Why are countries that are rich in natural resources so often poor and war-torn? You’ve probably heard of blood diamonds, but what about blood vanilla, blood microchips, or blood chocolate? How are rebels and terrorists funding themselves with watermelons and wheat? We crisscross the globe from Papua New Guinea to Madagascar to find out.   Support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/powercorrupts ----   Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer and sound editor is George McDonagh.  

Blood Diamond / Blood Chocolate

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. Stitched together with the help of world-leading experts. Created and narrated by Dr. Brian Klaas, a political scientist and columnist for The Washington Post.

Join our exclusive Patreon community for uncut interviews, episodes early and much more: Patreon.com/powercorrupts

News

Politics

  Artificial intelligence is the frontier of human innovation. But it has a dark side, too. In this episode, we explore how AI intersects with everything from criminology to creative writing -- and in the process, we see how biased algorithms have the power to do enormous harm in modern society.   You can support our work here: Patreon.com/powercorrupts   And you can buy Brian’s book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, here (or wherever you buy books):   https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Corruptible/Brian-Klaas/9781982154097   Follow us on social media:   Twitter - twitter.com/powrcorrupts Instagram - instagram.com/powercorruptspodcast    

The Dark Side of AI

Is the next war going to happen in space? What are space weapons like, anyway? And why should we be worried about the space ventures of billionaires? In this episode, we look at the militarization of space, including everything from giant space mirrors to a new Chinese space weapon that flies right over the South Pole.      You can support our work here: Patreon.com/powercorrupts   And you can buy Brian’s new book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, here (or wherever you buy books):   https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Corruptible/Brian-Klaas/9781982154097   Follow us on social media:   Twitter - twitter.com/powrcorrupts Instagram - instagram.com/powercorruptspodcast      

Space Wars

 Is it a crime to steal back something that was once yours?    That's the question we'll tackle this week, as we look at a string of sophisticated art heists aimed at reclaiming some stolen heritage objects. And we'll explore how Facebook is facilitating the illicit trafficking of stolen cultural objects, all out in the open.   You can support our work here: Patreon.com/powercorrupts   And you can buy Brian’s new book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, here (or wherever you buy books):   https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Corruptible/Brian-Klaas/9781982154097   Follow us on social media:   Twitter - twitter.com/powrcorrupts Instagram - instagram.com/powercorruptspodcast 

Loot

 This week's episode is an excerpt from the opening chapter of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us.   (If you pre-order the book or audiobook, you're eligible for a bonus episode of Power Corrupts that won't be released publicly).   You can support our work here: Patreon.com/powercorrupts   And you can pre-order Brian’s new book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, here (or wherever you buy books):   https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Corruptible/Brian-Klaas/9781982154097   Follow us on social media:   Twitter - twitter.com/powrcorrupts Instagram - instagram.com/powercorruptspodcast   

Corruptible: Audiobook Excerpt

The title of this podcast is Power Corrupts. But is that true?   In this week's episode, host Brian Klaas has the microphone turned around on himself, as he's interviewed by Emma Nelson about his new book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us.    You can support our work here: Patreon.com/powercorrupts   And you can pre-order Brian’s new book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, here (or wherever you buy books):   https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Corruptible/Brian-Klaas/9781982154097   Follow us on social media:   Twitter - twitter.com/powrcorrupts Instagram - instagram.com/powercorruptspodcast   

Blood Diamond / Blood Chocolate

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