Adam and guest Danger Van Gorder discuss the 2022 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the impact it had on a highly controversial church that financially exploited its members in Japan for decades.
Show notes: https://conspirapod.link/ep330
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I.
Hey everybody, welcome to
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Conspiracy the show.
I am your host, Adam Todd Brown
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joining me as Co host this week.
Oh, my favorite Co host of all.
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No Co host, but I do have a
fantastic guest back for the
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first time.
I don’t think it’s been a long
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time.
You’ve been on conspiracy
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00:00:51,560 –> 00:00:54,160
recently, right?
Danger van Goghers here.
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Yes, hello.
Hi, everybody.
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I’m, I’m very happy to be here.
It’s been a while, much has
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happened.
It’s been a while.
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Between the last time you and I
spoke, yeah.
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What?
Why?
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What’s going on?
Anything.
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Ran for office, got me 9000
votes, came in fourth behind
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only the incumbent who we wanted
to be re elected, and two
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conservatives who enjoyed
$600,000 worth of corporate
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money to basically buy one of
those spots.
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Gross.
Yeah, so I’ll be running again
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and soon.
But yeah, that also just, you
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know, my daughter is 2 1/2 now,
the younger ones 2 1/2 and she’s
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just, she screams.
That’s her thing.
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She’s a, she’s a screamy little
scream monster.
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She’s so beautiful when she
wants to be.
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She says I love her daddy and
it’s so cute. 40% of the time,
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however, she is screaming at me.
Well, with you talking about
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politics, we did have a perfect
segue into what we’re talking
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about this week.
But danger, be in danger.
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We took a turn right there at
the last second.
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Get some kids stuff in there.
We are talking about our
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arguably history’s most
successful political
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assassination.
When I say successful, I don’t
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mean they killed the guy.
That part, obviously it’s not an
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assassination without that part,
right?
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But I mean, the political
fallout in the wake of this
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assassination and even the
public response to it, very
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successful for the person who
perpetrated this killing, which
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is the assassination of former
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
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Abe.
How familiar were you with this
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before we took on this episode?
I remember it happening, what, a
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couple of years ago, 20/20,
2:00-ish, and just being sort of
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amazed that there was any gun
violence in Japan at all.
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Who are famous for like, I think
I’ve seen some standoffs that
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happened in Japan and they use
swords, you know, it like
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having, maintaining, owning,
continue to own, acquiring
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weapons and also the ammunition
required for firearms is
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extremely difficult.
Yeah, in Japan.
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And so it amazed me that, you
know, it, that was the the
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weapon of choice.
But also, it’s sort of that dude
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was able to just sort of scoot
right up to the target in
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question and very cleanly make
his statement.
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Yeah, let’s see.
This wasn’t someone shooting
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from the top of a barn 1 farm
away, like in Trump’s case.
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This guy walked right up to the
person he was trying to shoot
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and shot him.
Yeah, it seemed like just
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probably went up to security and
was like, excuse me, please, can
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I get through?
And they were like, oh, sure.
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Sorry.
It’s a very polite nation.
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This sort of access to an
assassination target not super
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common with world leaders.
That’s since, like, William
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McKinley, you know, it’s been a
bit, You know, let’s also just
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state for the record, since I’m
a public figure, if you’re
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considering an assassination,
you probably shouldn’t because
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assassinations just aren’t cool.
You shouldn’t do it.
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They’re bad.
Let’s win in with ideas rather
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than with politically targeted
violence.
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What do we say?
I would also add to that as a
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American podcast with a
predominantly American audience,
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shit ain’t going to go this way
if you pull something like this
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in the United States, and you
need only look at Luigi Mangione
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for proof of that.
Sure, on the public half of
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things people are like, I kind
of get it.
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But on the government side of
things, Oh no, no, no, no, not
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at all.
Yeah, and that McDonald’s
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employee that turned him in
wasn’t rewarded.
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So remember that part, too.
You know, not only is it not
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cool to take a life, but also,
you know, if you’re around, if
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you try to finger someone who
has taken a life in the hopes of
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personal profit, it that
probably also won’t work out for
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you.
Yeah, you’re not going to
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believe it, but Crime Stoppers
doesn’t always come through with
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the money for those tips to
police.
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All right, disclosures made.
Let’s dance.
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Dangerous, right?
There’s a reason we’re talking
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about this when we are, and it
actually has nothing to do with
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our current administration.
I know people might get that
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sense that that’s what I’m
getting at, but I’ve also gone
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on the record on this podcast
and many other podcasts.
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No matter how bad your fucking
administration is, that’s not
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how you want to handle it in
assassination, especially of an
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American president.
It’s not going to lead to the
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things you might be hoping it’s
going to lead to on either side.
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No matter what side of the aisle
you’re on.
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It’s only going to be bad
fucking times for the country.
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And if we’re talking this
administration, who’s next in
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line that’s better?
The cherub in chief, Mr. Vance.
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Yeah, exactly.
He takes orders real cleanly,
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you know he does what he’s told.
So, yeah, I also want to clarify
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up top that that is not why
we’re bringing this up.
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It’s because there is a huge
development with this story that
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literally just happened this
week as we record this.
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This week.
This week.
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You’re telling me that as of
this week, we got fresh news hot
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off the griddle?
We have fresh.
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News about the assassination of
Shinzo Abe.
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Just bananas.
It’s like the documentary Tickle
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that just keeps getting
stranger.
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This story does keep getting
stranger.
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So with all that out of the way
and clarified, let’s dive in.
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This is a story we covered on
the You Don’t Even Like the Show
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podcast Back Closer to when it
Happened.
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That would be July 8th, 2022.
That is the day Shinzo Abe was
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assassinated by a 41 year old
man named Tetsuya Yamagami.
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Abe was Japan’s longest serving
Prime Minister, held office in
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2006 for a year and then again
from 2012 to 2020.
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Left office for health reasons,
those health reasons being
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ulcerative colitis.
So he was literally shitting too
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much to focus on work.
Sorry about your bum bum, Sir.
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I had a three month bout of
something very similar.
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Thoughts and prayers.
It’s bad, bad times, bad times.
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So like I said, there’ve been
some pretty huge updates to that
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story since we covered it back
in 2022, including one that just
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happened a few days ago.
So that’s one of the reasons
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we’re talking about it today.
But I also, again, want to talk
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about it because one of the
developments that has happened
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is that this has come to be
viewed legitimately as one of
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the most successful and
effective assassinations in
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history.
The person who did this got
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everything they wanted.
Wow.
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Is this person alive?
Is this person in jail?
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What’s the story?
We’ll get to the perpetrator and
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his background, but his trial
has not started yet.
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And I’m really interested to see
how that trial goes given just
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the way the public and the
government has responded since
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then.
Because one of the things that I
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think is important to keep in
mind as his trial happens, which
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is supposed to happen, I think
like literally any day now, is
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the same Prime Minister who
suffered this huge drop in
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approval ratings, who we’ll talk
about later as a result of this
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assassination.
He’s still in office.
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And a lot of these changes that
have come about as a result of
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this assassination are that
Prime Minister responding to
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this because he doesn’t want to
get kicked out of office,
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because now the whole fucking
country is mad about what this
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guy was mad about.
So I could see the government
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stepping in and being like, you
know what?
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How about we lessen that
sentence a little bit.
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I would not be at all surprised
if this guy gets a reduced
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sentence.
A lot of public support for this
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murder is what you’re saying.
We got shades of something like
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that here in the US.
Yeah, yeah, it is very Luigi
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Mangione.
Like very much.
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Mamma Mia.
Right.
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My favorite character, another
Super Mario Kart.
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It’s me, Luigi, yeah.
Oh, and Super Smash Brothers.
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So let’s dive into how this
assassination played out again.
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Happened on July 8th, 2022.
Abe was giving a speech for a
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political candidate on a street
in the city of Nara.
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Witnesses saw a man carrying a
comically large gun fire twice
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at the former Prime Minister
from behind.
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Shooter made no attempt to run,
tackled by security detail
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almost immediately comically.
Large gun, like he’s walking up
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and people are like, hey, I
wonder why that man has a
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comically large gun that
doesn’t.
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That seems just a little weird.
What did they think it was like
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a bouquet of roses or something?
The security lapse here is
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astounding because there’s
pictures of this gun out there
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on the Internet.
If you read most of the articles
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we’ll link to about this, you’ll
see it.
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It’s not the kind of thing he
just had in his sock and pulled
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out on the sly when he got close
enough.
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I mean you say security lapse,
but also like this is a public
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event and there are people
there.
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Is there any report of people
saying, hey look at that
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anywhere?
Yeah, I don’t know.
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I don’t know.
Bananas was he just that
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captivating of a speech
deliverer that, you know, he
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died doing what he loved and
everybody was just just taking
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with with this speech?
And would it have even worked if
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people pointed and were like,
hey security, do something?
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Because again, the Trump
attempted assassination, there’s
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videos of a whole crowd of
people being like.
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Hey, what’s that on the roof?
Hey, there’s a guy over there on
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the roof.
Hey, that guy’s got a gun.
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Hey, he’s like getting in
formation.
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You’re going to and then you
know, we know what happened.
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But so who knows if the crowd
reacting that way would have
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even fucking done anything.
And so like we already touched
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on a little bit highly rare act
in Japan, and by that I mean
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political assassination and just
gun crimes in general.
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Most mass killings in Japan
happen by way of knife usually
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or mass attacks.
Rates of gun ownership and
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violence both in Japan are among
the lowest in the world.
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An NPR article published around
the time of the assassination
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said that in 2021, the year
before the assassination, there
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was one death caused by gun
violence in Japan.
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Just a little comparison, there
were forty, 5034, that same year
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in the United States.
So if you just take the number,
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you would drop off the end.
If you were trying to cite that
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statistic really quick, it’s
still just an astronomical
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00:12:12,560 –> 00:12:17,080
increase over Japan’s numbers
for the same year.
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Japan was one of the First
Nations to pass gun restriction
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laws of any sort, and so buying
a gun there sounds like an
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00:12:26,880 –> 00:12:31,800
absolute goddamn ordeal.
To do it, you have to. 1.
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Join a hunting or shooting club
2.
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Take a firearm class. 3.
Pass a written exam and a
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shooting range test with a score
of at least 95%.
