 be the killers to police headqure horders and tortured them. 2:54:24.720 --> 2:54:26.680 And I mean they're just like you know that they're 2:54:26.680 --> 2:54:28.800 buzzing down people's doors or dragging people away out in 2:54:28.840 --> 2:54:30.400 the middle of the night. They do this for about 2:54:30.400 --> 2:54:34.199 five days before they arrest two brothers and who again 2:54:34.240 --> 2:54:36.120 had nothing to do with this. They just decided that 2:54:36.160 --> 2:54:39.640 these two were the guys and tortured just the absolute 2:54:39.640 --> 2:54:43.320 shit out of him. Um. One of the brothers, Andrew Wilson. 2:54:43.360 --> 2:54:44.760 But before birds even gets there, because this is the 2:54:44.800 --> 2:54:47.480 everything about birds. It's not just birds, right, like everyone 2:54:47.600 --> 2:54:50.640 he's like around him, he is also a torturer. It's 2:54:50.640 --> 2:54:53.600 just birds sort of, you know, but birds the guy 2:54:53.879 --> 2:54:56.920 like directing a lot of it. So even before he 2:54:56.959 --> 2:54:59.960 gets there, Yeah, like Wilson gets like he's burned with 2:55:00.000 --> 2:55:02.080 a cigarette lighter. He gets strangled with the bag over 2:55:02.080 --> 2:55:03.520 his head again and then just like beat him a 2:55:03.520 --> 2:55:08.320 bunch of times, and then it gets even worse. Um 2:55:08.560 --> 2:55:11.760 birds like you know, but birds. That's the thing where 2:55:11.959 --> 2:55:14.000 where he likes he straps him to the to the 2:55:14.040 --> 2:55:16.560 electric box, right, but he also straps him against the radiator. 2:55:17.320 --> 2:55:20.039 And you know these are like old Chicago steam radiators. Right, 2:55:20.080 --> 2:55:22.000 if you touch, if you like touch them even briefly, 2:55:22.040 --> 2:55:24.520 you get burned. And so yeah, he straps into a 2:55:24.600 --> 2:55:28.160 radiator and every time he like gets shocked. He jerks 2:55:28.200 --> 2:55:30.480 back into the radiator, it gets burned. Yeah. I have 2:55:30.480 --> 2:55:32.440 a friend who get a second degree burned dripped from 2:55:32.480 --> 2:55:35.920 like briefly touching one of those things. Yeah. Yeah, I 2:55:35.959 --> 2:55:39.080 mean it's basically it's basically tying someone to an oven. 2:55:39.200 --> 2:55:45.120 It's turns. Yeah, I mean it's it is breasttaking in 2:55:45.240 --> 2:55:51.960 humanity on a scale that is yeah, um pop esque. Yeah, yeah, 2:55:52.320 --> 2:55:55.960 it's it's it's it's real. It's real cops shit. Um, 2:55:56.000 --> 2:56:00.400 it's for sure, real cop shit. Yeah. So he here's 2:56:00.440 --> 2:56:04.520 an interview, uh with Wilson. There's there's an excerpt of 2:56:04.560 --> 2:56:06.600 one from from the book Writings from the World of Policing. 2:56:07.480 --> 2:56:10.160 Wilson said that Burg cranked the generator, sending nine thousand, 2:56:10.200 --> 2:56:12.959 two hundred volts of electricity into his body. He put 2:56:13.040 --> 2:56:15.280 it on my fingers, Wilson explained, one of the clamps 2:56:15.280 --> 2:56:17.040 on one finger and one of the other finger, and 2:56:17.080 --> 2:56:18.840 then he kept cranking it and cranking it. And I 2:56:18.920 --> 2:56:21.560 was hollering and screaming. I was calling for help. My 2:56:21.640 --> 2:56:25.640 teeth was grinding, flickering in my head. Pain. It hurts, 2:56:25.640 --> 2:56:27.880 Wilson continued, But it stays in your head Okay, it 2:56:28.000 --> 2:56:29.959 stays in your head and it grinds your teeth. It 2:56:30.040 --> 2:56:34.560 grinds constantly, grinds constantly. The pain just stays in your 2:56:34.560 --> 2:56:38.879 head and your teeth cut constantly. Grinds and grinds and 2:56:38.879 --> 2:56:44.640 grinds and grinds and grinds and grinds. Now Wilson, they 2:56:44.680 --> 2:56:46.240 do this to Wilson for like a day, and she 2:56:46.280 --> 2:56:49.560 doesn't confess. He he refuses to confess because he didn't 2:56:49.560 --> 2:56:53.960 do it, and so he goes to like they bring 2:56:54.000 --> 2:56:57.320 him in front of a family prosecutor, and Wilson tells 2:56:57.320 --> 2:56:59.200 the prosecutor that he's being tortured, and you know, it's 2:56:59.200 --> 2:57:01.480 incredibly obviously being tortured, like there's just there's marks a 2:57:01.560 --> 2:57:05.400 lover's body, like his his face is destroyed, and the 2:57:05.440 --> 2:57:08.640 prosecutor sends him back to Burge, who tortures him more. 2:57:10.440 --> 2:57:13.199 And but by the time Burge is done with him, 2:57:13.200 --> 2:57:17.039 Wilson is so visibly fucked up that the police lock 2:57:17.160 --> 2:57:19.760 up keeper like takes a look at it, like takes 2:57:19.760 --> 2:57:21.160 one look at him and goes, I'm not going to 2:57:21.200 --> 2:57:22.600 be a part of this and refuses to put him 2:57:22.600 --> 2:57:25.920 in lock up. Uh Cook Cook County Jails like Director 2:57:25.959 --> 2:57:29.760 of Medical Services um sends a letter going like, this 2:57:29.800 --> 2:57:33.520 man was tortured to the police. We found a human being. Yeah, yeah, 2:57:33.560 --> 2:57:36.240 well you know, and it's like every one, once, every like, 2:57:37.040 --> 2:57:39.640 I don't know, maybe like a hundred pages of reading 2:57:39.680 --> 2:57:41.960 about this, you find one person who is a normal 2:57:42.000 --> 2:57:46.320 human being. Unfortunately, the state's attorney, instead of prosecuting Burge 2:57:46.360 --> 2:57:49.320 for again attaching attaching a man's balls to a hand 2:57:49.360 --> 2:57:53.440 create generator and then electrocuting him. Uh, the state prosecutor 2:57:53.480 --> 2:57:58.840 and the police superintendent both publicly congratulate Birds for his work. Yeah, 2:57:58.959 --> 2:58:01.000 and Andrew Wilson me WI died in prison in two 2:58:01.240 --> 2:58:11.760 seven because this world is just the worst. Yeah. Now, 2:58:12.120 --> 2:58:14.440 you might be asking yourself, how does he get away 2:58:14.480 --> 2:58:17.120 with this? And the answer is that the CPD is 2:58:17.160 --> 2:58:20.680 complicit in burges torture at literally every level. Every attempt 2:58:20.720 --> 2:58:23.360 to stop Burge is derailed directly by the departments. And 2:58:23.400 --> 2:58:26.400 not only is he not stopped, he's repeatedly praised and 2:58:26.440 --> 2:58:32.680 promoted for his actions. And yeah, I mean that's that's 2:58:32.680 --> 2:58:36.440 how it goes. Yep. It's it's great, it's it's it's 2:58:37.560 --> 2:58:40.840 an institutionalized system of torture, rape, and murder that yeah, 2:58:41.760 --> 2:58:45.080 it's like that we have us a little abo grade, 2:58:45.720 --> 2:58:48.360 but yeah, I don't worry. We will well, I guess 2:58:48.360 --> 2:58:50.800 we won't actually get tob with grades specifically, but I 2:58:50.800 --> 2:58:51.920 can I can do, I can I can do an 2:58:52.000 --> 2:58:55.240 up grave tie in at the end of this part. So, 2:58:56.480 --> 2:58:59.560 the CPD has something they call the Code of Silence, 2:58:59.600 --> 2:59:03.040 And we'll talk about this more later, but basically, the 2:59:03.360 --> 2:59:05.200 core of the Code of Silence is that just no 2:59:05.240 --> 2:59:08.320 matter what crimes, what atrocities, what just inhuman pig horrors 2:59:08.360 --> 2:59:12.040 you see cops committing, you stay silent. Now. This code 2:59:12.360 --> 2:59:14.320 you know, it's it's it's a code that everyone sort 2:59:14.320 --> 2:59:17.080 of knows right in the police, but it's also directly 2:59:17.200 --> 2:59:21.320 enforced um and and it's enforced by the stuff Burge 2:59:21.320 --> 2:59:23.360 would you do, like just to other cops, Like he 2:59:23.520 --> 2:59:25.120 he would do things like if there was a cop 2:59:25.160 --> 2:59:27.680 who was like unhappy with him, he would like walk 2:59:27.760 --> 2:59:29.600 up behind them when they're opening a file cabinet and 2:59:29.640 --> 2:59:31.039 point a gun at their head and then go like 2:59:31.160 --> 2:59:34.120 bang and then do this like a thing that I 2:59:34.120 --> 2:59:36.680 can really only describe as a supervillain monologue about how 2:59:36.800 --> 2:59:39.920 like the projects are a dangerous place. Maybe you're gonna 2:59:39.920 --> 2:59:43.960 turn up dead. It's he also he has these street 2:59:44.000 --> 2:59:47.240 files that he keeps on like other cops families, so 2:59:47.320 --> 2:59:50.560 that if another cop like goes after him, he can 2:59:50.600 --> 2:59:53.959 have their family arrested and then plant evidence on them. 2:59:53.080 --> 2:59:58.320 Yeah that makes sense. Yeah, it's it's like, you know, 2:59:58.440 --> 3:00:00.880 like in a certain like he's doing this to their cops, 3:00:01.680 --> 3:00:03.560 and it's like, well, okay, like you know what, like 3:00:03.600 --> 3:00:08.800 what what possible? Like system of of of accountability quote 3:00:08.879 --> 3:00:11.160 on court or police reform is like ever going to 3:00:11.240 --> 3:00:13.039 do anything to a guy who will just do this 3:00:13.120 --> 3:00:18.520 two cops like and you know with the CPD actively 3:00:18.520 --> 3:00:20.360 backing hup there, there's there's nothing that can stop Burge. 3:00:20.760 --> 3:00:23.120 And I should mention here that there's persistent rumors that 3:00:23.160 --> 3:00:27.400 Burge as a klansmen um I I couldn't find like 3:00:27.560 --> 3:00:30.200 firm confirmation of it. He's he's certainly racist enough, but 3:00:30.200 --> 3:00:32.039 but I think, yeah, but like why would he why 3:00:32.080 --> 3:00:35.480 would he spend like That's that feels like almost he 3:00:35.480 --> 3:00:37.400 would be like why would I waste my time doing that, 3:00:37.480 --> 3:00:40.240 like talking about being racist when I can go out 3:00:40.240 --> 3:00:43.520 and torture people because I'm a racist every day, Like 3:00:43.840 --> 3:00:46.720 the clan already got it going on. Yeah, and I 3:00:46.760 --> 3:00:49.040 think it's sometimes like, yeah, the question is immaterial. He 3:00:49.320 --> 3:00:51.720 is a member of the Chicago Police Department and organization 3:00:51.800 --> 3:00:53.959 is systematic racial terror, the likes of which the modern 3:00:54.000 --> 3:00:57.800 Clan can only dream of. Yeah whatever, Yeah, Yeah, it's 3:00:57.840 --> 3:01:01.160 like who cares he's he's he's jumped. Honestly, if he 3:01:01.200 --> 3:01:03.760 were spending time at clanmatings, at least he wouldn't be 3:01:03.800 --> 3:01:10.560 torturing people during time. Yeah, it's yeah, well, love love 3:01:10.640 --> 3:01:13.480 your police. When if he was a klansman that might 3:01:13.480 --> 3:01:16.160 have been slightly better. That's the big thing with like 3:01:16.240 --> 3:01:19.359 this type of like liberal response to the type of extremism. 3:01:19.360 --> 3:01:22.000 It's like they only view it as a problem if 3:01:22.040 --> 3:01:26.080 you're like explicitly part of this, you know, Like it's 3:01:26.160 --> 3:01:30.000 like very obvious to everyone white nationalist group. Right, they 3:01:30.000 --> 3:01:32.119 can watch a cop do all these horrible things. It's 3:01:32.120 --> 3:01:34.080 fine because that's just a cop. But if he's a 3:01:34.080 --> 3:01:37.840 clan member, then that's a problem. Like they can excuse 3:01:37.879 --> 3:01:41.320 all this horrible torture and not really be concerned about it. 3:01:41.400 --> 3:01:43.680 But if but if he had a robe in his closet, 3:01:44.000 --> 3:01:46.879 then it's suddenly this big issue. It's like no, like 3:01:47.160 --> 3:01:49.600 the issues that he was doing all this torture anyway, 3:01:49.640 --> 3:01:52.520 and he doesn't like this. You don't need to focus 3:01:52.560 --> 3:01:57.080 on like just the like just that identity, like that 3:01:57.160 --> 3:02:01.200 weird identity aspect of it. You. Yeah, the clan is 3:02:01.280 --> 3:02:05.000 old enough, and where's a uniform that is distinct enough 3:02:05.080 --> 3:02:08.480 that everybody recognizes is it as racist? Even though the 3:02:08.560 --> 3:02:12.600 Chicago Police Department is actually much more of a threat 3:02:13.120 --> 3:02:16.000 in terms of racism than the clan today, uh and 3:02:16.200 --> 3:02:18.320 was at that point in time. But you know, they're 3:02:18.320 --> 3:02:21.119 the cops, and if you're a suburban white liberal, they're 3:02:21.160 --> 3:02:24.000 there too, you know, help help keep your lawn safe 3:02:24.080 --> 3:02:26.280 or whatever. Um, So you don't you don't see them 3:02:26.320 --> 3:02:31.760 as the same inherently racial organization exactly, even though they are. Yeah, 3:02:31.760 --> 3:02:33.560 and even though I mean they're dragging people out of 3:02:33.560 --> 3:02:37.760 their homes and like just electrocuting them, like this is 3:02:39.080 --> 3:02:40.400 you know, this is this something also that I was 3:02:40.440 --> 3:02:42.160 very annoyed about when I was reading this was like 3:02:42.680 --> 3:02:44.240 you you read a lot of this stuff and then 3:02:44.320 --> 3:02:46.760 and you'll you'll get descriptions of it that are like, ah, 3:02:46.800 --> 3:02:49.320 this is something that like only happens in the pressure regimes, 3:02:49.320 --> 3:02:52.080 like Kazakhstan, and it's like, have you read anything about 3:02:52.080 --> 3:02:55.120 picture of the US Like this is like yeah, like 3:02:55.160 --> 3:02:59.320 we have officers over to other countries that often teach 3:02:59.360 --> 3:03:02.160 their police to do ship like this. That happens. But 3:03:02.280 --> 3:03:05.199 like when you were describing a whole bunch of stuff 3:03:05.240 --> 3:03:07.879 in the past, like you know, twenty minutes, I was 3:03:07.920 --> 3:03:10.000 thinking in my head and like, oh, yeah, this is 3:03:10.040 --> 3:03:12.640 just like stormtrooper ship. But the thing is it isn't 3:03:12.760 --> 3:03:16.240 like this just is copshit, and like, like the thing 3:03:16.320 --> 3:03:19.520 like the fact that like elevating it in my brain 3:03:19.680 --> 3:03:22.800 to it being like something other than cops is incorrect. 3:03:22.840 --> 3:03:25.640 You know, like this just is police stuff. It's not 3:03:25.840 --> 3:03:28.840 it's not necessarily stormtrooper ship. It's just is police ship. 3:03:29.240 --> 3:03:31.600 And the fact that those things are so synonymous that 3:03:31.600 --> 3:03:34.680 should be the part that's actually like upsetting is that yeah, 3:03:34.720 --> 3:03:37.720 it's actually there is really no difference and you shouldn't 3:03:37.760 --> 3:03:41.360 necessarily resort to calling it stormtrooper stuff because it is 3:03:41.440 --> 3:03:44.560 just what the police do all the time. There's this 3:03:44.560 --> 3:03:46.560 whole model you see people talking about it where they 3:03:46.560 --> 3:03:49.640 talk about like like the police are using unnecessary force 3:03:50.320 --> 3:03:52.400 and like they're there there there's like a certain threshold 3:03:52.440 --> 3:03:55.440 where if you go past it, like you know, sort 3:03:55.440 --> 3:03:57.039 of like like even you know, like I'm Gonna'm gonna 3:03:57.080 --> 3:03:59.080 read like that Birch has a lot of like when 3:03:59.240 --> 3:04:02.200 he winds up in court, like the judges look at 3:04:02.240 --> 3:04:04.120 this and are like, oh my god, this is unacceptable. 