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Power Corrupts

The Dark Art of Propaganda

Power Corrupts

Brian Klaas

News, Politics, 498122

4.82K Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2020

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Propaganda has been around for thousands of years. But what separates the pros from the amateur propagandists? Why are North Korean radios made without dials? Who is Sister Potato and why is the Chinese government using her to convince people to eat potatoes? Why did American soldiers fight—and die—to steal phone books and undelivered mail for a propaganda radio station? And how does Iran shut down the internet? Welcome to Season 2 of Power Corrupts.

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. The This is a song that was played on the radio throughout Central America a few years ago.

1:37.0

It's called Labestia, or The Beast, and it's by a Latino artist named Eddie Gans.

1:42.0

The song is all about the train that takes money. And it's by a Latino artist named Eddie Gans.

1:43.0

The song is all about the train that takes migrants up the dangerous corridor connecting Central America to the United States border.

1:50.0

It's a train that is notorious for crime. Desperate migrants face being robbed, kidnapped, trafficked, or in the worst cases,

1:58.0

raped or murdered.

2:00.0

And the song tells that story of a hopeful journey turning into a tragic one.

2:05.0

Migrants go as cattle to the slaughterhouse, taking hell's root within a cloud of pain, he sings.

...

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