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 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, my name is Noel. They call 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: me Ben. We're joined as always with our super producer 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: Alexis code named Doc Holiday Jackson. Most importantly, you are you, 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: You are here, and that makes this the stuff they 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: don't want you to know. It's the top of the week, 10 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: which means it's time for strange news. We have outrage 11 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: in Mexico. We have conspiracy theories about COVID nineteen, but 12 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: not the kind you might expect and not from the 13 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: place you might assume. And in other news, someone may 14 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: have sto and the art of the Covenant, Yes, that 15 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: Ark of the Covenant, the same one referenced in both 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: the Bible and then later the Indiana Jones film franchise, 17 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 1: which are two weird bookends to put on that, I guess. 18 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: And if you're if you're a longtime listener of the 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: show or a viewer of the YouTube channel, you know 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: that we have attempted to find the location of the 21 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: Ark of the Covenant multiple times, and we thought we 22 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: narrowed it down at least if one really did exist, 23 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: where it probably was. And this story is bringing that 24 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: all home. Is that the is that the one where 25 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: the Nazis get melted, get their faces melted? Yeah, in 26 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: Indiana Jones, Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, not the art 27 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: got it, not not the Bible version, but that Indiana 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: Jones scene is based very loosely on some of the 29 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: warnings about the Biblical art, which is, you know, how 30 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: one should or should not gaze upon it. Uh, it 31 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: does turn out there and no Nazis in the Bible 32 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: right right right in the version and that most people use. 33 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: I would assume there might be there. There might be 34 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: a couple of independent interpretations, a remix version flooting around 35 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: the Hitler put forth, and there's always somebody writing a 36 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: Third Testament throughout history of one sort or another. Well, 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: if that's okay, then guys, let's start. Let's start with 38 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: that story. So so spoiler alert by way of backgrounds 39 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: what Matt's referring to, and he says, you know, we 40 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: tried to look for we looked for the Ark of 41 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: the Covenant several times, over the course of this show. 42 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: That is true, we were intensely interested in this, you know, 43 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: stuff they want you to know. Always loves hidden history 44 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: and historical mysteries. Uh. The Bible is full of those. 45 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: Or the stories, places, people, events, artifacts depicted in the 46 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: Bible are always of great interest to historians. Like we've 47 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: seen in other in other explorations of history, the world 48 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: eats the works of man. So it can be incredibly 49 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 1: difficult to verify things that happened in the eleventh century, 50 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: much much less things that happened back in the what 51 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: we call the bcase. So it's tough to figure out 52 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: where facts and and myths begin. But the arc of 53 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: the Covenant is a little bit, a little bit of 54 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: an exception. So basically, what it is is a gold 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: covered wooden chest and it's got a lid over it, 56 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: and according to the story, it contains the two actual 57 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. And then you'll see 58 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: other Biblical sources saying it contains a pot of manna, 59 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: Aaron's rod, and so on. Uh. The weird thing that 60 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: we found was that for a very very long time, 61 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: there has been a group of people in Ethiopia who 62 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: claim to possess the actual genuine arc of the Covenant. 63 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: Keep in mind, Ethiopia itself has a storied ancient history 64 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: and and in our earlier works would dove into the 65 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: possibilities that it could be there, and one of the 66 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: things that we found, or something they believed to be 67 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: the art could be there. We should say important distinction. 68 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: One of the things we found is that the story 69 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: of the arc ending up in Ethiopia is true in 70 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: that there is a church that claims to possess it 71 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: and has for a long time. And Matt, I know 72 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: you'll recall it seemed that the keepers of the arc 73 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: were sincere. Uh. Their only rule is that why they 74 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: can't let anybody other than the priests view the arc, 75 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: but they will gladly describe it to you in detail consistently. Yeah. Absolutely, Again, 76 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: it's a point of contention because it feels like if 77 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: you truly did have the arc of some you know, 78 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: you may want to show that off for numerous reasons, 79 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: if not only two, in some way make money to 80 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: better secure that arc. But you know what, what we've 81 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: read and what we've seen over the years is that 82 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: one of the main reasons for not letting anyone, see 83 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: it is to kind of keep this air of mystery 84 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: about it because they if they did truly have it, 85 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: if they do truly have it, they want to protect it. 86 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: And it struck us, and it strikes me currently right 87 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: now as the one of the main reasons that it 88 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: feels like it might not be genuine, because it's almost 89 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: like you could tell the tale of what this glorious 90 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: arc looks like that you're keeping back here. It's just 91 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: behind you know, this wall. You can't you can't go 92 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: back there, but no, it's there and it's glorious, and 93 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: let me tell you all about it. Um it strikes 94 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: you as maybe not being genuine. It when something like 95 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: you know, the story that we're getting into today comes out, 96 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: it does make you feel like maybe there was something 97 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: back there. I think, I think, I think it's important 98 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: to to say to like, I mean, just in general, 99 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: holy relics or like physical objects that are associated with 100 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: religion are super powerful, you know, because it's almost like 101 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: you know, proof positive, like this is real. See, I 102 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: have this thing that like proves the existence of God, 103 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: or proves the existence of a particular you know, dogma, 104 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: like the shroud of Turin for example, which is like 105 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: this piece of cloth that supposedly was Jesus's burial, you know, 106 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: shroud or whatever. Things like that have a lot of 107 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: political power. True. True, And I like that you're differentiating 108 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: between political power and maybe supernatural power. Yeah. Absolutely, that's 109 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: exactly what I meant. Yes, reliquaries are hugely important because 110 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: for true believers, just a reliquary, for instance, is the 111 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: container of a body part of a saint. Uh So 112 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: those things hugely important for both of those reasons that 113 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: you just described, Nola. They may prove the physical existence 114 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,239 Speaker 1: of that saint or holy figure. And then they also 115 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: are and I don't mean to sounds cold when I 116 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: say this, just historically look at it. It's great marketing. 