3:04:04.120 --> 3:04:06.720 How could this have happened? And you know, you get 3:04:06.760 --> 3:04:09.080 some good descriptions of it. I'm gonna this is a 3:04:09.120 --> 3:04:11.039 district judge court describing what Birds was doing. In the 3:04:11.040 --> 3:04:14.280 early eighties, there existed, in two in the City of 3:04:14.320 --> 3:04:17.160 Chicago a de facto policy practice and or custom of 3:04:17.200 --> 3:04:21.879 Chicago police officers exacting unconstitutional revenge and punishment against persons 3:04:21.879 --> 3:04:24.959 who they alleged had killed or injured a fellow officer. 3:04:25.280 --> 3:04:29.080 This revenge and punishment included beating, kicking, torturing, shooting, and 3:04:29.280 --> 3:04:31.879 or executing such a person for the purpose of inflicting pain, 3:04:31.879 --> 3:04:34.520 to injury and punishment on that person, and also for 3:04:34.560 --> 3:04:37.199 the purpose of forcing that person to make it. Coupled 3:04:37.400 --> 3:04:44.960 tory statements exculpatory yeah, sculptor yeah, or inculpatory yeah yeah yeah. 3:04:46.160 --> 3:04:48.040 You know, and you you get stuff like there's there's 3:04:48.080 --> 3:04:50.720 there's an FBI report than from the chagol tepe you're 3:04:50.760 --> 3:04:55.480 not going to read because it's he left one bullet 3:04:55.480 --> 3:04:57.520 in the center and the cylinder and spun it. A 3:04:57.600 --> 3:05:00.320 report quoted the inmate is saying about burg in the 3:05:00.400 --> 3:05:04.280 nineteen incident. He then said, you talk, will blow your 3:05:04.320 --> 3:05:10.200 black expert presumably the N word brains out. Bergs then 3:05:10.240 --> 3:05:12.320 got up from his desk, walked over to the inmate, 3:05:12.400 --> 3:05:14.400 put the muzzle of the revolver against the center of 3:05:14.440 --> 3:05:17.360 the inmate's forehead and pulled the trigger. He spun the 3:05:17.400 --> 3:05:20.040 cylinder and placed it back against his forehead and pulled 3:05:20.080 --> 3:05:26.000 the trigger again. So yeah, he's just playing Russian Roulette 3:05:26.200 --> 3:05:31.080 with people, Like he's playing and I don't, I don't yeh. Yeah, 3:05:31.600 --> 3:05:34.959 well he's pulling up one in the sixth chance of 3:05:35.000 --> 3:05:40.600 murdering them. They are in terror. Uh. There's also a 3:05:40.680 --> 3:05:44.199 lot of like he does like you sexually abuses people. 3:05:44.640 --> 3:05:50.160 He like after testicles. Yeah, he he like he electrocuted 3:05:50.200 --> 3:05:52.400 like well, I mean he's also like is like like 3:05:52.920 --> 3:05:57.000 basically like raping people. Um, he like electrocut is a 3:05:57.040 --> 3:06:00.240 thirteen year old child. And you know this is like 3:06:03.280 --> 3:06:06.080 it's it's it's just so bleak that like I mean 3:06:06.120 --> 3:06:08.040 there's so there's a very famous article about this by 3:06:08.120 --> 3:06:11.800 Chicago journalist's called the House of Screams. But you know, 3:06:12.040 --> 3:06:14.080 like like Burge isn't the only guy doing this, Like 3:06:14.560 --> 3:06:17.640 one of his loyalists is is lieutenant like is a 3:06:17.640 --> 3:06:20.560 guy named Byron. He's like in charge of the midnight 3:06:20.600 --> 3:06:23.920 shift at at the area True violent Crimes. And they 3:06:24.000 --> 3:06:26.360 become known internally as burgess ask kickers at the A 3:06:26.520 --> 3:06:29.920 team because this is just who these people are culturally. 3:06:30.120 --> 3:06:37.440 And yeah, sure sure, but yeah, um, these guys start 3:06:37.680 --> 3:06:41.880 uh like putting like guns and prisoners mouths, but they 3:06:41.920 --> 3:06:43.560 have one thing where they stick a shotgun in a 3:06:43.560 --> 3:06:45.760 guy's mouth and they pull the trigger and it's not loaded, 3:06:45.760 --> 3:06:48.519 but they just like they keep doing this thing. Yeah, 3:06:48.560 --> 3:06:52.800 it's it's that is by the way, illegal in international law, 3:06:52.879 --> 3:06:55.920 Like internationally, that is a war crime if you're military 3:06:55.959 --> 3:07:00.160 to specifically, fake executions are type of torture and a 3:07:00.560 --> 3:07:03.600 war crime under international law based on treaties the United 3:07:03.600 --> 3:07:07.960 States has signed. Yeah, and and Byron also, so he 3:07:08.040 --> 3:07:10.080 does that a lot. And then that same guy, the 3:07:10.080 --> 3:07:13.400 same guy the shotgun thing too, he apparently didn't have 3:07:13.440 --> 3:07:15.320 the box, so he stripped the dude and shocked his 3:07:15.320 --> 3:07:17.600 balls with a cattle prod And this is the guy 3:07:17.640 --> 3:07:20.279 who lorried Lightfoot sent her number two lawyer to defend 3:07:20.280 --> 3:07:24.520 in court by arguing the torture it never happens. Yeah, 3:07:25.360 --> 3:07:29.200 that's that's that's that's ability. Yep, that's the mayor of 3:07:29.240 --> 3:07:33.280 my city now life Lightfoot. Light Foot is on the 3:07:33.320 --> 3:07:36.800 record as saying that birds tortured over a hundred people. 3:07:37.040 --> 3:07:39.440 But once it came to you know, actually putting up 3:07:39.520 --> 3:07:41.640 or shutting up, she just goes to back for the cops. 3:07:41.800 --> 3:07:44.720 And and this happens in Chicago like so many times 3:07:44.720 --> 3:07:46.520 with people who used to be like who you know 3:07:46.520 --> 3:07:49.280 who who In the moment you're like, oh, Birge did torture. 3:07:49.360 --> 3:07:50.879 We need to reform the police. And as you know, 3:07:50.879 --> 3:07:53.120 the women they get into power, they do this stuff. 3:07:53.200 --> 3:07:55.680 I mean there there's there's a bunch of like incredibly 3:07:55.760 --> 3:08:01.160 weird stuff that happens here. Like so that the Seventh 3:08:01.200 --> 3:08:03.960 Circuit Court of Appeals at one point, so soul A, 3:08:04.240 --> 3:08:07.680 like they saw a case over whether a one thousand 3:08:07.680 --> 3:08:12.120 dollar settlement with a torture victim was fair and christ Yeah, 3:08:13.600 --> 3:08:16.600 in court it's like you read the transcas and it's 3:08:16.600 --> 3:08:19.960 like it's it's the most brutal demolishing of like a 3:08:20.080 --> 3:08:24.000 state's argument I've ever seen. Like they're they're, they're just 3:08:24.040 --> 3:08:26.480 like in court asking them like okay, like we're we're, 3:08:26.520 --> 3:08:29.800 we're this person's judges supposed to have like known in 3:08:29.879 --> 3:08:32.280 court that he was also torturing other people. And like 3:08:32.480 --> 3:08:36.240 it's you know, the courts just like you know, they're 3:08:36.240 --> 3:08:38.440 turning him apart. And then when it comes time to 3:08:38.480 --> 3:08:41.600 decide the case, uh, the court tosses the case out 3:08:41.600 --> 3:08:47.160 inside with the state. Wow. Yeah, I don't know what's 3:08:47.160 --> 3:08:53.760 going on there. It's awful. Yep, this this topic. I 3:08:53.800 --> 3:08:56.240 mean that that is the thing about the way the 3:08:56.280 --> 3:08:58.959 whole system works, which is that, you know, the police 3:08:59.040 --> 3:09:02.480 do horrific things. In Chicago, they torture, in Los Angeles, 3:09:02.560 --> 3:09:04.520 they have Nazi gangs. You know, there's a bunch of 3:09:04.520 --> 3:09:07.360 different horrible ship the police do. And then at some 3:09:07.440 --> 3:09:10.000 point the FBI and the Justice Department come in and 3:09:10.040 --> 3:09:14.680 they provide incredibly They send in very talented investigators who 3:09:14.680 --> 3:09:17.600 produced incredibly detailed lists of all of the things that 3:09:17.640 --> 3:09:20.080 are being done. And then the court says, well, but 3:09:20.120 --> 3:09:22.959 nobody's gonna get punished or maybe this one guy will 3:09:23.000 --> 3:09:25.560 get punished and then we'll go on back to doing things, 3:09:25.640 --> 3:09:28.280 and that's the system is supposed to work. Although we're 3:09:28.320 --> 3:09:30.200 we're going to read a story about the FBI not 3:09:30.400 --> 3:09:34.040 doing that in the next episode. So yeah, I mean 3:09:34.080 --> 3:09:36.920 they don't know. We don't always get a report. Yeah, 3:09:37.120 --> 3:09:40.720 I just I have become increased, Like it's very frustrating 3:09:40.760 --> 3:09:44.200 because having these FBI reports on police abuses um is 3:09:44.320 --> 3:09:46.680 useful again for talking to liberals because they tend to 3:09:46.680 --> 3:09:49.800 trust the FBI. But it's also like, boy, I've read 3:09:49.840 --> 3:09:52.400 a lot of detailed FBI reports about how bad police 3:09:52.440 --> 3:09:54.720 departments are, and it seems like nothing ever gets done. 3:09:55.080 --> 3:09:56.960 Like it seems like they just write a thing saying yeah, 3:09:56.959 --> 3:10:02.120 it's bad, and then everything continues forever and it's you know, 3:10:02.560 --> 3:10:07.440 this this case. Like so the reason we even know 3:10:07.480 --> 3:10:09.680 any of this is through what I like, what what 3:10:09.760 --> 3:10:13.160 I will say, like the a genuinely heroic, decades long 3:10:13.160 --> 3:10:15.200 campaign run by the People's Law Office on behalf of 3:10:15.240 --> 3:10:18.400 birde victims and these people, like they say people's lives 3:10:18.440 --> 3:10:21.440 like that there are people who birdge tortured, who ended 3:10:21.520 --> 3:10:24.400 up on death row for it, and you know, like 3:10:24.640 --> 3:10:26.560 this stuff is so bad that when it comes out, 3:10:26.600 --> 3:10:29.240 the Supreme Court does a ruling on it and it 3:10:29.360 --> 3:10:31.800 like establishes new precedents for like how people can prove 3:10:31.800 --> 3:10:34.920 they've been tortured. Like you know, it's so bad that 3:10:34.959 --> 3:10:37.760 like Illinois stops running the death pet like we had 3:10:37.760 --> 3:10:39.320 the death penalty and like we still tend to get 3:10:39.360 --> 3:10:41.280 ethic have it, but like we just stopped doing it, 3:10:41.320 --> 3:10:44.879 Like we stopped we stopped executing people because like a 3:10:44.920 --> 3:10:49.840 Republican governor, like on air, gave a giant thing about 3:10:49.879 --> 3:10:53.039 how this system was broken and like this is this 3:10:53.080 --> 3:10:56.240 is John Ryan, right, like this is a man who 3:10:56.520 --> 3:10:58.640 like he he is like this is a man who 3:10:58.680 --> 3:11:01.760 was corrupted by the standards of of of an Illinois politician. 3:11:02.160 --> 3:11:05.440 And even he like on the air, is like yeah, 3:11:05.520 --> 3:11:07.840 this is like you know that this is this is broken. 3:11:07.879 --> 3:11:12.360 He he pardons some Burge victims, and in nine three, 3:11:12.400 --> 3:11:15.560 faced with just irrefutable evidence of torture and ruling multiple 3:11:15.640 --> 3:11:19.440 higher ports higher courts, the Police Board finally released a report, 3:11:20.400 --> 3:11:23.560 although the report also doesn't call it torture and is 3:11:23.720 --> 3:11:26.920 a disaster that they finally have Burge fired and some 3:11:26.959 --> 3:11:29.280 of his colleagues who were also torturing people get suspended 3:11:29.280 --> 3:11:33.640 for fifteen months, but Burge isn't prosecuted for, you know, 3:11:33.800 --> 3:11:36.200 the crimes that we have multiple reports of him doing 3:11:36.280 --> 3:11:40.560 until two after the victims literally go to the United 3:11:40.640 --> 3:11:43.960 Nations with a campaign and go in front of the 3:11:44.040 --> 3:11:45.840 United Nations and talk about how they are being systemically 3:11:45.879 --> 3:11:48.400 tortured by the Chicago Police Department. But of course by 3:11:48.520 --> 3:11:51.040 two the statute of limitations on his crimes had run out, 3:11:51.160 --> 3:11:53.520 so uh, he winds up going to jail for three 3:11:54.920 --> 3:11:57.320 limitations on torture. Yeah, that's definitely one of the ones 3:11:57.320 --> 3:11:59.800 we should have a cap Yeah, definitely. It's great. It's 3:11:59.800 --> 3:12:02.640 it's it's the great system. Um. I'm going to read 3:12:02.680 --> 3:12:04.920 something from the Chocolate Tribune that was a description of 3:12:04.920 --> 3:12:08.240 of this. Uh quote. While the jury was out, Burge, 3:12:08.280 --> 3:12:11.360 still unrepentant, allegedly asked the courtroom reserve or whether you 3:12:11.400 --> 3:12:14.080 thought the jury would quote believe a bunch of n words. 3:12:14.640 --> 3:12:20.920 Wow day, Yeah, it's amazing Burge Bridge tortured at least 3:12:20.920 --> 3:12:23.120 a hundred and twenty five people. That's almost certainly an 3:12:23.200 --> 3:12:25.400 under account. Undred twenty five is the number of people 3:12:25.600 --> 3:12:28.160 who we have who have come forward. A lot of 3:12:28.200 --> 3:12:30.480 those people probably have like people he tortured have probably 3:12:30.560 --> 3:12:34.720 died by now. Um, yeah, I mean yeah, you'll never 3:12:34.760 --> 3:12:36.720 will never get an accurate account of all the people 3:12:36.760 --> 3:12:39.959 who were Yeah, and and Burge died a freeman and 3:12:39.959 --> 3:12:43.160 has never served a day for his actual crimes. Now, 3:12:43.560 --> 3:12:45.720 Burge and his crew are the most famous of the 3:12:45.879 --> 3:12:48.760 eighties and seventies and eighties torturers, but they're by no 3:12:48.840 --> 3:12:50.959 means the the only one. And we're gonna talk about 3:12:51.000 --> 3:12:54.000 one more in this torture section. Uh if you do 3:12:54.120 --> 3:12:58.440 you know Richard Zuli? Mm hmm okay, so yeah, Zulie's 3:12:58.879 --> 3:13:00.560 Zulie is the one that people tell not to know. 3:13:00.800 --> 3:13:03.560 M Zuli was also a Vietnam War vet. He becomes 3:13:03.600 --> 3:13:06.920 a detective in nine. Um, what's he thinking about him? 3:13:07.080 --> 3:13:10.280 Zuli is never part of Burgess Cadre. Right, Burgess Cadres 3:13:10.400 --> 3:13:12.440 working out Verrea two. They're on the south side. They're 3:13:12.480 --> 3:13:15.560 in an overwhelmingly black part of the south Side. Zuli 3:13:15.640 --> 3:13:17.880 works in areas three and six on the north side. 3:13:18.520 --> 3:13:20.240 You know what, what what I want need to mention 3:13:20.280 --> 3:13:22.400 off the bat is that Zuli is no less racist 3:13:22.480 --> 3:13:24.840 than Burge is. He wants to rested a black dude 3:13:24.879 --> 3:13:27.480 for just like having a car and wearing a watch 3:13:27.959 --> 3:13:31.360 and like like those are both felonies in the city 3:13:31.360 --> 3:13:33.920 of Chicago. Right, Well, if you famously never know what 3:13:33.959 --> 3:13:37.000 time it is because you're a law abiding citizen. Yeah, 3:13:37.040 --> 3:13:40.080 well law abiding cit isn't And also don't be black 3:13:40.120 --> 3:13:45.560 while doing this because yeah, he throws him in a cell. Yeah, 3:13:45.560 --> 3:13:49.120 well it gets it gets you. Zuli screaming no end 3:13:49.120 --> 3:13:52.720 word is supposed to live like this? Oh boy, oh boy, 3:13:53.879 --> 3:13:58.119 it's you know we we people like talk about cops 3:13:58.520 --> 3:14:02.200 doing stuff for that reason. It's it's you know, they're 3:14:02.320 --> 3:14:05.280 so racist. Just get a direct quote. Ye, yeah, Like 3:14:06.040 --> 3:14:10.840 I can't emphasize it, Like they're just they're so racist. 