1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, my name is Noel. They called 6 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: me Ben. We're joined as always with our super producer 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: Paul Mission controlled decond. Most importantly, you are you. You 8 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: are here, and that makes this the stuff they don't 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: want you to know. It's sadly not a secret, folks. 10 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: The nations of planet Earth conspire against and with each 11 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: other all the time. You can't be fooled by those 12 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: pr spots, the feel good handshakes, the public announcements. I 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: get these vassoline smiles on for the camera. You have 14 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: to know, if you're a longtime listener to this show, 15 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: pretty much every country on the planet is trying, in 16 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: one way or another to get over on each other, 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: to get some leverage to further their own goals. Matt, 18 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: you know we we talked about this a lot in 19 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: the past. Uh, these nations don't really have friends. There 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: are no friends in geopolitics, their interests, but for a 21 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: number of for a number of months, even going into 22 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 1: last year, we have all been keeping on our eye 23 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: on something strange. You see, all these world leaders, they 24 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: have some loose rules about what can and can't be 25 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: done in this great game of frenemies. So yeah, that's 26 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: what they are question. Yeah, so today's question is why 27 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: are so many nations right now accusing one nation in particular, China, 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: of areaking these rules? What is going on with these 29 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: alleged secret police stations. Here are the facts? Uh, China 30 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: is basically saying this is sort of a franchise of 31 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: an embassy. Right that's that's yeah, okay, seems legit. Moving on, Well, 32 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: let's let's talk about what an embassy is. What is 33 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: an embassy. It's like a thing that exists on foreign soil, 34 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: but for all intents and purposes, is in that country. Right. Yeah, 35 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: well slice a home, you know what I mean. It's 36 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: an official presence that's acknowledged by everyone involved. Yes, and 37 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: that's the big part that sweet Dogo, no man Dogo 38 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: given the thumbs up to this description of what an 39 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: embassy is. Yeah, Matt is recording from the Meadow embassy. Right. So, so, yeah, 40 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: if you are an average citizen, you're not attached to 41 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: CONGLOMCO or another countries official powers. You would qualify as 42 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: a tourist, right or maybe someone making a living in 43 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: a place, but you retain your citizenship in your home country. 44 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: So if you're like, if we're all planning a trip, 45 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: you listening along and us the crew here, our first 46 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: step in planning that trip abroad is to figure out 47 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: whether or not there is an embassy that speaks for 48 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: our home country. Well that I think that's maybe your 49 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: first step in I don't think that's a lot of 50 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: people's first though. It wouldn't be mine, but it probably 51 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: should be as well. What what matter? You? Just are 52 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: you waking up on the plane landing and going, oh, 53 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: hope my passports somewhere? Where are we live on the edge? Well, 54 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: I just I think, yes, okay, yeah, maybe you're right. No, No, 55 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: I get you. I've I've been in I've been in 56 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: situations before and I'm not proud of it. Where I 57 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: woke up the plane was not landing where I thought, 58 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: uh that was that was fine, We're here, we're doing 59 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: a show. But uh, you know, if you are a 60 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: person who lives in a country like a lot of 61 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: European countries or the UK or the US. Uh, those 62 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: countries have a history of colonialism, which means that they 63 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: will tend to have many embassies all over the planet. Right, 64 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: so why can't other countries have the same embassies. Embassies 65 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: take care of paperwork, right that. We can talk a 66 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: little bit more about that in just a second. The 67 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: next thing you need to know is that embassies have 68 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: these um kind of franchise branches. Like if you have 69 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: ever if you've ever been in an airport, or you've 70 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: been in a really densely packed area, whether that's a 71 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: mall or something like that, you've probably seen an express 72 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: version of a restaurant. Right. You've seen like T G 73 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: I F Express. You've seen like, uh, a Chick fil 74 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: A with no seating, something like this express. Just so, yeah, 75 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: Apples Express, Paul's favorite. Yes. Yes, By the way, our 76 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: good friend Paul Mission controlled decond is privileged to live 77 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: next to one of the world's largest Applebee's or near 78 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: it in the same city. Right. So yeah. So, look, 79 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: embassies are the big ones. Consulates are sort of think 80 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: of them as the airport branches, and they're all supposed 81 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: to do the same thing. Right, What does an embassy 82 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: do for you if it's from your country, well, it 83 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: gives you a safe haven, like if you get in 84 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: a jam, you know, in another country again, like lose 85 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:50,239 Speaker 1: your passport or worse. You know, you theoretically are able 86 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: to seek refuge and a friendly uh face you know 87 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: at the embassy. Well, a lot of it is what 88 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: is my status within this foreign land? Find a member 89 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: of this embassy's country, right, so that embassy is gonna 90 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: help me literally what you said at the top, bind 91 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: the paperwork the or nowadays the online portal or whatever 92 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 1: you know, whatever app that is used to update your 93 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: information to make sure all of it's correct. And so 94 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: it's going through the official channels from you to the 95 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: embassy to the foreign land of the Urine. Yeah, and 96 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: and a lot of that paperwork is already byzantine, right. Uh. 97 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: Embassies do larger stuff. Of course, they collaborate through their 98 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: ambassadorial staff to make win wins for both countries. Right. 99 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: You know, wouldn't this government be a little bit better 100 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: if they were uh more open to the overtures of 101 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: insert US based corporation here, or if we you know, 102 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: released a couple of prisoners, maybe just two one on 103 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: your side, one on our side. Oh, I don't know, 104 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: I'll do a swap and that'll be you know, a 105 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: quid pro quo claries. But also sometimes, you know, these 106 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: things become news events, they become leverage on either side, 107 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: especially if you're in a conflict where you know, let's 108 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: say our country isn't speaking particularly highly of another country's 109 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: position in said conflict, then these things can become kind 110 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: of pissing matches. Let me let me give a pro tip, 111 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: which I am comfortable saying on air here. Uh, especially 112 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: during the height of news reporting on the war and terror, 113 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: war on terror. Excuse me, it's interesting to go back 114 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: through the news and see reports of prison escapes in 115 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: places like Pakistan. I I don't want to say too much, 116 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: but I am pretty sure that some of those things 117 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: portrayed as escapes were just horse trading. It's it's kind 118 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: of difficult to get out of a prison, but it's 119 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: easy to avoid blowback by saying, oh, whoops, all escapes. Anyway, 120 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: if you're the average citizen of a place and you're 121 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: traveling abroad, hopefully you don't have to worry about that. 122 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: They're helping you with paperwork. Let's say you're a long 123 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: term resident of another country, but you still have a 124 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: lot of family in your home country, right and you 125 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: need to take care of family stuff. Your aunt is 126 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: not doing the best. You need to help her with 127 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: getting some of her paperwork done. You need to make 128 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: sure you've got your equivalent of a green card or 129 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: whatever valid residency is. Uh. And you may not speak 130 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: the language of the foreign country very well. The embassy 131 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: helps you out. That's what they're there to do. And 132 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: there's a laundry list of all the things that they 133 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: will help with. Some of them are unpleasant, like, uh, 134 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: you know, death reports for people who pass away abroad, etcetera, etcetera. Uh, 135 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: the day to day stuff, notary like notaries, getting documents notarized, 136 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff. And before it becomes a snooze fest, 137 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: I want to go back to what you said, Noel. 138 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: They're supposed to be there for citizens during a crisis 139 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: in the United States. There's a huge misconception that a 140 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: lot of people have, and part of it's due to 141 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: Hollywood just trying to make the US the hero all 142 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: the time. A US embassy is supposed to help you 143 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: during like an emergency evacuation due to a war, a conflict, 144 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: even a natural disaster. But the U. S. State Department 145 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: and and here us closely here, folks, the U. S. 146 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: State Department's assistance does not include very important things like 147 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: one paying for your home flight or two helping you 148 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: get to the embassy in the first place. Be very 149 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: aware of that because it's caught a lot of people short. 150 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: In the last and final way, you're kind of on 151 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 1: your own, you know, on either side of that visit 152 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: to the embassy, right, Like, there's only so much they 153 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: can do to help get you out of harm's way. 154 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: You really have to kind of be there, and maybe 155 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: they're extenuating circumstances where you know, they will go out 156 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: of their way to provide you some sort of extra 157 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 1: service like transportation. But you've got to be a pretty 158 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: high level individual to qualify for that kind of treatment, right, 159 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: wouldn't you say, Ben Well, I would say, I guess 160 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: it depends on the crisis, because there are a lot 161 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: of great folks working at the State Department in the 162 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: US at least, and they're not they're not trying to 163 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 1: get over on folks. They're not trying to swindle U. 164 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 1: S nationals abroad or anything like that. They just find 165 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:55,079 Speaker 1: themselves sometimes limited. Right, sometimes uh, you want a solution 166 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: that you cannot offer. But you can say that about 167 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: all embassies because all countries outside of North Sentinel Island, 168 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: which is technically part of India, all countries want to 169 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: be able to provide that to your citizens, Right, That's 170 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: that's part of it. Your tax dollars at work. Then 171 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 1: I think one really important of that of like want 172 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: the want to help citizens when they're abroad. Right, this 173 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: concept at least maybe that I have and you can 174 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: correct me or if I'm wrong, but that the embassy 175 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: would help out. Let's say a citizen of the US 176 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: who is in uh, Uruguay or something like that. If 177 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,679 Speaker 1: that citizen gets arrested in Uruguay, uh, the embassy would 178 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: probably attempt to provide assistance or would be able to 179 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: provide assistance to that citizen who's now locked up in 180 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: a different country, in a foreign land. Isn't that true? 181 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: Hopefully at least get a meeting, you know it. Really 182 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: it really depends on the reason for the arrest, which 183 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 1: goes back to you know, grinder things like that and 184 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,839 Speaker 1: the quick pro quo you know, traded the lord of war. 185 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: Uh for for for this person who was unfairly detained 186 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: and turned into a political pond. Uh. Yeah, you're nailing 187 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: it man. The embassies are controversial when the host country thinks, hey, 188 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: these jerks are doing illegal stuff on the sly spoiler, 189 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: they always suspect each other, even the like, even the 190 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: French embassy in the U S and the U S 191 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: Embassy in France, they're giving each other a little bit 192 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: aside I you know, and going, oh, is that an 193 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: Apple phone? Tight? So? Uh Like, this is where things 194 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: get sticky if you're suspected of running spy operations very frequent, honestly, 195 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: those accusations or coordinating illegal activities nowadays industrial or private 196 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: corporations apotage espionage, stealing secrets that way, that's one of 197 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: the big focuses. Or harboring criminals, right like from the 198 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: perspective of the US. Uh, Julian Assange was a known criminal, 199 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: right harbored by an embassy of a country in a 200 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: third country. So you see how you can use you 201 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: can weaponize bureaucracy here. But anyway, the point of this 202 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 1: episode is you need to know that about embassies. Embassies 203 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 1: are legal activities of some people in embassies can be 204 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: super sus very suspicious and suspect. But over the past 205 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: few years, rumors have been building that one country in 206 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: particular has crossed the line. Multiple nations across the world, 207 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: as we talked about in our previous Strange News segment, 208 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: have alleged that China, under the guise of helping their 209 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: citizens do paperwork, have been conspiring to threaten, harass, and 210 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: even possibly abduct people back to the homeland of China. 211 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: And I suggest here is where we take a brief 212 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: pause before we do let's all check in. Does that 213 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: sound crazy? What would you do if you were Oh 214 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: my god, what would you do if like we were 215 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: all in? Um, let's say we're all in. Where can 216 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: all three of us get into We're all in like 217 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: Thailand or something? Right? And and then the US embassy 218 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: in Thailand starts sending us, you know, messages about our 219 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: family in the US, or they just show up at 220 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: the hotel, or they show up at the hotel with 221 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: a picture of your house. I mean, let's let's let's 222 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: not men's words here. Though It's not like we don't 223 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: do that to to individuals, you know, the disappeared ones 224 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: It's all about the rationale. You know, if we think 225 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: they're quote unquote terrorists or or they're like problematic in 226 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: a certain way, all this diplomacy goes out the window. 