117 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: It's a mark of prestige for the church or the 118 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: institution that has it. What makes us different from the 119 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: church in the next village over, Well, we have the 120 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: two thumb bones of you know, St. Martin on toast, 121 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: which is hopefully not a real saint. And I apologize 122 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: that is a real saint that I've offended anyone, But 123 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: yeah St Martin an toast patron saint of thumbs. We've 124 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: got his thumbs. Come to our church service. This problem 125 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: or this phenomenon is at its most extreme degree when 126 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: we're talking about something like the Art of the Covenant. 127 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: One of the explanations or rationales but behind not showing 128 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: this to the uninitiated, is that you will call in 129 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: the in biblical writing, the men of Beth Shemesh gazed 130 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: upon the art, and as punishment God Uh smoked seventy 131 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: of them or fifty thousand and seventy and some translations. Again, 132 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: there's all all this stuff happened a long time ago. 133 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: Can I say, I'm a huge fan of the tense 134 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: smote to smite one was smoked, But I also love 135 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: that it also applies to being like in love with somebody, 136 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: to be smitten, you know, it's it's a it's a 137 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 1: funny etymology there. So that's that's the reasoning. This's this 138 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: thing that's happened. A lot of folks in the West 139 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: aren't aware that to the true believers of this theory, 140 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: the mystery of the arc was solved long ago. But 141 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: fast forward, fast forward to the modern day. Ethiopia is 142 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: one of the oldest countries in the world that's been 143 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: extant from its inception to the modern day. It's It's 144 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: believed to have developed as a country all the way 145 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: back in nine eight b c. E. So Ethiopia was 146 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: around during the days of early Christianity. Ethiopia was around 147 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: when a lot of the events depicted in the Bible occurred. 148 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: I mean, not Genesis, but you get the gist of 149 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, the genergists of what we're saying here. 150 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: So Oxom Ethiopia. The place is the Marimon Church, also 151 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: known as the Towado Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Twado Church, 152 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: and this location claims to be the home of the 153 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: biblical Arc of the Covenant. It was moved apparently to 154 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: the Chapel of the Tablet, which is adjacent to the 155 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: old church because get this, a divine heat from the 156 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: tablets within the arc had cracked the stones of the 157 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: previous storage facility. It was actually Emperor Holle Selassie's wife, 158 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: Empress Menen, who paid for the construction of the new chapel. 159 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:20,319 Speaker 1: So this happened in recent history. But even more recently, 160 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: this holy site was under attack and the locals, just 161 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: to give you the headline here, the locals are convinced 162 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: that part of the motivation for the attack which killed 163 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: around seven hundred and fifty people, was to take possession 164 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: of the biblical art of the Covenant. This is per 165 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: the europe External Program with Africa UH and the Ethiopian 166 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: National Defense Force reported to them that the church had 167 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: been attacked and hundreds of people were hiding in the church. 168 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: They were brought out into the square and shot. You 169 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: can look at video showing the aftermath of the massacre. 170 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: The military has been fighting with anti communists in surrectionary 171 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: forces that control parts of the region. So we can't 172 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: we can't dismiss the enormous tragedy almost a thousand people 173 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: dying in this in this attack, But we also have 174 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: to ask ourselves why wasn't this reported UH more often 175 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: in the West awhere anywhere? Really, I cannot I cannot 176 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:40,839 Speaker 1: find a publication that has any of the information there. 177 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: The most trustworthy news source is that it's from that 178 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: e p A dot b E, the europe External Program 179 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,839 Speaker 1: with Africa, And it's just a it's like a one. 180 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: It's it's a tiny little sentence essentially that describes this thing. Yeah. 181 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: So the the e p A report is the most 182 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: credible source I could find here UH, and it does 183 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: prove that people were attacked by a force including eight tanks, 184 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: twenty buses, five heavy trucks. I mean people were hiding 185 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: in the church to survive, not for fun. But this 186 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: report does also specifically mentioned the local concern that the 187 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: ultimate goal of the attack was to remove the ARC 188 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: from its resting place. For the alleged ARC, we should say, 189 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: although I to the point about lack of western coverage, 190 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,079 Speaker 1: my my thought was, could it be possible that people 191 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: were mentioning the Ark of the Covenant here as a 192 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: way to get more coverage from the west. Is that 193 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: what the aim was? I mean, I'm not accusing anybody 194 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: of trying to put their fingers on the pr scale here. 195 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: But as we were taking this apart, and again there 196 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: there's not a ton of reporting on this, especially not 197 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: in English. As we were taking this apart, we found 198 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: that there is an information war going on in Ethiopian Listeners, 199 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: please right in and let us know, let us know 200 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: your take on the ground, or you know, if you 201 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: know anybody in the region what what they think of this. 202 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: But because we've seen people saying that some folks are 203 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: welcoming this anti communism group that Tigray People's Liberation Front. Uh, 204 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: it seems like they're shifting opinions at times between the government, 205 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: between support for the government and support for the insurrectionists, which, 206 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: if you think about it, does have a certain type 207 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: of logic to it, because the insurrectionists or the tp 208 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: l F would be made of people from these regions often, right, 209 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: it's not outside forces what I'm saying. Also, there's a 210 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: tricky thing. I noticed the t gray group has been 211 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: called common anti communists, but then they've also been called communists, 212 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: and then one time there was a coalition with the government. 213 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: So now they're being called ethnic rebels. It's like the 214 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: story and the reporting keeps shifting. Everything about this story 215 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: is is tricky. But what do you guys think? Do 216 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: you think, Okay, first, do you think it's feasible that 217 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: violent groups would attack these kinds of institutions to sell 218 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: artifacts and you know, historical documents and stuff. I think 219 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: that's a hundred percent possible. I think it's a huge business. 220 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: I don't know, what do you guys think? Is it 221 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: too much trouble? I mean, fifty people dead, I don't know, man, 222 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: it feels like it would be worth it to sweep 223 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: that church. Right, if you're if you're if you have 224 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: a military convoy moving through the area, that church is 225 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: essentially on the on the way, Why would you not 226 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: sweep the church for some kind of as terrible as 227 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: it sounds, another way to fund the war effort, right, Um, 228 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: but I think that would be the only reason. Um. 229 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: There's a there's a story out of Reuter's that is 230 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: from last year, uh like late November, early early December, 231 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: and it's talking about some of the same types of missions. 