3:14:10.920 --> 3:14:14.120 It's like ingrained into the d like the cop d NA. Yeah, 3:14:14.120 --> 3:14:16.800 they're just saying the loud part loud. Yeah, like they're 3:14:16.840 --> 3:14:18.840 just scribby like that. We're going to do with One 3:14:18.840 --> 3:14:20.520 of the things in the next episode is the cops 3:14:20.560 --> 3:14:22.680 will just drive around like blasting the end. We're out 3:14:22.680 --> 3:14:28.040 of their out of their like cops stereos. Because yeah, 3:14:28.200 --> 3:14:30.480 now Zuli in a lot of ways is a more 3:14:30.520 --> 3:14:33.360 modern torture than birdges. You know, Birch is very big 3:14:33.400 --> 3:14:35.600 on your like overt physical violence. Right, you're beating your 3:14:35.640 --> 3:14:38.640 execution is suffocation. The problem with these techniques from a 3:14:38.640 --> 3:14:41.680 torture of perspectives that they leave incredibly obvious marks. And 3:14:41.720 --> 3:14:43.920 you know, this is how birde goes down, right, It's 3:14:43.959 --> 3:14:45.720 it's it's too obvious what he's doing. There are people 3:14:45.760 --> 3:14:47.680 who can just like show up to a court and 3:14:47.720 --> 3:14:50.120 be like, hey, look at my neck, like here are 3:14:50.040 --> 3:14:53.840 all these burns. Zuli is much smarter about it. Um, 3:14:53.879 --> 3:14:55.600 you know she I mean, she does some beatings because 3:14:55.600 --> 3:14:57.840 cops are literally animals and are incapable of resisting the 3:14:57.920 --> 3:14:59.560 urge to beat the living shout of anyone who falls 3:14:59.560 --> 3:15:02.640 into their ground up. But you know, mostly what he 3:15:02.680 --> 3:15:05.160 does is he does things like he'll just shackle someone 3:15:05.200 --> 3:15:08.240 to a wall for twenty four hours and you know, 3:15:08.280 --> 3:15:10.400 and he'll be like, okay, like I'm gonna shock you 3:15:10.440 --> 3:15:12.040 to this wall and until you sign this confession, I 3:15:12.040 --> 3:15:13.960 won't let you leave. And also you can't talk to anyone. 3:15:14.000 --> 3:15:16.959 You can't talk to you lawyer, you can't talk to uh, like, 3:15:17.000 --> 3:15:19.280 you can't talk to your family. And in the next 3:15:19.280 --> 3:15:21.760 episode we're gonnay this. This This is how modern CPD torture works, 3:15:21.760 --> 3:15:24.600 except zuli Is doing this in like the eighties. Now, 3:15:25.520 --> 3:15:28.280 zuli Is is a naval intelligence officer who's he's so 3:15:28.480 --> 3:15:30.680 he's still technically in the reserves when he joins the cops. 3:15:30.800 --> 3:15:33.840 And that meant when the CIA's torture is like au 3:15:33.879 --> 3:15:37.200 Tontomo Base stalled out, they needed a hero and that 3:15:37.280 --> 3:15:41.879 hero was zuli Um zuli Is was the most active. 3:15:42.080 --> 3:15:43.920 Like that. The thing is the most active in is 3:15:44.840 --> 3:15:48.120 the torture of Muhammad O Old Sali, who is famously 3:15:48.160 --> 3:15:53.520 known as the most tortured Banic Gutanamo. Um he's yeah, 3:15:53.560 --> 3:15:58.480 at least he gotten a guinness Yeah, he yeah. They 3:15:58.560 --> 3:16:01.200 do sleep deprivation. I mean they some of it's like 3:16:01.200 --> 3:16:04.000 the standards sort of like get most stuff, which is 3:16:04.040 --> 3:16:06.440 like they don't let you sleep. They blast like sounds 3:16:06.480 --> 3:16:08.959 until you sell all the time. They like beat you. 3:16:09.160 --> 3:16:12.960 There's molestations and but there's also stuff that's like like 3:16:13.320 --> 3:16:14.760 you know, the sort of attack my dogs. But like 3:16:14.800 --> 3:16:19.720 the wh'll do things like like he'll like soap people 3:16:19.840 --> 3:16:23.720 like get soaked in ice water or like they stuffed 3:16:23.760 --> 3:16:26.240 him in this like straight jacket thing that didn't let 3:16:26.280 --> 3:16:28.160 him breathe properly. And then stuffed it full of ice. 3:16:29.879 --> 3:16:32.720 And then Zuli also, yeah, yeah, it's it's it's bad. 3:16:32.760 --> 3:16:36.240 And he also like threatens to kidnap his mother and 3:16:36.280 --> 3:16:38.560 have resent to Guantanamo to be raped because these people 3:16:38.600 --> 3:16:43.240 are again jizz monsters. And yeah, Zuli is still alive 3:16:43.320 --> 3:16:46.160 today and romes the streets as a freeman, having received 3:16:46.200 --> 3:16:49.800 literally no consequences whatsoever for being a torturer. So good 3:16:49.800 --> 3:16:52.080 in the CPD that the CIA was like, We're gonna 3:16:52.120 --> 3:16:54.960 bring this guy into the torture. That's great, it's great. 3:16:55.080 --> 3:17:00.680 It's yep yep ah. And and that that that brings 3:17:00.760 --> 3:17:06.960 us to our first interlude, which is every year Chicago 3:17:07.040 --> 3:17:09.520 police officers go to the grave of the deputy chairman 3:17:09.560 --> 3:17:11.880 of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton's, who they assassinated 3:17:11.879 --> 3:17:14.760 in a police rate after drug in um. They go 3:17:14.840 --> 3:17:17.000 to his grave to shoot his fucking tombstone. They do 3:17:17.080 --> 3:17:21.240 this literally every year. The families they keep getting you tombstones, 3:17:21.280 --> 3:17:23.120 they shoot them every They shoot them every year. It 3:17:23.160 --> 3:17:26.400 just doesn't matter. Uh, the CPD just keeps shooting it. 3:17:26.520 --> 3:17:28.560 And there's a quote from the Great Trinity Daddy and 3:17:28.920 --> 3:17:31.120 marchis historian C. L. R. James, and I think about 3:17:31.120 --> 3:17:34.320 a lot that goes when history is written as it 3:17:34.360 --> 3:17:36.440 ought to be written. It is the moderation and long 3:17:36.480 --> 3:17:39.080 patience of the masses at which people will will wonder, 3:17:39.160 --> 3:17:43.680 not their ferocity. Yep. I really hope there's a moment 3:17:44.400 --> 3:17:48.200 of people doing things to cops that makes generations in 3:17:48.240 --> 3:17:51.280 the future marvel at their ferocity. Yeah. I think I 3:17:51.280 --> 3:17:54.760 can say that without it legally being incitement. Yes. I'll 3:17:54.760 --> 3:17:57.120 make one other fun note, which is that five Chicago 3:17:57.200 --> 3:18:00.720 police officers died last year from COVID. So that's good. Yeah, 3:18:00.879 --> 3:18:04.200 only five. Huh, let's make it fifty officer, Dad. Look, 3:18:04.400 --> 3:18:06.680 they're working on it. They don't they won't wear masks. 3:18:07.200 --> 3:18:10.720 Vacinated critical support to the Chicago police who don't wear masks. Yeah, 3:18:10.760 --> 3:18:13.360 they're they're, they're, they're they're they're they're having their police 3:18:13.360 --> 3:18:17.080 Academy exams in person. Now. Oh that's good. That's good. 3:18:17.600 --> 3:18:22.960 You know what critical support? Yeah, spent more time indoors 3:18:23.000 --> 3:18:26.440 together without masks. Guys, avoid those vaxes. Yeah, yeah, I'll 3:18:26.440 --> 3:18:34.520 be great. Will happen. Okay, So story two, which is 3:18:34.680 --> 3:18:40.039 a shorter one but no less bleak. I think on 3:18:40.080 --> 3:18:45.120 October fourteen, officer Jason van Dyke fired sixteen shots at 3:18:45.200 --> 3:18:48.440 Lakwon McDonald, who had turned around and was walking away 3:18:48.440 --> 3:18:51.640 from him. Here's from the people of the state of Illinois. 3:18:51.720 --> 3:18:57.959 Walking away aggressively, Chris, Yeah, oh boy, violently exiting. Yeah, 3:18:58.160 --> 3:19:02.680 I walking away while black, which I guess in the 3:19:02.720 --> 3:19:05.480 minds of like half of the United States is the 3:19:05.520 --> 3:19:09.480 same someone A court defended legal right to shoot people 3:19:09.480 --> 3:19:11.520 in the back who are trying to in a way. Yeah, 3:19:12.800 --> 3:19:16.320 it's yeah, great country, We're nailing it. From from the 3:19:16.360 --> 3:19:19.039 Chicago Tribune and analysis of the video. This is this 3:19:19.120 --> 3:19:22.040 is from the court case, but in the childbuien. An 3:19:22.040 --> 3:19:25.680 analysis of the video establishes that fourteen to fifteen seconds 3:19:25.680 --> 3:19:29.080 passed from the time the defendant Van Dyke fired his 3:19:29.160 --> 3:19:32.400 first shot to clear visual confirmation of the final shot. 3:19:32.640 --> 3:19:35.720 For approximately thirteen of those seconds, McDonald is lying on 3:19:35.760 --> 3:19:39.879 the ground, so he he fires literally every bullet in 3:19:39.959 --> 3:19:43.000 he's gone at a man who is, by those like 3:19:43.120 --> 3:19:45.840 second shot lying dead, like well it's not quite dead yet, 3:19:45.840 --> 3:19:50.080 but like lying on the ground. It's just Yeah, from 3:19:50.160 --> 3:19:53.720 the cops perspective, like why not like that? That's like 3:19:53.800 --> 3:19:55.840 that's like like they have the ability to do that 3:19:56.160 --> 3:19:58.080 if they get the chance, oh I get to kill 3:19:58.320 --> 3:20:01.280 a black person and it doesn't matter, then why, like 3:20:01.400 --> 3:20:03.560 you know, that's like if you if you you have 3:20:03.600 --> 3:20:06.920 to you have to think through like what they're actually 3:20:07.520 --> 3:20:10.640 processing this as. And they don't see them as like 3:20:10.680 --> 3:20:13.119 a they don't see them as like an equivalent human life. 3:20:13.520 --> 3:20:16.840 So it doesn't like it's it's they don't. It doesn't 3:20:17.000 --> 3:20:20.720 you can't like apply the same rules of civility that 3:20:20.800 --> 3:20:24.800 like we should all kind of agree upon because cops 3:20:24.879 --> 3:20:28.720 have such a higher hierarchical viewpoint that with them at 3:20:28.720 --> 3:20:32.160 the top, that they can never actually exist within any 3:20:32.240 --> 3:20:37.959 kind of humane society. That's why again unspeakable ferocity of 3:20:37.959 --> 3:20:43.320 the masses fingers crossed one day. Yeah, yeah, well you know, 3:20:43.360 --> 3:20:47.240 and I think that the thing, you know, Okay, so look, 3:20:47.280 --> 3:20:49.880 if this is the price of liberal democracy, right if 3:20:49.920 --> 3:20:51.520 if if you're going to if you're going to live 3:20:51.560 --> 3:20:55.080 in a society that has like you know that that 3:20:55.160 --> 3:20:57.280 where laws are enforced by the police, the police are 3:20:57.320 --> 3:20:59.440 going to murder people like that's that that that's what 3:20:59.480 --> 3:21:02.040 you're signing on for. And I think that I think 3:21:02.080 --> 3:21:04.680 that's an absolutely unexecutable price. And but we shouldn't do this. 3:21:05.480 --> 3:21:09.120 Um Now. The other aspect of this is because you 3:21:09.160 --> 3:21:13.000 have to keep all of these just absolutely like just 3:21:13.520 --> 3:21:17.640 bloodthirsty burderers on the leash, and because also all the 3:21:17.680 --> 3:21:21.400 people who are actually in the government are just genuinely 3:21:21.400 --> 3:21:25.360 the asplicable human beings. Uh. Immediately after I mean like 3:21:25.520 --> 3:21:28.160 really before the shots have stopped firing, like, there's a 3:21:28.160 --> 3:21:31.480 cougher up that stretches from like includes everyone from the 3:21:31.520 --> 3:21:33.120 officers on the scene all the way up to may 3:21:33.240 --> 3:21:36.320 raw Emmanuel. So for example, mysteriously none of the multiple 3:21:36.400 --> 3:21:39.160 dashboard cameras on the scene we're recording audio for reasons 3:21:39.160 --> 3:21:43.680 only the discerning listener can guess at yep, Like everyone 3:21:43.720 --> 3:21:46.240 across the entire chain of command again going right up 3:21:46.280 --> 3:21:49.120 to the mayor's office immediately goes we we cannot let 3:21:49.160 --> 3:21:52.800 this video get out because it's it's so bad that 3:21:53.400 --> 3:21:57.400 even the CPD s like this is gonna look bad 3:21:57.400 --> 3:22:00.000 for us, because the thing gets out, then people will 3:22:00.040 --> 3:22:02.720 want to do bad things to cops and they can't 3:22:02.720 --> 3:22:08.280 have that. And you know, so this this, this, this 3:22:08.280 --> 3:22:11.480 this tape is concealed for over a year until the 3:22:11.520 --> 3:22:15.760 journalist Brandon Smith like literally gets a like su sues 3:22:15.840 --> 3:22:18.280 them and literally gets the judge to like order the 3:22:18.280 --> 3:22:20.600 state to release it. And while this is going on, 3:22:20.680 --> 3:22:23.320 that the cops are doing this massive pr blitz featuring 3:22:23.360 --> 3:22:25.959 this just like incredible pack of racist lies, including that 3:22:26.440 --> 3:22:29.080 McDonald had lunge for it yet Van Dyke with a knife. No, 3:22:29.160 --> 3:22:31.200 he didn't, he was literally walking away from them. That 3:22:31.320 --> 3:22:34.480 McDonald had a gun, which is initially one because not 3:22:34.560 --> 3:22:36.640 only like they didn't even have time to like plant 3:22:36.680 --> 3:22:38.520 like they killed him so fast, they didn't have time 3:22:38.560 --> 3:22:41.039 to plant a gun on him, like there's no gun. 3:22:41.160 --> 3:22:43.400 But the multiple officers will are are like you can 3:22:43.440 --> 3:22:45.080 you can find news things of them talking about how 3:22:45.080 --> 3:22:46.400 this guy, oh he had a gun. It's like there's 3:22:46.400 --> 3:22:50.360 no gun. Um. Yeah. The classic one is that like 3:22:50.400 --> 3:22:53.760 van Dyke feared for his life and uh no he didn't. 3:22:53.840 --> 3:22:57.520 He probably should now, but he does not. Yeah, he 3:22:57.520 --> 3:23:00.800 should never. He should never live awaking or sleeping moments 3:23:01.080 --> 3:23:03.959 where he's not in constant fear of someone cutting his 3:23:04.040 --> 3:23:06.560 head off. Just as like in terms of the horror 3:23:06.600 --> 3:23:09.760 that should be imbued inside people who do these things, 3:23:09.959 --> 3:23:11.840 they should never like they shouldn't have been able to 3:23:11.879 --> 3:23:15.240 like sit down and be comfortable the closest we've ever 3:23:15.280 --> 3:23:17.960 gotten to justice for one of these guys is when 3:23:18.000 --> 3:23:23.280 that mob surrounded uh, Derek Chauvin's house, and it would 3:23:23.320 --> 3:23:28.160 have been actual justice if they had gotten through the door. Yep, yeah, 3:23:28.520 --> 3:23:31.920 it's yeah. So you know all and you ever like 3:23:31.959 --> 3:23:34.400 so there's all there's there's a huge coterie of cops. 3:23:34.440 --> 3:23:37.000 We're all just lying about this. They're lying in the press. 3:23:37.000 --> 3:23:39.400 They're lying just there lying. They they start they lie 3:23:39.520 --> 3:23:43.240 like on the stand, um and you know, the strategy 3:23:43.280 --> 3:23:45.240 works for a while because this country is just the 3:23:45.360 --> 3:23:47.800 racist tellhole until the court forces him to release the video. 3:23:47.959 --> 3:23:50.160 And when it becomes clear of the video is going 3:23:50.200 --> 3:23:52.000 to come out, the state immediately charges him, like they 3:23:52.560 --> 3:23:55.039 charge him, and then later that day they released a video. Now, 3:23:55.120 --> 3:23:57.320 now keep this in mind, they had this video for 3:23:57.360 --> 3:24:00.760 a fucking year. It's all what are he done? It's 3:24:00.760 --> 3:24:02.840 all it's all fake and you know, yeah, and they 3:24:03.000 --> 3:24:05.320 only charged him with the alternative was literally being run 3:24:05.320 --> 3:24:07.800 into the sea by an entire mob of the literally 3:24:07.800 --> 3:24:10.880 the entire population of Chicago. Um. So Van Dyke is 3:24:10.879 --> 3:24:13.160 suspended without pay, right, but he immediately gets hired by 3:24:13.160 --> 3:24:18.800 the by the police union. