Most of what we've talked about in this podcast has been distinctly dark and depressing, but on this episode we talk about how violent war might make life better.
Whenever you tune into the news nowadays, it seems like there's yet another tragic disaster on the airwaves. And, over recent years, some fringe researchers have been arguing that disaster has a season -- not some part of the year wherein disasters are naturally more likely to occur, but a time of the year when certain forces are purposefully creating tragedies. Listen in to learn more.
During the hectic news cycle of 2015, numerous stories popped up in headlines, only to disappear as soon as another event (or scandal) came to light. One story in particular remains enigmatic in the modern day: During the investigation into the Clinton email scandal, an FBI report found that "There was a powerful group of very high-ranking State [Department] officials that some referred to as 'The 7th Floor Group' or 'The Shadow Government.'" What exactly did this mean? Was there really a shadow government operating in Washington? Tune in to learn more.
Earlier, the guys explored the fact, fiction and speculation surrounding MKULTRA programs, during which the Central Intelligence Agency financed and directed multiple illegal experiments on US citizens. The program was officially disbanded before it became public knowledge, but thousands of people aren't buying the official story -- instead, they say, insidious operations continued throughout the country. Where do these claims come from? Is there any proof?
The rumors spread for decades: Somewhere in the US, our own government was conducting dangerous, heinous and illegal experiments on citizens from all walks of life. This conspiratorial tale seemed set to remain little more than an urban legend -- until, that is, intrepid reporters and members of Congress managed to expose MKULTRA, the insidious series of experiments run by the Central Intelligence Agency with almost no oversight. In the decades since the revelation, MKULTRA has been featured in countless works of fiction, documentaries and more. But what exactly was it? Join the guys as they separate the MKULTRA fact from fiction.
It sounds like a darkly comic tale worthy of Vonnegut -- Rodney Hyden, a down-on-his-luck Florida businessman, hears a modern urban legend from Julian, the local town hippy: Years back, the story goes, Julian was living the simple life in Puerto Rico when a huge parcel of cocaine washed ashore. Not being sure what to do, Julian buried the drugs and more or less let them be. As the 2008 crash put Rodney in dire financial straits, he began assembling a team to retrieve the cocaine in a mission that was a combination of a heist, a search for buried treasure, and an international drug deal. Join the guys as they sit down with director Theo Love for a peek behind the curtain of this strange, true story.
Across the span of modern human history, the Arctic has been a desolate, dangerous wasteland of freezing ice, inaccessible waters and more than a bit of myth. Yet as the ice recedes, countries and corporations around the globe are already gearing up to take possession of the region's future trade routes -- and billions of dollars' worth of previously untouchable resources. The pieces are already on the chessboard, with multiple groups accusing each other of cover-ups and deceptive tactics. One questions looms larger and larger with each passing season: Who will control the Arctic?
