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Power Corrupts

Blood Diamond / Blood Chocolate

Power Corrupts

Brian Klaas

News, Politics, 498122

4.82K Ratings

🗓️ 4 July 2019

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why are countries that are rich in natural resources so often poor and war-torn? You’ve probably heard of blood diamonds, but what about blood vanilla, blood microchips, or blood chocolate? How are rebels and terrorists funding themselves with watermelons and wheat? We crisscross the globe from Papua New Guinea to Madagascar to find out.

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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Thank you for listening to Power Corrupts.

0:02.0

We make this show because we think it's important not to make money,

0:05.0

but it does cost money to make episodes.

0:08.0

If you want to help us stay editorially independent,

0:10.0

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

On November 15, 1532, 162 Spanish conquistadors arrived at the court of Atahuelpa, the Incan

1:17.4

Emperor in what's modern day Peru.

1:21.5

And when they arrived, what they saw was terrifying.

1:24.0

80,000 Inca soldiers in full battle dress,

1:28.0

enough to fill a big modern day football stadium.

...

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