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and 3:24:18.800 --> 3:24:21.640 and van Dyke van Dyke Eventually, I mean, he goes down. 3:24:21.640 --> 3:24:24.520 Eventually he gets convicted of you know, second green murder 3:24:24.560 --> 3:24:27.600 and sixteen counts of amated battery. But you know, there's 3:24:27.600 --> 3:24:29.520 a there's a later report that describes the involvement of 3:24:29.560 --> 3:24:32.920 sixteen other officers in the cover up. Uh. Four officers 3:24:32.920 --> 3:24:35.560 were eventually fired for lying about the case, three were 3:24:35.560 --> 3:24:37.920 trying for the cover up and acquitted, and four officers 3:24:37.920 --> 3:24:40.680 were given a one week suspension for the mysterious lack 3:24:40.720 --> 3:24:48.600 of camera audio. Honestly, more that more than usually happens. Yeah, well, 3:24:48.640 --> 3:24:51.440 I mean this is like this video is so bad 3:24:51.560 --> 3:24:53.760 that like this video is so I mean, rab Emmanuel 3:24:54.400 --> 3:24:57.160 doesn't really mean that the consequence he suffers is that 3:24:57.240 --> 3:24:59.560 he decides not to run again because it will be 3:24:59.560 --> 3:25:03.720 bad for him. But Raw Emanuel is currently now that 3:25:03.800 --> 3:25:06.160 his his consequence is that he's the American ambassadors of 3:25:06.240 --> 3:25:10.760 Japan and death. You know, I I will also say this, 3:25:10.840 --> 3:25:13.480 the people of Japan do not deserve Rammanual. The Liberal 3:25:13.520 --> 3:25:15.680 Democratic Party, on the other hand, are maybe the only 3:25:15.720 --> 3:25:17.840 people on earth who actually deserve him. Like, if you 3:25:17.879 --> 3:25:20.080 didn't want us to palm Raw Emmanuel off on you. 3:25:20.080 --> 3:25:21.720 You shouldn't have taken all that CIA money in the 3:25:21.760 --> 3:25:23.880 fifties and sixtees and let them run your political campaigns. 3:25:24.240 --> 3:25:29.240 So Liberal Democratic Party lie down with dogs, get fleas um. 3:25:29.280 --> 3:25:32.000 But yeah, Jason Van Dyke was released from prison two 3:25:32.000 --> 3:25:34.960 weeks ago after serving less than half a sentence. Mcwa 3:25:35.040 --> 3:25:41.760 McDonald's remains dead. Yeah. I mean the really depressing part 3:25:41.800 --> 3:25:44.520 is that that is more consequences than usually ever happens, 3:25:46.320 --> 3:25:49.720 and that that only happened because of, you know, like 3:25:49.879 --> 3:25:52.680 an incredible amount of organization. And like I think of 3:25:52.720 --> 3:25:54.800 all of the times where there is no video, Think 3:25:54.800 --> 3:25:57.720 of all the times where there's nothing and things just happened, 3:25:58.080 --> 3:26:00.920 no one watches it, and then deads get kicked into 3:26:00.920 --> 3:26:05.720 a ditch yum. And that's way more common than anything 3:26:05.720 --> 3:26:07.640 where there's a type of like recordings or even where 3:26:07.640 --> 3:26:10.720 there needs to be cover ups. You know, you you 3:26:10.800 --> 3:26:12.520 both are probably too young for this movie. But in 3:26:12.520 --> 3:26:14.879 one of the Transformers movies, after they beat all the 3:26:14.920 --> 3:26:21.080 bad Transformers, okay, where the Navy lifts them all up 3:26:21.080 --> 3:26:23.879 and drops them into the sea. Yes, what if we 3:26:23.920 --> 3:26:28.000 did that with the Chicago Police Department, Just drop him 3:26:28.040 --> 3:26:31.720 in the sea, Big old big them up, drop him 3:26:31.760 --> 3:26:34.200 in the sea. Now we put them in a bag. 3:26:34.240 --> 3:26:38.800 There's no swimming. Okay, that's fair. Look, look they one one, 3:26:39.120 --> 3:26:42.119 they get one bag individual. Each individual gets one bag 3:26:42.160 --> 3:26:44.120 for each bag they put over someone's head and strangled 3:26:44.160 --> 3:26:46.600 them with I think that's fair and then right into 3:26:46.640 --> 3:26:52.760 the sea and solves all problems. Like I do, I 3:26:52.800 --> 3:26:55.880 do genuinely want to say, is that like if if 3:26:55.920 --> 3:26:58.560 you read the story over and over and over and 3:26:58.600 --> 3:27:00.959 over again, you get people who are like you get 3:27:01.000 --> 3:27:03.240 the governor going like the system is fundamentally broken to 3:27:03.320 --> 3:27:05.120 must reformat. You get the courts saying the system is 3:27:05.120 --> 3:27:09.680 fundamentally broken and bush reformat and it never changes. They 3:27:09.720 --> 3:27:12.320 just keep killing people, They keep inslaving people, they keep 3:27:12.320 --> 3:27:16.000 doing like, they keep troaturing people, they keep murdering people, 3:27:16.040 --> 3:27:19.320 they keep raving people, and this will not end until 3:27:19.320 --> 3:27:22.039 you abolish the police. Like there is no alternative. If 3:27:22.120 --> 3:27:26.600 you if your car is fun is broken on a 3:27:26.680 --> 3:27:30.560 fundamental level, you can't you can't reform your car to 3:27:30.640 --> 3:27:33.160 make it better. There's a certain point where it's total 3:27:33.240 --> 3:27:35.640 and you're like, well, I guess that kind of It's 3:27:35.680 --> 3:27:39.160 like Asian block is shattered and you're like we fixes 3:27:39.240 --> 3:27:42.600 the tires, so it ought to go now. No, it's 3:27:42.680 --> 3:27:45.680 like if it's broken on the fundamental level, you can't 3:27:45.760 --> 3:27:48.440 reform it. Those words like those words don't go together, 3:27:49.480 --> 3:27:52.520 like throw out, throw out your car and build a train. 3:27:54.000 --> 3:27:57.720 That's that's what you have to do. Walk to get 3:27:57.720 --> 3:28:04.600 a bicycle, honestly. Yeah, I stuck a bottle onto the 3:28:04.680 --> 3:28:06.680 rail of my a R fifteen, So it's not a 3:28:06.680 --> 3:28:13.320 gun anymore. Like no, it's it's still a gun. Yea Um. Yeah, 3:28:13.400 --> 3:28:17.199 this is really really sad um and it's good stuff. 3:28:17.240 --> 3:28:22.280 Pretty depressing. Um. Anyway, I'm gonna go watch Two Eights 3:28:22.480 --> 3:28:28.320 the Dark Night and feel feel great about myself. Yeah 3:28:28.720 --> 3:28:31.040 all right, well that's gonna do it for us, and 3:28:31.120 --> 3:28:36.440 it could happen here today until next time. Uh. I 3:28:36.520 --> 3:28:41.000 hope that more Chicago police officers get COVID. There there 3:28:41.080 --> 3:28:42.959 is that there's that fun scene in the Dark Night 3:28:43.000 --> 3:28:46.440 where the joker goes into the Chicago Police building and 3:28:46.480 --> 3:28:48.680 blows up the prison block with all those cops inside. 3:28:49.000 --> 3:29:01.520 That is that is a fun scene. Yeah. Anyway, Um, 3:29:01.560 --> 3:29:04.080 hello and welcome to our show. I'm Zoe de Chanelle 3:29:04.120 --> 3:29:06.279 and I'm so excited to be joined by my friends 3:29:06.280 --> 3:29:09.039 and cast mates Hannah Simone and Lamar and Morris to 3:29:09.160 --> 3:29:12.760 recap our hit television series New Girl. Join us every 3:29:12.800 --> 3:29:15.400 Monday on the Welcome to Our Show podcast, where we'll 3:29:15.400 --> 3:29:18.480 share behind the scenes stories of your favorite New Girl episodes, 3:29:18.640 --> 3:29:21.600 revealed the truth behind the legendary game True American, and 3:29:22.040 --> 3:29:25.199 discuss how this show got made with the writers, guest stars, 3:29:25.240 --> 3:29:27.879 and directors who made the show so special. Fans have 3:29:27.920 --> 3:29:30.480 been begging us to do a New Girl recap for years, 3:29:30.520 --> 3:29:33.400 and we finally made a podcast where we answer all 3:29:33.480 --> 3:29:37.040 your burning questions like is there really a bear in 3:29:37.120 --> 3:29:40.280 every episode of New Girl? Plus each week you'll hear 3:29:40.440 --> 3:29:43.720 hilarious stories like this at the end when he says 3:29:43.800 --> 3:29:46.160 you got some schmid on your face. I feel like 3:29:46.240 --> 3:29:48.720 I pitched that joke. I believe that. I feel like 3:29:48.760 --> 3:29:50.400 I did. I'm not on a thousand percent. I want 3:29:50.400 --> 3:29:52.960 to say that was I tossed that one out. Listen 3:29:53.000 --> 3:29:54.920 to the Welcome to Our Show podcast on the I 3:29:55.040 --> 3:29:59.039 Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. 3:30:00.360 --> 3:30:03.720 And we're live here outside the Perez family home, just 3:30:03.920 --> 3:30:06.920 waiting for the and there they go, almost on time. 3:30:06.959 --> 3:30:09.720 This morning, Mom is coming out the front door, strong 3:30:09.800 --> 3:30:12.360 with a double arm kid carry. Looks like Dad has 3:30:12.360 --> 3:30:15.560 the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh but 3:30:15.680 --> 3:30:20.160 the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. 3:30:20.840 --> 3:30:24.280 Oh but mom has just nailed the perfect car seat 3:30:24.320 --> 3:30:27.560 buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter, who 3:30:27.560 --> 3:30:30.400 looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself 3:30:30.400 --> 3:30:33.240 in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag clothes and 3:30:33.280 --> 3:30:37.080 they're off. But looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee 3:30:37.080 --> 3:30:39.520 cup is still on the roof of the car and 3:30:39.600 --> 3:30:43.520 there it goes. Oh that's a shame that mug was 3:30:43.520 --> 3:30:46.680 a fan favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nailed 3:30:46.680 --> 3:30:48.760 the big stuff, like making sure your kids are buckled 3:30:48.760 --> 3:30:50.920 correctly in the right seat for their agent's eyes. Learn 3:30:50.920 --> 3:30:52.800 more n h t s a dot gov slash the 3:30:52.879 --> 3:30:58.199 right Seat visits dot gov slash the right Seat. Brought 3:30:58.240 --> 3:31:07.520 to you by Mizza and the ad Council. Oh my goodness, 3:31:07.920 --> 3:31:12.560 it's could happen here all right. Well that's the introduction. 3:31:12.640 --> 3:31:16.480 I'm Robert Evans and my work's done for today. Chris, Yeah, 3:31:16.800 --> 3:31:19.320 it's me, it's Christopher. We are We are back with 3:31:19.640 --> 3:31:22.040 two more stories of rape, torture, and murder from the 3:31:22.120 --> 3:31:29.320 Chicago Police Department show we have Yeah, well you know, okay, 3:31:29.400 --> 3:31:31.120 this one, this, this one will be more fun than 3:31:31.200 --> 3:31:34.680 last time because okay, so basically, since since I started 3:31:34.720 --> 3:31:36.280 showing up on this show, I have made a case. 3:31:36.320 --> 3:31:38.920 I have been dropping references to the fact that Chicago 3:31:38.959 --> 3:31:41.760 Police Department is literally a cartel, And today I am 3:31:41.800 --> 3:31:45.000 finally telling the story of how this is a little unfair. 3:31:46.320 --> 3:31:49.720 But yeah, also, also I didn't mention this before we 3:31:49.720 --> 3:31:51.680 go win. There's also a bonus cartel because while I 3:31:51.720 --> 3:31:53.600 was doing research on one of the cartels, I realized 3:31:53.600 --> 3:31:55.360 that I couldn't actually talk about it without talking about 3:31:55.360 --> 3:31:59.760 the other cartel. So there's two. There are two completely 3:31:59.840 --> 3:32:02.680 un related CPD cartels that will show up in this story. 3:32:03.360 --> 3:32:07.840 Uh yeah, it's great. So all right, this is the 3:32:07.879 --> 3:32:12.720 story of Ronald Watts. Now Ronerd Wats joined the CPD 3:32:12.760 --> 3:32:15.440 in n after serving in the army, making him yet 3:32:15.440 --> 3:32:18.560 another example of the fabled troop cop combination that produces 3:32:18.600 --> 3:32:22.760 the worst people on earth. Um what Wats was assigned 3:32:22.879 --> 3:32:28.039 to patrol Chicago's old public housing like projects. Now wants 3:32:28.080 --> 3:32:34.120 is from housing himself. Um, there's okay. So some of 3:32:34.120 --> 3:32:36.360 the people who knew him before he went into the 3:32:36.360 --> 3:32:39.960 police claimed that, like he was just always like a 3:32:40.040 --> 3:32:42.440 drug delar and that he went into the police too, 3:32:43.160 --> 3:32:45.720 like drug deal more. I don't know if that's true, 3:32:46.240 --> 3:32:48.040 because I mean, he's also in the army for a while, 3:32:48.200 --> 3:32:51.120 so I I don't know, it's sort of unclear. But 3:32:52.560 --> 3:32:54.640 you know, he's for the projects. He he knows that 3:32:54.680 --> 3:32:56.600 to reign well, and that's why he was an extremely 3:32:56.640 --> 3:32:59.000 effective agent of terror in a place where officers would 3:32:59.000 --> 3:33:01.360 regularly drive by asking the N word and other racial 3:33:01.360 --> 3:33:05.680 slurs out of their cop car speakers. Uh yeah, here here, 3:33:05.720 --> 3:33:08.200 here's the intercept describing what like Chicago cops are just 3:33:08.200 --> 3:33:11.440 doing at the projects. They were officers who found it 3:33:11.480 --> 3:33:13.920 amusing to toy with those under their power, arranging the 3:33:13.959 --> 3:33:16.440 foot race of heroin addics determined who would go to jail, 3:33:16.480 --> 3:33:18.720 for example, or forcing a woman they had searched on 3:33:18.760 --> 3:33:20.600 the street to walk home naked from the waist down. 3:33:21.480 --> 3:33:25.000 It's yeah, people who find joint exerting their power over 3:33:25.040 --> 3:33:29.080 other people and they think it's funny. Yeah, why they 3:33:29.160 --> 3:33:31.680 become cops. Yep. Well, and you know, and the other 3:33:31.680 --> 3:33:34.680 reason to become a cop. Is is the the second 3:33:34.680 --> 3:33:36.680 thing that they do constantly, which is they just walk 3:33:36.720 --> 3:33:39.520 into the lobbies of these buildings just start taking everyone's money. 3:33:39.680 --> 3:33:42.160 And like they literally call the lobbies of the public 3:33:42.240 --> 3:33:46.320 housing buildings like quote their ATM machine. So they're just 3:33:46.360 --> 3:33:48.959 doing this constantly. There's also cops and this is not 3:33:49.000 --> 3:33:51.400 every cop that they're specific cops you do this who 3:33:51.400 --> 3:33:53.800 would show up on the first and the fifteenth of 3:33:53.800 --> 3:33:55.720 the month, wait for everyone to catch their paychecks and 3:33:55.760 --> 3:33:59.720 then rob them. And you know, the thing I think 3:33:59.840 --> 3:34:01.720 is a one about this is that Okay, so like 3:34:02.040 --> 3:34:04.560 WATTS and like the specific cartels do this, but this 3:34:04.600 --> 3:34:06.400 isn't just WATS. This is like this is everyone who's 3:34:06.400 --> 3:34:09.240 working at these projects is just walking up like to 3:34:09.640 --> 3:34:14.080 like the poorest people in Chicago and just robbing them constantly. 