227 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: I'm glad you said that. No, I was saving that 228 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: for the end as the idea of you know, glasshouse 229 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: versus glass planet. But we do have to be aware 230 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: that many of these entity you're going to hear about 231 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: a lot of problems, a lot of accusations today, folks, 232 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: But you need to remember that Uncle Sam. We say 233 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: this as people who live in the United States, Uncle 234 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: Sam is a hundred percent capable of doing very similar things. 235 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: The question today, what's going on with the so called 236 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: Chinese blee stations abroad? So let's pause for word from 237 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: our sponsors. Here's where it gets crazy. Well, I have 238 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: it in the notes. Is partially true, but I'm just 239 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: gonna say it. These accusations are true. The conspiracy is real. 240 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: The conspiracy is about the vocabulary, if you will, yes, yeah, No, 241 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: you're right, Matt. Why is the why is the conspiracy 242 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: about the language? Here? Well, the government of China's takes 243 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: very um, very much offense about using the term police 244 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: stations to describe these actual things, these buildings with staff, 245 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: like how describing them as police stations. They're like, no, no, no, no, 246 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: that is not what these things are. M. Yeah, they're 247 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: overseas service stations, right, very similar to perhaps a consulate. Yeah, 248 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: you can't make the you can't make the physical journey 249 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: to a consulate where you have to do some in 250 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: person stuff like maybe renew driver's license for when you 251 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: get back to your home country. They're here to help 252 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: the way of the open hand, you see. But but 253 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: what what are these overseas service stations? Why did they 254 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: become a thing. Why is literally every government outside of 255 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: Southeast Asia calling them police stations? And why? And and 256 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: what does it mean? What's it all? I mean, where 257 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 1: did they come from? Uh? Well, it goes back to 258 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: and that's when these stations started popping up in several places. 259 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: I think it was thirty nine, no, forty five countries 260 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: where it first started. Centers in thirty nine countries called 261 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: a pilot program. They said, yeah, that's that's what was 262 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: opened by There's a lot of work that went in 263 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,719 Speaker 1: before h we have We've got to tell you a 264 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: little bit about something called uh United Front organizations. So 265 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: these sens were formed from pre existing things. They didn't 266 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: come from a vacuum. United Front organization is a loose term. 267 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,880 Speaker 1: It's a Western term, uh that describes what is seen 268 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: as a political strategy from the Chinese Communist Party or 269 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: c c P. And the idea is, if we the party, 270 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: the controlling party of the government of China, if we 271 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: already have a network that we like, right we have 272 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: we have some Chinese nationals who are not shin Yan 273 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: in town, then uh, you know we will we will 274 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: maintain contact with them and we'll say, hey, why don't 275 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: you help your fellow nationals. That's how it starts. Open hand. 276 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: You can volunteer one of our stations that we've built, 277 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: right if we don't have employees, we will say later 278 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: as the Foreign ministry. But they said these things do 279 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: not have policing authority, by which they mean not to 280 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: get into the weeds too deep, but by which they 281 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: mean they these centers, these service stations are kind of 282 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 1: like a glorified d m V or d d S right, 283 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: Department of Drivers Services, Department of Motor Vehicles. They are 284 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: just there to help you with the mountains of paperwork 285 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: that occur. If you are a Chinese national living in 286 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: a different country. But this guy, this analyst Matt Schrader, 287 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: he said these places are dangerous. He said, there's a 288 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: lack of transparency about how close there may or may 289 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: not be to the actual Chinese government. Are Is this 290 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: a bunch of folks volunteering their free time to say, hey, 291 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: let me help you make sure your parents hokkul license 292 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 1: is still gitimate. Who who uh pardon losing my uh 293 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: Mandarin here, But basically what that is is in that government, 294 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: in that regime, you have to have a license to 295 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: live in certain places and to move certain places, which 296 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: has got to sound crazy to anybody in the United States, 297 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: but that's the lay of the land. So the ideas 298 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: they're helping you with all this paperwork, but they're not 299 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: being transparent. Are they really volunteers or are they fingers 300 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 1: on the hand? Are they sent from are they sent 301 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: from some other powerful entity with some other purpose? And uh, 302 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: this is where I think we mentioned safeguard defenders who 303 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,719 Speaker 1: have been doing some excellent work. We mentioned them on 304 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: our previous Strange News segment. Matt can like you you 305 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 1: were talking about this, you brought up this story previously 306 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: Safeguard Defenders. What is it and just like a couple 307 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: of couple of sevences. Sure, it's a non governmental organization 308 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: or an n g O as we've talked about before, 309 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: like FIAH. Yeah, well not quite like FIVA, but yeah. 310 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: They specialize in training attorneys abroad, especially in China, to 311 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: really look at some of the violations or human rights 312 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: violations that have been alleged and being able to tackle 313 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: individual cases as well as like large issues. And one 314 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: of the things like as a part of those efforts, 315 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: one of the things they do is they they released 316 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: documents or large amounts of analysis of documentation, and they 317 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: published something very recently in September of two titled one 318 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: ten zero Overseas Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild, which doesn't 319 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: sound like an official like release, does it. I think 320 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 1: it's because of the huge of god Wild. Remember all 321 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:11,399 Speaker 1: the Gone Wild videos? Yeah, no, I don't. Don't you 322 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: have had a VHS wild, you know girls Gone Wild? Wherever? 323 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: Spring Break at this it was. I just remember Comedy 324 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: Central late night ad programming, and it's usually that's about 325 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 1: something even naught here and you may be asking yourself, Okay, 326 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: something's gone wild. It's transnational policing by China. What is 327 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: this one ten overseas thing? Well, that refers to China's 328 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 1: emergency police number one ten. So that's like our nine 329 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 1: one one, right at least in the U S. If 330 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: you're if you're living here, that's the number of people 331 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 1: give out. Forget what it is in Britain, but I 332 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: hear him. That's it. That's it, which makes more sense 333 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: because you just keep your finger or you're dialing appendage 334 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: in the same place. Yeah, but so okay, why is 335 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: that weird? Well, let's just let me just finish this 336 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: little part out here. The report made a couple of claims. 