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Power Corrupts

Assassinations

Power Corrupts

Brian Klaas

News, Politics, 498122

4.82K Ratings

🗓️ 13 June 2019

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why did the CIA try to kill an African political leader with poisoned toothpaste? How did a sturdy couch save a leader from being killed during an elaborate plot involving a self-sinking boat and a collapsing ceiling? Was a recent attempt to blow up Venezuela's dictator with a small consumer drone a genuine attack, or just a pretext to crack down on his political opponents? Is democracy more likely to emerge when dictators are assassinated, or does it just make the situation worse? And which US president got shot in the chest by a would-be assassin but continued speaking for 90 minutes, even as he was bleeding before the crowd?
Support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/powercorrupts

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Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer and sound editor is George McDonagh.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Thank you for listening to Power Corrupts. We make this show because we think it's important not to make money,

0:05.4

but it does cost money to make episodes. If you want to help us stay editorially independent,

0:10.5

please consider supporting our work in one of two ways.

0:14.0

First, pre-order my new book, Corruptible, Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us,

0:19.0

which comes out on November 9, 2021.

0:22.0

It's an exploration of the bizarre fascinating ways in which humans relate to

0:26.0

power that ranges from everything from corrupt beehives to the time I took a ski lesson with a man who

0:31.8

once ruled Iraq. If you like this

0:34.0

podcast I promise you love the book. Second, join a community of

0:38.4

supporters and get access to exclusive bonus content by going to Patreon.com slash power corrupts.

0:46.0

For just three dollars a month you'll get access to early episodes and at different tiers

0:49.9

you can get bonus content like uncut interviews as well as the possibility of a

0:54.0

Zoom meet and greet with my producer George and myself. If you don't support the

0:58.8

show I'll be forced to bombard you with ads about socks and job recruitment schemes and mortgage websites and nobody wants that.

1:05.0

But seriously, thank you for listening and for your support.

1:10.0

August 4th, 2018.

1:12.0

Caracas Venezuela August 4th, 2018.

1:13.0

Caracas, Venezuela.

1:17.0

You're out on your balcony, looking out at the military parade unfolding below.

1:29.0

Nikola Meduro raid unfolding below. Nicola Maduro, the dictator who helped wreck Venezuela's economy, is giving a speech, rallying the troops, sprinkling in a bit of good old-fashioned defiant nationalism for good measure.

1:37.0

Maduro is wearing a neatly pressed black suit, adorned with a splash of color from a red, blue, and yellow military sash, the

1:46.2

colors of the Venezuelan flag.

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