E227. Siddharth Kara Explains Slavery Exists Today On A Global Scale

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4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2023

⏱️ 112 minutes

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Summary

Siddharth Kara, author, researcher, and activist on modern slavery sits down with Bridget to discuss the harsh reality of cobalt mining and the fact that the technological world is built using modern day slaves. In a powerful and important conversation Siddharth explains how people like you and I cannot function in the world for 24 hours without participating in enormous violence and destruction in the Congo. The first step in affecting change is to flood the world with truth and to confront the abhorrent conditions and violence that provide us with computers, phones, tablets and electric vehicles. He and Bridget discuss the truth about the supply chain, what it's like on the ground in the Congo, the suffering he has witnessed and what we can do about it. They also cover his journey from finance to traveling the world doing research on modern slavery and child labor, why there’s a structural failing happening when there’s a choice between being exploited or starving, how people in power often have it completely wrong when talking about solutions for people that they’ve never met, the difference between the PR and fictions told by the companies profiting off the cobalt and the reality of what’s happening on the ground, why there has to be a force of moral authority imposed on capitalism, the struggle to make social change stick, how we can pressure our governments to enact change, and how the legacy of this period in time will be that we obliterated a people and their world for ours. Be sure to read Siddharth's book Cobalt Red for the full picture. Sponsor Links: Progressive Insurance - https://pgrs.in/3Dp5ZIW The Adam Carolla Show - https://bit.ly/WiW-AdamCarolla

Transcript

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0:00.0	This week, we welcome author, researcher, and activist on modern slavery, Sidharth Kara.
0:07.2	You have asked the all-important question of our time, and I'm not overstating the matter.
0:14.6	There are major government-driven mandates to transition from internal combustion engines
0:23.5	to electric vehicles in order to meet important climate sustainability goals.
0:30.9	But they're making these mandates. Nobody is stopping to think,
0:36.7	what are the consequences downstream of these policies?
0:42.3	Is their collateral damage to this? We're trying to save our environment
0:46.8	by destroying the environment and the people in the heart of Africa.
0:51.2	Right. You know, how is that okay?
0:53.9	This is Watkins. Welcome with Bridget Pettasy. I'm Bridget Pettasy, and you are welcome.
1:11.3	You know the drill. Please subscribe, rate, comment, share, reach out, tell your friend,
1:16.2	send smoke signals, whatever. We love your feedback and we want to hear from you.
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1:26.3	You'll get access to behind-the-scenes content, outtakes, discounts on merch,
1:31.2	and the ability to submit questions for some of our upcoming guests.
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1:40.8	Okay, I'm with Sidharth Kara, everybody. Welcome to Watkins. Welcome. It's such a pleasure to have you.
1:47.8	Thank you so much. I'm really pleased to be here with you.
1:50.8	Thank you for doing this. I saw your interview like many people on Rogan, and I was so glad
1:56.3	he had you on because I feel like this topic gets brushed over the topic of the Cobalt mining,
2:04.2	which is why you were on Rogan to talk about your book, Cobalt Red. And it's something, you know,
2:11.0	you hear people make reference to. I'll see it a lot online as almost an insult,
	...

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