232 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: Title is Ethiopian military operation in Tigray is complete. Prime 233 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: Minister says, that's the title of the Reuters article. And 234 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: it's describing similar things where many many thousands are believed 235 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: to have been killed throughout this campaign, um or since 236 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 1: two thousand eighteen, at least when the fighting we kind 237 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: of began, as well as you know, countless people fleeing 238 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: to Sudan in other countries, and it's describing, uh, you know, 239 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: some of the same things that we're hearing in this 240 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: latest report. It's feeling like and again it's weird for 241 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: me to trust Reuters, um, but I do trust Reuters, 242 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: you know more. I've found that the other story a 243 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: couple of places, but I do trust them in some 244 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: weird way, and maybe that is my own I don't know, 245 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: cognitive dissonance of some sort, but it's um. It's just 246 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: showing that this this is an early report that we're 247 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: telling you about today, and that may be one of 248 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: the reasons why we're not hearing more about it. You 249 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: know what, we could do an entire episode on the 250 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: illegal antiquities market. I think the most famous example in 251 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: the West is probably World War two. But don't don't 252 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: assume that that was just one uh, that that was 253 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: just some sort of historical one off. The war and 254 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: Iraq led to the looting of the music zems. Of note, 255 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: in that part of the world, there's a thriving international 256 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: art trade, partially for money laundering, which I think we've 257 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: I don't think it's controversial to say that at this point. 258 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: But my last question for you guys before we move on. 259 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: Could there be something through this story? Could there be 260 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,919 Speaker 1: supernatural or not? Uh, some kind of artifact as old 261 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: as the art of the Covenant that I appreciate bringing 262 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: up Shroud of Turin because it's it's conclusively proven that 263 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: that is probably a myth. I think from the twelfth 264 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: or thirteen centuries when I guess. But the but maybe 265 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: is this arc the same thing or is it just 266 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,439 Speaker 1: something like so much time has passed, it would be 267 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: amazing if it was just some other box or some 268 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: other container from around the same time, we would still 269 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 1: learn so much from it really quickly. Guys. Um, you know, 270 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: for the longest time, even back when I first started 271 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 1: hearing about Indiana Jones and the and the Raiders of 272 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,239 Speaker 1: the Lost Arc, I always assumed that it was Noah's ark. 273 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Why what how 274 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: come you can call a giant boat an arc, which 275 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: you can also call a gilded box an arc? Well, 276 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: I mean it both carry something significantly important if the 277 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 1: tails were true, right, yeah, But it's an arc specifically 278 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: like in a housing for important things? Or is it 279 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: just like a vessel of any kind and maybe just 280 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 1: like a more antiquated term. I'm assuming that's the answer, 281 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: but I don't really know. Well, it's uh, it's the 282 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: definitions are both the archaic archaic definitions are both a 283 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,679 Speaker 1: chester box or a large flat bottom boat specifically, but 284 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,159 Speaker 1: the one that's accepted often now is a vessel or 285 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: sanctuary that serves as protection against extinction, which could kind 286 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: of apply to the box as well. Oh that's good. 287 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,719 Speaker 1: That's a good one. I like that definition. Uh fascinating. Okay, 288 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: well there you go. I feel like I've solved a personal, 289 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: uh mystery, even though as simple as a as a 290 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: google away. But yeah, fascinating story. Ben. So back to 291 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 1: my question that I just asked, is this a do 292 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,359 Speaker 1: you think there could be something there? If there's a box? 293 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: Is it roughly the same age as we believe the 294 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: Ark of the Covenant to be? Is it? Is it 295 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: a hoax? Could it have some actual I don't know. 296 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: Something weird about it cracking foundations via heat from tablets? 297 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: Is it's possible for a heat source to crack a 298 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 1: stone foundation? But I feel like maybe just time could 299 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: account for that. I don't know for sure. I mean, 300 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: you know, historians and archaeologists have long kind of quibbled 301 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: over whether this thing could possibly exist. There's a great 302 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: article on National Geographics is why the Ark of the 303 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: Covenant is one of histories Enduring Mysteries by Richard A. 304 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: Love Scott Hoffman. And there's a really interesting quote from 305 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: National Geographic Society fellow Fred heibert Um, who believes the 306 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: this this quest to find this thing is ultimately uh 307 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: doomed to fail. He says, we're talking about things at 308 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: the crossroads between myth and reality. I think it's great 309 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: to have stories like that of the Ark of the Covenant, 310 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: but I do not believe as a field archaeologist that 311 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: we can use the scientific method to prove or disprove them. Yeah, 312 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: could you walk into the church and you go show 313 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: me the arc? And there you go? No, and you 314 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: go show me the arc? Yeah, I was gonna ask Matt, 315 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 1: what do you what do you think? It feels like 316 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: there's something in there? Right? And I know not to 317 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: be also to seven about it, but there's you know, 318 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: what's in the box. But that's the whole thing, Like, 319 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: how can you sure there might be a box or 320 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: an arc? But is it the box or the arc? 321 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: You know, that's the whole question. That's that's that's my 322 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: whole point. During your hand or question, I'm gonna go with, 323 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: there's nothing in that room and there's not a thing 324 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: in there. And it's a place, it's a place to worship, 325 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 1: it's like a or it's a person that they're saying 326 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 1: is the arc of that now, I'm just joking. I 327 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: have no idea. Nobody knows unless you've been in there. 328 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: And our call is for anyone who has been in 329 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: that room, tell us what you saw or if you 330 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: were just anywhere near that area when this went down, 331 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: what actually happened over the past couple of weeks there? 332 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,360 Speaker 1: And uh, you know, if this were long form improv 333 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: we would end up saying it turns out the real 334 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: arc is the friends we made along the way. We're 335 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: using a bit of levity here, but of course, the 336 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: situation in Ethiopia is massively dangerous. It's unsustainable. It's been 337 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,640 Speaker 1: under reported in our opinions. We would love to hear 338 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: once again from people on the ground or anyone who 339 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: knows someone on the ground. Stay safe out our folks. 