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That was three and four.
Let’s go 5.
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Get a doctor’s note stating you
are mentally fit and have no
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history of drug dependency.
Smart 6 take a full day course
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on how to safely fire and store
a gun all.
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Right 7.
Complete a police interview
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explaining why you want a
firearm.
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00:12:59,360 –> 00:13:00,720
OK, like that.
Eight.
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Pass a rigorous background check
in which police review your
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00:13:04,000 –> 00:13:07,960
criminal record, employment
history, financial status, and
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00:13:07,960 –> 00:13:10,760
relationships with family,
friends and neighbors.
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00:13:10,960 –> 00:13:13,360
OK, we got a discount version of
that here 9.
218
00:13:13,600 –> 00:13:16,840
Apply for a gunpowder permit.
Gunpowder permit.
219
00:13:16,840 –> 00:13:19,760
OK, Wow, 10.
Yeah.
220
00:13:19,760 –> 00:13:20,240
What?
Yeah.
221
00:13:20,240 –> 00:13:22,880
What’s 10 gonna be?
Shine up your musket.
222
00:13:23,360 –> 00:13:26,760
No, actually, 10 is.
Obtain a certificate from a gun
223
00:13:26,760 –> 00:13:29,400
dealer describing the gun you
want.
224
00:13:29,520 –> 00:13:35,800
OK, 11. 11 Buy a gun safe and
ammunition locker that meets
225
00:13:35,800 –> 00:13:38,920
safety regulations.
OK, let’s say 11 and 12.
226
00:13:38,920 –> 00:13:42,440
Goodness gracious.
Last but absolutely not least.
227
00:13:42,600 –> 00:13:47,360
Lucky 13 Allow the police to
inspect your gun storage and
228
00:13:47,360 –> 00:13:50,160
conduct another background check
2.
229
00:13:50,160 –> 00:13:52,400
Background checks, just a bonus
background check on top.
230
00:13:52,680 –> 00:13:55,120
Like, hey, did anything happen
in the last six months when we
231
00:13:55,120 –> 00:13:58,040
began this process of you
expressing interest in a
232
00:13:58,040 –> 00:13:59,920
firearm?
Golly.
233
00:14:00,160 –> 00:14:03,560
And then after all that, you
can’t even buy a handgun.
234
00:14:03,720 –> 00:14:10,160
Those are illegal for regular
ass people In Japan you can only
235
00:14:10,160 –> 00:14:13,680
buy shotguns or air rifles.
Which makes the part where you
236
00:14:13,680 –> 00:14:16,800
have to get a certificate from a
gun dealer describing the gun
237
00:14:16,800 –> 00:14:19,920
you want so funny.
You have two choices.
238
00:14:20,120 –> 00:14:23,360
I hereby certify he just wants
to eat a little bitty pop gun.
239
00:14:23,440 –> 00:14:26,120
Yeah, you want the steak or the
chicken, Who cares?
240
00:14:26,120 –> 00:14:30,560
Just let him pick one.
And then that license you get is
241
00:14:30,560 –> 00:14:34,280
I believe only good for like 3
years and then you have to do
242
00:14:34,360 –> 00:14:39,600
all that shit again.
Checking back in the a ADMV for
243
00:14:39,600 –> 00:14:41,080
guns you said.
That’s interesting.
244
00:14:41,280 –> 00:14:45,280
There can also be no more than
three gun stores in each of
245
00:14:45,280 –> 00:14:48,680
Japan’s prefectures.
Wow, the entire, basically the
246
00:14:48,680 –> 00:14:53,320
entire state.
Right, and this one blows my
247
00:14:53,320 –> 00:14:55,760
fucking mind.
You can only buy fresh
248
00:14:55,760 –> 00:15:01,200
cartridges by returning spent
cartridges you bought on your
249
00:15:01,200 –> 00:15:03,760
last visit.
Letting you get into a chicken
250
00:15:03,760 –> 00:15:07,080
and egg situation of like, where
did the first unspent cartridge
251
00:15:07,080 –> 00:15:12,000
come from?
One of the articles we’ll link
252
00:15:12,000 –> 00:15:16,760
to about this part mentions a
story where a journalist went to
253
00:15:16,760 –> 00:15:20,560
a gun range for a story of some
sort, and at the end of the
254
00:15:20,560 –> 00:15:24,360
demonstration, they started
collecting up the shell casings
255
00:15:25,000 –> 00:15:28,760
and couldn’t find one.
And it was like, lock the
256
00:15:28,760 –> 00:15:32,880
fucking building down, don’t let
anyone leave, the map is off.
257
00:15:33,040 –> 00:15:36,520
Yeah, like, we need to find this
before anyone goes.
258
00:15:37,040 –> 00:15:41,040
So yeah, you have to do all of
that if you want a gun in Japan
259
00:15:41,040 –> 00:15:44,280
or you just build 1 like this
guy did.
260
00:15:44,400 –> 00:15:46,800
What like like a 3D print type
situation?
261
00:15:47,000 –> 00:15:50,480
It seems way more advanced than
that.
262
00:15:50,560 –> 00:15:53,760
He went to some pretty
extraordinary lengths to build
263
00:15:53,760 –> 00:15:56,120
the weapon he used in this for
one thing.
264
00:15:56,120 –> 00:15:58,840
Remember one of those
stipulations was you have to get
265
00:15:58,840 –> 00:16:01,080
a gunpowder permit.
This is the funniest
266
00:16:01,080 –> 00:16:04,080
stipulation, I’ll say.
Well, he got around that by
267
00:16:04,440 –> 00:16:08,320
making his own gunpowder.
Is this Walter White?
268
00:16:08,720 –> 00:16:12,640
And we got a chemist as well.
He rented an apartment and then
269
00:16:12,640 –> 00:16:17,160
later a garage for the sole
purpose of drying that
270
00:16:17,160 –> 00:16:19,200
gunpowder.
That alone cost him around
271
00:16:19,200 –> 00:16:22,840
¥15,000 per month.
By the time he carried the
272
00:16:22,840 –> 00:16:27,760
assassination out, he had
accrued around ¥400,000 in debt,
273
00:16:27,880 –> 00:16:32,320
mostly on account of the cost of
building the various weapons he
274
00:16:32,360 –> 00:16:35,080
considered using.
Here’s another thing that I
275
00:16:35,080 –> 00:16:38,600
think built up some goodwill
toward this guy with the public.
276
00:16:38,680 –> 00:16:40,040
Goodwill.
Oh, OK.
277
00:16:40,040 –> 00:16:44,600
Well, his first thought was to
use a bomb to do this and then
278
00:16:44,600 –> 00:16:47,720
he was like, well no, I don’t
want to kill people like I I
279
00:16:47,720 –> 00:16:50,360
wanted I after this one.
I want to kill politicians.
280
00:16:50,400 –> 00:16:52,000
Yeah, I don’t.
I’m after this one guy.
281
00:16:52,000 –> 00:16:55,560
I’m not trying to like harm
civilians or anything.
282
00:16:55,720 –> 00:16:57,560
So that was noble of them, you
know.
283
00:16:59,040 –> 00:17:01,240
Let’s put a big asterisk on that
noble, but sure.
284
00:17:01,920 –> 00:17:07,079
Can you imagine what sounds like
10 years of your life coming
285
00:17:07,079 –> 00:17:14,079
down to 1 moments?
Like literally one second?
286
00:17:14,560 –> 00:17:19,160
I just can’t imagine that much.
She’s just that much goddamn
287
00:17:19,160 –> 00:17:20,920
tension.
Oh my God.
288
00:17:21,160 –> 00:17:24,040
And so much preparation.
It’s so methodical.
289
00:17:24,160 –> 00:17:29,800
This is going to sound like such
a weird comparison, but I mean
290
00:17:29,800 –> 00:17:30,600
it.
Danger.
291
00:17:30,600 –> 00:17:33,200
What you’re describing is
exactly why I love watching the
292
00:17:33,200 –> 00:17:38,520
Olympics, and especially why my
favorite sports are like figure
293
00:17:38,520 –> 00:17:43,040
skating and gymnastics where it
comes down to all right, you got
294
00:17:43,040 –> 00:17:47,760
to get through this 2 minutes or
so and you got to do it perfect.
295
00:17:48,320 –> 00:17:53,440
If your fucking ankle wobbles a
little bit, all the sacrifice
296
00:17:53,440 –> 00:17:56,960
your family made to get you
here, everything you did to get
297
00:17:56,960 –> 00:18:01,480
here means nothing because you
messed up one little bit.
298
00:18:01,480 –> 00:18:05,360
If this guy missed, the Moonies
are still running roughshod over
299
00:18:05,360 –> 00:18:06,880
Japan.
Absolutely.
300
00:18:07,040 –> 00:18:09,800
Spoiler alert.
Yeah 100%.
301
00:18:10,080 –> 00:18:14,080
If he missed he would have just
got tackled and sent to jail and
302
00:18:14,080 –> 00:18:16,400
people would have been like the
fuck dude what were you
303
00:18:16,400 –> 00:18:18,920
thinking?
There may have been a
304
00:18:18,960 –> 00:18:22,720
conversation still, but I don’t
know, man.
305
00:18:22,720 –> 00:18:26,720
This isn’t this isn’t making me
want to a kill anyone or go into
306
00:18:26,720 –> 00:18:29,040
the Olympics.
Well, no, it doesn’t make me
307
00:18:29,040 –> 00:18:32,000
want to kill anyone because I’m
not a victim of the Moonies.
308
00:18:32,440 –> 00:18:33,960
No victim.
All right.
309
00:18:34,120 –> 00:18:37,880
I mean you get this guy is a
victim of like he didn’t just do
310
00:18:37,880 –> 00:18:39,240
this because he hates the
Moonies.
311
00:18:40,600 –> 00:18:44,200
I mean, let’s explore that, huh?
I don’t know his story.
312
00:18:44,200 –> 00:18:47,680
Like, this is so much
preparation for one act.
313
00:18:48,320 –> 00:18:51,560
You know, there’s got to be some
pretty horrific stuff going on
314
00:18:51,560 –> 00:18:53,160
here.
Let’s talk about it.
315
00:18:53,360 –> 00:18:57,360
So Shinzo Abe, he was a
controversial leader.