337 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: One of them is that from April of last year 338 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 1: until July of this year two as we record this, 339 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: at least there were two hundred and thirty thousand nationals 340 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: that had been quote persuaded to return that's a fun term, 341 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: persuaded to return to China to face criminal proceedings. You know, 342 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: I just showed this gentleman a couple of a couple 343 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 1: of interesting statistics and facts. He made the decision on 344 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: his own. Oh yes, but I can't believe. I can't 345 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: believe your phone is actually ringing. I call you all 346 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: the time and it goes straight to voicemail. Yeah, well 347 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: uh this uh look yeah, yeah, whatever, you know you 348 00:23:53,720 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: have to alright, fine, Uh, no, I will answer. To 349 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: be honest, folks, there's a very short list of people 350 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 1: I will answer phones for, and uh I'm not on it. 351 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 1: You know, Matt Frederick and Noel Brown, along with Paul 352 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:15,360 Speaker 1: Mission Control are on that list. Indeed, and I just 353 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: took one person off of it. Uh, it's not you, guys, 354 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: so so uh, you're you're right, though, the idea persuaded 355 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: to return two hundred and thirty thousand people in the 356 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 1: in the space of a year, essentially a little more 357 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: than a year. That's incredible. The authors of this report 358 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 1: that you mentioned one ten overseas Chinese transnational Policing Gone Wild. 359 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: I do think it's regrettable title. Uh. You can read 360 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:54,680 Speaker 1: this in PDF form. It's freely available. They're doing solid work. 361 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: We do recommend you read it. The authors of the 362 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: reports state that this camp Hayne to repatriate, that's a 363 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: fancy word, right to repatriate These nationals began in twenty 364 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 1: eighteen and it developed in step with the expansion of 365 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: these overseas facilities that number, by the way, two and 366 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 1: thirty thousand. That doesn't come just from the Spanish based 367 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: Western reports there. That comes from the sources in the 368 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: Chinese government themselves, and they have a they have an 369 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 1: explanation for why so many people have been persuaded to return. 370 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: They're saying there is a growing issue of fraud, especially 371 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:51,919 Speaker 1: telecommunications fraud uh in the world, right, and that these 372 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: Chinese nationally. They're also saying, basically, I'm just gonna put 373 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: it bluntly, they're saying a lot of folks who made money, 374 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 1: possibly through illegal means in China got you know, got 375 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: through customs, got out of the airport, got to a 376 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: safe haven country, and then and then kept the money. 377 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,479 Speaker 1: So uh, this to me, this makes a lot of 378 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: sense if that statement is entirely true. If you're saying, hey, 379 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: we're catching criminals, right, why would you stop a country, 380 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: Why would you stop the world's second most powerful, dangerous 381 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 1: country from policing people who are criminals? It's that sounds right, 382 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: but but keep in mind this is very different. Um. Okay, 383 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: here's another way to put it. Uh. In terms of 384 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: travel as a US citizen, there are places you don't 385 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:58,360 Speaker 1: want to go right the US State Department will tell you, hey, 386 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: it's a bad idea to go here right now. We 387 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: strongly suggest you don't. But have you, guys ever been 388 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:11,720 Speaker 1: stopped by the government from going to a place? Noel 389 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: walked away. Yeah he is, he's being stopped from staying 390 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:21,239 Speaker 1: in this place right now. But like, how would you 391 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: feel if you How would you feel if you said, Okay, 392 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna I'm gonna buy a ticket to I'm gonna 393 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: buy some tickets to I don't know, um name a 394 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: random country. Burma. Yeah, I'm gonna buy some tickets to 395 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: Burma and Myanmar, and I'm gonna fly there. I've got 396 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: my temperary. How would you feel if agents of the 397 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: US government came to you and said, no, yeah, that'd 398 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 1: be weird. Well, what if those agents were in Myanmar 399 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: when I arrived and I got through customs, and I 400 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: was hanging out in the country and everything seemed to 401 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: be fine, but then agents from my own country showed 402 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: up and said, hey, get back on the plane. That's 403 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: that's when it would be like what good hustle? But 404 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: turn around you see it LaGuardia right, Oh, yeah, I've 405 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 1: never been kicked out of any place, so I don't 406 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: know how that would feel, but it would be very strange. Um, 407 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: you're very very strange indeed. Yeah, Well, being kicked out 408 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:29,680 Speaker 1: is sometimes better than being detained. There's that. Uh. So 409 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: it may come as a surprise to many of our 410 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: listeners who are not Chinese nationals that the government of 411 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:42,959 Speaker 1: China is currently designated nine countries as hot spots for 412 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: the fraud they say they're looking for. And they said, 413 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: if you are a Chinese national, you are no longer 414 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: allowed to stay in those countries without quote good reason. 415 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: That's the official English translation good reason, good reasons, kind 416 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: of vague term. You guys, Well, it's really strange because 417 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 1: who are they protecting. So the Chinese government is protecting 418 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:15,239 Speaker 1: its own citizens from the fraud that is going on 419 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: in these countries, or are they trying to prevent more 420 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: fraud from occurring because Chinese nationals are going there too. 421 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: I don't attempt fraud against Chinese citizens back home. I'm 422 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: just a little confused about dale are they. I guess 423 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: they're just trying to protect their own citizens, at least 424 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 1: on paper. Yeah, it's strange because we're coming into this 425 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 1: thing where this perspective where we have to ask ourselves 426 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 1: about these official explanations. All things equal, these official explanations 427 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: sound pretty good, right, even if even if we say okay, 428 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: it sounds like my government is tell me that if 429 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: I travel to one of these nine countries, they will 430 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: consider me a criminal. Right, that's a fore warning which 431 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,479 Speaker 1: makes you fore armed for sure. But it's weird when 432 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: we consider these nine countries. Maybe we name them. Yes, 433 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: these nine forbidden countries are Myanmar, not Mynamar, as I 434 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: said for the longest time when I was younger, Um, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, 435 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey. Interesting because all but 436 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:39,239 Speaker 1: one of those is in the s e A theater, right, 437 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: the Southeast Asian theater. Turkey is the outlier who knows 438 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: what's going on? Did like is it like, do you 439 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 1: become a forbidden country because one guy does a lot 440 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: of fraud? Is there one dude just balling out in Turkey? 441 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: Is he the one who's sending all those text messages? 