3:34:15.160 --> 3:34:17.200 Um yeah, like this is this is you know this, 3:34:17.320 --> 3:34:19.200 this is just how regular policing works. And the elite 3:34:19.280 --> 3:34:23.000 units are even worse. So Cartel number one or I guess, 3:34:23.040 --> 3:34:25.120 I guess you're trying about choose since we've introduced WATS. 3:34:25.120 --> 3:34:27.760 But so there used to be an elite unit in 3:34:27.800 --> 3:34:30.440 the Chicago Police Force called the Special Operations Section or 3:34:30.520 --> 3:34:33.840 s OS, and these guys, these guys are different because 3:34:33.879 --> 3:34:36.000 they you know, they're they're they're not attached to like 3:34:36.040 --> 3:34:38.119 an area or certific you know, they're they're just completely 3:34:38.120 --> 3:34:41.320 their own thing. They're just like they're the Special Response Team. 3:34:41.360 --> 3:34:45.320 And s OS would just go into projects and just 3:34:45.440 --> 3:34:47.920 ransacked the entire building, like they would go room by 3:34:48.040 --> 3:34:51.080 room like taking people stuff and just looting it and 3:34:51.120 --> 3:34:53.920 then just like walking out. And you know, it's not 3:34:54.000 --> 3:34:55.640 even like there's not just that they're taking cash, like 3:34:55.640 --> 3:34:58.520 they're taking TVs. And I mean the thing that the thing, 3:34:58.560 --> 3:34:59.959 the thing you if when you when you read interview 3:35:00.000 --> 3:35:02.080 and people who lived through this, like they're not just 3:35:02.120 --> 3:35:04.040 taking like stuff that's like you know, let's use that 3:35:04.080 --> 3:35:06.720 are expensive there, they'll take people's like lamps, like they'll 3:35:06.720 --> 3:35:08.520 just walk out with anything, like literally anything they can 3:35:08.560 --> 3:35:12.360 sell um. And you know again like these are these 3:35:12.360 --> 3:35:15.920 are the people living in these projects are like huge, 3:35:16.120 --> 3:35:18.360 like a lot a lot of these postures literally like 3:35:18.400 --> 3:35:21.520 segregation era, right, and so they're they're almost entirely black 3:35:22.160 --> 3:35:25.080 and they're just taking like they're just getting robbed, but 3:35:25.240 --> 3:35:29.640 constantly by both regular cops, a special Operations section, and 3:35:29.800 --> 3:35:32.560 there's not even like you know, like cops nowadays have 3:35:32.760 --> 3:35:36.080 like they have like civil asset forfature where there's this 3:35:36.160 --> 3:35:38.000 like pseudo legal framework and no, no no, no, there's like 3:35:38.040 --> 3:35:40.040 they're not even this is the nights, They're not even 3:35:40.040 --> 3:35:41.960 doing that. They're just literally walking in and robbing these 3:35:41.959 --> 3:35:45.520 people at gunpoint. Um. S OS like they eventually get 3:35:45.560 --> 3:35:50.040 shut down sales in seven after so there's a series 3:35:50.040 --> 3:35:52.640 of scangles about them. They they steal like hundreds of 3:35:52.640 --> 3:35:55.160 thousands of dollars and people, they do shakedowns with drug dealers, 3:35:55.240 --> 3:35:59.480 they start kidnapping people. Um. At one point in s OS, 3:35:59.560 --> 3:36:01.600 dude like tried to hire his coworker to do a 3:36:01.680 --> 3:36:03.520 hit on someone who was like going to report them 3:36:03.560 --> 3:36:08.000 to the Feds. And yeah, but s OS isn't the 3:36:08.000 --> 3:36:11.160 main story today because Watts is writing is running an 3:36:11.160 --> 3:36:15.360 even larger version of this operation. Um. And you know, well, 3:36:15.400 --> 3:36:17.640 I was probays researching this. I had the realization that, like, 3:36:17.720 --> 3:36:20.280 so I've talked to people in Chicago about like the 3:36:20.280 --> 3:36:23.120 CPD Cartel's right, And I had the realization that there 3:36:23.120 --> 3:36:25.119 are conversations that I've had people where we've been we've 3:36:25.160 --> 3:36:27.760 both been talking about different ones and we both we 3:36:27.800 --> 3:36:29.200 both thought we were talking about this. Like I've had 3:36:29.200 --> 3:36:31.800 people walking backwards like, oh they were talking about the West. 3:36:31.879 --> 3:36:33.560 I was like, no, no no, I met the Watts one. 3:36:34.480 --> 3:36:40.800 It's it's it's great. It's love love our institutionalized just 3:36:41.360 --> 3:36:47.480 robbery system. Yeah. So the other thing I want to 3:36:47.520 --> 3:36:52.200 mention because so the intercepted like really good, like four 3:36:52.440 --> 3:36:56.000 like huge four part series on on the Watts. H 3:36:57.040 --> 3:36:59.920 like cartel. But I think it's worth mentioning that, Like 3:37:00.040 --> 3:37:02.440 even you know that there's like two quote unquote good 3:37:02.440 --> 3:37:05.720 cops who like go after Watts and for years and 3:37:05.720 --> 3:37:07.760 they've actually bring him down. But like even those cops 3:37:07.760 --> 3:37:10.520 are doing things that are objectively horrifying. Like most of 3:37:10.560 --> 3:37:13.599 the actual cop work in this story is done by 3:37:13.800 --> 3:37:16.640 is literally just the good cops. Like they know a 3:37:16.680 --> 3:37:19.879 homeless guy they called Chewbaka who they paid to be 3:37:19.920 --> 3:37:23.959 an informant in like blankets, sleeping bags and food and 3:37:24.000 --> 3:37:29.360 like it's like it should be fair. Cheebaka like genuinely 3:37:29.440 --> 3:37:32.760 like likes the two of them, But Chiubaca is the 3:37:32.760 --> 3:37:34.480 guy who does all of the work here, like what 3:37:34.520 --> 3:37:38.120 Wastz gets like like he's the guy who's like wearing 3:37:38.160 --> 3:37:40.080 the wire he's the guy who knows everything the cops. 3:37:40.160 --> 3:37:43.400 The cops don't know anything, and Chibaca has known that 3:37:43.720 --> 3:37:46.480 everything that was going on from the beginning. They just 3:37:46.600 --> 3:37:50.400 don't ask him for years. But like in Chiubaca like 3:37:50.520 --> 3:37:53.360 goes to prison at one point because Wats Okay, so 3:37:53.760 --> 3:37:57.680 what Watson Wats is just like a drug dealer, right, um, 3:37:57.720 --> 3:38:02.039 so wats and so so Chebacca would like, you know, 3:38:02.040 --> 3:38:03.200 he he was like he was like a sort of 3:38:03.200 --> 3:38:05.520 low level like runner. Right, you'd get a bag, he'd 3:38:05.520 --> 3:38:09.440 like move it sometimes and one time it waltsaw these 3:38:09.480 --> 3:38:12.440 new for informations. At one time, like Watts was like 3:38:12.440 --> 3:38:14.320 trying to get information on where a drug stash was 3:38:14.480 --> 3:38:17.080 we could rob it and then like well down so 3:38:17.120 --> 3:38:18.680 he could do a police raid on it and then 3:38:18.680 --> 3:38:20.720 take the drugs and sell them. And Chebaca just like 3:38:20.720 --> 3:38:23.280 didn't know. So what's just like through be in prison 3:38:23.320 --> 3:38:27.520 for two years and it's just like you know this 3:38:27.640 --> 3:38:29.520 this stuff this time don't happens constantly. That there are 3:38:29.520 --> 3:38:32.959 so many people who are just you know, like people 3:38:33.000 --> 3:38:36.400 try to survive in the city and then oh, hey, 3:38:36.440 --> 3:38:39.280 you don't have the exact specific information that this cop 3:38:39.360 --> 3:38:40.959 wants on this drug thing, so we're just gonna send 3:38:40.959 --> 3:38:43.680 you to prison for two years. And Chebacca, who like 3:38:43.800 --> 3:38:46.200 risks his life wearing a wire and brings down one 3:38:46.200 --> 3:38:47.960 of the biggest cartels in the CPD, as best I 3:38:48.000 --> 3:38:50.320 can tell, is still living on the street because the 3:38:50.360 --> 3:38:55.120 society is just broken in ways that like are difficult 3:38:55.160 --> 3:39:02.000 to comprehend and incredibly bleak. Yeah mm hmm. Yeah. So okay, 3:39:02.000 --> 3:39:04.600 back to Watch this operation. Watts has this thing called 3:39:04.600 --> 3:39:07.400 the Watch Tax, and the Watch tex is if you 3:39:07.480 --> 3:39:09.640 run drugs, you pay the tax to Watts, and this 3:39:09.760 --> 3:39:11.920 this tax gives you protection from the police if you 3:39:11.920 --> 3:39:13.560 don't pay the Watch tax, the cop show up, they 3:39:13.600 --> 3:39:15.280 put you in prison, they take all your cash, they 3:39:15.360 --> 3:39:17.240 raid your drugs, and then Watch resolves your drugs that 3:39:17.280 --> 3:39:20.000 are profit I mean that is like objectively, that is 3:39:20.000 --> 3:39:23.000 a decent grift, Like in terms of it's pretty good 3:39:23.560 --> 3:39:26.520 logistical plans, like yeah, okay, I can I can see 3:39:26.520 --> 3:39:28.680 how how this would actually be very profitable. Yeah, it's 3:39:28.760 --> 3:39:31.240 genius and like and and and the other thing about 3:39:31.280 --> 3:39:33.760 these taxes, like these taxes are enormous amounts of money. 3:39:33.800 --> 3:39:36.400 Like if if so if if if you're running a 3:39:36.480 --> 3:39:39.520 drug that's like, okay, so you have a drug that 3:39:39.600 --> 3:39:42.760 you move and the drugs I've I've ran drugs for 3:39:42.800 --> 3:39:46.800 thirty years, I know. Yeah, so the tax for the 3:39:46.920 --> 3:39:49.119 for that single drug can be as high as fifty 3:39:49.440 --> 3:39:52.680 dollars a week. So he is he is making a 3:39:52.680 --> 3:39:56.240 lot of money, so much money, like just an incomprehensible 3:39:56.280 --> 3:40:01.000 amount of money off of this. After I guess, I 3:40:01.040 --> 3:40:02.680 guess you would have to become cops. I have an 3:40:02.720 --> 3:40:06.880 idea for a pivot. Do it in the cartel pivot. 3:40:07.840 --> 3:40:09.080 This is how we give this is how we get 3:40:09.080 --> 3:40:10.800 funded by this in a lower cartel. And we've always 3:40:10.800 --> 3:40:13.320 been a cartel, but that's well, when we moved from 3:40:13.360 --> 3:40:16.360 podcasting into drugs, we can partner with our friends at 3:40:16.360 --> 3:40:20.039 the scene a lower cartel, yea would be great. Eventually, 3:40:20.600 --> 3:40:23.640 there's a guy named Big Shorty who's another like player 3:40:23.640 --> 3:40:26.680 in the scene. And yeah, all the people in this 3:40:26.800 --> 3:40:31.080 name of falling great names. Yeah it's great. So Big 3:40:31.120 --> 3:40:34.039 Shorty is like, I'm not paying like fifty k a 3:40:34.080 --> 3:40:36.200 week per drug to do this anymore. I'm gonna go 3:40:36.240 --> 3:40:39.600 to the Feds and so so be short Like he 3:40:39.640 --> 3:40:40.800 threatens to go to the feest and he goes to 3:40:40.800 --> 3:40:42.640 the d A and then like a couple of days later, 3:40:42.680 --> 3:40:47.000 she's gunned down the street by yeah you never yeah no, 3:40:47.360 --> 3:40:49.840 like yeah, well if you do, you have to make 3:40:49.879 --> 3:40:54.120 sure they like disappear you because you never threaten it, 3:40:54.240 --> 3:40:57.040 like that's the yeah, yeah, yeah you don't. These worlds 3:40:57.320 --> 3:41:01.120 you mentioned like cops and going to in any combination, 3:41:01.320 --> 3:41:03.120 and everyone around you just like, all right, well, this 3:41:03.160 --> 3:41:06.120 person's got to be dead. That's just how that's gotta go. Yeah, 3:41:06.280 --> 3:41:09.640 it's it's not it's not the best move I've ever seen. 3:41:10.160 --> 3:41:14.480 It's yeah, so you know, And and this is when 3:41:14.600 --> 3:41:17.119 this is when the cops, the two cops are gonna 3:41:17.120 --> 3:41:19.160 bring Watch down, like actually started to take notice because 3:41:19.560 --> 3:41:21.760 literally for years, I mean they're they're all sorry about this, 3:41:21.760 --> 3:41:24.720 like people they'd be locking people up and people would 3:41:24.720 --> 3:41:26.360 say things like why are you going after me for 3:41:26.440 --> 3:41:28.400 two bags? And Watts is running the dope and just 3:41:28.440 --> 3:41:31.160 no one believes them, Like the cops are being told 3:41:31.160 --> 3:41:33.360 constantly for years like that the cops who aren't in 3:41:33.440 --> 3:41:36.280 on the on the intel I being told literally for 3:41:36.360 --> 3:41:39.200 years that that this whole thing is you know that 3:41:39.200 --> 3:41:41.240 that oh yeah, well, why why are you bothering me 3:41:41.480 --> 3:41:44.199 Watts is running this operation. They don't believe them, and 3:41:44.800 --> 3:41:49.280 they don't they don't believe them basically until Big Shorty 3:41:49.320 --> 3:41:52.640 gets shot. Because when when Big Shorty goes down like 3:41:52.680 --> 3:41:55.880 another they get another guy who's like pretty big in 3:41:55.920 --> 3:41:57.640 the scene, the guy's like, oh, yeah, no, he got 3:41:57.640 --> 3:42:00.880 shot by Watts, and they're like wait, hold on now, 3:42:01.280 --> 3:42:05.760 the cops go to the FBI, and the FBI, it 3:42:05.760 --> 3:42:07.560 turns out, has been trying and failing to put again 3:42:07.600 --> 3:42:09.640 put together a case against Watts for so long that 3:42:09.720 --> 3:42:12.360 like they're on there like second like agent who they've 3:42:12.400 --> 3:42:14.080 had in charge of the case because the first guy, 3:42:14.120 --> 3:42:16.040 like I just could do it and laugh. And so 3:42:16.080 --> 3:42:20.320 they had another guy and almost immediately after this, uh, 3:42:21.200 --> 3:42:23.760 there's there's another guy. There's another dealer named Fears, who 3:42:24.400 --> 3:42:27.039 he has this Fierce has this great grift, which is 3:42:27.080 --> 3:42:28.800 like all of his people wear Obama shirts just like 3:42:28.879 --> 3:42:32.240 you just let you doesn't eate but doesn't know don't 3:42:32.480 --> 3:42:34.320 seven or something. But yeah, so like that, all all 3:42:34.360 --> 3:42:36.520 the people doing this thing, they wear Obama shirts and 3:42:36.520 --> 3:42:39.959 they call the drugs like Obama and so what everyone 3:42:40.120 --> 3:42:43.120 they have their lines called Hope. So and like this 3:42:43.120 --> 3:42:46.119 this this actually works on the FBI. Like the FBI 3:42:46.360 --> 3:42:48.520 doesn't understand that they're running drugs because they think that 3:42:48.680 --> 3:42:50.760 they're that Like all the Messa references of Obama are 3:42:50.800 --> 3:42:55.120 just like they're talking about like Obama. It's like there's 3:42:55.160 --> 3:42:58.879 there's so many, there's so many great like FBI weird 3:42:58.920 --> 3:43:01.200 incompetences to the story like that. There's one point where 3:43:01.840 --> 3:43:03.600 the cops are going through the documents and they see 3:43:03.600 --> 3:43:07.080 the word they see Lou, and it's just a lose 3:43:07.160 --> 3:43:09.320 a short for lieutenant, right, But the FBI thinks that 3:43:09.440 --> 3:43:11.320 Lou is like a name, and so they kind of 3:43:11.320 --> 3:43:14.480 tracked down this guy named Lou, which is just it's 3:43:14.560 --> 3:43:23.720 it's ah, just baffling, incredible, and coms never thrilled when 3:43:23.720 --> 3:43:28.240 they have to investigate cops. Yeah, yeah, even though it 3:43:28.360 --> 3:43:31.720 is literally their job. Yep. But hey, I hate doing 3:43:31.760 --> 3:43:35.960 my job too, so please continue, Chris. So, so if 3:43:36.000 --> 3:43:38.280 that fears guy who choose doing the Obama thing, like 3:43:38.680 --> 3:43:41.320 take seventeen rounds to the chest, and so the FBI 3:43:41.800 --> 3:43:43.800 number rounds to take to the chest, Yeah, that's a lot. 3:43:43.879 --> 3:43:46.240 It's it's it's it's an interesting number two right, because 3:43:46.280 --> 3:43:50.240 like like it does have a cult significance. Guess yeah. 3:43:50.360 --> 3:43:55.280 What would also like like is did they like reload, Like, 3:43:55.320 --> 3:44:00.280 do they have a gun that has round? Man? Yeah, 3:44:00.320 --> 3:44:02.840 there's yeah, there's that's not that's not is it? Is 3:44:02.879 --> 3:44:05.680 it like a handgun or is it a rifle? I 3:44:05.720 --> 3:44:10.320 think it's a handgun. Yeah, or like Baltimo people with 3:44:10.360 --> 3:44:16.360 handguns block seventeens have seventeen round magazines. That makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. 