316
00:18:57,520 –> 00:19:01,680
He’s a right winger or was a
right winger, despite his
317
00:19:01,680 –> 00:19:04,680
party’s name, Liberal Democrat
Party, that is Japan’s
318
00:19:04,680 –> 00:19:08,240
Conservative nationalist Party.
While in office, he was pushing
319
00:19:08,240 –> 00:19:13,160
for Japan to return to using
their military for more than
320
00:19:13,160 –> 00:19:16,120
just defense.
Something about being the only
321
00:19:16,120 –> 00:19:19,320
country to get naked during
wartime has made them a little
322
00:19:19,320 –> 00:19:21,560
reticent to get back into the
war game.
323
00:19:21,760 –> 00:19:26,120
But the right wingers in Japan
really want them to strike that
324
00:19:26,200 –> 00:19:29,000
that notoriously great army back
up.
325
00:19:29,120 –> 00:19:32,640
So at first for very briefly,
people were like, is that it?
326
00:19:32,960 –> 00:19:35,680
Is this guy just mad that Abe is
a right winger?
327
00:19:35,680 –> 00:19:37,880
And maybe this guy leans a
different way.
328
00:19:38,040 –> 00:19:42,160
But no, no.
Shortly after, Yamagami revealed
329
00:19:42,160 –> 00:19:46,040
that he did not do this for
political reasons per SE, but
330
00:19:46,040 –> 00:19:50,400
instead because of Abe’s support
for a gigantic and highly
331
00:19:50,400 –> 00:19:54,640
sketchy religious organization
called the Unification Church,
332
00:19:54,840 –> 00:19:58,840
AKA the Moonies.
These are the bad guys from the
333
00:19:58,840 –> 00:20:02,080
Dead Space video games, right?
I am not a gamer.
334
00:20:02,320 –> 00:20:05,480
All right, there’s, there’s 12
people who are just like, nice.
335
00:20:05,800 –> 00:20:07,560
I yeah, I don’t know.
I don’t know.
336
00:20:07,560 –> 00:20:11,120
Are the Moonies in a video game?
The unitology is.
337
00:20:11,320 –> 00:20:13,680
Okay.
Again, 12 people losing their
338
00:20:13,680 –> 00:20:15,240
minds right now.
Terrific.
339
00:20:15,680 –> 00:20:18,880
And so many more are like, what
can we move on?
340
00:20:19,360 –> 00:20:20,920
OK, play Dead Space.
It’s great.
341
00:20:21,400 –> 00:20:27,520
So the Moonies were founded in
1954 by Reverend Sun Myung Moon
342
00:20:27,760 –> 00:20:32,880
in South Korea.
He claimed at 15 to have had a
343
00:20:32,880 –> 00:20:37,440
vision where Jesus Christ
himself told him to finish his
344
00:20:37,440 –> 00:20:41,640
mission on earth and create a
state of sinless purity for
345
00:20:41,640 –> 00:20:45,040
humanity.
At 15, how was no one like?
346
00:20:45,400 –> 00:20:49,360
How about you go create some
purity in your bedroom and clean
347
00:20:49,360 –> 00:20:51,640
it?
I’m definitely.
348
00:20:51,640 –> 00:20:55,080
Yeah, he was.
Probably already pretty bored,
349
00:20:55,320 –> 00:20:57,920
you know, I got an N 6415.
He was great.
350
00:20:58,120 –> 00:21:01,240
Yeah.
He was a fervent anti communist
351
00:21:01,320 –> 00:21:06,280
and he used that to form ties
with conservative leaders all
352
00:21:06,280 –> 00:21:09,920
over the world, but especially
in Japan.
353
00:21:10,080 –> 00:21:13,240
By the 1980’s the Moonies
claimed to have 3 million
354
00:21:13,240 –> 00:21:16,920
members worldwide.
They are probably most well
355
00:21:16,920 –> 00:21:22,400
known for holding mass wedding
ceremonies in sports stadiums
356
00:21:22,640 –> 00:21:26,560
where in a lot of cases the
people getting married just met
357
00:21:26,640 –> 00:21:29,080
that day or are meeting for the
first time.
358
00:21:29,320 –> 00:21:31,640
They’re arranged marriages.
Pretty creepy.
359
00:21:31,800 –> 00:21:36,680
They are widely considered by
experts and former members both
360
00:21:36,880 –> 00:21:41,160
to be a straight up cult.
There’s a musician, one of my
361
00:21:41,160 –> 00:21:45,240
favorite new musicians, named
Sasami, who I’m going to see in
362
00:21:45,240 –> 00:21:47,640
LA in April.
She was raised in the
363
00:21:47,640 –> 00:21:51,760
Unification Church and is pretty
adamant that it’s a cult.
364
00:21:51,880 –> 00:21:54,000
Pretty much anyone who’s gotten
out calls it a cult.
365
00:21:54,120 –> 00:22:00,000
So Shinzo Abe, not only was he a
paid speaker at Unification
366
00:22:00,000 –> 00:22:05,000
Church events, but his
grandfather was a ruler of Japan
367
00:22:05,000 –> 00:22:07,960
at one point also, and he had
ties to the Moonies.
368
00:22:08,160 –> 00:22:12,520
So this is a thing that’s run
through Shinzo Abe’s family for
369
00:22:12,520 –> 00:22:14,640
a long time.
But it’s those speaking
370
00:22:14,640 –> 00:22:19,320
engagements that probably got
him killed because Yamagami
371
00:22:19,320 –> 00:22:25,280
wanted to shoot Hak Jahan Moon,
who is head of the Unification
372
00:22:25,280 –> 00:22:29,080
Church now and the widow of the
guy who founded it.
373
00:22:29,240 –> 00:22:33,320
But that plan fell through.
I think she had a trip to Japan
374
00:22:33,320 –> 00:22:36,160
planned and it got cancelled.
It was raining.
375
00:22:36,400 –> 00:22:40,320
Yeah, so he was like, eh, Abe
can get it.
376
00:22:40,440 –> 00:22:42,200
I guess he’s enough of a
supporter.
377
00:22:42,320 –> 00:22:44,680
That’ll do the trick.
Not a situation in which you
378
00:22:44,680 –> 00:22:48,080
want to be a runner up.
Yeah, what a sad consolation
379
00:22:48,080 –> 00:22:51,440
prize to get.
And so, on social media,
380
00:22:51,680 –> 00:22:57,440
Yamagami claimed his family and
life were destroyed by the
381
00:22:57,440 –> 00:23:01,880
Unification Church by way of the
massive financial donations they
382
00:23:01,880 –> 00:23:04,600
coerced his mom into giving them
over the years.
383
00:23:04,800 –> 00:23:07,280
Here is a quote.
After my mother joined the
384
00:23:07,280 –> 00:23:11,840
church in the 1990s, my entire
teenage years were gone with
385
00:23:11,840 –> 00:23:16,400
some 100 million yen, $735,000
wasted.
386
00:23:17,200 –> 00:23:20,320
It’s not an exaggeration to say
my experience during that time
387
00:23:20,320 –> 00:23:22,720
has kept distorting my entire
life.
388
00:23:22,920 –> 00:23:27,320
That is an excerpt from a letter
he sent to a Blogger the day
389
00:23:27,320 –> 00:23:29,520
before carrying out the
shooting.
390
00:23:29,680 –> 00:23:33,840
Even worse, his mom only joined
the church because Yamagami’s
391
00:23:33,840 –> 00:23:37,920
dad, her husband, committed
suicide and she was, you know,
392
00:23:37,960 –> 00:23:42,600
seeking comfort of some sort and
ends up finding it in this
393
00:23:42,600 –> 00:23:45,040
church.
Who then RIP her off.
394
00:23:45,400 –> 00:23:47,120
Merciless.
It destroys her family.
395
00:23:47,200 –> 00:23:50,440
Family, Good Lord.
Yeah, his uncle gave an
396
00:23:50,440 –> 00:23:55,640
interview and added some more
details and said that the mom of
397
00:23:55,640 –> 00:24:01,040
that ¥100,000,000 donated around
60 million of it within months
398
00:24:01,440 –> 00:24:02,960
of joining.
So she.
399
00:24:03,120 –> 00:24:05,680
Wiped out their savings as soon
as she was asked.
400
00:24:05,680 –> 00:24:07,240
Yeah, good.
Gravy.
401
00:24:07,280 –> 00:24:10,760
It’s exactly that because he at
one point said he stopped giving
402
00:24:10,760 –> 00:24:14,320
her money to buy the kids food
because she would just give it
403
00:24:14,320 –> 00:24:17,320
right to the church.
His brother also committed
404
00:24:17,320 –> 00:24:21,000
suicide later.
Her donations to the church
405
00:24:21,000 –> 00:24:24,000
bankrupted the family.
Neither of the kids could go to
406
00:24:24,000 –> 00:24:26,200
college.
Seems like that’s part of why
407
00:24:26,440 –> 00:24:31,160
the brother committed suicide.
At one point, Yamagami tried to
408
00:24:31,160 –> 00:24:36,600
commit suicide also and failed,
and his mom did not even cut her
409
00:24:36,600 –> 00:24:41,400
trip to South Korea short to
come back and check on him.
410
00:24:41,600 –> 00:24:46,440
Did you text him like an emoji?
Like you up type you good.
411
00:24:46,440 –> 00:24:49,600
It was 2005, I don’t think even
had emojis.
412
00:24:49,640 –> 00:24:53,680
We had texting though, just like
hey man, you good?
413
00:24:53,880 –> 00:24:56,840
Who knows?
When the press reached out to
414
00:24:56,840 –> 00:25:00,840
her after the assassination, she
said she was sorry for bothering
415
00:25:00,840 –> 00:25:04,840
the church with her sons.
Crime, Oh my God, okay, well,
416
00:25:04,840 –> 00:25:11,640
look, it’s going to take a very
deeply committed soul to a wipe
417
00:25:11,640 –> 00:25:15,120
out your entire financial
security and that of your entire
418
00:25:15,120 –> 00:25:20,400
family, $750,000 is a ton of
money that you’re willingly give
419
00:25:20,400 –> 00:25:22,840
away.
So I don’t see it as that much
420
00:25:22,840 –> 00:25:26,400
more of a stretch that she’d be
like, yeah, sorry, that’s sorry.