340 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: We're gonna pause for word from our sponsor. We'll be 341 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: back with more strange news. And we are back with 342 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: another strange, uh kind of predictable news story, but still 343 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: weird about COVID nineteen. That old chestnut. Um, so you 344 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: know how we reported on COVID nineteen, Uh really before 345 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: things got crazy. Um. Not trying to pat ourselves on 346 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: the back or anything, but when it really was a 347 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,959 Speaker 1: lot of mystery behind where this thing started. There were 348 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 1: a lot of theories. We didn't quite know how bad 349 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: it was going to get. But we've been following this 350 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: for quite a long time and living it for what 351 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: seems like an awful, awful long time. UM. And you know, 352 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: the Trump administration used rhetoric pretty effectively to kind of 353 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: hang the blame on China, which to the best of 354 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: our knowledge, you know, is accurate that this virus was 355 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: you know, did originate in China, potentially at this wet 356 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,159 Speaker 1: market that we described in Wuhan, UM. But you know, 357 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: a lot of the language surrounding it was kind of 358 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: steeped in racism and mothering, and we don't have to 359 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: get into that. But China has has finally kind of 360 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: clapped back in their own sort of campaign of somewhat 361 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: misleading and unverifiable information um and also just kind of 362 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: trying to throw up a bit of a smoke screen 363 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: to to deflect some of the blame from themselves and 364 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: deflect it back at US as as a country. UM. 365 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: Some unsubstantiated claims coming from Chinese ficial Chinese government sources, 366 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: UH that the coronavirus may have actually not originated in 367 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 1: Wuhan at all, but from a US military lab in Maryland. UM. 368 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: And it is really starting to gain traction in the 369 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: Chinese media UM, which isn't surprising considering the right now 370 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 1: anti American sentiment is at a fever pitch in in China, 371 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: which is again surprising to no one considering some of 372 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: the divisive policies and rhetoric you know, out of the 373 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: previous administration. Uh. Not only are they making these claims, 374 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: they're also through their state media UM calling into question 375 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: the efficiency or the or the effectiveness rather of Fizer 376 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: Biontics vaccine after twenty three elderly people passed away, you know, 377 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 1: through the clinical trials. UM. So yeah, I mean, it's 378 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: it's it's it's again not super super surprising, but it's 379 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: it's it's interesting that it is gaining such momentum and 380 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: it doesn't seem to have very much steam in terms 381 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 1: of actual you know, citations of where you're getting this 382 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: information about, you know, this lab that it's supposedly originated in. Yeah, 383 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: it's interesting because this specifically says that the Fiser vaccine 384 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: is not only lacking in efficacy, but that it's killing 385 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: elderly people. Right. It's also fascinating to me because in 386 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:18,119 Speaker 1: the early days of the outbreak, China was cracking down 387 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: hard on domestic narratives or statements that didn't fit the 388 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,160 Speaker 1: story they wanted to tell, and they called those things 389 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: conspiracy theories, like like the various Chinese scientists who were 390 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 1: claiming there were problems with the story, or gosh, there 391 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: was one expert who themselves died of COVID nineteen and 392 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 1: they were saying that that the infection was much worse 393 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,360 Speaker 1: than state media was allowing to be reported on air. Yeah, 394 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: I think, I think there's no question that they were 395 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 1: trying to muzzle folks that would get the word out. 396 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: It was almost like a Chernobyl type situation where it's like, 397 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: we know something bad is happening. We know, in likelihood 398 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: if we just did something about it or said something 399 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: about it sooner than later, the world might be able 400 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: to react more effectively. But we don't want a bad 401 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,640 Speaker 1: look and be held responsible, so instead we're just gonna 402 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: like hush everyone up and and hope that it never 403 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: gets out, which of course it was going to get out. 404 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: So it just seems very counterintuitive, but that is the 405 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,639 Speaker 1: kind of response that the Chinese government is known for 406 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: in terms of like muzzling dissidents and you know, keeping 407 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: information under wraps. UM really quickly that the name of 408 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: the base in question or the military lab is Fort 409 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 1: Dietrich in Maryland, UM, and the hashtag Americans Fort Dietrich 410 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: started trending UM because of the Community Youth League in 411 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: China started trending on Chinese social media wi Bo, where 412 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: it was viewed I think something in the neighborhood of 413 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: like two billion times uh. And state media started calling 414 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,479 Speaker 1: on authority needs to investigate for Dietrich as a result 415 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: of this, so, you know, kind of the example of 416 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: them starting the hubbub themselves through the Community Youth League, 417 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: which is a state organization essentially or a state sponsored organization, 418 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 1: and then demanding that an investigation take place. The quote, 419 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: the official quote is if America respects the truth, then 420 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: please open up for Dietrich and make public more information 421 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:27,679 Speaker 1: about the two dred or more bio labs outside of 422 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: the US, and please allow the w h O expert 423 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: group to go to the US to investigate the origins. 424 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: And that came from Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua chun Ying Um, 425 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: and that was her speaking to the Chinese state media, 426 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: which again, it's all kind of the same thing. It's 427 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: all the same organization every you know, all the hands 428 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: are all shaking each other and working in concert. So 429 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: it's hard to take some of these claims very seriously 430 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: because they're kind of essentially just creating sort of a 431 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 1: narrative that deflects blame from them. Um. And we know 432 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: that those origin stories are pretty well vetted, you know, 433 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't you say, or am I overstating the case there? 434 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: I would say they're more well vetted than the the 435 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: narrative here from the Chinese side. I was not aware. 436 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:18,159 Speaker 1: I had been looking at some of this stuff, but 437 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: I was not aware how far back their story goes 438 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,439 Speaker 1: like they were. They were saying, uh, elements of the 439 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: Chinese media and government, we're saying this as far back 440 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: as May. That's a really good point. Then, yeah, well 441 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: they're specifically referencing, Uh, they're not just they didn't just 442 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: pick for Dietrich, you know, by throwing darts at a 443 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: at a map of the US. From what I'm understanding, 444 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: before they got to Fort Dietrich, they were looking for 445 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: a way to as you said, turn this blame on 446 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: the US. So it's like, what is our very verbose 447 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: version of we're rubber your glue. And the US said 448 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: much the same that you've said. They said that this 449 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 1: was a clear attempt at defection. In July t nineteen, 450 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: there was a shutdown of what are called bio safety 451 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: level three and level four types of work at us 452 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: A m R I I D. And that is the 453 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: Army's Biological Defense Laboratory. So that word is true. It 454 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:31,360 Speaker 1: is a thing. It does study high level