March 13, 2023 • 31 mins
You may say time machines don’t exist… but this week iHeart sends Ben and Alex back to the 1930’s for a gut-busting, guided tour of the dark, smoky rooms where a clandestine crew of ultra-wealthy schemers concocted the Business Plot. Our hosts consult with a cavalcade of sketchy historical figures, leading Ben and Alex to begin connecting the dots of the grand conspiracy.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is an I heeart original retired Marine Corps Major
General Smedley Butler here smeddles to some, but you gotta
earn it. People ask me all the time if I
imagined what leading a coup on the White House would
feel like like? Did I imagine myself on that horse
at the front of the line. You bet your fucking ash.
(00:31):
I did. Because I never savored a sweeter buzz than Conquest.
I changed my middle name to Conquest. If it wasn't
already Darlington. Darlington's such a sweet name, why mess with it? Anyway?
The coup I can imagine myself there now. The night
before the march south to Washington, we camp and the
pine barrens around elk Ridge, Maryland. It's colder than a
(00:52):
witch's Why do you bleep that? I said? Nose Ah?
These I heart people anyway. Orders are to disembark at
four thirty, which, for those of you not in the know,
is military speak for two damn early. Our route is
straight down US one thirty miles to the White House.
The boys form a single column, twelveman wide, five hundred
(01:15):
thousand proud American veterans in black shirts and armbands. Every
man with a brand new Remington rifle. We reach sixteen
hundred Pennsylvania Avenue by sundown. The boys surround the White
House and I walk right in. I enter President Roosevelt's
study without knocking hand casually on my side Armholster like, yeah,
(01:35):
that's my gun. Jealous I have five hundred thousand men
outside who want peace but want something more. I tell
him what's well? He asks, with that goofball mid Atlantic voice.
Thing he's got. I want to be Secretary of State.
I say, third in the line of succession. But that's
not all. At this point, I lean in, which makes
(01:57):
him lean back. So then I lean in further Cheryl
Sandberg style, and I say, real quietly, Anderson here, Rosie, henceforth,
I'm going to act as the nations exactly. You can
continue to live here and draw your salary and pick
out the china. But that's a kid, And what do
you think? Took the coward less than a minute to
sign the commission, And just like that, the tree of
(02:19):
liberty hath been refreshed. I ended the depression, restored the
economy to its free market glory, outlawd war, and became
the first fascist dictator of the United States. All hail President,
Major General for Life Smedley Darlington conquest. Wait wait wait,
wait wait wait, Smedley, Now, dare you interrupt? The Leader
(02:39):
of the air quotes free world. None of that ever happened, though.
There was no armed coup, but there could have been.
That was their plan anyway, those jerks in the smoke
filled room, they tried to make an offer that was
like so hard to refuse from. iHeart Originals and School
(02:59):
of Humans. This is let's start a coup. I'm Ben
Bullen and I'm Alex French. Depending on whom you have,
the story we're about to tell you may or may
not be true. We've done all the research, read the books,
interviewed historians, but there are some big gaps in the
historical record. It will never know exactly what happened. So
(03:20):
in those gaps we've also had some fun. Oh that
cold open fantasy thing was fun. The rest is gonna
be straight downhill. Episode three. Let's get a Luminati. Oh
that's cool, get it, stalet it, get it? Oh, Illuminati
like Illuminati, I get it. That's stupid. Viers nineteen thirty
(03:43):
three and American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is on a
mission to end the Great Depression and reshape America along
the way. Roosevelt and does braintrust create employment and social
programs that alleviate this thing of poverty for millions of Americans.
He regulates dozens of industries and directs new oversight to
Wall Street. They're serious talk about a social safety net
(04:04):
being created, unemployment insurance, and pro ambitions on child labor.
And he broke from the gold standard, the basis for
American monetary policy since eighteen seventy nine, and forced Americans
to turn in their gold Roosevelt's new deal meant that
the old anything goes order of doing business was over,
and in his inauguration speech, FDR blamed America's business ely
(04:26):
for forcing his hand. Primarily, this is because the rulers
of the exchange of mankind's but have failed through their
own stubbornness and their own incompetence. Have admitted their failure,
and I've abdicated. So this is the presidential version of
(04:47):
trash talking. And all of this change meet some very
rich and powerful people, very angry. As we've mentioned, they
all hang out in the smoky Room, the place where
titans of industry gathered to concoct the world order. That's
a right. Well, yeah, and we're drunk on power and
cognac alike. Oh, there's a couple of them. Hey, guys,
(05:07):
look me in the eye when you speak. Please, thank you. Today,
Alex and I thought we'd paused the story of Smedley
Butler to see if we can get inside the room
where the coup was planned. You see, it takes time
and resources and discretion to put something like that together.