421
00:25:26,400 –> 00:25:28,760
My kid tried to kill himself,
failed and I guess he killed
422
00:25:28,760 –> 00:25:30,880
this important guy.
That sucks for for you guys, the
423
00:25:30,880 –> 00:25:36,120
church, and my entire reason for
being at this point, you know?
424
00:25:36,240 –> 00:25:37,760
No, I’m not surprised she said
it.
425
00:25:37,920 –> 00:25:41,920
It’s still messed up though.
Ma’am, it’s just more evidence
426
00:25:41,920 –> 00:25:47,200
of how insidious this group is.
Like it’s not even right to call
427
00:25:47,200 –> 00:25:49,720
him a church.
No, churches are one thing.
428
00:25:49,720 –> 00:25:50,680
This is a cult.
A.
429
00:25:51,040 –> 00:25:54,600
Lot of cults use the word church
to veil themselves against
430
00:25:54,600 –> 00:25:57,440
scrutiny.
So it’s also important to note
431
00:25:57,600 –> 00:26:02,320
that Yamagami is part of what’s
called the Lost Generation in
432
00:26:02,320 –> 00:26:08,120
Japan, and that is a generation
of still relatively young people
433
00:26:08,920 –> 00:26:15,080
who graduated from school to
find almost no job opportunities
434
00:26:15,440 –> 00:26:18,440
outside of like low paying
contract jobs.
435
00:26:18,640 –> 00:26:23,840
He graduated from high school in
99, which was smack dab in the
436
00:26:23,840 –> 00:26:28,440
middle of a period in Japan
called the Employment Ice Age.
437
00:26:28,440 –> 00:26:29,520
Oh.
God.
438
00:26:29,680 –> 00:26:31,080
Fucking.
Yikes.
439
00:26:31,520 –> 00:26:33,320
He’s a millennial.
Yeah.
440
00:26:33,560 –> 00:26:35,880
He’s only a few years older than
I am, man.
441
00:26:35,880 –> 00:26:38,800
Like, these are people in their
early 40s.
442
00:26:39,040 –> 00:26:42,520
Like, man, the.
Jeez, the hopelessness.
443
00:26:42,520 –> 00:26:44,360
The hopelessness is real.
Yeah.
444
00:26:44,600 –> 00:26:46,520
You know, the structures are
falling apart.
445
00:26:46,520 –> 00:26:50,160
We do not have the opportunities
prior generations had from the
446
00:26:50,160 –> 00:26:52,400
jump.
Yeah, like it was worse in Japan
447
00:26:52,400 –> 00:26:55,720
though for a lot of people.
Oh yeah, Japan, their economy
448
00:26:55,720 –> 00:27:00,320
crashed in the 80s and the 90s
were very, very rough for Japan.
449
00:27:00,320 –> 00:27:03,600
They have a really large
economy, but it still struggles
450
00:27:03,760 –> 00:27:07,000
a whole lot.
And so on top of that, add in
451
00:27:07,000 –> 00:27:11,480
the fact that the Moonies are
gigantic in Japan.
452
00:27:11,680 –> 00:27:17,040
The most recent figure I’ve seen
says there are around 600,000
453
00:27:17,200 –> 00:27:21,640
Mooney adherents in Japan.
So it’s not a major religion
454
00:27:21,640 –> 00:27:23,400
there.
It’s not like a huge percentage,
455
00:27:23,400 –> 00:27:26,320
but it is a very substantial
percentage.
456
00:27:26,520 –> 00:27:28,480
It’s a.
Pretty big group.
457
00:27:28,600 –> 00:27:34,960
So there are a lot of young to
young ish people in Japan who
458
00:27:34,960 –> 00:27:39,320
went through the exact or very
similar circumstances as
459
00:27:39,320 –> 00:27:44,320
Yamagami, all while the country
was in the throes of an economic
460
00:27:44,440 –> 00:27:48,880
disaster that hit those same
young people the hardest.
461
00:27:49,080 –> 00:27:53,080
So it’s no wonder they fucking
hate the Unification Church.
462
00:27:54,120 –> 00:27:59,280
And that is what motivated a lot
of the outpouring of support,
463
00:27:59,400 –> 00:28:02,160
because when people thought he
did it for political reasons,
464
00:28:02,160 –> 00:28:05,840
they were like, all right, no,
that’s not what we do here.
465
00:28:05,920 –> 00:28:08,240
When they found out it was
because the Moonies took all his
466
00:28:08,240 –> 00:28:13,320
money, they were like, oh.
Which I think we could argue is
467
00:28:13,320 –> 00:28:15,680
what happened with Luigi
Mangione here.
468
00:28:15,840 –> 00:28:20,480
Once people found out the
motivation behind it, there was
469
00:28:20,800 –> 00:28:22,400
a pretty big outpouring of
support.
470
00:28:22,560 –> 00:28:26,000
There was also kind of an
immediate outpouring of support
471
00:28:26,080 –> 00:28:29,280
that the people were immediately
like, denied, defend deposed.
472
00:28:29,320 –> 00:28:32,440
Well, because no one needed to
be told that healthcare
473
00:28:32,440 –> 00:28:36,000
companies are fucking everyone
over like people needed to at
474
00:28:36,000 –> 00:28:38,320
least have the Moonies explain
to them first.
475
00:28:40,040 –> 00:28:41,640
Everyone.
I think with Mangione,
476
00:28:41,640 –> 00:28:44,440
legitimately a lot of people
just heard healthcare CEO and
477
00:28:44,440 –> 00:28:46,520
were like, oh sure, sure, sure.
Yeah.
478
00:28:46,720 –> 00:28:49,480
So yeah, it’s, it’s very
similar.
479
00:28:49,480 –> 00:28:52,880
It’s, I mean not exactly the
same, but a very similar
480
00:28:52,880 –> 00:28:57,600
situation where a guy commits an
act of murder and act of
481
00:28:57,600 –> 00:29:02,960
violence and a lot of people are
like wrong to do but.
482
00:29:03,560 –> 00:29:07,200
Yeah, and that’s a big but.
I sympathize.
483
00:29:07,440 –> 00:29:10,840
And so, yeah, there were
suggestions on social media that
484
00:29:10,840 –> 00:29:14,720
people should send care packages
to the detention center he was
485
00:29:14,720 –> 00:29:17,720
being held at.
More than 7000 people signed a
486
00:29:17,720 –> 00:29:21,320
petition requesting leniency.
And that was, according to the
487
00:29:21,320 –> 00:29:23,800
article from a few years ago.
It’s probably more.
488
00:29:23,960 –> 00:29:25,880
And his trial has not started
yet.
489
00:29:26,040 –> 00:29:31,320
So I am really, really, really
interested to see how this trial
490
00:29:31,320 –> 00:29:35,520
goes, given that the LDP is
still in charge, which is
491
00:29:35,520 –> 00:29:36,880
shocking.
It’s the political party, right?
492
00:29:37,000 –> 00:29:40,760
Yeah, once we get him to how
this affected them, I’m shocked
493
00:29:40,760 –> 00:29:44,560
that they’re still in power.
And I totally get why they’re
494
00:29:44,560 –> 00:29:48,280
trying to make all these reforms
against the Moonies to try and
495
00:29:48,280 –> 00:29:51,640
stay in power.
So on that note, it’s way more
496
00:29:51,640 –> 00:29:55,520
than the public support that
makes people call this the most
497
00:29:55,520 –> 00:29:57,960
successful political
assassination in history.
498
00:29:57,960 –> 00:30:02,000
For one thing, the LDP was
pretty popular when this
499
00:30:02,000 –> 00:30:06,840
assassination happened, and
normally if you’re in power and
500
00:30:06,840 –> 00:30:10,120
your party is popular and
someone assassinates a member of
501
00:30:10,120 –> 00:30:12,440
that party, your party gets more
popular.
502
00:30:12,440 –> 00:30:16,760
Yeah, you get more sympathy,
Absolutely. 100% But instead of
503
00:30:16,760 –> 00:30:20,640
sympathy in this case, the
public was like, tell us more
504
00:30:20,960 –> 00:30:24,400
about the LDP and the Moonies.
This sounds interesting.
505
00:30:24,400 –> 00:30:28,360
What is going on?
And what they very quickly
506
00:30:28,360 –> 00:30:34,760
learned is that 179 LDP members,
nearly half of the party.
507
00:30:35,040 –> 00:30:38,160
Oh, oh boy.
Had direct ties to the
508
00:30:38,160 –> 00:30:42,720
Unification Church and this was
voluntary reporting.
509
00:30:43,800 –> 00:30:47,560
So it stands to reason that
several people knew they should
510
00:30:47,560 –> 00:30:51,760
lie and lied, and there were at
least two who were found out to
511
00:30:51,760 –> 00:30:54,600
have lied later.
OK, so let’s bump that up to
512
00:30:54,600 –> 00:30:56,680
181.
When you say Thai is like, what
513
00:30:56,680 –> 00:30:59,480
does that mean?
Like family or they go to, they
514
00:30:59,480 –> 00:31:01,960
go to sermons or whatever,
they’ve given money or they’ve
515
00:31:01,960 –> 00:31:04,360
accepted money.
That’s the whole thing.
516
00:31:04,480 –> 00:31:10,880
The Moonies had essentially a
patronage program between them
517
00:31:10,880 –> 00:31:14,760
and the LDP, where it was just
given that if you were a member
518
00:31:14,760 –> 00:31:18,120
of the LDP, the Unification
Church would give you access to
519
00:31:18,120 –> 00:31:20,560
their members if you needed it.
They would support your
520
00:31:20,560 –> 00:31:23,720
campaigns whatever you needed.
You just had to push their
521
00:31:23,720 –> 00:31:28,440
chosen agendas, which of course
were like opposing women’s
522
00:31:28,440 –> 00:31:33,840
advancement in the workplace,
opposing same sex marriage, like
523
00:31:33,880 –> 00:31:37,040
all the fucking nasty right wing
shit.
524
00:31:37,160 –> 00:31:42,240
So in the LDP pushed all that in
exchange for support from the
525
00:31:42,240 –> 00:31:43,880
Moonies.
Yeah, I was going to say, where
526
00:31:43,880 –> 00:31:47,280
did the Moonies get all that
money from widows.