442 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: That's so of us statistically got on our phone while 443 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: we were listening to this show. I still go back 444 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: to the thing ben if it's a police force. The 445 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: way the West is accusing these Fox consulates or whatever 446 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: they are, of being um they the fo slates are 447 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: they they're taking citizens back home to China to face justice, 448 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: right if if they're actual police forces, I mean theoretically, right, 449 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: theoretically so, so that would mean that they're Chinese, Chinese 450 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: citizens are actually the ones committing the fraud in these 451 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 1: fraud ridden countries. That is the idea that I didn't 452 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: understand that extending the rule of law past the borders 453 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: of that country, which is why they say transnational policing 454 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: gone walker. Uh, there's no official breakdown, you can't get 455 00:31:54,880 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: it of the two thousand individuals like where they officially 456 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: like came from to go back to China, probably to 457 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: make sure that their families aren't harmed. But a majority 458 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: appear to come from those nine countries no just named 459 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: and mean mar We know the most about a little 460 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: more than fifty thou people voluntarily came back to China 461 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 1: just over the border between January and September. Uh. Yeah, 462 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: So the idea here is that this is a problem 463 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: because the government of China is violating international law when 464 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: they do this, even if their reasons are good, that's 465 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: the argument. The ideas they've set up their own parallel 466 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 1: police force in these other countries and they don't have 467 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: the jurisdiction to do so. Like for instance, UM, here's 468 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 1: a very oversimplified I comparison. So in the in many 469 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: Middle Eastern nations, consumption of alcohol in public is forbidden. 470 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: So let's say the four of us us doing this show. 471 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 1: You're listening with us, uh. Let's say we were all 472 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 1: hanging out at the legendary local in UH in Atlanta, 473 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, someone rocks up to 474 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: us and they say, hey, you guys can't drink alcohol 475 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: in public because it's against the laws of Saudi Arabia. 476 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: And then we would say something like what do you 477 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 1: want some wings? Bro? I mean like right rightly? You 478 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: would say, you know, well, we're not in Saudi Arabia. 479 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: Then how would we react if that official said, but 480 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: the rules still apply and your family is in Saudi 481 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: Arabia right now? Oh wow, that's the idea. Well, this 482 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: is a huge point, Ben, because if if it is 483 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 1: an embassy, right a consulate, what what that entity would 484 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: do if there was a problem, They would interface with 485 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 1: the law enforcement, the local law enforcement that whatever federal 486 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,839 Speaker 1: agency you know is trying to press charges on one 487 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: of the citizens that they represent, they would work with 488 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 1: that law enforcement agency. And that law enforcement agency is 489 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,880 Speaker 1: the one that would pick somebody up, right, or would 490 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: take any action where you're moving that person or attempting 491 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: to extradite that person or get them out of the country. 492 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:40,359 Speaker 1: It wouldn't be the consulate itself or the embassy itself necessarily, 493 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 1: at least that wouldn't be the starting point, right, right, 494 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 1: You would have to I in practice, one would have 495 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: to cooperate with the local officials. Right. If you are 496 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: doing police action in another country, you need that country's 497 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: keepers to agree with you. Uh, this just gets even 498 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 1: crazier curious or and curious or as Lewis Carroll was 499 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 1: wont to say, I propose that we take a pause 500 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 1: for word from our sponsors and then we get back. 501 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: Because if this doesn't strike you as weird yet, folks, 502 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:24,760 Speaker 1: wait till you hear how many countries have these stations 503 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: that China very much doesn't want you to call police stations. 504 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,840 Speaker 1: And we're back. So, in addition to the previously mentioned 505 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: fifty four stations abroad, safeguard defenders have documented the declared 506 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 1: establishment by local Chinese public security authorities of at least 507 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 1: forty eight additional one ten overseas service stations bring the 508 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: total estimate to a hundred and two, with an apparent 509 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:03,399 Speaker 1: in country presence across fifty three countries. So the full 510 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: list is a little bit bonkers. Is everything from Angola 511 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: to Zambia. If you want to get alphabetical about it. Yeah, 512 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 1: does anybody wanna do the full The full list is 513 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:21,400 Speaker 1: so long? Okay, Matt shaking his head. No, we did, 514 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:24,400 Speaker 1: we did, and after that episode, I just wanted we 515 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: shouldn't have done that. Yeah, and our strange news segment 516 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 1: um the one that's missed. The two that stand out 517 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: first off US listeners, Uh, The United States has four 518 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: that the U S Government has publicly acknowledged so far, 519 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: and UH one of those no one has publicly acknowledged 520 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,720 Speaker 1: the location. It is likely that there are more, given 521 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:53,319 Speaker 1: the size of the US and the Chinese American diaspora here. 522 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,279 Speaker 1: But the two countries that really stand out are going 523 00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 1: to be Italy in India in Dia has none and 524 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:08,720 Speaker 1: if you if you forgot about the border war that's 525 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: brewing on the Indian Chinese border. Um, just feel free 526 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: to ruin your day a little bit. And you know what, 527 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 1: I'm not even gonna say, use a secure browser. Just 528 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,879 Speaker 1: google it, Google it. Have some fun. Make your sponsored 529 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:27,320 Speaker 1: ads more interesting, right. Uh. The other one is Italy. 530 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 1: Italy has a bilateral agreement with the government of China 531 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 1: to help hunt down stuff. You know, organized crime has 532 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 1: always been so hot in Italy. I personally believe, Um, 533 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:45,000 Speaker 1: I know this offends some Italians, but I personally believe 534 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 1: that for quite some time, especially post World War two 535 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:54,320 Speaker 1: and leading up to World War two, that the Catholic 536 00:37:54,440 --> 00:38:02,640 Speaker 1: Church had worked two keep Italy from having a fully coherent, 537 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 1: sustainable government. A lot of people don't like to hear that. 538 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:10,839 Speaker 1: A couple no, you, You and Matt just made some 539 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 1: gallant father faces some oh yeah, I follow followed Yeah, 540 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:20,560 Speaker 1: I always call it DeNiro face. You know we're talking 541 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: about all right, Well, hopefully the Pope is too busy 542 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 1: to come for us on that one. But the yeah, 543 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:35,320 Speaker 1: uh so anyway, this list, this whole list that you name. No, uh, 544 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:40,440 Speaker 1: this doesn't count official Chinese embassies. It doesn't count official 545 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 1: you know, express stations, the consulates. This is something totally different. 546 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:50,239 Speaker 1: So are they on the up and up? Are they 547 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: just an easy way to get your registration to get 548 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 1: your driver's license. Well not, according to Laura Hearth, who 549 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 1: is one of the campaign directors, They're at Safeguard Defenders. 