pathogens and infections, 455 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: buds like anthrax, things that can be weaponized for germ warfare, 456 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: biological warfare essentially. Well that's the thing. Now, it depends 457 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: on who you believe, because a spokesperson for the Army 458 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 1: Medical Research and Development Command said that U s A 459 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: m R I I D does not take part in 460 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: offensive research. But of course, why would you admit that 461 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: if you did, right, why would you be like, oh, yeah, 462 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: for the original name for this lab was Smallpox City. 463 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: Don't think they would do. So it's it's tough to 464 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: know what to believe. But I don't know. I don't 465 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 1: see support that it came from the US. And then 466 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,959 Speaker 1: went to what was what what's the implication that was 467 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: transported surreptitiously to Wuhan and then deployed there? Is that 468 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: the idea? It's it's unclear. We have Matt please, yeah, 469 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: there there was. There are several narratives that have that 470 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: came out over you know, the last year or so, 471 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: and a lot of them had had to do with 472 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: the United States traveling a special envoy that traveled to 473 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: China and you know, then deployed it while they were there. 474 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: Then the virus spread in China to look like it 475 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: came from that area in Wuhan. Um. There are other 476 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: ones that former President Donald Trump, he would he and 477 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: many numerous others pointed to a very similar laboratory ian 478 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: Wuhan that remember we talked about this on a previous episode, 479 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: that is supposedly where the weapon version of this virus 480 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: was released. It's interesting to me. In this ap News 481 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: article they mentioned that, and the last sentence in this 482 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: article is in speaking on the Wuhan laboratory theory. There 483 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: here's the quote. While that theory has not been definitively 484 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: ruled out, many experts think it is unlikely, But isn't 485 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: that interesting that that's that's where the truth lies. Now 486 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: something has not been definitively ruled out, but most people 487 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: who know this stuff say it didn't happen. Well. But 488 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: but it's also like a pretty smart like if you're 489 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: gonna call into question, this narrative is a pretty good location. 490 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: This is already shrouded in some mystery. Like you said, Ben, 491 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: did they work with anthrax and ebola or didn't they? Uh, 492 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: there's we don't even know, you know, there's not even 493 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 1: So it's a really smart kind of way of you know, 494 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: doing a little bit of a switcheroo kind of situation 495 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: where people start to really question the truth if you 496 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 1: repeat it enough. Um, so you know, it's definitely a 497 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,080 Speaker 1: tactic for sure, and we'll see if it actually you know, 498 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: has legs. But who is this for is my question? 499 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: Like it's for the Chinese people, right, it's too it's 500 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: to stir up anti American sentiment among Chinese citizens. It's 501 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: not like it's going to change anybody's mind over here 502 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: right now in the US. But that's I mean, that's 503 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: a very backburner demographic. This conversation is meant for people 504 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: in other regions of the world. Non NATO countries for instance. 505 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: It also gives some fuel to uh, it gives some 506 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: fuel to queue and on associated folks. Uh And and 507 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: it is like a lot of people don't understand this. 508 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: So the CDC does a lot of stuff, right. It's 509 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:50,440 Speaker 1: also kind of a health inspector for some of these outfits. 510 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: And what happened here is that Fort Dietrich at high 511 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: level research, they failed some health inspection stuff, just like 512 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: a restaurant would, and a restaurant has to up its score. 513 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: So some stuff did go wrong there. But it's a 514 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: little bit of a leap to say that what went 515 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:14,959 Speaker 1: wrong was also somehow necessarily means this group was in 516 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:21,520 Speaker 1: secret creating uh COVID nineteen and then maybe based off 517 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: mirrors or something, and then shipping it worldwide like some 518 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 1: kind of uh evil version of FedEx. Uh. Yeah. But 519 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: then the t g I Fridays isn't handling infectious diseases 520 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: on a daily basis, So there their health their health 521 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: ratings a little less important than the the laboratory. But 522 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: you know what, but the analogy it does a million percent. Yeah, 523 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 1: I mean it's sort of like, you know, you have 524 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: to do a little bit of damage control. You have 525 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: to steer the narrative a little bit and you know, 526 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: do some some pr trickery, and that's absolutely what this is. 527 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: Um point totally taken down about this mainly being directed 528 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:03,479 Speaker 1: to other regions. Also worth mentioning that this lab was 529 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: doing some of the earliest research with that kind of 530 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: questionable cocktail of medication known as randes vir, which I 531 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: believe has since kind of been debunked as as an 532 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 1: effective treatment for the coronavirus, but it was something that 533 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: was being pushed pretty heavily, especially by the Trump administration. Yeah, 534 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: so if you believe that, if you believe that there 535 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: are some dastardly ne'er do wells at Fort Dietrich that 536 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,560 Speaker 1: are responsible for COVID I, then wouldn't it make sense 537 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,320 Speaker 1: that they would also be some of the first people 538 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 1: working on I mean, I again, I have seen utopia 539 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:53,720 Speaker 1: now and they wrote this thing in or whatever year sixteen, 540 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 1: whatever year was, they wrote this entire thing telling you, 541 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:04,359 Speaker 1: telling you well, definitely worth watching and seeing how this 542 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: plays out in the bigger picture. But uh, certainly interesting 543 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,439 Speaker 1: to see China kind of clapping back after quite quite 544 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 1: a long time of you know, doing things like calling 545 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: it the China virus and the Wuhan flew and the 546 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,919 Speaker 1: Kung flew and all that stuff, which again lots of 547 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 1: racist undertones and mother ing. And it's to your point, Matt, 548 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: in previous episodes, words have power, you know. Um, And 549 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: even if this is sort of a a little bit 550 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: of trickery, I mean, you can't really blame them for 551 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: trying to deflect some of this, especially yeah, right at 552 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: the end here, can we admit that we, the three 553 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 1: of us, don't know where where this virus originated or 554 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: where where it started, right, I certainly don't, and and 555 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,759 Speaker 1: there is so much conflicting information out there and intelligence 556 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: from various countries intelligence agencies, that it is difficult to know. 557 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 1: And and you know, part of the giant struggle that 558 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:07,760 Speaker 1: humanity itself is faced throughout this is figuring out really 559 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: where it began and how we can prevent this from 560 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:14,879 Speaker 1: happening again. Um, I would just say, questions remain, and 561 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: it's it's tough to be certain we can I would 562 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 1: be careful with I mean, this is why I've always 563 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:26,040 Speaker 1: made that point about reading sources in language they use carefully. 