3:44:16.360 --> 3:44:20.360 So so after this, the FBI investigation intensifies, and so 3:44:21.440 --> 3:44:24.200 the FBI goes to the Internal Affairs Division or i 3:44:24.320 --> 3:44:26.720 a D, who are like the most hated cops of 3:44:26.760 --> 3:44:28.800 all cops by other cops, because there're people who a 3:44:28.800 --> 3:44:32.680 supposed investigate the police and you know, so so they 3:44:33.160 --> 3:44:34.680 tell that you guys who are going after watch, they're 3:44:34.680 --> 3:44:38.039 going to be protected. And this works for like a year, 3:44:38.200 --> 3:44:40.120 and then the head of a I D changes and 3:44:40.200 --> 3:44:42.640 it's like a cop cop guy instead of so they 3:44:42.640 --> 3:44:44.680 had this like they brought an FBI guy who had 3:44:44.680 --> 3:44:46.080 been had of a D and that he gets kicked 3:44:46.120 --> 3:44:47.840 out and they bring in like a cop and that 3:44:47.879 --> 3:44:51.560 cop just immediately tells literally everyone that that the two 3:44:51.600 --> 3:44:54.959 cops are running an investigation. It gives watts and so 3:44:55.240 --> 3:44:58.360 uh do they die with the next few months or 3:44:58.520 --> 3:45:03.840 studdingly no. I as best I can tell, Watts seemed 3:45:03.840 --> 3:45:05.520 to have thought that like they wouldn't just wouldn't be 3:45:05.520 --> 3:45:08.080 able to get him because an too much protection, which 3:45:08.360 --> 3:45:11.879 worked for a while. Um yeah, it's yeah, he has 3:45:11.920 --> 3:45:14.000 a lot of power. Yeah. Well and also, I mean 3:45:14.000 --> 3:45:16.160 the other thing about this is she just like his stuff, 3:45:16.160 --> 3:45:19.080 starts getting wilder. So he goes after this guy. He 3:45:19.120 --> 3:45:21.160 tries to go after the drugs of this guy named Monk, 3:45:21.400 --> 3:45:23.119 and like Muk is carrying a bunch of drugs, he's 3:45:23.120 --> 3:45:25.240 trying to He's trying to rob bunk Um from the 3:45:25.280 --> 3:45:27.760 intercept a wild car chase and suit on the Dan 3:45:27.879 --> 3:45:30.600 Ryan Expressway like Sure Drive and ultimately into the Hyde 3:45:30.600 --> 3:45:33.200 Park neighborhood, where Monk lost control of the car and 3:45:33.240 --> 3:45:36.280 crashed in a park. He fled on foot. Watson his 3:45:36.360 --> 3:45:38.720 team seized the dope in cash. They didn't even check 3:45:38.720 --> 3:45:41.160 on the condition of the women and infant who remained 3:45:41.160 --> 3:45:45.640 in the car, which is great. And also that's that's standard. 3:45:45.800 --> 3:45:48.320 That that's that that's like standard CPD procedure. I have 3:45:48.440 --> 3:45:51.000 literally seen this happen like in Hyde Park, like I 3:45:51.360 --> 3:45:53.840 have there when I was in college, I almost got 3:45:53.879 --> 3:45:55.480 run over in his seat and like the CPD almost 3:45:55.520 --> 3:45:57.039 ran me over in this like car chase that went 3:45:57.080 --> 3:46:00.280 bad and this giant multi car crash and like there's 3:46:00.320 --> 3:46:03.760 like sixteen cops, right, they all just run past the 3:46:03.800 --> 3:46:06.200 car crash after you guys are chasing and like I 3:46:06.240 --> 3:46:08.280 have to go make sure no one died. And I 3:46:08.360 --> 3:46:11.279 was like, I, this is great. You have just almost 3:46:11.360 --> 3:46:13.640 murdered me. And then also you're not checking on all 3:46:13.680 --> 3:46:15.600 of these people in this car even in the wreck. 3:46:15.800 --> 3:46:21.440 I Oh, I hate a CPD. I hate them a lot. 3:46:22.160 --> 3:46:26.480 Took the sound this sound nice? Yeah, it's great there there. Yeah, 3:46:26.520 --> 3:46:30.480 this just happens like all the time, like often enough 3:46:30.560 --> 3:46:36.080 that like literally in the same place, which like all 3:46:36.120 --> 3:46:38.920 of these big because you've got like a few really big, shitty, 3:46:38.920 --> 3:46:41.280 big city police departments. You've got your l A p D, 3:46:41.400 --> 3:46:44.760 You're n Y p D, You've got your Chicago Police Department. 3:46:45.080 --> 3:46:47.760 By god, you've got St. Louis cops. And they're all 3:46:48.120 --> 3:46:51.600 they're all shitty and simultaneously the same in different ways. 3:46:52.120 --> 3:46:55.200 Like there there, it's the same basic idea. It's brutality, 3:46:55.240 --> 3:46:59.840 it's violence, it's robbery. Um, but they they find unique 3:47:00.000 --> 3:47:04.320 as to do those shitty things, which is fascinating. Yeah, 3:47:04.360 --> 3:47:07.000 Like I've always had like like the n y p DS, 3:47:07.160 --> 3:47:09.080 like they're big thing is if you get a large 3:47:09.120 --> 3:47:11.039 number of people together, the NYPD is just going to 3:47:11.080 --> 3:47:13.520 annihilate you. Like l A p D has like the 3:47:13.640 --> 3:47:17.039 Nazi gangs. CPD thing, CPDS thing just seems to be crime. 3:47:17.879 --> 3:47:23.200 CPD torture. It's torture. And yeah St. Louis Police Department 3:47:23.280 --> 3:47:27.960 will attack you with dogs if you're not a white person. Like, yeah, 3:47:28.200 --> 3:47:36.880 they've all got they've they've they've they've chosen their cops subclass. Yeah. Now, okay, 3:47:36.879 --> 3:47:39.440 so but back in the investigation, the two cops in 3:47:39.440 --> 3:47:43.040 investigating Watts are like even so basically all the researchers 3:47:43.080 --> 3:47:45.480 get cut off. It's literally just them to watch. Note 3:47:45.560 --> 3:47:48.600 like basically knows that he's they're coming from them, and 3:47:48.640 --> 3:47:52.280 they almost get him anyways, because cops are just not 3:47:52.760 --> 3:47:55.760 very smart. Um, and you know they're about to get 3:47:55.800 --> 3:47:59.040 him on a sting for drug running. And then right 3:47:59.080 --> 3:48:01.240 before like I think it's like the day of that 3:48:01.240 --> 3:48:03.680 they're running the sting, they suddenly get like transferred to 3:48:03.680 --> 3:48:06.800 the police academy and they basically just like get detained 3:48:06.840 --> 3:48:11.160 in this police academy for like weeks and it's it's 3:48:11.280 --> 3:48:14.120 purely weird. And eventually, like and you know, this is 3:48:14.160 --> 3:48:16.640 when like everything just completely comes apart with the liaison 3:48:16.720 --> 3:48:19.440 between the CPD and the FBI literally tells them they 3:48:19.440 --> 3:48:21.120 can't move on the case because if they move on 3:48:21.160 --> 3:48:23.120 the case, it's going to reveal that Watts murdered a dude, 3:48:24.280 --> 3:48:26.400 because well they so they don't have good evidence some 3:48:26.400 --> 3:48:28.440 big shorty, but they have they have evidence that they 3:48:28.480 --> 3:48:32.760 have good evidence that he killed Fears and uh, and 3:48:32.959 --> 3:48:35.119 the head of Internal affairs basically tells them like, yeah, 3:48:35.200 --> 3:48:37.840 like I won't do anything about Watts because it comes 3:48:37.840 --> 3:48:40.879 out that another CPD unit had gone rogue after s OS, 3:48:41.040 --> 3:48:43.400 I'll be done for so I'm just gonna cover for them. 3:48:43.720 --> 3:48:47.000 The second cartel is too much, actually gone to only 3:48:47.040 --> 3:48:52.920 one cartels. It's great, Um, I can excuse one cartel, 3:48:53.000 --> 3:48:57.360 but I try the line too. But once you hit 3:48:57.400 --> 3:49:00.240 four cartels, were back two good, which is why I 3:49:00.280 --> 3:49:03.439 am such a big fan of the Los Angeles Police Department. 3:49:03.760 --> 3:49:06.200 It's great, Look you got it, you got you got 3:49:06.200 --> 3:49:08.200 you just you just gotta get over the cortel hump 3:49:08.200 --> 3:49:10.440 and once you're over, Yeah, you got. It's like it's 3:49:10.440 --> 3:49:13.080 like growing out your your hair. Right, there's gonna be 3:49:13.080 --> 3:49:15.320 that period where it looks really awkward. That's when. That's 3:49:15.320 --> 3:49:18.480 when you've got two cartels, and then you get hot 3:49:18.520 --> 3:49:22.400 at four cartels. Then you're fuckable again. Yeah, it's great. 3:49:23.320 --> 3:49:25.920 So there's an interesting description from one of the two 3:49:25.960 --> 3:49:27.480 cops that don't want to read because it gets out 3:49:27.520 --> 3:49:30.200 how the code of Silence works. Um from the intercept 3:49:30.840 --> 3:49:32.520 he had, she said, this is about the the A 3:49:32.600 --> 3:49:35.520 I D. Guy he had, She said, made too many deals, 3:49:35.560 --> 3:49:39.080 there by neutralizing his ability to act. Attributing your understanding 3:49:39.080 --> 3:49:42.680 of this dynamic largely two conversations with Rivera himself, conversations 3:49:42.680 --> 3:49:45.600 she denied ever occurred. She described him as ensnared in 3:49:45.680 --> 3:49:48.480 a web of mutual blackmail at which bosses have leverage 3:49:48.520 --> 3:49:50.720 over one another by virtue of their shared knowledge of 3:49:50.760 --> 3:49:54.320 the deals they've made. She gave an example, I'll make 3:49:54.360 --> 3:49:56.480 the cr get your guy go away if you promote 3:49:56.520 --> 3:49:58.760 my guy within your unit. The code of silence and 3:49:58.880 --> 3:50:03.200 cloud or thus in twine Rivera, she recalled, once remarked 3:50:03.280 --> 3:50:06.720 to her that the bosses quote trade crs for favors 3:50:06.720 --> 3:50:10.320 like baseball cards. So yeah, this is this is what 3:50:10.360 --> 3:50:12.480 the code of silence is. It's it's it's an informal 3:50:12.520 --> 3:50:15.960 code sort of. That's also called the thin blue line, 3:50:16.760 --> 3:50:20.160 which is great, uh yeah, but basically it says that costs, 3:50:20.240 --> 3:50:22.280 you know, it's that cops will protect the road. But 3:50:22.280 --> 3:50:24.440 but it's more than that. If if if you if 3:50:24.440 --> 3:50:26.160 you cross the name blue line and you break the 3:50:26.160 --> 3:50:29.080 code of silence, you will be formally retaliated against by 3:50:29.080 --> 3:50:31.640 your commanders. And but when when when I say breaking 3:50:31.680 --> 3:50:34.360 the code of silence, what that means literally is if 3:50:34.400 --> 3:50:37.480 you take any action against another cop, Like it literally 3:50:37.480 --> 3:50:39.480 doesn't like they can be torturing people, they could be 3:50:39.560 --> 3:50:42.920 literally running a cartel. It doesn't matter. If you say 3:50:42.960 --> 3:50:45.960 anything about them, you will be like formally retaliated against 3:50:46.000 --> 3:50:48.960 by every other cop. And so the two cops who 3:50:48.960 --> 3:50:51.600 are investigating wats like, they get arrested by internal affairs. 3:50:52.240 --> 3:50:55.720 Internal affairs like tries to like basically make a fake 3:50:55.760 --> 3:50:59.600 case against them, and they eventually get out, but they're 3:50:59.680 --> 3:51:01.680 you know, they're rears are over right because they you know, 3:51:01.880 --> 3:51:05.640 attempted to like do the thing sort of that cops 3:51:05.680 --> 3:51:12.640 are nominally supposed to do and they just immediately get arrested. Um, 3:51:12.680 --> 3:51:13.800 and you know, and they have a lot of other 3:51:13.800 --> 3:51:15.720 stuff happened to them. Like one of the two cops 3:51:15.720 --> 3:51:17.800 comes home to a bell box literally full of ship, 3:51:17.840 --> 3:51:19.760 with a note that says, since you like ship so much, 3:51:19.800 --> 3:51:24.000 thought you'd enjoy this amazing. Yeah you know what I mean, Like, 3:51:24.080 --> 3:51:27.880 that's fun. That's fun. That should happen more offten just 3:51:28.040 --> 3:51:31.960 that should happen a lot more off other other scenarios. Yeah, yeah, 3:51:32.040 --> 3:51:35.400 it's it sucks that these are the cops that this 3:51:35.440 --> 3:51:37.320 is happening. Like, of all of the this is like 3:51:37.360 --> 3:51:39.960 the only time I like do not approve of like 3:51:40.040 --> 3:51:43.640 sending cops ship just like this is this is the 3:51:43.680 --> 3:51:47.280 wrong reason for the wrong reason to sender. You're gone. 3:51:49.280 --> 3:51:52.600 That's true. They have probably done stuff. They have done stuff. 3:51:54.000 --> 3:51:58.160 I will make sure it's better. It can be safer 3:51:58.400 --> 3:52:01.440 if it's if dogs should is the DNA is harder 3:52:01.480 --> 3:52:04.880 to track anyone, you know what the safest ship of 3:52:04.880 --> 3:52:12.680 all to use. No, I don't ship, panther ship. Panther ship. 3:52:14.040 --> 3:52:15.880 See I can. Yeah, I think I p I is 3:52:15.920 --> 3:52:19.240 never going to figure that one out. Yeah, I get 3:52:18.840 --> 3:52:22.920 the technology, get right on. I'll get right on that. Yeah, 3:52:23.200 --> 3:52:25.960 we're gonna go to go collect panther Ship'll be gone 3:52:25.960 --> 3:52:29.040 for a month. It could be their unibomber for like 3:52:29.160 --> 3:52:31.440 fifteen years. They're trying to track down what kind of 3:52:31.440 --> 3:52:34.720 ship is getting put in people's mailboxes until your brother 3:52:35.040 --> 3:52:37.840 sends them a letter saying I know someone who has 3:52:37.880 --> 3:52:43.280 access to a lot of Panther Ship and grudge tragic 3:52:43.320 --> 3:52:48.520 tail at time. And then you can get uh an 3:52:48.640 --> 3:52:52.760 HBO miniseries where they make you like look slightly like 3:52:52.800 --> 3:52:57.560 you're in a boy band, only slightly. It's like you 3:52:57.600 --> 3:53:00.280 were in a boy band but aged out. Yeah, yeah, 3:53:00.600 --> 3:53:08.280 you were in. So the coat of silence also extends 3:53:08.280 --> 3:53:11.760 a friendly politicians. Here's some the Interset report. Soon after 3:53:11.800 --> 3:53:14.080 he came to the confidential section, he was given the 3:53:14.080 --> 3:53:18.040 assignment of investigating a deputy superintendent. The allegation was at 3:53:18.080 --> 3:53:21.560 the officer. The official lived outside the city. Mills worked 3:53:21.560 --> 3:53:24.000 on the case for months and concluded the allegation was true. 3:53:24.040 --> 3:53:27.520 He produced a thick file. Take months. I'm sorry, I 3:53:27.640 --> 3:53:33.880 don't have to take months. There cops allowances for the 3:53:34.000 --> 3:53:40.360 caper of where does this guy who works here? Yeah, 3:53:40.920 --> 3:53:44.320 very funny. The next day the file came back to him. 3:53:44.360 --> 3:53:46.360 It was mart There was a yellow post with a 3:53:46.400 --> 3:53:56.040 handwritten message and make it unfounded. So that's fun, awesome, amazing, Yeah, 3:53:56.560 --> 3:54:01.160 make it fun. Cops are cops are a breed of 3:54:01.200 --> 3:54:09.400 their own poetic pot. Yeah. So actually, there there's a 3:54:09.400 --> 3:54:12.200 long history of like, yeah, politicians do something cops all 3:54:12.240 --> 3:54:15.840 the time, Like remember the story, right, like Rama, Manuel's 3:54:16.240 --> 3:54:19.840 like nephew or something killed a guy in a car 3:54:19.880 --> 3:54:23.720 crash and the CPD he got, Manuel got the CPD 3:54:23.760 --> 3:54:27.920 to just like that, never investigated it. They just were like, oh, 3:54:28.080 --> 3:54:30.160 someone died in the car crash and it just went away. 3:54:30.720 --> 3:54:35.280 It's it's real fun. Um. Yeah. So so eventually shortly 3:54:35.320 --> 3:54:38.160 after this sort of those two cops get like detained 3:54:38.400 --> 3:54:40.640 at the police academy, the FBI and the in the 3:54:40.680 --> 3:54:43.720 CPT move on Watts and his partner Mohammed and no 3:54:43.800 --> 3:54:47.400 one else. Interestingly, because again, if you think about this 3:54:47.440 --> 3:54:50.320 for about five seconds, they were an enormous number of 3:54:50.320 --> 3:54:53.600 people who either know about this operation or are actively 3:54:53.680 --> 3:54:56.160 involved in running a fucking drug cartel that is one 3:54:56.200 --> 3:54:57.840 of the biggest players on the South Side, who are 3:54:57.840 --> 3:55:02.000 still just cops and like the CPD goes after exactly 3:55:02.000 --> 3:55:05.320 two people. There are like dozens of people who were 3:55:05.360 --> 3:55:10.520 actively involved in this who are still cops um and 3:55:10.520 --> 3:55:12.920 and you know, and the only real trafficition to this 3:55:13.000 --> 3:55:15.040 is that the FBI and the CPD are complicit, which 3:55:15.080 --> 3:55:16.840 is that you know, I mean, so parts of the 3:55:16.840 --> 3:55:19.120 CPD want to keep doing keep keep running the cartel. 