527
00:31:47,520 –> 00:31:50,080
It gets pretty spicy in that
regard, too.
528
00:31:51,120 –> 00:31:54,920
So yeah, the Moonies and the LDP
kind of had this, you know,
529
00:31:54,920 –> 00:31:57,600
working relationship.
That’s something special going
530
00:31:57,600 –> 00:32:00,000
there, huh?
And so at the time of the
531
00:32:00,000 –> 00:32:04,960
assassination, Prime Minister
Fumio Kashida, who is an LDP
532
00:32:04,960 –> 00:32:08,600
member, had an approval rating
of 63.2%.
533
00:32:08,760 –> 00:32:09,960
That’s good.
That’s good.
534
00:32:10,040 –> 00:32:14,680
That was in July 2022 on account
of the assassination, which also
535
00:32:14,680 –> 00:32:19,120
happened in July 2022, what it
revealed about the LDP’s ties to
536
00:32:19,120 –> 00:32:23,000
the Moonies and Kishida’s
response to it, which was very
537
00:32:23,000 –> 00:32:26,400
lackluster.
His approval rating by October
538
00:32:26,400 –> 00:32:32,560
2022, so three months later,
fell to 27.4%.
539
00:32:32,680 –> 00:32:34,080
Wow.
That’s.
540
00:32:34,360 –> 00:32:36,160
Wow.
Bad.
541
00:32:36,400 –> 00:32:41,880
That’s a blowout, man.
That is really, really bad and
542
00:32:41,960 –> 00:32:47,480
it hasn’t recovered that much.
I got to say this reminds me my
543
00:32:47,480 –> 00:32:52,080
least favorite trope, like you
ever watched the movies and the
544
00:32:52,160 –> 00:32:56,240
the the heroes finally got in
the villain to admit to their
545
00:32:56,240 –> 00:32:58,160
nefarious crime.
You know, it’s like, I think
546
00:32:58,160 –> 00:33:02,520
it’s in Coco where, you know,
like, yeah, I, I tried to kill
547
00:33:02,520 –> 00:33:03,600
you.
What of it?
548
00:33:03,600 –> 00:33:05,840
I’m just going to go out and
enjoy my success.
549
00:33:05,840 –> 00:33:09,120
And then I’m going to go out
and, and go out to our beautiful
550
00:33:09,120 –> 00:33:11,080
audience and the and the
audience is going to love me.
551
00:33:11,080 –> 00:33:14,520
But like, oh, they, they turned
on the cameras and so people
552
00:33:14,520 –> 00:33:19,560
heard all that stuff and then
and the audience turns against
553
00:33:19,560 –> 00:33:21,480
them.
It’s like, Oh no, we loved you a
554
00:33:21,480 –> 00:33:24,480
minute ago until you admitted
you did wrong and now we hate
555
00:33:24,480 –> 00:33:27,560
you.
I feel like in America, so often
556
00:33:27,560 –> 00:33:33,000
people could admit to heinous
things and as long as you’re on
557
00:33:33,000 –> 00:33:35,120
the right team, it all is
forgiven.
558
00:33:35,120 –> 00:33:37,200
It’s fine.
Oh, 100%.
559
00:33:37,200 –> 00:33:41,320
Like that trope bothers me, but
this is that trope actually
560
00:33:41,320 –> 00:33:43,760
working.
Good on you, Japan.
561
00:33:44,040 –> 00:33:47,400
Well done.
Yeah, this is, and I’m kind of
562
00:33:47,400 –> 00:33:53,920
surprised that it worked, but it
did, and it’s not done working.
563
00:33:54,120 –> 00:33:58,720
Several LDP members were removed
from their positions as a result
564
00:33:59,000 –> 00:34:02,360
of the scandal.
And the people were like, great,
565
00:34:02,440 –> 00:34:07,320
what about the church?
And so by December of 2022, less
566
00:34:07,320 –> 00:34:10,800
than six months after the
shooting, Japan’s parliament
567
00:34:11,000 –> 00:34:14,800
enacted a law aimed almost
directly at the Unification
568
00:34:14,800 –> 00:34:19,440
Church that outlawed malicious
donation solicitations.
569
00:34:20,600 –> 00:34:23,679
That’s nice.
The law allows believers, other
570
00:34:23,679 –> 00:34:27,719
donors and their families to
seek the return of their money
571
00:34:29,280 –> 00:34:34,000
and prohibits religious groups
and other organizations from
572
00:34:34,000 –> 00:34:38,360
soliciting funds by coercion,
threats or linking donations to
573
00:34:38,360 –> 00:34:41,440
spiritual salvation.
We need that here.
574
00:34:41,760 –> 00:34:44,960
Oh man, that’s awesome.
Now you just got to be like,
575
00:34:45,080 –> 00:34:47,480
look, we need a fucking air
conditioner, all right?
576
00:34:47,560 –> 00:34:50,800
Give us money for that.
Probably aren’t going to go to
577
00:34:50,800 –> 00:34:52,600
heaven over it, but give us
fucking money.
578
00:34:52,600 –> 00:34:54,520
We need a refrigerator.
Come on.
579
00:34:54,960 –> 00:35:01,160
And this is a really, really big
deal for the Moonies because a
580
00:35:01,160 –> 00:35:05,840
huge part of their donation
scheme involves guilting
581
00:35:05,840 –> 00:35:11,640
Japanese people into donating as
atonement for the sins Japan
582
00:35:11,640 –> 00:35:16,600
committed during colonial rule
of the Korean Peninsula from
583
00:35:16,600 –> 00:35:21,960
1910 to 1945.
Don’t get me wrong, lots of
584
00:35:21,960 –> 00:35:25,040
valid gripes there.
A whole lot.
585
00:35:25,200 –> 00:35:28,800
If you’ve even scratched the
surface of World War 2 history,
586
00:35:28,800 –> 00:35:33,800
you know the Nazis were not the
only ones committing some
587
00:35:34,040 –> 00:35:38,560
heinous human centipede like
atrocities in World War 2.
588
00:35:39,520 –> 00:35:44,480
Google Unit 731 if you want more
information, but also don’t
589
00:35:44,600 –> 00:35:47,640
Google Unit 731.
Just listen to the episode we
590
00:35:47,640 –> 00:35:49,240
did about them.
She do it on the Rape of
591
00:35:49,240 –> 00:35:52,320
Nanking.
That came up, but Japan, they
592
00:35:52,320 –> 00:35:55,320
were buck wild during World War
Two.
593
00:35:55,640 –> 00:36:02,320
It was really bad times and the
Moonies play on that to solicit
594
00:36:02,440 –> 00:36:06,600
donations from people, like
aggressively play on it.
595
00:36:06,720 –> 00:36:10,600
Yeah, it’s not reparations.
It’s we’re, we’re taking money
596
00:36:10,600 –> 00:36:13,160
from you so that we can build
our Ponzi scheme that much
597
00:36:13,160 –> 00:36:14,600
bigger.
Yeah, it’s not like they’re
598
00:36:14,600 –> 00:36:18,040
distributing that money to
everyone who was impacted by
599
00:36:18,040 –> 00:36:20,440
those atrocities.
They’re just collecting it for
600
00:36:20,440 –> 00:36:22,280
their fucking church.
Very different.
601
00:36:22,280 –> 00:36:27,200
That’s 100% not reparations, and
because so much of their
602
00:36:27,200 –> 00:36:31,440
fundraising efforts focus on
exploiting that guilt, the
603
00:36:31,440 –> 00:36:36,160
majority of their fundraising
worldwide comes from Japan.
604
00:36:38,240 –> 00:36:40,960
OK.
So they’ve been cut off
605
00:36:40,960 –> 00:36:43,920
basically.
And somehow it still gets worse
606
00:36:44,160 –> 00:36:47,520
for them.
All right, I’m, I am enjoying
607
00:36:47,520 –> 00:36:48,520
this.
This is this.
608
00:36:48,520 –> 00:36:52,080
This is, yeah, we got a, we got
a John Wick situation playing
609
00:36:52,080 –> 00:36:54,560
out here.
I mentioned that there was an
610
00:36:54,560 –> 00:36:59,640
update just this week, as we
record this last week, as the
611
00:36:59,640 –> 00:37:03,640
people listened to this, when
that law was passed, there was
612
00:37:03,640 –> 00:37:07,680
still some critics who said it
didn’t really go far enough.
613
00:37:07,920 –> 00:37:11,520
The law cutting off the
financial ripping off of.
614
00:37:11,520 –> 00:37:12,880
Yeah, OK.
Yeah, the 1:00 we we just
615
00:37:12,880 –> 00:37:17,840
mentioned.
And so this week, Japan passed
616
00:37:18,000 –> 00:37:24,080
another law aimed at the Moonies
in a decision that the Nazi
617
00:37:24,080 –> 00:37:28,920
collaborators of record, AKA The
New York Times, describe as,
618
00:37:28,920 –> 00:37:34,000
quote, widely expected but
unusual in its severity.
619
00:37:34,160 –> 00:37:36,600
End Quote.
Which once you hear that you got
620
00:37:36,600 –> 00:37:38,600
to be rubbing your hands
together like, oh, what is
621
00:37:38,600 –> 00:37:41,040
common?
Eyebrows are up.
622
00:37:41,200 –> 00:37:45,080
It’s a doozy.
The courts in Japan agreed to a
623
00:37:45,120 –> 00:37:50,720
government request to strip the
Unification Church of its legal
624
00:37:50,720 –> 00:37:56,680
status to exist in the aftermath
of the assassination.
625
00:37:56,720 –> 00:38:01,160
Japanese Education Ministry
launched an investigation into
626
00:38:01,160 –> 00:38:04,640
the Moonies that involved
collecting the testimonies of
627
00:38:04,640 –> 00:38:09,560
more than 1500 former members
who claim to have suffered
628
00:38:09,560 –> 00:38:14,200
financial losses in the
neighborhood of ¥20.4 billion,
629
00:38:14,360 –> 00:38:19,320
which equals around 140 million
real dollars.
630
00:38:19,440 –> 00:38:21,320
It’s a lot of money, but it’s
honestly less than I would have
631
00:38:21,320 –> 00:38:25,040
expected given just how
pernicious this group.