564 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,759 Speaker 1: The best we can say, now, the best anyone can 565 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 1: say publicly is that COVID nineteen stars code nineteen was 566 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:38,280 Speaker 1: first identified in Wuhan. But be careful with that phrase, 567 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: because identified not the same thing as originating. We also, 568 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:46,919 Speaker 1: you know, we're clearly misled by our own country as 569 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: to how early the virus was identified here. Oh yeah, 570 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: it's happening again with the new variants exactly right. So 571 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I hate to, you know, be the one 572 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: suggesting don't trust anybody ever, but gosh, it's just that 573 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,879 Speaker 1: we keep getting, you know, kind of fed a bill 574 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:08,880 Speaker 1: of goods, you know, or sold a bill of goods. 575 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 1: You don't really get fed bills of guy as you could. Um. 576 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: But yeah, it definitely calls a lot of the stuff 577 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: into question and makes it hard to have a to 578 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,680 Speaker 1: to really know, which I think is what leads to 579 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 1: so much conspiracy theories, theorizing and things like you and 580 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,719 Speaker 1: on and all of that because you can't really know. 581 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 1: So why not just you know, go down the rabbit 582 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 1: hole and get weird with it? It's weird. I've had 583 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: some really interesting conversations with some folks who got out 584 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 1: of the Q and On belief system, and I've been 585 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,439 Speaker 1: debating whether I'm going to make contact with some folks 586 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,120 Speaker 1: who are doubling down. We'll see one in the coming days. 587 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: I think you're right. It's a tough situation. Well, it's 588 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:52,759 Speaker 1: a sunk cost fallacy, isn't it. Yeah. Well, and you 589 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: know a little teaser. Uh, we're having a conversation about 590 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:59,360 Speaker 1: that very topic on this week's Listen to Mail episode. 591 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 1: All right, And in that note, we are going to 592 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: take a quick word from our sponsor and we'll be 593 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:14,440 Speaker 1: right back with more strange news. And we are back, 594 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: and we are coming to you with some news that is, 595 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: at least the article that we're using as our primary 596 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,919 Speaker 1: source here is new. But it's an ongoing situation that's 597 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: been developing for goodness over a year, uh in Mexico, 598 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 1: and it's something that US authorities and intelligence agencies have 599 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: been dealing with for longer than that. So i'll just 600 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,400 Speaker 1: read you the headline here. It's coming from the Guardian. 601 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 1: It is outrage after Mexico exonerates X defense minister in 602 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:56,680 Speaker 1: drug case. Okay, so X defense minister in some kind 603 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 1: of drug case. Well, the person we are going to 604 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:05,040 Speaker 1: be talking about today is General Salvador Sian Fuegos. He 605 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: was arrested in October of while he was in the 606 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 1: United States at the loss at a Los Angeles airport, 607 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:21,000 Speaker 1: and he was he was essentially being accused of being 608 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:26,160 Speaker 1: this person known as the Godfather with regards to some 609 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: drug cartel activity within Mexico. It's a really tangled web here, 610 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,319 Speaker 1: but we're gonna try and get you, you know, walk 611 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: you through it as quickly as we can. So there's 612 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: another story that we're gonna refer to before we go 613 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 1: back to that original one. It's from a p It's 614 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:51,320 Speaker 1: titled Mexico Clears General publishes US evidence against him. Okay. 615 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:55,799 Speaker 1: So in this in this article, it describes exactly what 616 00:39:56,040 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: evidence the United States officials had against this general to Fuegos, 617 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 1: and it's essentially conversations between known associates of a cartel. 618 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: They're talking on blackberries and they were intercepted by the U. 619 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,000 Speaker 1: S forces. And I'm going to read from this ap 620 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:18,879 Speaker 1: article to get you up to speed here. Uh, there 621 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 1: were documents that the United States government released these. Uh. 622 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:28,239 Speaker 1: These include intercepted text messages between the leader of the 623 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,279 Speaker 1: H two cartel based in the Pacific Coast state of 624 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 1: Nayarite and a top aid who allegedly served as a 625 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 1: go between with this group, the H two Cartel, and 626 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: the General. This general was often referred to as the 627 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 1: Godfather and at one point as Salvador sin Fuego Cepeda. 628 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:52,840 Speaker 1: There is one exchange where this person told his boss 629 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 1: that he had been picked up by men with short 630 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:59,080 Speaker 1: military style haircuts and was taken to the Defense Department 631 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:02,760 Speaker 1: headquarters in me Pico City for a meeting with quote 632 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,759 Speaker 1: the Godfather. And this guy tells his boss that the 633 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 1: Godfather let him know, uh that you're we're gonna do 634 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:14,360 Speaker 1: big things now. What we've done before was small time. 635 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: And he says that as long as the Godfather is here, 636 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 1: you will be free, that they will never carry out 637 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:26,839 Speaker 1: strong operations or raids. And there's more to this, and 638 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: you can read all of it if you go to 639 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,840 Speaker 1: that that article I mentioned there on the ap But 640 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:35,440 Speaker 1: it appears that there there was some kind of evidence 641 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:38,680 Speaker 1: that was taken up in uh, you know, eavesdropping on 642 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:43,360 Speaker 1: communications that was pointing to this person called the Godfather. 643 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 1: And in one exchange they actually have a person mentioned 644 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 1: this this general, General Salvador Sian Fuegos as the Godfather. 645 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:55,839 Speaker 1: So I guess they believed that all of this intelligence 646 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 1: you know, together meant that this guy was probably the 647 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 1: person they were looking for. So the US picked him 648 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:08,919 Speaker 1: up in Los Angeles and they tried to essentially make 649 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:12,200 Speaker 1: this uh, make this case stick and charge him with 650 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:15,040 Speaker 1: some of these things. But it ended up not going 651 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 1: that way, and he was released back to UH to Mexico, 652 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 1: and then Mexico dropped all the charges. And that's what 653 00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 1: this original article is all about. Um, how upset some 654 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:34,239 Speaker 1: of the general public is at the thought that their government, 655 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:37,040 Speaker 1: at the highest the most upper echelons of their government 656 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: could be working with drug cartels to ship money and 657 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:45,799 Speaker 1: drugs and whatever else between you know, Mexico and Colombia, 658 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:49,200 Speaker 1: Mexico and the United States and all these other countries, 659 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,080 Speaker 1: and to do it with impunity, and then when one 660 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:54,920 Speaker 1: of the top people gets caught, nothing happens to them 661 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:59,000 Speaker 1: because they're above the law. Yeah. This is like just 662 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,520 Speaker 1: just for comparison, and this is like the US Secretary 663 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:10,480 Speaker 1: of Defense getting caught aiding and abetting domestic terrorism and 664 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 1: then not getting fired. It's like Canada catching the U 665 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:21,480 Speaker 1: s Secretary of Defense helping terrorists, UH in a way 666 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: that affects Canada, they go against it, They drop the 667 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:27,000 Speaker 1: charges and handed back to the U S. And the 668 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,480 Speaker 1: U S says, well, you know we're done here. Yeah, 669 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: everything's fine. I was so excited that you made that 670 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:35,400 