550 00:39:03,239 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 1: She says, quote, one of the aims of these campaigns 551 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: obviously is to crack down on dissent and is to 552 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:16,120 Speaker 1: silence people. So people are afraid, people that are being targeted, 553 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: that have family members back in China are afraid to 554 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:25,840 Speaker 1: speak out. I don't like that, and again that's Safeguard Defenders. 555 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,520 Speaker 1: They also, uh, they also didn't create, but they shared 556 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: some reports in Chinese domestic media about people suspected of 557 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: crimes in China being in a different country and interrogated remotely. 558 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 1: Like think of a like a zoom call, you know, 559 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:52,400 Speaker 1: I think of going to court on zoom or Microsoft 560 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 1: used to do that. I mean during the pandemic. I 561 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,279 Speaker 1: have a buddy who's a lawyer in Brooklyn and all 562 00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 1: of his court appearances were via zoom. They had to 563 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: kind of right new laws essentially to make that okay, Um, 564 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 1: maybe not, I don't know exactly what you call it, 565 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 1: but definitely something had to happen to to make that, 566 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:14,800 Speaker 1: you know, legitimate, implement some new policies. Right, Yes, I 567 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,319 Speaker 1: have no evidence of this, but I imagine that it's 568 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: the most uncomfortable desk chair that's ever existed, and like 569 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,319 Speaker 1: super light straps, you know. So it's just the implication 570 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: that you could be tied to that chair. The kangaroo zoom. 571 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:36,800 Speaker 1: No one's in danger, We're just on the open water. 572 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 1: So there's one instance that stood out to us um 573 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 1: According again to the NGO Safeguard Defenders, there was a 574 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 1: Chinese national who was accused of environmental crimes and he 575 00:40:52,400 --> 00:41:00,160 Speaker 1: was residing in Madrid, and he was persuaded in to 576 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:05,839 Speaker 1: return to China, and he turned himself into authorities once 577 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 1: he landed, once he arrived. That kind of persuasion, if 578 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: you work in in law enforcement or anything like that 579 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:20,319 Speaker 1: in a related field, that kind of persuasion is a 580 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:26,440 Speaker 1: god send, right, But how exactly does it happen. It 581 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:31,399 Speaker 1: looks like they've got a tool kit. These persuaders, these 582 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:37,879 Speaker 1: volunteer persuaders, for some reason, are able to despite being volunteers, 583 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: they're able to say, hey, we can mess up your 584 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: kids lives in China. We're aware that your children live here, 585 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:52,840 Speaker 1: we know what school they go to, and uh, we 586 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 1: know what schools we can keep them from going to 587 00:41:55,640 --> 00:42:01,760 Speaker 1: in the future by not allowing them to pursue education. Oh, also, 588 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,799 Speaker 1: we know your family members, we know your relatives. We 589 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,440 Speaker 1: can make Lunar New Year super weird. It's kind of 590 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,759 Speaker 1: a guilt by association, you know, or like it's not 591 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:16,960 Speaker 1: on the level of this, but um, and I don't 592 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 1: want to call the government in China a bunch of gangsters, 593 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:24,359 Speaker 1: but there's a thing that the mafia has done here 594 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:27,319 Speaker 1: in the United States where they would have you know, 595 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: they'd have a wise guy locked up or something, and 596 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,439 Speaker 1: maybe a guard was picking on them and saying, hey, 597 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:38,440 Speaker 1: you're not so big, are you, And then one day, uh, 598 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:45,600 Speaker 1: that person would just receive some mail which contain nothing 599 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:51,920 Speaker 1: but photographs of the guard's children on a playground. There's 600 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:54,680 Speaker 1: no way to prosecute it now. I mean, there's certainly 601 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:58,560 Speaker 1: powerful people that exist outside of those systems that have 602 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,600 Speaker 1: free reign to kind of you know, do what they 603 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:02,840 Speaker 1: will and protect their people. Yeah, have you got to 604 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:04,680 Speaker 1: be careful of that kind of stuff because you'll just 605 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:08,680 Speaker 1: create you know, a real monster. Send somebody pictures of 606 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 1: their kid on a playground. There's a movie in there, 607 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:15,399 Speaker 1: and it's all about revenge. Yeah, it's John Wick times. Yeah. 608 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:21,080 Speaker 1: But that's the thing. So this stuff, this, these persuasion tactics, whichever, 609 00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:25,080 Speaker 1: whatever they are, well will give the mic too. The 610 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:28,279 Speaker 1: official statements from China to be completely fair. But these 611 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:34,400 Speaker 1: persuasion tactics, they whatever they are, they are occurring outside 612 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:38,839 Speaker 1: of the host country's legal system. Again, unless you were 613 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 1: talking about Italy, which is very much a special case, 614 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: your country, if you if your country is not China, 615 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 1: your country is not involved at all in this. There's 616 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 1: no d A being looped in, no d e A, 617 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: no prosecutors, you know, not even like of course the 618 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,840 Speaker 1: puzzle Palace or whatever act and ms you want to 619 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:05,000 Speaker 1: throw at it. That is why this could be seen 620 00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:09,080 Speaker 1: as a breach of law. The people targeted are not 621 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 1: getting what are called judicial safeguards over here in the US. 622 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: That means stuff like innocent until proven guilty, which isn't 623 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:20,719 Speaker 1: always true, the right to a fair trial, which isn't 624 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 1: always true. But anyway, all the stuff that you're supposed 625 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:27,600 Speaker 1: to get. They are not receiving the basic legal rights 626 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,680 Speaker 1: all people by virtue of existing are supposed to have. 627 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:34,360 Speaker 1: At this point, you know, it sounds like we're dunking 628 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:37,239 Speaker 1: on the problem, and it is a big problem. But 629 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 1: we want to be fair and objective, so we have 630 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:44,359 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit more about what China says. Matt. 631 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,520 Speaker 1: You brought up earlier the statement from the official FOREGN 632 00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:52,080 Speaker 1: ministry and uh knowl you had pointed out as well 633 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:58,200 Speaker 1: that UM China doesn't really see anything wrong with his activity. No, 634 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:04,480 Speaker 1: they've mentioned before that the WESTS take on these things. 635 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:08,520 Speaker 1: Even just calling them police stations in you know, titles 636 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:13,600 Speaker 1: of headlines and in reports is basically creating the problem. 