632
00:38:25,040 –> 00:38:29,040
Is this is from 1500 people?
Oh shit, all right, nevermind.
633
00:38:29,320 –> 00:38:30,560
Rescinded.
Good point.
634
00:38:30,760 –> 00:38:34,640
The ministry actually requested
that the church be disbanded
635
00:38:34,640 –> 00:38:38,560
back in October 2023 and the
courts have just been going back
636
00:38:38,560 –> 00:38:41,640
and forth on it.
And now they finally weighed in
637
00:38:41,680 –> 00:38:46,040
and Yep, they agree.
The Unification Church literally
638
00:38:46,040 –> 00:38:49,520
is no longer allowed to exist in
Japan.
639
00:38:49,720 –> 00:38:55,200
Church is said to have around
110 billion yen in holdings,
640
00:38:55,200 –> 00:39:02,520
which is around $728,000,000.
A large portion of that is
641
00:39:02,520 –> 00:39:06,920
likely to be seized by a court
appointed liquidator for use in
642
00:39:06,920 –> 00:39:12,320
compensating former members.
And hell yeah, all it took for
643
00:39:12,360 –> 00:39:16,720
all that to happen was for one
guy to shoot another guy in the
644
00:39:16,720 –> 00:39:18,640
neck.
I forgot that’s where we
645
00:39:18,640 –> 00:39:20,080
started.
Oh, boy.
646
00:39:20,480 –> 00:39:23,520
Yeah, the murder.
This is absolutely the feel good
647
00:39:23,520 –> 00:39:28,600
assassination of all history.
Like 100% all it’s got.
648
00:39:28,600 –> 00:39:31,680
Like the cherry on the top is
going to be when they don’t send
649
00:39:31,680 –> 00:39:36,160
this guy to prison.
I would not be even moderately
650
00:39:36,160 –> 00:39:39,600
surprised this Prime Minister is
desperate as shit.
651
00:39:39,600 –> 00:39:42,280
Like shutting down the moonies.
He’s probably going to get
652
00:39:42,280 –> 00:39:45,920
murdered for that, but he’s
like, if I don’t, I’m going to
653
00:39:45,920 –> 00:39:48,200
keep my job.
Well, it might only be ex
654
00:39:48,200 –> 00:39:53,160
moonies that are animated by a
murderous zeal and not the
655
00:39:53,160 –> 00:39:56,120
moonies themselves.
Potentially, I mean after this
656
00:39:56,120 –> 00:39:58,640
they might be.
Yeah, might be, but I mean their
657
00:39:58,640 –> 00:40:00,760
whole thing just seems to be
stealing money.
658
00:40:00,920 –> 00:40:03,920
Yeah, I don’t know.
I come on, I bet the Moonies
659
00:40:03,920 –> 00:40:08,520
have killed some people.
Yeah, I’m, I mean, I’m curious
660
00:40:08,720 –> 00:40:12,320
about the specific actions of
Mr. Abe.
661
00:40:12,320 –> 00:40:15,840
And again, like, look, I don’t
want to equivocate, you know, a
662
00:40:15,840 –> 00:40:17,480
man lost his life.
That sucks.
663
00:40:17,640 –> 00:40:21,480
And I don’t want to say like,
whatever actions that he might
664
00:40:21,480 –> 00:40:24,200
have taken, maybe balance those
scales.
665
00:40:24,200 –> 00:40:26,600
I have no idea.
I mean, there’s certainly mass
666
00:40:26,600 –> 00:40:31,360
murderers in this world who I
wouldn’t mind to see removed or,
667
00:40:31,480 –> 00:40:35,320
you know, but it’s still like,
what is it that drill tweet?
668
00:40:35,520 –> 00:40:38,000
Yeah, we’re going to get
philosophical with a drill tweet
669
00:40:38,000 –> 00:40:40,040
here.
Yeah, I’d like to amend my
670
00:40:40,040 –> 00:40:43,720
previous statements about ISIS.
You don’t under any
671
00:40:43,720 –> 00:40:45,720
circumstances got to hand it to
him.
672
00:40:46,600 –> 00:40:48,920
You think that’s an accurate
comparison?
673
00:40:49,200 –> 00:40:51,160
Like you’re comparing this guy
to ISIS.
674
00:40:51,160 –> 00:40:54,040
No, no, no, no.
I mean, look, there’s still loss
675
00:40:54,040 –> 00:40:56,920
of human life in this equation.
Sure.
676
00:40:57,440 –> 00:40:58,600
Yeah.
Tetsia, Really.
677
00:40:58,600 –> 00:41:00,520
He.
It’s an assassination.
678
00:41:00,520 –> 00:41:03,240
That’s how they work.
Right, that roulette wheel
679
00:41:03,560 –> 00:41:05,760
landed on landed on his number
man.
680
00:41:06,160 –> 00:41:12,320
You don’t have to be saying I am
in favor of assassination to
681
00:41:12,360 –> 00:41:14,920
admit that this guy got what he
wanted.
682
00:41:15,080 –> 00:41:18,240
Got everything he wanted.
Like, that’s not an endorsement
683
00:41:18,240 –> 00:41:23,040
of assassination, that is a
fucking fact that several media
684
00:41:23,040 –> 00:41:26,560
outlets have also chimed in to
say.
685
00:41:26,560 –> 00:41:29,720
We’ll link to a bunch of
articles in the show notes.
686
00:41:29,920 –> 00:41:33,760
The Economist has a great
article about how this guy got
687
00:41:33,920 –> 00:41:37,720
everything he wanted.
Even if he goes to prison, it
688
00:41:37,720 –> 00:41:39,760
sounds like his life was shit
anyway.
689
00:41:39,920 –> 00:41:42,720
Also, he’s in Japan.
Their prisons are probably kind
690
00:41:42,720 –> 00:41:44,960
of nice.
Not only is the prison probably
691
00:41:44,960 –> 00:41:47,720
kind of nice, but who knows what
kind of sentence he’s facing.
692
00:41:47,920 –> 00:41:50,360
He’s going to get life in
prison, which, what’s that, like
693
00:41:50,360 –> 00:41:53,680
28 years in Japan?
I don’t know, Anders Breivik got
694
00:41:53,680 –> 00:41:57,560
20 years for mass murdering
literal children in Norway.
695
00:41:57,640 –> 00:42:01,320
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.
So it doesn’t work the same way
696
00:42:01,400 –> 00:42:04,000
over there.
So Scott will probably be out
697
00:42:04,120 –> 00:42:07,280
enjoying his golden years
someday.
698
00:42:07,280 –> 00:42:08,880
Probably still won’t be able to
find a job.
699
00:42:08,880 –> 00:42:11,760
Probably be even harder then.
He might, but there’s a whole
700
00:42:11,760 –> 00:42:15,240
lot of people who have in some
way contributed to his financial
701
00:42:15,240 –> 00:42:19,120
well-being at this point.
You know, it might have taken
702
00:42:19,120 –> 00:42:22,200
the form of, like, you know,
Pringles and Kit Kat bars or
703
00:42:22,200 –> 00:42:24,560
something.
But upon release, I’m sure he’s
704
00:42:24,560 –> 00:42:27,760
going to have a lot of people
say, like, hey, here’s a, here’s
705
00:42:27,760 –> 00:42:29,840
a couple ¥1000 Hope you’re
feeling better.
706
00:42:30,000 –> 00:42:33,360
You know, yeah, there’s going to
be support for this guy if he
707
00:42:33,360 –> 00:42:35,040
ever walks the streets of Japan
again.
708
00:42:35,240 –> 00:42:40,400
Yeah, I’m fascinated to see how
this trial goes and to see.
709
00:42:40,400 –> 00:42:44,360
This is worth watching, yeah.
What kind of punishment is
710
00:42:44,360 –> 00:42:48,400
handed down?
I have a feeling it is going to
711
00:42:48,400 –> 00:42:55,240
be more lenient than we would
expect, because I think the LDP
712
00:42:55,280 –> 00:42:58,600
will want that.
I think the ruling party of
713
00:42:58,600 –> 00:43:03,800
Japan will want this guy to get
a lenient sentence for their own
714
00:43:04,160 –> 00:43:07,400
personal benefit.
Or killing one of their most
715
00:43:07,400 –> 00:43:10,960
successful leaders who led their
country for nine years.
716
00:43:11,160 –> 00:43:12,920
Yeah, I mean former leader
though.
717
00:43:13,640 –> 00:43:16,800
Like he wasn’t still the leader.
Yeah, he’s he’s in the book.
718
00:43:16,960 –> 00:43:20,440
The guy who was Prime Minister
of Japan when that happened is
719
00:43:20,440 –> 00:43:22,280
still the Prime Minister of
Japan.
720
00:43:22,480 –> 00:43:24,720
And so, you know, somewhere in
the back of his head he’s like,
721
00:43:25,000 –> 00:43:26,880
all right, don’t fucking build a
gun and shoot me.
722
00:43:26,880 –> 00:43:28,960
We’ll get rid of the Moonies.
Jesus.
723
00:43:29,200 –> 00:43:31,440
That was a long project.
I can’t imagine there’s a whole
724
00:43:31,440 –> 00:43:34,360
lot of other people who that
said, I don’t know, There’s this
725
00:43:34,360 –> 00:43:36,960
whole lot of copycat killing in
our world, sadly.
726
00:43:37,040 –> 00:43:39,680
Here’s the fire the Moonies were
playing with.
727
00:43:39,920 –> 00:43:44,640
If someone is that dedicated to
the point that they are willing
728
00:43:44,640 –> 00:43:49,680
to ruin their entire life to
keep giving you money, their
729
00:43:49,680 –> 00:43:54,360
kids are going to have that same
sort of streak in them probably.
730
00:43:54,560 –> 00:43:57,800
Dedication.
To where you get them focused on
731
00:43:57,800 –> 00:44:00,640
something they care about and
they’re going to see that shit
732
00:44:00,640 –> 00:44:05,080
through no matter what.
And that is absolutely what
733
00:44:05,320 –> 00:44:09,200
happened here.
The Moonies exploited a woman
734
00:44:09,400 –> 00:44:15,640
and then ran into a son who had
that same fucking fervent
735
00:44:15,640 –> 00:44:20,680
dedication to the Moonies, just
in the complete opposite way.