3:55:19.480 --> 3:55:22.400 The FBI is like, both the FBI and the CBD 3:55:22.440 --> 3:55:24.080 also have an interest in keeping this covered up because 3:55:24.080 --> 3:55:26.160 they don't want like, you know, oh hey, look at 3:55:26.160 --> 3:55:27.880 the look at the loss of trust in in in 3:55:27.960 --> 3:55:29.920 law enforcement. It comes out that there were actually two 3:55:29.960 --> 3:55:32.720 cartels running in the same place at the same time, 3:55:32.720 --> 3:55:35.440 parallel to each other, and then we didn't catch them. 3:55:35.520 --> 3:55:40.480 Like it's yeah, but it's great because literally nothing happens 3:55:40.520 --> 3:55:42.840 to these people. They're still out there, they're still doing 3:55:42.880 --> 3:55:47.680 cops shit. Uh yeah, only two people went down for that, 3:55:47.760 --> 3:55:50.280 and yes, so the cartel is just still there. It's 3:55:50.520 --> 3:55:53.600 that's good, it's still well. It proves that if you 3:55:53.640 --> 3:55:56.280 put in the work, you can really build something that lasts. 3:55:56.440 --> 3:55:59.040 And I think that's a lesson we all should be 3:55:59.080 --> 3:56:05.480 inspired by. Pulled yourself up by your uh jack bootstraps 3:56:05.600 --> 3:56:10.760 and wow, yeah that's good stuff. Okay, So so interlude 3:56:10.840 --> 3:56:14.400 number two. On May four six, someone threw a stick 3:56:14.400 --> 3:56:16.840 of dynamite at some cops and Haymarket Square in Chicago, 3:56:16.920 --> 3:56:19.120 tree a general strike for the eight hour work day 3:56:18.960 --> 3:56:22.200 they started. The cops fired wildly into the crowd, and 3:56:22.200 --> 3:56:25.240 the state rounded up a bunch of completely random anarchists who, 3:56:25.320 --> 3:56:27.360 by their own admission, had nothing to do with it, 3:56:27.400 --> 3:56:30.120 and had them executed. Now, the cops, for their part, 3:56:30.200 --> 3:56:34.240 built a statue for the cops at Haymarket. Now. The 3:56:34.240 --> 3:56:38.120 first of these statues were destroyed on May fourth by 3:56:38.120 --> 3:56:42.720 a guy who just right, so he he had he 3:56:42.760 --> 3:56:43.920 was like, he's a street car driver, right, and he 3:56:43.960 --> 3:56:45.880 had to like every single day he had to go 3:56:45.960 --> 3:56:48.480 past the statue of the Hammarkert cop. And one day 3:56:48.560 --> 3:56:51.240 he was just like no, and he he ran his 3:56:51.360 --> 3:56:54.680 street car off of the st on rails, right, He 3:56:54.840 --> 3:56:58.080 random off of the rails and rammed it into the statue. 3:56:58.440 --> 3:57:04.320 This guy rules you, dope. So the costs build another statue, 3:57:04.320 --> 3:57:06.160 and that second statue was blown up by the weather 3:57:06.240 --> 3:57:10.080 underground in October nineteen nine. Uh, the costs make another statue. 3:57:10.400 --> 3:57:12.400 The third statue is also blown up by the weather 3:57:12.520 --> 3:57:17.000 underground in October ninety. It was like that was less 3:57:17.040 --> 3:57:21.200 than a year later. Yep, yeah, and so the continue 3:57:21.280 --> 3:57:23.360 they originally they rebuilt it again, right, and originally they 3:57:23.360 --> 3:57:25.360 have it under like a twenty four hour armed guard 3:57:25.720 --> 3:57:28.280 Jesus and then and then and then. But you know, 3:57:28.320 --> 3:57:30.080 even then they were like, okay, we can't protect it. 3:57:30.120 --> 3:57:33.280 So they moved it into an enclosed courtyard in the 3:57:33.280 --> 3:57:36.320 middle of the of Chicago Police Academy because they're too 3:57:36.360 --> 3:57:40.280 cowardly to show it in public. Awesome, that's good. That's 3:57:40.280 --> 3:57:44.680 a win. That's a win everyone so much that they 3:57:44.680 --> 3:57:47.800 have to hide the statue to the assholes who got killed. Yeah, 3:57:47.840 --> 3:57:52.800 that's great. One day, one day, that fourth statue will 3:57:52.840 --> 3:57:58.000 follow the first three one day, one day by the 3:57:58.080 --> 3:58:03.280 mere cosmic forces the universe, by entropy. The force of 3:58:03.400 --> 3:58:07.880 nentropy will one day destroy the statute. Yes, okay, So 3:58:08.000 --> 3:58:10.960 onto story number four. Story number four is the Chicago 3:58:10.960 --> 3:58:14.920 Police Department's black site. So the Chicago the Police Department 3:58:14.960 --> 3:58:17.960 has a black site called Home and Square. Um. So, 3:58:17.960 --> 3:58:20.400 so normally, you know, you go to a police station 3:58:20.520 --> 3:58:23.720 and you get booked, right, they book you, They put 3:58:23.720 --> 3:58:26.240 you into the system. And you know, because you're in 3:58:26.280 --> 3:58:31.600 the system, like you know where um like people people 3:58:31.600 --> 3:58:33.240 can find you, right because you can just look someone up. 3:58:33.240 --> 3:58:35.440 You can look someone up in the system. Uh. At 3:58:35.480 --> 3:58:37.520 Home and Square, they don't book people if you just 3:58:37.600 --> 3:58:39.760 if you go there, you just disappear. There's no record 3:58:39.800 --> 3:58:42.200 of you. Uh, there's no there's no way to contact 3:58:42.200 --> 3:58:45.040 a lawyer if you're in there. Uh, your lawyer doesn't 3:58:45.040 --> 3:58:46.880 know where you are because again there's no records of 3:58:46.920 --> 3:58:48.520 where you are. You've just been grabbed off the street 3:58:48.520 --> 3:58:52.040 and taken to a building. Um. Yeah, And and this 3:58:52.160 --> 3:58:57.360 is a so store storage people there tends to be 3:58:57.880 --> 3:58:59.960 pretty short. They don't tend to hold people longer than 3:59:00.000 --> 3:59:02.960 a couple of days. But what it's therefore is this 3:59:03.000 --> 3:59:05.200 is this is a confession machine. This is the way 3:59:05.240 --> 3:59:07.880 to force confessions out of people, um by just you know, 3:59:08.000 --> 3:59:12.200 literally disappearing them, uh and denying them access to lawyers 3:59:12.360 --> 3:59:14.440 or literally anyone knowing where they are. And they're just 3:59:14.440 --> 3:59:17.600 holding them until they confess. Uh. And also yesh so 3:59:17.600 --> 3:59:20.640 so at Home and Square, prisoners are routinely shackled for 3:59:20.640 --> 3:59:23.480 for hours, like like tens of hours, sometimes twenty four hours, 3:59:24.080 --> 3:59:27.520 beaten denied phone calls and robbed constantly. This is this 3:59:27.600 --> 3:59:30.800 is another fun sepety tradition is yeah, they'll just take 3:59:30.840 --> 3:59:32.720 you to this black site and then rob you and 3:59:32.760 --> 3:59:34.880 then maybe they'll release you, but you know they've still 3:59:34.920 --> 3:59:39.280 robbed you. And yes, you know they do these beatings, 3:59:39.280 --> 3:59:42.640 and these beatings are incredibly intense, Like you know that 3:59:42.680 --> 3:59:44.920 they're punching people. They're doing like knee strikes and doing 3:59:44.960 --> 3:59:49.040 elbow strikes. You're hitting people with batons. Sometimes they're tassering people. Uh. 3:59:49.080 --> 3:59:51.880 We we have a report that that the cops filed 3:59:51.920 --> 3:59:54.760 of listening listened as a cop being assaulted and the 3:59:54.800 --> 3:59:58.680 thing that they're listening as a non it was like 3:59:58.680 --> 4:00:02.760 like non like fist a salt. Was the guy spat blood? Yeah, 4:00:02.840 --> 4:00:08.280 well and they listened that as an assaults. Yeah, it's great, 4:00:09.160 --> 4:00:11.800 it's yeah. They also do things like they put like 4:00:11.840 --> 4:00:21.680 flex cuffs around people's necks. Torture. Yeah, yeah, they Yeah, 4:00:21.720 --> 4:00:23.720 that's a way for someone to die. But it's almost 4:00:23.720 --> 4:00:25.920 like that's maybe part of the intention is that someone 4:00:25.920 --> 4:00:29.400 will quote accidentally die or we'll get to that. Okay, 4:00:29.560 --> 4:00:32.800 well so not great, Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's it's not 4:00:32.920 --> 4:00:35.760 it's it's bad. There's another guy who Okay, so the 4:00:35.800 --> 4:00:40.280 cops are completely convinced this guy who was completely innocent. Well, okay, 4:00:40.360 --> 4:00:41.960 I do want to say, like I'm gonna say a 4:00:41.960 --> 4:00:43.960 lot of people are innocent because they are. But also like, 4:00:44.080 --> 4:00:47.760 even if you're guilty, you no one deserves this, Like 4:00:47.880 --> 4:00:49.960 maybe the cops doing it deserve it. But even then 4:00:50.200 --> 4:00:54.960 it's I don't even think they do, Like yeah, you don't, yeah, people, yeah, 4:00:55.080 --> 4:00:57.440 like so this guy, you might knock down a statue 4:00:57.520 --> 4:01:00.600 or three, but yeah, like you know, like it's yeah, 4:01:00.640 --> 4:01:04.720 it's it's really grim like yeah. So they hold this 4:01:04.720 --> 4:01:07.840 guy's mouth open with a pen, right, and then they 4:01:07.920 --> 4:01:11.360 keep elbowing him in the stomach until he throws up. Um. 4:01:11.480 --> 4:01:13.160 And so she tries to get medical attention because he 4:01:13.200 --> 4:01:15.120 keeps throwing up because he has asthma, I mean also 4:01:15.200 --> 4:01:18.480 because she just got elbowed in the stomach repe his 4:01:18.560 --> 4:01:22.520 mouth yeah um. And instead of giving him medical treatment 4:01:22.560 --> 4:01:24.800 even though he like easily could have died, the cops 4:01:24.840 --> 4:01:28.720 just beat him up for asking. There's another guy who 4:01:28.760 --> 4:01:31.600 gets uh sexually abused with the barrel of a gun, 4:01:31.960 --> 4:01:34.280 and when he starts screaming, the guard the gun goes 4:01:34.280 --> 4:01:35.800 on a ranch about how he needs to be careful 4:01:35.880 --> 4:01:39.800 or he might accidentally pull the trigger. Oh boy, it's 4:01:39.880 --> 4:01:44.120 it's bad. Um. This this is all within that specific Yeah, 4:01:44.160 --> 4:01:45.600 this is this is this is this is all just 4:01:45.760 --> 4:01:49.680 in homeland square. Um. He claims that like the cell 4:01:49.760 --> 4:01:51.680 he's being held in, he doesn't get any food, doesn't 4:01:51.680 --> 4:01:53.680 get any water. They keep him there for hours and 4:01:53.800 --> 4:01:58.120 the like the cell just smells like blood and like feces, 4:01:58.160 --> 4:02:01.120 because yeah, they don't people go to the bathroom to 4:02:01.280 --> 4:02:06.200 other individuals. Uh. Stephanie Martinez and Calvin Coffy described relieving 4:02:06.240 --> 4:02:10.240 themselves well shackled in a Home and Square and interrogation room. Martinez, 4:02:10.320 --> 4:02:12.080 locked up with two thousand six, was told by a 4:02:12.120 --> 4:02:14.360 guard that she did not have the key to Martinez 4:02:14.400 --> 4:02:16.800 has handcuffs and could not take her to the bathroom. Kofe, 4:02:17.200 --> 4:02:20.040 taken to Home and Square on the sixth of February 4:02:20.040 --> 4:02:24.120 two thou fifteen on suspicion of narcotic activity, defecated on 4:02:24.160 --> 4:02:27.480 the floor after two hours, fruitlessly requesting for the bathroom. 4:02:27.520 --> 4:02:29.920 A police officer made Calvin clean it up with his 4:02:29.960 --> 4:02:36.440 skull cap. The lawsuit alleges it's these people are sick there, 4:02:37.280 --> 4:02:42.840 it's it's yeah, yeah, yeah, they hate that. It's like yeah, 4:02:43.520 --> 4:02:46.440 and you know, things that they're holding children in here, 4:02:46.440 --> 4:02:48.320 like they have people as young as fifteen who are 4:02:48.320 --> 4:02:51.680 being literally they never everything about this is that when 4:02:51.720 --> 4:02:54.520 so sometimes sometimes you get sort of like arrested normally, 4:02:54.560 --> 4:02:58.280 although again I should mention that the Constitution does not 4:02:58.360 --> 4:03:01.240 exist like it's it's a it's a lie. No one 4:03:01.280 --> 4:03:03.440 ever gets sucking read the miranda rights. It doesn't matter 4:03:03.600 --> 4:03:08.120 because the constitution doesn't exist if you're poor. Yeah, it 4:03:08.200 --> 4:03:10.840 sort of exists if you're not, but I will guarantee 4:03:10.840 --> 4:03:12.720 you they're reading their miranda rights to people who look 4:03:12.760 --> 4:03:14.880 like they got yeah yeah, yeah, no, these people there's 4:03:14.880 --> 4:03:16.640 actually a story of these two point rieking guys who 4:03:16.720 --> 4:03:19.440 got brought in and they like the cops are like 4:03:19.440 --> 4:03:20.760 trying to get them, give us something, and they just 4:03:20.800 --> 4:03:23.200 like they start name dropping like civil rights lawyers, and 4:03:23.240 --> 4:03:26.000 the cops are like, okay, okay, uh, we're good. We'll 4:03:26.040 --> 4:03:27.880 we'll we'll drive you back. If you don't talk, we'll 4:03:27.880 --> 4:03:29.880 we'll drive we'll drive you back to like where you 4:03:29.920 --> 4:03:34.240 came from. Yeah, it's yeah, it's it's extremely grim. Yeah, 4:03:34.280 --> 4:03:36.800 they just want to funk with people who can't defend themselves. Yeah, yeah, 4:03:36.880 --> 4:03:38.120 and you know, and the way they do this right, 4:03:38.160 --> 4:03:41.720 Like they they do these raids where like everyone's they're 4:03:41.720 --> 4:03:44.200 they're they're they're not wearing badges. Everyone's just like wearing 4:03:44.240 --> 4:03:47.800 matt like like black armor and like black masks. And 4:03:47.800 --> 4:03:49.560 so people describe getting like dragged out of their house 4:03:49.600 --> 4:03:51.160 and they don't know if they're getting robbed or like 4:03:51.200 --> 4:03:53.360 if they're being kidnapped. And then they are being kidnapped 4:03:53.400 --> 4:03:55.720 by just being kidnapped like by the cops, and they 4:03:55.720 --> 4:03:57.920 get dragged and then again they're they're dragging like fifteen 4:03:57.960 --> 4:04:01.760 year olds into the into this thing. I there, there's 4:04:01.840 --> 4:04:06.600 one guy who gets found unresponsive in an interrogation room. Um, 4:04:06.640 --> 4:04:09.240 now the police say that they died from heroin overdose. 4:04:09.440 --> 4:04:15.840 But this makes literally no sense. So the first reason 4:04:15.880 --> 4:04:17.400 why it doesn't make any sense is that the cops 4:04:17.400 --> 4:04:19.720 initially lie about where he about where he like had 4:04:19.760 --> 4:04:21.560 the overdose and died because they don't want to reveal 4:04:21.640 --> 4:04:24.600 that he, uh you know, was in their secret black site, 4:04:24.600 --> 4:04:26.080 so they like lied and that he was another he 4:04:26.120 --> 4:04:30.840 was at another site. Now the other thing you know 4:04:30.880 --> 4:04:33.680 that that contradicts the claimed that this guy was had 4:04:33.680 --> 4:04:35.920 a heroin overdose. Is that the hospital when he when 4:04:35.920 --> 4:04:37.960 when the hospital saw him, they wrote that he was sober. 4:04:39.320 --> 4:04:41.280 So I mean he could have he could have had 4:04:41.280 --> 4:04:44.120 a heroin overdose in terms of the cops injecting full 4:04:44.160 --> 4:04:47.480 of yeah, like yeah, that's the most likely thing. Like 4:04:47.920 --> 4:04:49.760 there's nothing part of this. So so this guy was 4:04:49.800 --> 4:04:53.640 selling cocaine right, um, but again he's selling cocaine, not heroin. 