Speaker 1: comparisons exactly what it is. Well, this is so there's 671 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,760 Speaker 1: there's context here too that I don't want to lose. 672 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:42,160 Speaker 1: One of the big pieces is from what I understand, 673 00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:45,560 Speaker 1: and correct me if I'm off base here, Matt, from 674 00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:52,880 Speaker 1: what I understand, the president of Mexico, obrah Door, was 675 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:58,400 Speaker 1: super piste that the US didn't tell Mexican officials that 676 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: they were doing this investigation in the first place, which 677 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 1: goes to the larger concern. Now over Door was a 678 00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:07,120 Speaker 1: fan of the Trump administration. But that doesn't mean you 679 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,560 Speaker 1: can't get riled up about stuff, right. So the thing 680 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:16,920 Speaker 1: here that's fascinating is there is a a not insignificant 681 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:21,960 Speaker 1: implication that the that the US government or factions thereof 682 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:26,440 Speaker 1: may feel that the Mexican government is entirely compromised by cartel's. 683 00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:32,080 Speaker 1: I mean this is it's also not a crazy as 684 00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:36,480 Speaker 1: conspiracy theories go. It's not super crazy because cartels, you know, 685 00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:40,360 Speaker 1: make a lot of money and they have compromised multiple 686 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:45,239 Speaker 1: police forces, multiple security forces. They control seventy of the 687 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:48,640 Speaker 1: drugs coming into the US. They're not hard up for cash, 688 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:52,080 Speaker 1: and they're not hard up for influence. No, no compunction 689 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: about brutal retaliation. Well, yeah, I can totally see that. 690 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,920 Speaker 1: There's a flip side to it too, though that I 691 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 1: think we've we've thought about and discussed on this show before. 692 00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:08,920 Speaker 1: If the major actions that are being taken by Cartel's, 693 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:15,520 Speaker 1: if they were just manufacturing drugs and trafficking drugs, then 694 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,799 Speaker 1: you could save a lot of lives and a lot 695 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:22,000 Speaker 1: of money by just allowing that action to take place. 696 00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:26,759 Speaker 1: That rather than having, you know, a military force that 697 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: is not trained to fight a drug war, but trained 698 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 1: to fight battles as a military. This is the point 699 00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:36,600 Speaker 1: that the general had made several times, like I'm leading, 700 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: I'm leading a war effort that we were not trained 701 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:43,680 Speaker 1: to do. Is he was, he's very anti drug war. God, 702 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:45,239 Speaker 1: I'm kind of getting off track here, But if you 703 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 1: allowed for those actions to take place, you could save 704 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:53,600 Speaker 1: money and you could save lives. Um and by by 705 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:57,480 Speaker 1: having this you know, war on drugs within Mexico, you 706 00:45:57,560 --> 00:46:01,120 Speaker 1: are in a way creating a lot the bloodshed. If 707 00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:05,040 Speaker 1: it were not for the in fighting between you know, 708 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:08,800 Speaker 1: between different cartels where there's lots and lots of bloodshed 709 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 1: occurring there, where there's danger to citizens a lot of 710 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:15,600 Speaker 1: the times because of that bloodshed. Uh, you do need 711 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:18,400 Speaker 1: it does feel like you do need a protectionary protection 712 00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:23,960 Speaker 1: force essentially like a military to have these operations. God, 713 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:26,200 Speaker 1: I kind of got lost in my thoughts there, but 714 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:29,239 Speaker 1: but essentially it's just there's there's a case to be 715 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:35,320 Speaker 1: made for allowing drug trafficking to occur to prevent violence, 716 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 1: but then that doesn't stop the effects of that the 717 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:43,799 Speaker 1: drugs have on communities wherever they end up. Sure, yeah, 718 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:47,800 Speaker 1: but those policies we should we should point out places 719 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:56,280 Speaker 1: uh that have decriminalized or legalized various substances. Uh. Those 720 00:46:56,440 --> 00:47:00,800 Speaker 1: those policies are also implemented hand in hand with support 721 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:05,359 Speaker 1: network policies, right like treatment centers, rehabs, stuff like that. 722 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:11,440 Speaker 1: This it definitely feels like there's a political tent to 723 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:17,759 Speaker 1: this story that I'm not fully aware of. Because for 724 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 1: anybody who's wondering how often does this happen, It's it's 725 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:28,400 Speaker 1: pretty rare for the US law enforcement apparatus to drop 726 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:32,960 Speaker 1: drug trafficking charges like this. This guy, the general, was 727 00:47:33,280 --> 00:47:37,680 Speaker 1: the highest military official in the land at one point 728 00:47:37,680 --> 00:47:40,879 Speaker 1: in the in the government of Mexico. And so there 729 00:47:40,880 --> 00:47:44,160 Speaker 1: are a lot of international observers who are saying that 730 00:47:44,360 --> 00:47:47,759 Speaker 1: this was a on the U S side, that this 731 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:53,680 Speaker 1: was clearly a political decision to try to preserve the 732 00:47:53,800 --> 00:47:59,279 Speaker 1: overall relationship and cooperation between the two countries. But it's 733 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:04,920 Speaker 1: strange because when Mexico dropped the charges, the latest news 734 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:08,200 Speaker 1: is that the US is considering picking those charges back up. 735 00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:13,520 Speaker 1: So I wonder, I wonder what they're really fighting about. Right, 736 00:48:13,719 --> 00:48:16,920 Speaker 1: it does feel bigger, It really does feel bigger. And 737 00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:19,880 Speaker 1: there's another piece of that's been according to the end 738 00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:23,799 Speaker 1: of this AP News article, they are saying that Mexico's 739 00:48:23,960 --> 00:48:27,920 Speaker 1: Congress very recently passed a law which is going to 740 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:33,080 Speaker 1: restrict US agents, like intelligence agents, from being within Mexico. So, 741 00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:36,359 Speaker 1: like I'm assuming reducing the number of operations that can 742 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:38,880 Speaker 1: occur there and how they would handle that. And also 743 00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:42,320 Speaker 1: while they are in Mexico on their soil, they would 744 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:46,280 Speaker 1: remove the diplomatic community that they would usually be given. 745 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:49,479 Speaker 1: Uh And we've talked about before on the show about 746 00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:53,719 Speaker 1: what diplomatic community gives you We've recently talked about it 747 00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:56,959 Speaker 1: with Saudi Arabian citizens who are in the United States 748 00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:01,040 Speaker 1: and what that means. Diplomatic communities not quite as powerful 749 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:05,680 Speaker 1: as being a Saudi Arabian citizen in the US almost 750 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:13,520 Speaker 1: it's around there. Uh, it's definitely. The problem is when 751 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:18,800 Speaker 1: comparing the two, the diplomatic immunity obeys laws. Uh. That's 752 00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:22,840 Speaker 1: that's the primary differentiation there between the treatment. But but 753 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:24,880 Speaker 1: you're right, stuff you should know, by the way, has 754 00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: a great episode on diplomatic community for anybody wants to 755 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:31,360 Speaker 1: learn more. Uh, there's a solid argument in the case 756 00:49:31,440 --> 00:49:36,040 Speaker 1: of this type of law enforcement that some degree of 757 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:41,200 Speaker 1: immunity is requisite to accomplish the job and the objectives. 758 00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:45,440 Speaker 1: But still, you know, it's the war on drugs. It's 759 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:49,759 Speaker 1: a huge bag of badgers. It's made a ton of money. Uh, 760 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:51,680 Speaker 1: it's made a ton of money for the people who 761 00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:56,239 Speaker 1: claim to be fighting against drugs. Right. I don't think 762 00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:58,960 Speaker 1: you I don't think that's a controversial claim here in 763 00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:03,839 Speaker 1: and Uncle Sam made billions off of the drug war, 764 00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:07,759 Speaker 1: and that is one of the that is one of 765 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:12,680 Speaker 1: the factors that makes it easy to not trust the 766 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:19,440 Speaker 1: official narrative because it's been proven false and intentionally misleading before. 767 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:24,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, man, drugs just me so much money. 768 00:50:24,239 --> 00:50:28,080 Speaker 1: And you're right, Matt, if there were a situation where 769 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:33,520 Speaker 1: things are decriminalized, if not recreationalized, then what we've seen 770 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:38,400 Speaker 1: happen so far is that it's not the end of society. 