637 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: So it's not the actual uh like many consulants where 638 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:19,080 Speaker 1: you call them, that's not the problem. It's the way 639 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:22,240 Speaker 1: they're being spoken about. There's a quote from the Ministry 640 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:25,920 Speaker 1: of Foreign Affairs. They said this to CNN in November. Quote, 641 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:28,840 Speaker 1: we hope that relevant parties stop hyping it up to 642 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:32,600 Speaker 1: create tensions. Using this as a pretext to smear China 643 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 1: is unacceptable. Strong words still though, even if diplomatic, uh, 644 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:43,840 Speaker 1: smear and unacceptable. Some some big stick kind of attitude 645 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:48,680 Speaker 1: going on here, you know. Yeah, Yeah, the idea that 646 00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:51,959 Speaker 1: you're just saying this to make me look bad. Right, 647 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 1: it's common in the manufactured UH celebrity conflicts that that 648 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:01,080 Speaker 1: are meant to distract you from what's actually going on 649 00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:04,279 Speaker 1: in the world. But it also it's weird to know 650 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: that nations used this to UH. CNN, which full disclosure 651 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 1: is also based here in Atlanta, Georgia. UH went about 652 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 1: a month ago, as we recorded, they are two months 653 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:23,799 Speaker 1: ago now. They they went to official Chinese government outlets 654 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:28,360 Speaker 1: about these accusations from safeguard defenders and other world leaders, 655 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:33,319 Speaker 1: and they said, hey, are you paying police to be 656 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:37,280 Speaker 1: Chinese police in other countries? The Foreign Affairs Ministry again 657 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:44,799 Speaker 1: said nope, they're all volunteers, which is um an interesting 658 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:49,960 Speaker 1: perspective in light of the fact that at least one 659 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 1: police network had hired a hundred and thirty five people 660 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:58,200 Speaker 1: spread across twenty one stations, a hundred and thirty five 661 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:03,800 Speaker 1: people that are either already embedded in the country or 662 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: transported via the government of China to that country for 663 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:12,680 Speaker 1: that explicit purpose. Yeah, and you know, the official sources 664 00:47:12,719 --> 00:47:15,640 Speaker 1: in China continue to say things about this. Here's something 665 00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:21,120 Speaker 1: else comes from UH. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson named Wang 666 00:47:21,120 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 1: Win bin w e N b I N who described 667 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:27,759 Speaker 1: the foreign outposts that were identified in that report. We 668 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:32,319 Speaker 1: talked about from Safeguard Defenders as quote service stations right 669 00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:34,719 Speaker 1: for Chinese people who are abroad and in need of 670 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: help with this is what we were talking about, assistance 671 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:43,319 Speaker 1: with things like renewing their driver's licenses. Again, it's the 672 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,399 Speaker 1: statement coming from China in a way makes a lot 673 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,800 Speaker 1: of sense. They're just saying, Hey, we're doing the same 674 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:51,560 Speaker 1: things that all of these other countries are doing that 675 00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:54,680 Speaker 1: have foreign consulates and embassies. We are just doing it 676 00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:59,759 Speaker 1: perhaps even more efficiently. Yeah, which makes sense because the 677 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:03,640 Speaker 1: namant that oversees a domestic system would have the best 678 00:48:03,719 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 1: understanding of it. But also really well, it's interesting because 679 00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:17,360 Speaker 1: Wang also says, look, or admits maybe or it doesn't 680 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:21,400 Speaker 1: mind stating that, yes, we are the country of China. 681 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:24,600 Speaker 1: We are cracking down on this transnational crime that is 682 00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:29,120 Speaker 1: stated in this Safeguard Defenders report. Right, we're cracking down 683 00:48:29,120 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 1: on this stuff. And you know, even though we're doing that, 684 00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:35,359 Speaker 1: and we're doing it well, we are staying within the 685 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,680 Speaker 1: international law. We're we're doing everything by the book, right, 686 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:44,080 Speaker 1: which is great, Uh, which is great if it's true. 687 00:48:44,600 --> 00:48:47,799 Speaker 1: So we also have to point out, and I love 688 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: you're making this. I love you're saying us up for this. 689 00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:55,320 Speaker 1: We also have to point out that some of those 690 00:48:55,360 --> 00:49:00,480 Speaker 1: folks who have been targeted and repatriated and imprisoned so 691 00:49:00,520 --> 00:49:04,319 Speaker 1: far do appear to be, I guess, guilty of some 692 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:08,240 Speaker 1: sort of corruption or financial crime. Again, we're talking hundreds 693 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:10,720 Speaker 1: of thousands of people, so it's tough to go case 694 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:16,279 Speaker 1: by case. But from the Chinese perspective, it's kind of 695 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:20,279 Speaker 1: a weird cleaning our own house sort of thing. And 696 00:49:21,120 --> 00:49:24,880 Speaker 1: several of those folks were already targets of something called 697 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:29,560 Speaker 1: Operation fox Hunt, which might be unfamiliar to some of 698 00:49:29,640 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 1: us in the West. This was set up by the 699 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:38,880 Speaker 1: Giping administration to pursue corrupt officials who have fled abroad 700 00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:43,319 Speaker 1: before they got before they could get you know, the 701 00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:48,160 Speaker 1: perp walk out of the halls of government, right the 702 00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:51,560 Speaker 1: folks who are the folks who got away? Uh, if 703 00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 1: you're hearing this, it appears it appears they're coming for you. 704 00:49:57,680 --> 00:50:02,239 Speaker 1: M It's an odd thing, but the maybe one of 705 00:50:02,239 --> 00:50:06,239 Speaker 1: the only circumstances that makes sense for me been some 706 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:10,560 Speaker 1: of the statements surrounding the pandemic, And there are so 707 00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:12,920 Speaker 1: many instances that we've heard about on this show, and 708 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:16,240 Speaker 1: maybe you've heard about with somebody in your family where 709 00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:20,680 Speaker 1: someone gets stuck in another country when the lockdowns were 710 00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:24,879 Speaker 1: occurring right back in. Now that makes sense to me 711 00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:26,920 Speaker 1: if there are people who did get stuck there and 712 00:50:26,960 --> 00:50:29,920 Speaker 1: they had to you know, change get a different visa, 713 00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:32,399 Speaker 1: or change their work visa or some way in some 714 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:36,319 Speaker 1: way that was complicated, but it just had to get 715 00:50:36,360 --> 00:50:40,000 Speaker 1: worked out because of the circumstances. Um. And now they're 716 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:42,799 Speaker 1: kind of in a weird limbo maybe something like that, 717 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:46,359 Speaker 1: in attempting to return home to China, Um, but they 718 00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:48,440 Speaker 1: can't for one reason or another. Like that would make 719 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:52,719 Speaker 1: sense that these stations would help people like that. It 720 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:57,640 Speaker 1: would make even more sense if those overseas stations had 721 00:50:58,440 --> 00:51:03,400 Speaker 1: had not predated the pandemic by several years, you know 722 00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:12,960 Speaker 1: what I mean? Oh yes, perhaps perhaps they said, oh, 723 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:16,080 Speaker 1: there's gonna be there's gonna be something spicy out of 724 00:51:16,080 --> 00:51:23,919 Speaker 1: Wuhan's in front of it. Those back room conversations must 725 00:51:23,960 --> 00:51:28,200 Speaker 1: have been spicy indeed, so lit you know, Uh, it's 726 00:51:28,239 --> 00:51:33,239 Speaker 1: a shame there aren't there are more cameras or transparency 727 00:51:33,440 --> 00:51:37,120 Speaker 1: in the Chinese government, But of course you could say 728 00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:41,480 Speaker 1: that about most governments, and you should. Uh. Here's what 729 00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:47,560 Speaker 1: happens now. As we record, world leaders are still claiming 730 00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:55,160 Speaker 1: to discover previously unknown stations of this sort one ten overseas. 731 00:51:55,880 --> 00:52:00,240 Speaker 1: New stations are coming out every day, just like TikTok reels. 732 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:02,959 Speaker 1: But what you need to understand about that is when 733 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:08,000 Speaker 1: that information is revealed publicly, it typically means that it 734 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:13,399 Speaker 1: has already been a known uh entity, right, a known 735 00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:17,080 Speaker 1: factor for some time, Just like the attempted coup in 736 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 1: Germany recently, that string of arrest only came after months 737 00:52:22,800 --> 00:52:25,480 Speaker 1: and months, if not a year plus of police work. 738 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:33,799 Speaker 1: As of November, just last month, fourteen different governments across 739 00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:40,319 Speaker 1: the planet have officially launched investigation into what China very 740 00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:44,120 Speaker 1: much does not want you to call foreign police stations. 741 00:52:44,160 --> 00:52:46,000 Speaker 1: So I would say what we're seeing as a trend, 742 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:50,480 Speaker 1: it's growing. When it's going to continue around the world, 743 00:52:50,920 --> 00:52:56,680 Speaker 1: especially in parts of the world that don't have the 744 00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:59,400 Speaker 1: juice to raise a stink about it, it's gonna be 745 00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:03,480 Speaker 1: a new normal in a lot of developing countries, I predict, 746 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:06,200 Speaker 1: and you know, I'd love to be wrong. The only 747 00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:10,439 Speaker 1: reason I knew about this is because his name's Ray 748 00:53:10,640 --> 00:53:14,400 Speaker 1: W R. A Y. I think it's Christopher Ray, current 749 00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:16,960 Speaker 1: FBI director here in the United States. The only reason 750 00:53:17,040 --> 00:53:19,200 Speaker 1: why we know about it is because he put out 751 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:21,480 Speaker 1: a statement or there was some public statement that Reuters 752 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:24,440 Speaker 1: picked up where he was saying, hey, this is troubling. 