4:04:53.920 --> 4:04:56.920 And the other and you know, his his partner, like 4:04:57.320 --> 4:04:59.040 there was another guy he was he was selling cocaine 4:04:59.120 --> 4:05:02.240 with like his partner, when everyone who knew him was 4:05:02.240 --> 4:05:04.480 completely insistant that you know he does he doesn't do drugs, right, 4:05:04.520 --> 4:05:07.160 he sells them because you know, do you sell drugs? 4:05:07.600 --> 4:05:10.480 But yeah, and and the cops and you know there 4:05:10.520 --> 4:05:12.080 are things that the cops do. The comp thing where 4:05:12.080 --> 4:05:14.560 they they changed their story twice. So originally they said 4:05:14.600 --> 4:05:18.880 that he like committed suicide by heroin overdosing, and then 4:05:19.080 --> 4:05:22.160 they changed their story too. He died by accidents. Um. 4:05:22.360 --> 4:05:26.000 The The other thing that that indicates that he probably 4:05:26.040 --> 4:05:28.080 did not in fact die from heroin overdose is that 4:05:28.120 --> 4:05:30.600 there's bruises all over his face. He has a busted lip, 4:05:30.960 --> 4:05:32.960 his neck is super red, and none of that shows 4:05:33.040 --> 4:05:36.560 up in the in the police autopsy. And yeah, yeah, 4:05:36.560 --> 4:05:39.640 and this all reads just like a standard Burge error interrogation, 4:05:39.720 --> 4:05:41.120 so that like they beat him, they put a bag 4:05:41.160 --> 4:05:43.000 over said to suffocate him, and then you plant heroin 4:05:43.120 --> 4:05:46.880 on him and you know, you you call him Yeah, 4:05:45.320 --> 4:05:48.880 that's the day's work. Yeah yeah, and you know, and 4:05:48.960 --> 4:05:50.960 there's there's another thing that that that I should mention 4:05:51.040 --> 4:05:54.000 here about the story, which is that, Okay, so this 4:05:54.000 --> 4:05:57.360 guy is in a Chicago Police Department black site, right, 4:05:59.000 --> 4:06:02.000 how did he get hair a win in? Like everyone 4:06:02.040 --> 4:06:04.440 in his black side is literally shackled to a wall, 4:06:05.240 --> 4:06:07.280 Like there's no the old the old place the hare 4:06:07.320 --> 4:06:09.480 we could possibly have come from is the cops. So 4:06:09.520 --> 4:06:12.760 it's like, you know, and independent autopsy says he dies 4:06:12.760 --> 4:06:17.720 of asphyxiation. Uh so yeah, I'm gonna read something from 4:06:17.720 --> 4:06:22.720 the Guardian about the guy who uh, the guy's partner 4:06:22.720 --> 4:06:25.320 who was in the next cell over. The other partner 4:06:25.360 --> 4:06:27.960 who requested to be cited as John Doewell. He rebuilds 4:06:27.960 --> 4:06:30.640 his life post conviction, was in a Home and Square 4:06:30.680 --> 4:06:34.520 interrogation room near Galvin's while Dobe was unable to see inside. 4:06:34.600 --> 4:06:37.280 He told The Guardian he heard a lot of commotion, 4:06:37.400 --> 4:06:40.120 then booming and banging, and then a gagging sound coming 4:06:40.160 --> 4:06:44.720 from his friend's cell. His partner. Yeah, so this this guy, 4:06:45.320 --> 4:06:48.080 uh like his partner, like he's that guy's also like 4:06:48.160 --> 4:06:51.360 chained to a wall for like twelve hours. Um here 4:06:51.480 --> 4:06:53.680 here's he he's both them today. I heard a holler, 4:06:53.760 --> 4:06:55.880 I heard officers talking to him. After that, I just 4:06:55.880 --> 4:06:58.800 heard a lot of commotion like boom boom boom boom 4:06:58.800 --> 4:07:01.760 and banging boom boom, boom, boom boom, And then I 4:07:01.760 --> 4:07:04.440 didn't hear nothing after that. My door was kind of 4:07:04.440 --> 4:07:06.520 cracked and then they shut it. After that, they shut 4:07:06.520 --> 4:07:09.480 my door all the way. Before the police shut the 4:07:09.480 --> 4:07:11.760 door dozed, I heard a gagging sound like he makes 4:07:11.760 --> 4:07:14.640 a choking noise, like choking, like somebody was choking after 4:07:14.640 --> 4:07:18.880 the commotion, like choking. I yeah, oh yeah, it's it's 4:07:19.000 --> 4:07:22.160 very it's very obvious from the get go. Yeah. Yeah, 4:07:22.160 --> 4:07:25.800 like they tortured this guy to death and yeah, it's yeah. 4:07:25.840 --> 4:07:27.760 And and the other fun part about Homeo squares Homeles 4:07:27.800 --> 4:07:30.600 square is also used to torture political prisoners. All right, 4:07:31.320 --> 4:07:34.640 So Brian Brian Jacob Church is a member of the 4:07:34.680 --> 4:07:36.880 NATO three, which is a group of anti NATO protesters 4:07:36.920 --> 4:07:39.760 and twelve who got set up by an incredibly elaborate 4:07:39.800 --> 4:07:42.800 government entrapment scheme and arrested for it. Um and he 4:07:42.840 --> 4:07:45.120 was taken immediately to Homemod Square. He's never read his 4:07:45.200 --> 4:07:47.880 branda rights, He's cuffed to a bench for seventeen hours 4:07:48.480 --> 4:07:50.840 um and he he asked to call his lawyer because 4:07:50.920 --> 4:07:52.720 like a good leftist, he has the National Lawyers Fuield 4:07:52.760 --> 4:07:56.000 number written on his arm. And you know, this is 4:07:56.160 --> 4:07:59.120 something that's important. So the Guardian talked to like dozens 4:07:59.160 --> 4:08:02.920 of people who were held year right, um. Exactly two 4:08:02.960 --> 4:08:04.600 of them were able to contact a lawyer and they 4:08:04.600 --> 4:08:06.760 were both white and Church Church is one of them. 4:08:06.800 --> 4:08:10.240 And this is actually how uh part of how Home 4:08:10.240 --> 4:08:12.720 and Score goes public because Brian Jacob Church like talks 4:08:12.720 --> 4:08:15.560 to the press about it and Spencer Ackerman it's a 4:08:15.720 --> 4:08:18.120 great journalist, does a bunch of incredible reporting and like 4:08:18.240 --> 4:08:21.720 brings the black site to light. And so there's there's 4:08:21.760 --> 4:08:24.400 seven thousand, one and eighty five people we can prove 4:08:24.960 --> 4:08:27.720 we're taken to Home and Square. Uh, six thousand of 4:08:27.720 --> 4:08:30.040 those people are black. Less than one per cent of 4:08:30.080 --> 4:08:32.600 those people had their rest logged, which means the cops 4:08:32.600 --> 4:08:37.080 just vanished them. Uh, it's almost certainly more people. Now, 4:08:37.960 --> 4:08:40.440 I'm going to read something about this from from the 4:08:40.440 --> 4:08:43.720 book Writings from the World of Policing. This Home and 4:08:43.760 --> 4:08:46.520 Score revelation seems to me to be an institutionalization of 4:08:46.520 --> 4:08:49.960 practices that date back more than forty years, said Flint Taylor, 4:08:50.000 --> 4:08:52.600 the civil rights lawyer and most associated with pursuing Area 4:08:52.680 --> 4:08:56.400 to Commander John Burge. Back when I first started working 4:08:56.440 --> 4:08:59.160 on torture cases started representing criminal defense in the early 4:08:59.280 --> 4:09:03.360 nineteen seventies, Taylor continued, My clients often told me they've 4:09:03.400 --> 4:09:05.520 been taken from one police station to another before ending 4:09:05.600 --> 4:09:07.880 up an area to where they were tortured. That way, 4:09:07.920 --> 4:09:10.240 the police prevent their families and lawyers from seeing them 4:09:10.320 --> 4:09:12.800 until they could coerci the torture or other means confession 4:09:12.840 --> 4:09:16.920 from them. So, yeah, that that's our fucking police reform. 4:09:17.240 --> 4:09:19.320 Instead of having a instead of taking the police station 4:09:19.360 --> 4:09:21.120 to police station, the police have now been reformed so 4:09:21.160 --> 4:09:24.640 that they have one institutionalized black site instead of multiple ones. 4:09:25.320 --> 4:09:27.680 Home and Square is still open to this day that 4:09:27.720 --> 4:09:30.840 this came out. There have been like over half a 4:09:30.880 --> 4:09:36.400 decade of protest against it um. So supposedly the rules 4:09:36.400 --> 4:09:37.960 have changed and if you get a rested they have 4:09:37.960 --> 4:09:40.880 to put you in the system. But square is still open. 4:09:40.960 --> 4:09:44.480 There's probably another one like somewhere that they've just they've 4:09:44.520 --> 4:09:46.680 they've they've they've switched which side they're doing their black 4:09:46.720 --> 4:09:54.760 sites on, and yeah, well, yeah, I have I have 4:09:54.800 --> 4:09:58.720 a have a closing statement. It is it is an 4:09:58.720 --> 4:10:01.920 inhuman crime that a single one of these fucking demons 4:10:01.960 --> 4:10:03.720 is allowed to roam our streets with the badge and 4:10:03.760 --> 4:10:05.720 the authority to rape, torture and murder us, and the 4:10:05.720 --> 4:10:07.480 certainty that the system will beat us into a pulp 4:10:07.520 --> 4:10:10.440 if we attempt, even in the smallest way both symbolic 4:10:10.440 --> 4:10:13.960 way possible, to resist them. The police must be abolished. 4:10:14.000 --> 4:10:16.280 There is no alternative. For the sake of our survival, 4:10:16.320 --> 4:10:18.080 for the survival of children, and for the sake of 4:10:18.120 --> 4:10:20.440 every generation that is bore its horrors before us. We 4:10:20.480 --> 4:10:22.800 could only abolish the police, salt the earth upon which 4:10:22.800 --> 4:10:24.880 it stands, and drive the very concept of policing into 4:10:24.880 --> 4:10:27.120 a space of such infamy and terror that even the 4:10:27.120 --> 4:10:29.200 worst among us would not dare to even propose bringing 4:10:29.240 --> 4:10:33.000 it back. Also, get rid of that last statue, Yeah, 4:10:33.040 --> 4:10:36.760 that one destroyed. Let's knock that one out of there too. Yeah. 4:10:37.320 --> 4:10:39.400 I mean, I feel like everyone who's ever been to 4:10:39.480 --> 4:10:44.280 that site has should have the the the like universal 4:10:44.400 --> 4:10:48.040 right to take a hammer and maybe you know, maybe 4:10:48.080 --> 4:10:51.200 maybe an RPG and just like do whatever they want 4:10:51.320 --> 4:10:55.200 to that building. Yeah. I think the men who continued 4:10:55.280 --> 4:10:58.400 to like in women who continued to work in CPD, 4:10:59.040 --> 4:11:02.640 like anyone who was ever arrested by them or or 4:11:02.640 --> 4:11:05.560 otherwise brutalize them should just forever have the right to 4:11:05.680 --> 4:11:08.400 just give him like a solid shot to the balls, 4:11:08.640 --> 4:11:11.520 you know, like just just like they get to wear 4:11:11.560 --> 4:11:13.080 a little sign around their neck and it's like, oh 4:11:13.160 --> 4:11:15.280 that guy used to that guy was you know, it 4:11:15.400 --> 4:11:18.000 was one of Burgess dudes. So anybody who sees them 4:11:18.120 --> 4:11:20.800 can just give him, give him a little haymaker right 4:11:20.800 --> 4:11:23.840 in the right in the bread basket. That is a proposal, 4:11:23.920 --> 4:11:27.960 that is I'm running from the mayor of Chicago. I mean, 4:11:28.040 --> 4:11:31.160 i I'd look, our bears all suck, So you know, 4:11:31.480 --> 4:11:33.520 move move over here, and we we we we can 4:11:33.560 --> 4:11:37.640 propose a solution to this problem. That is so unbelievably 4:11:37.720 --> 4:11:40.400 not proportionately violence to what the police have been doing. 4:11:41.120 --> 4:11:44.760 That it boggles belief. And I'm pretty sure I can 4:11:44.760 --> 4:11:48.440 still manage to be corrupt. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's Chicago. 4:11:48.600 --> 4:11:51.720 You can't not. I mean, I guess. I mean life 4:11:51.760 --> 4:11:54.360 was sort of corrupt. Life's less corrupt than normal. She's 4:11:54.440 --> 4:12:00.320 just bad. But yeah, it's Chicago. You'll you'll find corrupt, 4:12:00.360 --> 4:12:07.520 corruption will be foisted upon you. I'm actually fine with that. Well, 4:12:10.400 --> 4:12:15.600 another another uplifting episode, if it could happen. Yeah, I 4:12:15.640 --> 4:12:20.040 will say this like Garrison named it last yet earlier today, Hi, 4:12:20.320 --> 4:12:23.400 here's a problem by you know, and I will say 4:12:23.640 --> 4:12:26.320 any any time, any time someone tells you that like, no, 4:12:26.440 --> 4:12:28.560 it's fine, we're going to reform the police, just like 4:12:28.640 --> 4:12:31.480 remind them that reforming the Chicago Police Department went was 4:12:31.560 --> 4:12:33.880 that the reform was that we don't have black sites. 4:12:34.200 --> 4:12:38.640 We now have. We now have consolidated the black We 4:12:38.720 --> 4:12:40.920 went from multiple black sites to one black site. And 4:12:40.960 --> 4:12:44.560 also they probably moved it again. Just you just have 4:12:44.680 --> 4:12:51.560 to get rid of that is the essence of police report. Anyway, Yep, 4:12:51.760 --> 4:13:07.240 there's a problem. Okay, bye bye, Hey, We'll be back 4:13:07.320 --> 4:13:10.520 Monday with more episodes every week from now until the 4:13:10.520 --> 4:13:13.040 heat death of the universe. It Could Happen Here is 4:13:13.040 --> 4:13:15.760 a production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from 4:13:15.760 --> 4:13:18.480 cool Zone Media, visit our website cool zone media dot 4:13:18.520 --> 4:13:20.600 com or check us out on the I Heart Radio app, 4:13:20.600 --> 4:13:23.960 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 4:13:24.000 --> 4:13:26.680 find sources for It Could Happen Here, updated monthly at 4:13:26.720 --> 4:13:29.960 cool zone media dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening, 4:13:30.520 --> 4:13:33.960 you're there. I'm Scott Rank, host of the podcast History Unplugged. Now. 4:13:33.960 --> 4:13:35.880 It really is a dream come true to get paid 4:13:35.920 --> 4:13:38.480 to talk about history without all the stress, while still 4:13:38.480 --> 4:13:40.320 being able to make a living, and I did it 4:13:40.360 --> 4:13:43.000 with Spreaker from my heart. Not only did they make 4:13:43.040 --> 4:13:45.960 it super easy to monetize my podcast, but at revenue 4:13:46.040 --> 4:13:48.200 is three to four times higher with Spreaker than with 4:13:48.280 --> 4:13:50.480 any other host I've worked with. So if you want 4:13:50.480 --> 4:13:52.280 to turn your passion into a podcast and give this 4:13:52.360 --> 4:13:56.280 a try, visit spreaker dot com. That's sp r e 4:13:56.480 --> 4:13:59.280 a k e er dot com. Get paid to talk 4:13:59.320 --> 4:14:03.040 about the things you love. Conquer your New Year's resolutions 4:14:03.040 --> 4:14:06.080 with the Before Breakfast podcast, and each bite sized daily 4:14:06.080 --> 4:14:08.120 episode you'll learn how to make the most of your 4:14:08.120 --> 4:14:10.680 time with practical tools to help you feel less busy 4:14:10.760 --> 4:14:13.200 and get more done. Listen to Before Breakfast on the 4:14:13.200 --> 4:14:15.920 I Heart Radio app four wherever you get your podcasts. 4:14:17.160 --> 4:14:20.000 I'm Colleen with Join me the host of Eating Wall 4:14:20.080 --> 4:14:23.040 Broke podcast while I eat a meal created by self 4:14:23.080 --> 4:14:27.040 made entrepreneurs, influencers, and celebrities over a meal they once 4:14:27.200 --> 4:14:29.280 ate when they were broke. Today I have the lovely 4:14:29.320 --> 4:14:34.840 aj Crimson, the official Princess of Compton, Asia Kidding and Asia. 4:14:34.920 --> 4:14:37.480 This is the professor. We're here on Eating While Broke 4:14:37.520 --> 4:14:40.240 and today I'm gonna break down my meal that got 4:14:40.240 --> 4:14:42.720 me through a time when I was broken. Listen to 4:14:42.800 --> 4:14:45.280 Eating Wall Broke on the I Heart Radio app, on 4:14:45.400 --> 4:14:47.960 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.