771 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:42,000 Speaker 1: It's just a different group of people making drug money. 772 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:45,239 Speaker 1: Someone's always going to be making money off of drugs. 773 00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:48,719 Speaker 1: Someone will always be doing that. It doesn't matter what 774 00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:53,560 Speaker 1: buzz phrases we use. The big question is who likes this, 775 00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:57,879 Speaker 1: Who who benefits from the status quo as it stands now, 776 00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:03,000 Speaker 1: would benefit if the status quo change? And what kind 777 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:06,160 Speaker 1: of favors did the general call in? What do you 778 00:51:06,200 --> 00:51:09,040 Speaker 1: think he made some phone calls, he had to write, 779 00:51:09,120 --> 00:51:12,879 Speaker 1: or he's got some dirt. I don't know. I'm I'm 780 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:19,160 Speaker 1: sure um um if the the only thing here, Ben 781 00:51:19,239 --> 00:51:22,839 Speaker 1: is that this isn't the first time it's happened, um. 782 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:30,080 Speaker 1: The previous the predecessor of san Fuegos was Genaro Garcia Luna, 783 00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:35,279 Speaker 1: who was arrested in Texas in December twenty nineteen on 784 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:40,000 Speaker 1: charges of taking giant bribes from the Sonola cartel in 785 00:51:40,080 --> 00:51:43,800 Speaker 1: order to help them ship drugs into the US. So 786 00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:46,960 Speaker 1: it may just be a systemic thing or a position. 787 00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:49,160 Speaker 1: Once you get up to that position, you're kind of 788 00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:53,240 Speaker 1: the godfather. Okay, okay, kind of like if you're the president, 789 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:56,839 Speaker 1: every plane you ride in is automatically Air Force one. Yeah, 790 00:51:57,120 --> 00:52:01,719 Speaker 1: kind of like that. I was not aware of their Luna. No, 791 00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:03,800 Speaker 1: what do you think about this report? Do you do 792 00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:05,759 Speaker 1: you agree there's something more to the story or do 793 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,319 Speaker 1: you think it's just I don't know what's you take. 794 00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:10,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm kind of with you. It does feel 795 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:15,920 Speaker 1: a little bit like something is being obscured here. I 796 00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:18,760 Speaker 1: have no idea what it is, but it's certainly another 797 00:52:18,760 --> 00:52:21,759 Speaker 1: one to watch. I would say, yeah, yeah. And and 798 00:52:21,800 --> 00:52:24,759 Speaker 1: just before you go thinking, oh, it's just weed or something, UM, 799 00:52:25,320 --> 00:52:28,000 Speaker 1: just give you what Seine Fougos was accused of. Uh. 800 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:31,320 Speaker 1: He's accused of conspiring with HD cartel to smuggle thousands 801 00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:36,600 Speaker 1: of kilos, so thousands of kilos of cocaine, heroin, meth, 802 00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:39,680 Speaker 1: and marijuana into the U s. And that was from 803 00:52:39,680 --> 00:52:41,920 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve two thousand and eighteen while he was 804 00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:48,520 Speaker 1: Defense Secretary. Smuggling meth that's unusual. Usually that stuff made domestically. 805 00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:52,600 Speaker 1: That's that's interesting. And you can see, uh, you can 806 00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:55,719 Speaker 1: see video footage of some of the some of the 807 00:52:55,800 --> 00:52:58,480 Speaker 1: things being caught. I believe it's on that the al 808 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:01,439 Speaker 1: Jazeer article that I looked at for this, it's called 809 00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:05,240 Speaker 1: Mexico x Defense minister arrested in US on drug charges. 810 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:09,880 Speaker 1: Oh by the way, one thousand kilos for anybody in 811 00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:14,279 Speaker 1: the US is a little more than one ton. So 812 00:53:14,320 --> 00:53:18,400 Speaker 1: these are these are literal tons and tons of drugs. Yeah, 813 00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:23,640 Speaker 1: that's a lot of street doses right there. I can't imagine. God, 814 00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:27,359 Speaker 1: super interesting. Fine, Matt, Yeah, well, you know who who 815 00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:32,040 Speaker 1: cares if if the heads of government can can run 816 00:53:32,160 --> 00:53:35,720 Speaker 1: drugs the way we kind of think for a while, 817 00:53:36,120 --> 00:53:41,160 Speaker 1: I mean, that's what are you gonna do? Does check 818 00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:45,880 Speaker 1: out opium productions? To check out the poppy productions in Afghanistan? 819 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:48,040 Speaker 1: Look a look at the dip under the Taliban and 820 00:53:48,080 --> 00:53:52,120 Speaker 1: then look at the rise later. Uh. Stuff they don't 821 00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:55,080 Speaker 1: want me to think about. So I can sleep at night, 822 00:53:55,280 --> 00:54:00,839 Speaker 1: not saying it's one one to one, solidly proven thing, 823 00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:04,560 Speaker 1: but heard from so many members of the military who 824 00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:07,239 Speaker 1: have told us, you know, we had to protect these 825 00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:12,120 Speaker 1: crops um. It's yeah, there's there's definitely more of the story, 826 00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:14,239 Speaker 1: and you know who really cares about it? I bet 827 00:54:14,520 --> 00:54:16,719 Speaker 1: this is a question I would ask towards the end, Matt, 828 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:20,759 Speaker 1: I bet Salvador cares. What's he doing now? What's he 829 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:23,960 Speaker 1: doing right now? Does he listen to the show? No, 830 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:28,359 Speaker 1: he's chilling. He's retired though, right, so it's time. He's 831 00:54:28,360 --> 00:54:32,680 Speaker 1: good to go. He's no, he's he's reading something on 832 00:54:32,719 --> 00:54:36,800 Speaker 1: a porch somewhere. He was cleared of all all charges, 833 00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:40,160 Speaker 1: right January fourteenth, not too long ago as we record this. 834 00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:46,640 Speaker 1: Uh so he might still be celebrating. I can totally 835 00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:55,440 Speaker 1: imagine him just finding a yacht somewhere. Drug sub I'm sorry. Sorry. 836 00:54:56,160 --> 00:55:01,399 Speaker 1: His successor is currently in office, one Louis Gonzales, and 837 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:06,560 Speaker 1: I wonder if he's been referred to as the godfather. Um, 838 00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:10,880 Speaker 1: I'm serious to your point about maybe every secretary becoming 839 00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:16,400 Speaker 1: a godfather automatically is interesting. I don't know. I doubt it. 840 00:55:16,560 --> 00:55:18,480 Speaker 1: I seriously doubt it. I think you had to earn 841 00:55:18,560 --> 00:55:22,560 Speaker 1: that place, you know, the general in the defense Minister 842 00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:25,239 Speaker 1: is a title, but earning godfather is probably something a 843 00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:28,600 Speaker 1: little different. Um. But it is weird. It is weird 844 00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:34,960 Speaker 1: to think that top cartel officials, god top cartel members 845 00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:39,960 Speaker 1: would be visiting with a defense minister. That's a that's 846 00:55:39,960 --> 00:55:44,000 Speaker 1: a tough pill to swallow. Yeah, all right, well that 847 00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:46,080 Speaker 1: I think that's enough for it for this, because if 848 00:55:46,440 --> 00:55:49,080 Speaker 1: if you have any information on this, hey, did you 849 00:55:49,120 --> 00:55:52,400 Speaker 1: work with the Godfather? You want to tell us a story, 850 00:55:52,480 --> 00:55:54,640 Speaker 1: we're here. You can talk to us unless it will 851 00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:58,680 Speaker 1: endanger you or us or anyone else. Don't don't talk it. No, 852 00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:03,560 Speaker 1: don't do it. I don't want to go down for this, dude. Um, 853 00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:06,560 Speaker 1: all right, so you can. You can find us on 854 00:56:06,680 --> 00:56:09,520 Speaker 1: social media. We're all over the place. Conspiracy stuff in 855 00:56:09,560 --> 00:56:13,600 Speaker 1: most places. Conspiracy stuff show on Instagram. Yeah. Great place 856 00:56:13,640 --> 00:56:15,680 Speaker 1: to tell us your tale would be to give us 857 00:56:15,680 --> 00:56:19,200 Speaker 1: a call at our toll free hotline, or you will 858 00:56:19,239 --> 00:56:23,359 Speaker 1: hear Ben's dulcet tones welcoming you to leave your own 859 00:56:23,400 --> 00:56:27,239 Speaker 1: personal three minute message uh slash story. Please let us 860 00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:29,040 Speaker 1: know if it's okay to use your name or what 861 00:56:29,080 --> 00:56:31,120 Speaker 1: you'd like us to call you, and uh, if you'd 862 00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:32,520 Speaker 1: like us to not use your name at all, we 863 00:56:32,560 --> 00:56:34,799 Speaker 1: can also do that. That number is one eight three 864 00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:38,160 Speaker 1: three s T d W y T K and if 865 00:56:38,239 --> 00:56:42,560 Speaker 1: you are on the Internet feeling charitable, why not why 866 00:56:42,560 --> 00:56:45,680 Speaker 1: not throw us a rating on your pod scraper, pod 867 00:56:45,760 --> 00:56:49,880 Speaker 1: catcher of choice. It does matter, We do appreciate it. 868 00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:55,240 Speaker 1: If none of that quite uh smuggles your drugs across 869 00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:59,000 Speaker 1: the border, there's one other way you can always contact us. 870 00:56:59,320 --> 00:57:01,960 Speaker 1: Let us know your opinion on the biblical art of 871 00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:05,360 Speaker 1: the Covenant, let us know your opinion on under reporting 872 00:57:05,560 --> 00:57:09,319 Speaker 1: in Ethiopia. Let us know what you think about the 873 00:57:09,360 --> 00:57:14,080 Speaker 1: origins of what we're calling COVID nineteen. You can do 874 00:57:14,160 --> 00:57:17,000 Speaker 1: all that and more by sending us a simple email 875 00:57:17,120 --> 00:57:38,880 Speaker 1: where we are conspiracy at i heeart radio dot com. 876 00:57:39,000 --> 00:57:41,080 Speaker 1: Stuff they don't want you to know is a production 877 00:57:41,160 --> 00:57:44,240 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 878 00:57:44,400 --> 00:57:47,240 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 879 00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:48,600 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.