Episodes

  • Introducing Power Corrupts

    Introducing Power Corrupts
    Mar 24 2019

    Does power corrupt? Absolutely. This is the podcast about the hidden—and often nefarious—forces that shape our world. Election rigging. Smuggling. Narcopolitics. Ransom. Conspiracy Theories. North Korean bank heists. Cults. Drug Lords. Voodoo. Money laundering. Assassinations. Unhinged conspiracy theories. Unbelievable stories. Hear the trailer now and subscribe. Season 2 coming February 6th 2020.

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    Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer and sound editor is George McDonagh.
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    2 mins
  • How to Rig an Election

    How to Rig an Election
    May 1 2019
    How do you rig an election—and get away with it? Why did a cult try to poison an entire county to win a local election? And what about using disappearing ink, or threatening arson, or name doubles? This episode shows how the amateurs rig elections — with hilarious mix-ups and puréed beavers — and how the pros get away with it. Support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/powercorrupts ------

    Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer is George McDonagh. Alex Portfelix is the producer and sound editor. Theme music is by Scott Holmes.

    News clips in this episode came from PBS, KKGW in Portland, Euronews, and CBS News.
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    51 mins
  • Conspiracy Theories

    Conspiracy Theories
    May 1 2019
    Why do some people believe unhinged conspiracy theories? How are they affecting our politics? How did insane theories—like QAnon—convert millions of people? Did John Kerry split a hurricane in half with a laser beam from Antarctica? What's really lurking beneath the Denver airport? And what can we do about these unhinged beliefs, given that America now has a Conspiracy-Theorist-in-Chief? Support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/powercorrupts ------

    Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer is George McDonagh. Alex Portfelix is the producer and sound editor. Theme music is by Scott Holmes.
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    56 mins
  • Narcopolitics

    Narcopolitics
    May 1 2019

    How have drugs been used in warfare? Why does the cocaine in London nightclubs pass through a dictatorship in West Africa? Why did British soldiers get high on hallucinogens and try to talk to birds? How does heroin bought in the West create a market for child brides? And, should we legalize some drugs?

    Support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/powercorrupts ------

    Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer is George McDonagh. Theme music is by Scott Holmes, and additional music by Lee Rosevere, John Bartman, and Kevin McLeod.
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    1 hr
  • Voodoo, Vampires, and General Butt Naked

    Voodoo, Vampires, and General Butt Naked
    May 9 2019
    Why did a West African rebel leader send his troops into battle completely naked, protected only by talismans? How did threats of voodoo and invisible zombies stave off a US invasion of Haiti? And why was a journalist nearly killed when local villagers mistakenly thought he was a vampire? In this episode, we explore the wild and weird world of the politics of magic and witchcraft.

    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.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Disinformation and Deep Fakes

    Disinformation and Deep Fakes
    May 16 2019
    Disinformation is a powerful weapon. It forces your enemy to inflict damage upon themselves based upon lies that you've deliberately spread. How did a homeless man's corpse help win World War II? How does reality television function in Russia, given that the media is so tightly controlled? And what happens when fake video gets so good that we can't tell the difference between fiction and reality?

    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.

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    55 mins
  • Ransom

    Ransom
    May 23 2019
    What's it like to be held by Somali pirates for 977 days? Or to meet your Dad for the first time after he's been held in a basement in Beirut for nearly 7 years? Are you more likely to be killed as a hostage if you're American than if you're French? And how does economic game theory help us answer the question: what is the price of your freedom?

    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.
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    53 mins
  • Smuggling

    Smuggling
    May 30 2019

    What's the best way to smuggle a crocodile onto an airplane? What is the journey actually like for migrants getting smuggled from Afghanistan to Australia? Why is the European Union paying migrant smugglers in Niger to open bakeries? Will Trump's proposed border wall actually do anything to stop smuggling? And how should you go about smuggling your pet turtle onto an airplane?

    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.
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    1 hr