736
00:44:20,840 –> 00:44:26,960
He was like, I will spend all my
money and all my time to fucking
737
00:44:27,200 –> 00:44:29,800
ruin you.
And operate in secrecy that
738
00:44:29,800 –> 00:44:33,280
entire time.
We live in a highly surveilled
739
00:44:33,280 –> 00:44:35,200
state.
I can’t imagine Japan’s that
740
00:44:35,200 –> 00:44:37,600
much further off.
But I mean like, imagine all
741
00:44:37,600 –> 00:44:41,320
that time it took and all those
materials he had to acquire and
742
00:44:41,520 –> 00:44:46,280
operate completely isolated and
independently in secret and
743
00:44:46,280 –> 00:44:52,280
still pull it off and damn.
Was working a full time job that
744
00:44:52,280 –> 00:44:52,920
whole time.
I mean you.
745
00:44:53,640 –> 00:44:56,200
Could, yeah, got to have some
income in.
746
00:44:56,320 –> 00:44:58,280
Not a high paying job, it’s a
factory job.
747
00:44:58,520 –> 00:45:03,040
Part of what he was upset about
but still he had to hold down a
748
00:45:03,040 –> 00:45:05,240
job while doing all this
planning.
749
00:45:05,240 –> 00:45:07,800
How do you think he paid for all
the fucking weapons?
750
00:45:08,160 –> 00:45:11,840
Debt he was taking, you said he
took out like 400 KS worth of
751
00:45:11,960 –> 00:45:14,320
debt, you know, because
initially it’s like, well, they
752
00:45:14,400 –> 00:45:17,360
ruined his, you know, the
Moody’s ruined his finances and
753
00:45:17,360 –> 00:45:19,960
they took, you know, $750,000
worth of yen.
754
00:45:20,320 –> 00:45:22,680
And my immediate thought was,
OK, well, I mean, he obviously
755
00:45:22,680 –> 00:45:26,400
had enough leftover to invest in
all these garages and homemade
756
00:45:26,400 –> 00:45:28,880
gunpowder.
But then I remembered, no, that
757
00:45:28,880 –> 00:45:30,760
was all.
That was all on on the credit
758
00:45:30,760 –> 00:45:33,160
cards.
Yeah, it was debt.
759
00:45:33,160 –> 00:45:37,280
And again, I think he was doing
exactly what his mom did with
760
00:45:37,280 –> 00:45:39,120
the Moonies.
You give him money and he was
761
00:45:39,120 –> 00:45:41,880
like, thank you.
I’m going to go put this into
762
00:45:41,960 –> 00:45:44,360
destroying the Moonies if you’ll
excuse me.
763
00:45:44,520 –> 00:45:47,160
Tetsuya, you destroyed the
Moonies in Japan.
764
00:45:47,160 –> 00:45:49,440
At the very least, I have to
imagine there’s probably at
765
00:45:49,440 –> 00:45:53,440
least some operation still up,
still in South Korea, maybe at
766
00:45:53,440 –> 00:45:57,080
least a little bit.
They had already been losing a
767
00:45:57,080 –> 00:45:59,680
lot of members.
I mean the Moonies, I don’t
768
00:45:59,680 –> 00:46:02,320
think their ideology is exactly
the same, but they are
769
00:46:02,320 –> 00:46:07,080
essentially Korean Scientology.
It’s the same in terms of the
770
00:46:07,080 –> 00:46:10,280
way they treat members, the way
they just exploit people and
771
00:46:10,280 –> 00:46:11,760
drain money out of their
members.
772
00:46:11,960 –> 00:46:16,040
Exact same thing.
And Scientology has lost a lot
773
00:46:16,040 –> 00:46:18,920
of members in recent years
because people learn.
774
00:46:19,560 –> 00:46:21,840
Yeah, Scientology has lost a
whole lot of.
775
00:46:22,200 –> 00:46:25,960
We’re in LA and the celebrity
center is still there for some
776
00:46:25,960 –> 00:46:28,200
reason.
Doesn’t mean it’s as full as it
777
00:46:28,200 –> 00:46:30,440
used to be.
That’s comforting.
778
00:46:30,840 –> 00:46:34,240
There were a lot of blockbuster
videos for a long time, and
779
00:46:34,240 –> 00:46:37,120
there’s a reason there’s none
anymore, because there’s nobody
780
00:46:37,120 –> 00:46:40,760
fucking inside them.
And the Moonies have suffered
781
00:46:40,760 –> 00:46:43,200
the same kind of thing.
Suffered is a weird way to put
782
00:46:43,200 –> 00:46:48,120
it, but they’ve also been
getting a lot of cult attention
783
00:46:48,360 –> 00:46:52,040
over the years, and it has
caused their membership to
784
00:46:52,040 –> 00:46:54,600
dwindle.
That 3 million figure I quoted
785
00:46:54,600 –> 00:46:59,600
earlier was the 80s, and that’s
when Colts were really at their
786
00:46:59,600 –> 00:47:01,120
peak, kind of.
Creative.
787
00:47:01,440 –> 00:47:04,760
Yeah.
And so they’ve definitely lost
788
00:47:04,760 –> 00:47:06,720
members since then, by all
accounts.
789
00:47:06,920 –> 00:47:11,080
And don’t forget the majority of
their funds came from Japan
790
00:47:11,240 –> 00:47:15,960
because that was their main pool
of exploitation, I guess.
791
00:47:17,200 –> 00:47:20,880
So this is going to have an
impact.
792
00:47:21,080 –> 00:47:23,240
I’m interested to see how this
goes too.
793
00:47:23,240 –> 00:47:27,240
I don’t know if they’re allowed
to appeal it or anything like
794
00:47:27,240 –> 00:47:29,600
that.
I don’t know enough about
795
00:47:29,600 –> 00:47:33,240
Japan’s legal system.
I know a lot about Japan’s legal
796
00:47:33,240 –> 00:47:33,680
system.
Oh yeah.
797
00:47:33,840 –> 00:47:36,280
I mean, every time you and I
meet up for drinks, you know,
798
00:47:36,280 –> 00:47:39,080
it’s like, hey, did I tell you
this about torts?
799
00:47:39,320 –> 00:47:41,640
Japanese style.
We don’t like to brag about it,
800
00:47:41,640 –> 00:47:45,280
but me and Danger have a weekly
call about things like that, you
801
00:47:45,280 –> 00:47:47,880
know, you know, about the
Japanese legal system and we
802
00:47:47,880 –> 00:47:50,240
just don’t like, I’m not one of
those people that’s going to
803
00:47:50,240 –> 00:47:52,920
make it my personality.
Like you say something about the
804
00:47:52,920 –> 00:47:54,560
Japanese legal system and you’re
wrong.
805
00:47:54,560 –> 00:47:57,960
And I’m like, I’m actually, no,
I just, I do it in the
806
00:47:57,960 –> 00:47:59,160
background.
It’s a passion.
807
00:47:59,160 –> 00:48:01,480
It’s a passion.
I just like the word torts.
808
00:48:01,720 –> 00:48:03,080
That’s.
Tort.
809
00:48:03,240 –> 00:48:06,040
Yeah.
Tort is one of those fun words
810
00:48:06,040 –> 00:48:10,400
that sends me into a blind rage
if I think about it too much
811
00:48:10,640 –> 00:48:13,440
because of the hot coffee
lawsuit and all the tort reform
812
00:48:13,440 –> 00:48:15,040
it caused.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
813
00:48:15,320 –> 00:48:18,560
I think I was on that episode.
Yeah, don’t get me started.
814
00:48:18,720 –> 00:48:23,000
I I shan’t withdrawn.
I think that is our episode.
815
00:48:23,120 –> 00:48:29,400
That is the assassination of
Shinzo Abe and the shocking
816
00:48:29,680 –> 00:48:32,680
ripple effects that, yeah,
shocking in the sense.
817
00:48:32,680 –> 00:48:37,680
That justice to this
organization appears to be being
818
00:48:37,800 –> 00:48:39,520
served.
Yes.
819
00:48:39,640 –> 00:48:43,160
And we live in a world where
that seldom occurs.
820
00:48:43,440 –> 00:48:45,680
So yeah, let’s soak it in, man.
Good.
821
00:48:45,920 –> 00:48:47,840
I love that.
I love those people getting paid
822
00:48:47,840 –> 00:48:50,400
back, all that stuff that was
extorted from them.
823
00:48:50,680 –> 00:48:53,120
Now I’m curious how many of
those people, however, will
824
00:48:53,120 –> 00:48:56,440
refuse to be paid back on
account of their continued
825
00:48:56,440 –> 00:48:58,200
faith.
At least a couple.
826
00:48:58,480 –> 00:49:03,000
These are people who have left
who are already like, there’s a
827
00:49:03,000 –> 00:49:04,120
whole they call them.
I see.
828
00:49:04,120 –> 00:49:05,720
OK.
They call them, I think the
829
00:49:05,720 –> 00:49:09,240
second generation, but there’s a
whole generation of kids who
830
00:49:09,240 –> 00:49:13,440
grew up under Mooney, parents in
Japan who’ve like signed
831
00:49:13,440 –> 00:49:16,160
petitions and things.
Also, like there’s a lot of
832
00:49:16,160 –> 00:49:18,880
people we’re talking about.
There’s a lot of them out there
833
00:49:18,960 –> 00:49:22,560
there who are not going to go
back to the Moonies under any
834
00:49:22,560 –> 00:49:25,240
fucking circumstances.
And I think a lot of them are
835
00:49:25,240 –> 00:49:29,240
kids who were raised by their
parents in that group.
836
00:49:29,360 –> 00:49:34,360
So yeah, I’m interested to see
what impact this has on them, on
837
00:49:34,360 –> 00:49:37,720
the Moonies.
And again, I cannot stress
838
00:49:37,720 –> 00:49:40,200
enough, this won’t work in the
United States.
839
00:49:40,960 –> 00:49:43,040
Don’t fucking do it.
Don’t fucking do it.
840
00:49:43,040 –> 00:49:46,160
We will not be allowed to leave
the house for the next 12
841
00:49:46,160 –> 00:49:48,680
goddamn months.
If you pull some shit like this
842
00:49:48,680 –> 00:49:51,280
in the United States, we’re
going to have to figure it out
843
00:49:51,280 –> 00:49:52,680
another way.