753 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:28,240 Speaker 1: So when you know, when the director of the Federal 754 00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:33,200 Speaker 1: Bureau of Investigations is like, something's wrong here, I tend 755 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:35,160 Speaker 1: to take notice. I know you guys do too, So 756 00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:40,040 Speaker 1: we'll see what happens. Right, And one point I think 757 00:53:40,080 --> 00:53:44,560 Speaker 1: we should end on here. First. Yes, this is I 758 00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: don't always get along with Chris, but he's right, this 759 00:53:47,239 --> 00:53:51,000 Speaker 1: is troubably. I would say that I would say that 760 00:53:51,360 --> 00:53:54,239 Speaker 1: it's important to remember when you hear stories like this 761 00:53:54,800 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 1: that you're probably hearing it through a lens of a 762 00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:02,440 Speaker 1: bit of propaganta, right, Uh. And don't let that distract 763 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:05,560 Speaker 1: you from the facts. This is not a good thing. Uh. 764 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:10,920 Speaker 1: And we also have to acknowledge, of course it's a 765 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:17,239 Speaker 1: glasshouse exponentially larger. Russia has been doing this kind of 766 00:54:17,239 --> 00:54:20,200 Speaker 1: stuff all the time in the US. On the U 767 00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:25,440 Speaker 1: S side, the CIA, of course, was just black bagging people. 768 00:54:25,680 --> 00:54:28,399 Speaker 1: Has been for quite a while, right, and they were 769 00:54:28,440 --> 00:54:32,680 Speaker 1: black bagging elections. I'll just say it, it's fine. Uh. 770 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:37,520 Speaker 1: This this means that if this tactic works, just like 771 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:42,120 Speaker 1: the tactic of assassinations, then every country is going to 772 00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:46,240 Speaker 1: do it if they can. Can we talk about something, Okay, 773 00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:49,280 Speaker 1: I had in my mind just this idea, and please 774 00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:52,480 Speaker 1: just frame this maybe in a correct way, you guys. 775 00:54:53,920 --> 00:54:57,600 Speaker 1: Could it be a strategy to have some kind of 776 00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:02,160 Speaker 1: law enforcement presence income trees as across the globe in 777 00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:05,799 Speaker 1: case there is some massive financial collapse or some kind 778 00:55:05,840 --> 00:55:10,680 Speaker 1: of societal overall collapse because of something like that. What 779 00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:14,160 Speaker 1: could it be? Could it be a viable strategy? Because 780 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:17,520 Speaker 1: it feels like these forces aren't big enough to actually 781 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:21,200 Speaker 1: be effective at having any kind of real I don't know, 782 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:25,360 Speaker 1: organization or um. They we wouldn't be able to exert 783 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:31,200 Speaker 1: enough force, you know, to do anything like juice leverage. Right, 784 00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:33,319 Speaker 1: But but I feel the same way about maybe some 785 00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:35,560 Speaker 1: of the U. S. Embassies. It feels like a strategy 786 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:39,880 Speaker 1: to have some kind of foothold of power if necessary 787 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:42,040 Speaker 1: in a country. But I don't know, maybe I just 788 00:55:42,080 --> 00:55:45,560 Speaker 1: think about it incorrectly. No, I think you're you're absolutely right. 789 00:55:45,800 --> 00:55:50,479 Speaker 1: Force projection is not is not what embassies are built for, 790 00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:56,480 Speaker 1: right uh. And unfortunately, there there's a history of embassies 791 00:55:56,480 --> 00:56:00,880 Speaker 1: from multiple countries getting fire reined on them. I mean, uh, 792 00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:04,279 Speaker 1: Benghazi maybe is a story for another day, but that's 793 00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:08,279 Speaker 1: an embassy that fell regardless of regardless of what you 794 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:12,520 Speaker 1: think about the um, the ways in which politicians use 795 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:18,040 Speaker 1: that for self interested leverage. Afterwards, those people died, and 796 00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:23,080 Speaker 1: embassies can be um dangerous places. They can be canaries 797 00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:29,680 Speaker 1: and coal mines. I also pretty convinced that not all 798 00:56:29,719 --> 00:56:34,040 Speaker 1: of those guys work for I t uh, just I 799 00:56:34,080 --> 00:56:36,880 Speaker 1: feel like that's okay to say. I think everybody knows 800 00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:42,120 Speaker 1: that one. But this, uh, we're gonna end here um 801 00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:45,279 Speaker 1: and we want your thoughts, folks. What does this mean? 802 00:56:46,239 --> 00:56:50,360 Speaker 1: Is this against the law? Should this be a matter 803 00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:56,920 Speaker 1: of concern? Is this um? Is this the West doing 804 00:56:57,080 --> 00:57:02,120 Speaker 1: agit prop against the Asian and the government of China? 805 00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:08,920 Speaker 1: And perhaps most importantly, do you see this trend continuing? 806 00:57:09,200 --> 00:57:12,719 Speaker 1: I mean, imagine how politically dangerous it would be for 807 00:57:12,840 --> 00:57:16,320 Speaker 1: a country to absolutely clamp down on these and kick 808 00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:19,200 Speaker 1: these folks out. Oh yeah, let us know what you think. 809 00:57:19,760 --> 00:57:22,640 Speaker 1: Please do that very thing you can reach us on 810 00:57:22,680 --> 00:57:26,760 Speaker 1: the Internet, where we exist in multiple iterations. You can 811 00:57:26,800 --> 00:57:31,960 Speaker 1: find us at Conspiracy Stuff on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, 812 00:57:31,960 --> 00:57:33,600 Speaker 1: where we have a Facebook group called Here's where it 813 00:57:33,640 --> 00:57:37,760 Speaker 1: Gets Crazy on Instagram or conspiracy Stuff Show. Yes, as 814 00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:42,960 Speaker 1: this year wraps up, we are visually well maybe this 815 00:57:43,040 --> 00:57:45,240 Speaker 1: is not part of the video, but right now, just 816 00:57:45,360 --> 00:57:48,360 Speaker 1: you should know this, We are visually enticing you to 817 00:57:48,600 --> 00:57:51,400 Speaker 1: purchase copies of stuff they don't want you to know, 818 00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:55,080 Speaker 1: the book by Ben Bolan with Matt Frederick and Noel 819 00:57:55,120 --> 00:57:58,160 Speaker 1: Brown right now for all your friends and all your 820 00:57:58,280 --> 00:58:00,640 Speaker 1: enemies and everyone in between. Yeah. The friend of me 821 00:58:00,680 --> 00:58:03,720 Speaker 1: is that whenever I get the lovely pleasure of signing 822 00:58:03,720 --> 00:58:06,680 Speaker 1: a copy of this book, I sign it as Knoll 823 00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:10,480 Speaker 1: in the small print because we are below the fold. 824 00:58:10,480 --> 00:58:13,600 Speaker 1: And it was Ben Bolan who really made this lovely 825 00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:17,760 Speaker 1: piece of literature available for your eyes and ears, because 826 00:58:17,800 --> 00:58:19,840 Speaker 1: if you're an audiobook person you can also get it 827 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:22,320 Speaker 1: in that form. And all three of us do our 828 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:24,960 Speaker 1: part in in reading the thing, and all three of 829 00:58:25,000 --> 00:58:27,080 Speaker 1: us did are part of writing it. I'm not gonna 830 00:58:27,160 --> 00:58:32,680 Speaker 1: play the reindeer game, uh there, but it's Christmases. Yeah, 831 00:58:32,800 --> 00:58:36,640 Speaker 1: just so uh like that reference if you if you 832 00:58:36,760 --> 00:58:39,880 Speaker 1: don't care for the sipping of the social meds, or 833 00:58:39,960 --> 00:58:43,920 Speaker 1: you feel like your local service station will come after 834 00:58:44,000 --> 00:58:50,120 Speaker 1: you for being too uh to transparent on on your 835 00:58:50,720 --> 00:58:54,440 Speaker 1: digital poison of choice. You can also just call us 836 00:58:54,520 --> 00:58:59,320 Speaker 1: directly from your lips to our ears, with nothing but 837 00:58:59,640 --> 00:59:02,680 Speaker 1: new us, third parties and the n s A in between. 838 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:05,280 Speaker 1: All you have to do is dial our number one 839 00:59:05,400 --> 00:59:09,400 Speaker 1: eight three three st d w y t K. You 840 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:12,400 Speaker 1: will hear a familiar voice and a beep like so beep, 841 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:16,320 Speaker 1: and then you've got three minutes. Run wild, go nuts. 842 00:59:16,360 --> 00:59:19,080 Speaker 1: Tell us what's on your mind. Give yourself that nickname 843 00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:22,760 Speaker 1: or that alias who always wanted. Second, most important thing, 844 00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:25,120 Speaker 1: Let us know if it's okay to use your message 845 00:59:25,120 --> 00:59:28,880 Speaker 1: and or voice on the air. Most important thing. Don't 846 00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:32,720 Speaker 1: censor yourself. If you have something that takes more than 847 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:36,959 Speaker 1: three minutes to tell us, please type it all out 848 00:59:37,080 --> 00:59:39,800 Speaker 1: so we have it at one place. Give us those links, 849 00:59:40,080 --> 00:59:44,160 Speaker 1: give us those pictures. Prove to us why the Michigan 850 00:59:44,280 --> 00:59:47,760 Speaker 1: Lights were probably a drone show. We can't wait to see. 851 00:59:48,040 --> 00:59:50,360 Speaker 1: We read every email we get. All you have to 852 00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:53,400 Speaker 1: do is drop us a line where we are conspiracy 853 00:59:53,440 --> 01:00:14,960 Speaker 1: at iHeart Radio dot com Yeah, stuff they don't want 854 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:17,320 Speaker 1: you to know. Is a production of I heart Radio. 855 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:19,920 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i 856 01:00:20,000 --> 01:00:22,880 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 857 01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:23,720 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.