I’m sorry.
844
00:49:52,760 –> 00:49:54,440
Ideas.
We’re going to win this on
845
00:49:54,440 –> 00:49:57,160
ideas.
Y’all, yeah, this won’t work
846
00:49:57,360 –> 00:50:00,400
here.
We are not Japan for the same
847
00:50:00,400 –> 00:50:05,280
reason we will never have the
utopian gun death figures that
848
00:50:05,280 –> 00:50:08,680
Japan has.
This will also not work if you
849
00:50:08,680 –> 00:50:11,400
try it, but it’s an interesting
story.
850
00:50:11,680 –> 00:50:15,160
It’s very interesting and I look
forward to seeing it play out.
851
00:50:15,280 –> 00:50:17,280
Yeah, I want to see how it’s
going to play out.
852
00:50:17,280 –> 00:50:20,880
And even the Luigi Mangione
thing, it’s not going to go this
853
00:50:20,880 –> 00:50:22,760
way.
The government is not going to
854
00:50:22,760 –> 00:50:27,200
be like, oh damn kid, we get it,
your back really fucking hurt
855
00:50:27,200 –> 00:50:29,280
and they didn’t do anything.
You know what?
856
00:50:29,480 –> 00:50:33,040
Free healthcare for all there’s.
It’s a fucking pipe dream if you
857
00:50:33,040 –> 00:50:34,080
think that’s going to happen.
Right.
858
00:50:34,080 –> 00:50:37,040
What they’re going to say is,
hey, CE OS, you should probably
859
00:50:37,040 –> 00:50:39,200
get more security.
Yes, we’re going to see a lot
860
00:50:39,200 –> 00:50:41,280
less early morning jogs from
these people.
861
00:50:41,600 –> 00:50:44,960
And also we know this will
happen because it’s already at
862
00:50:44,960 –> 00:50:47,240
least the idea has been float.
No, I think he’s already been
863
00:50:47,240 –> 00:50:50,000
charged.
It’ll be Oh also if you kill
864
00:50:50,000 –> 00:50:52,440
Aceo, that’s domestic terrorism.
Sure.
865
00:50:52,520 –> 00:50:56,560
Yeah, yeah, because the CE OS
more American than you know, the
866
00:50:56,560 –> 00:50:59,240
people under ostensibly their
quote UN quote care.
867
00:50:59,400 –> 00:51:03,800
Yeah.
So yeah, assassination is not
868
00:51:04,000 –> 00:51:08,760
the fucking answer it I am in no
way endorsing.
869
00:51:08,800 –> 00:51:14,520
It this is one spot on a very
large roulette wheel and all the
870
00:51:14,520 –> 00:51:18,080
other spots on that wheel are it
gets worse for everybody else.
871
00:51:18,240 –> 00:51:23,120
Yeah, there’s a fascinating
movie out there called Death of
872
00:51:23,120 –> 00:51:27,080
a President.
It is a 2006 film that came out
873
00:51:27,200 –> 00:51:32,280
when George W Bush was at the
height of his powers, so 2006,
874
00:51:32,640 –> 00:51:35,600
when he was just destroying the
Middle East.
875
00:51:35,840 –> 00:51:41,160
And it is a fictional
documentary about George Bush
876
00:51:41,160 –> 00:51:47,000
being assassinated in England.
And you would think, given when
877
00:51:47,000 –> 00:51:52,280
it came out and the attitudes
towards George W Bush at the
878
00:51:52,280 –> 00:51:55,880
time on among Democrats and on
the left, you’d think you’d
879
00:51:55,880 –> 00:52:01,040
watch it and be like, hell yeah,
that was a fun watch.
880
00:52:01,240 –> 00:52:04,760
It is devastating.
It is a devastating movie.
881
00:52:04,760 –> 00:52:08,600
That movie is probably the
reason, probably one of the main
882
00:52:08,600 –> 00:52:12,280
reasons why whenever political
assassination comes up I’m like
883
00:52:12,280 –> 00:52:14,320
Nope, don’t do it.
For one thing they’re going to
884
00:52:14,520 –> 00:52:17,400
fucking blame a Muslim guy or
something who didn’t even do it,
885
00:52:17,600 –> 00:52:19,680
which that happens in that movie
for sure.
886
00:52:19,880 –> 00:52:25,480
And lots of other fallout in
ramifications from the No matter
887
00:52:25,480 –> 00:52:27,680
where you are, you don’t want
your president to be killed.
888
00:52:27,680 –> 00:52:31,200
That’s goddamn chaos.
That is for your own selfish
889
00:52:31,200 –> 00:52:34,080
reasons.
You don’t want your president to
890
00:52:34,080 –> 00:52:35,520
be assassinated.
I just.
891
00:52:35,600 –> 00:52:38,840
It’s a very good point I.
Cannot fucking stress that
892
00:52:38,840 –> 00:52:41,400
enough given the title of this
episode.
893
00:52:41,560 –> 00:52:43,360
Now watch this.
I’m going to run for office
894
00:52:43,360 –> 00:52:47,240
again a couple years and we’re
going to hear snippets of this
895
00:52:47,240 –> 00:52:52,040
conversation with that.
Yeah, Mike Van.
896
00:52:52,040 –> 00:52:56,800
Gouder praises assess since says
it works out with the roulette
897
00:52:56,800 –> 00:53:00,800
wheel metaphor.
Yeah, that’s going to happen.
898
00:53:01,040 –> 00:53:03,160
It’s going to happen.
And I would love to defend you
899
00:53:03,160 –> 00:53:05,640
when it happens, but I’ll
probably be in Guantanamo or
900
00:53:05,640 –> 00:53:07,480
something.
I’ll do what I can to get you
901
00:53:07,480 –> 00:53:08,560
out.
Hey, thank you.
902
00:53:08,560 –> 00:53:11,560
I appreciate it.
And until then, I think that’s
903
00:53:11,560 –> 00:53:12,960
our episode.
We did it.
904
00:53:13,080 –> 00:53:14,480
We did it.
Well done.
905
00:53:14,840 –> 00:53:17,880
Danger, thank you so much for
doing the pod.
906
00:53:18,160 –> 00:53:20,040
I appreciate it.
Hey man, what?
907
00:53:20,440 –> 00:53:22,000
Do we have to plug before we get
out of here?
908
00:53:22,000 –> 00:53:25,600
All I got is Adam Todd brown dot
B sky dot social.
909
00:53:25,600 –> 00:53:29,000
Follow me on blue sky.
It is the only social media
910
00:53:29,000 –> 00:53:33,120
network I’m using anymore
because the Nazis own the rest.
911
00:53:33,280 –> 00:53:34,760
Literally all the rest of them,
yeah.
912
00:53:34,800 –> 00:53:37,240
Who owns Blue Sky?
I mean, do we need to be
913
00:53:37,240 –> 00:53:38,280
worried?
At some point.
914
00:53:38,280 –> 00:53:42,120
Fucking Nazi too.
Maybe they’re just on Twitter,
915
00:53:42,240 –> 00:53:44,120
ain’t it?
Not even Musk, the guy before.
916
00:53:44,120 –> 00:53:45,560
Dorsey.
I think so.
917
00:53:45,760 –> 00:53:48,120
Which he’s yeah, he’s going to
save us.
918
00:53:48,640 –> 00:53:50,680
OK, I don’t know if he’s the one
that owns this guy anyways.
919
00:53:51,480 –> 00:53:53,080
Plugs.
Plugs.
920
00:53:53,800 –> 00:53:57,160
Yeah, countless thousands, man.
We’re, we’ve got a bunch of
921
00:53:57,160 –> 00:53:59,680
shows coming up.
We’re going to be at Harvard and
922
00:53:59,680 –> 00:54:04,320
Stone on April 2nd.
We’re going to be at the Redwood
923
00:54:04,320 –> 00:54:07,880
May 29th.
We’re going to I’m going to have
924
00:54:08,040 –> 00:54:12,240
my 40th birthday slash bar
mitzvah at Boomtown Brewery on
925
00:54:12,240 –> 00:54:14,440
June 29th.
I believe Mr. Adam Todd Brown
926
00:54:14,440 –> 00:54:15,720
what we doing to comedy set
there.
927
00:54:15,880 –> 00:54:19,040
You’re very excited for all that
because all this is in support
928
00:54:19,040 –> 00:54:21,320
of our new album coming out
called Woke Moralists.
929
00:54:21,600 –> 00:54:25,480
Dude, I’ve heard the masters.
They sound so good.
930
00:54:25,720 –> 00:54:28,000
This is the best thing we have
produced so far.
931
00:54:28,000 –> 00:54:31,120
It’s it’s incredible.
So please back us on
932
00:54:31,120 –> 00:54:33,240
patreonpatreon.com/countless
thousands.
933
00:54:33,880 –> 00:54:36,920
We’re, you know, we’re using
that money, we’re making it work
934
00:54:36,920 –> 00:54:39,680
and we have a product for all of
you.
935
00:54:40,600 –> 00:54:44,560
And then also I’ve applied to be
on the Planning Commission here
936
00:54:44,560 –> 00:54:48,120
in the city of Burbank.
If you think that I, as a urban
937
00:54:48,120 –> 00:54:52,480
planner and enforcement agent
for the state of California,
938
00:54:52,480 –> 00:54:54,440
deserve to be on the Planning
Commission, which yes, I do,
939
00:54:54,720 –> 00:54:58,120
please e-mail our City Council
and say, hey, you should appoint
940
00:54:58,120 –> 00:55:01,760
my bank order to the Planning
Commission because he actually
941
00:55:01,760 –> 00:55:06,320
knows what he’s talking about
and has the future of our city
942
00:55:06,320 –> 00:55:08,040
in mind.
That’d be nice.
943
00:55:08,240 –> 00:55:09,760
Do it.
Many other things besides.
944
00:55:10,000 –> 00:55:12,720
Do all that and let’s get out of
here.
945
00:55:12,720 –> 00:55:13,800
Dangerous.
Say goodbye.
946
00:55:14,440 –> 00:55:16,400
Goodbye friends, don’t kill
people.
947
00:55:16,560 –> 00:55:19,080
Don’t kill people.
Goodbye everybody, we love you.