Maybe it starts as a kind of cocktail coup, a wild,
(05:29):
vaguely seditious idea that gets tossed around at a party.
But it sticks, it escalates, and all of a sudden
it's no longer a joke. People start taking it seriously.
Once we can see inside for ourselves, maybe we can
finally see who exactly these anonymous plotters and puppet masters are,
(05:51):
and we could figure out who's really pulling the strings
of this coup plot. Aute. Wait a minute, you want
to come in? Not on your tin type. Even if
we let you in, it's not like you could really
understand what it's like to belong here, or what wouldn't
we understand? Well, what it's like to be omnipotently wealthy
for one. Yeah, I mean, I don't know what podcasts
(06:12):
are paying these days, but I'm guessing I just spent
more on breakfast. That's a dick thing to say, Oh
was it? I'd apologize, but my money won't let me. Okay,
But I've just gotta know. What do you guys actually
do here all day? Gossip and make more money? Mostly,
I mean it's a lot of fun. We sit around,
(06:36):
read the papers, see what Blondie and Dag would are
up to, talk about so and so and this and that,
and playing coops. Yeah, of course there's some pressing of palms,
some greasing of wheels, some making of deals. I mean,
we're only human and incredibly oblivious to our own privilege.
You get the vague but shady picture. Yep, sounds vague
(06:57):
and shady, all right. Also the drinks amazing. Try and
find a dryer, Gibson, I dare you so? The smoke
filled room. You keep talking about the smoke filled room.
It's not just one place. There are multiple locations, and
there are all kinds of conspiracies. We are thinking of
someday opening one in tooloom dedicated to figuring out once
(07:19):
and for all, if Leah Michelle can read truly, I'm
not a conspiracy theory for the agent. So on the
polance of my darlings on the riviera, the party moves.
Look at that a Gatsby reference in episode one and
now hemmingway, aren't we smart? Yeah? Now you see, our
little gang of insurgent plotters met on a weekly basis
(07:40):
in a smoky room at either the Metropolitan Club or
the Empire State Club, both fancy pants Manhattan, established mounts.
How do you get invited in? How do you get
invited in? Don't wear that for status? What it's a
baseball cap? It should stop at beauregards a road. This
is Benjamin Bowlin you're speaking to. He's a very prominent
(08:03):
member of the creative underclass. Yeah. Sure, I'm a big deal.
So come on show me around. No you'll touch stuff,
We won't, I promise. Oh god, both of you want
to come clear the ducks please? Alright? Alright, alright, since
you said it's so cute together. But after we give
(08:23):
you a tour, introduce you to some of the more
notorious denizens, we will raise your memory so you can
never speak of this again. Right on. Can we bring
our recording equipment and stuff we're not recording? We promise
everything's turned off. Okay, as long as they're off. Welcome,
(08:43):
I mean welcome to the smoke filled room. Okay, listeners,
let me describe what we're seeing here. Hang on, you
just said you won't go to record. Oh no, I
just like to narrate my life because I feel insecure
because I don't have as much money as you guys. Well,
that tracks, all right, proceed. The room smells of leather
(09:08):
and booze and wood polish and cigar smoke. The walls
are shimmering gold in the furniture's French walnut. There are
crown moldings everywhere. It seems like everybody in this room,
and it's all white. Guys, to be clear, speaks in
hush tones because nobody wants to be overheard. The men
wear gray flannel three piece suits with chalky white pinstripes
(09:28):
and gleaming ivory buttons. I dress it up with a
cravat and a boot and air just to be fun.
The smoke is so thick you can hardly see anybody's face,
although that guy looks familiar. Yes, I believe you know
Jerry Maguire. He keeps stalking Smedley in episode two, plate
in his head, face like a thumb, generally happy to
see you. Hellow right, that guy he told Smedley he
(09:52):
had some real financial heavyweights behind him. Guilty. I have
very delicate bones, so I do appreciate you calling me
a heavyweight. Wait wait, wait, so it's YouTube behind this. Well,
let's just say guys like us, unlike Robert Sterling claw
Arc over there, the guy who's papa left a millions
and singers sewing machine money, remember him, mister, I'll give
(10:13):
up half my fortune to save the other half. Yeah.
Eventually he winds up becoming a philanthropist and forming an
art institute with his wife doing all sorts of preservation.
What a way, What a simple dance? Talk about me
like I'm not here. What you got there, mister Clark.
A couple of mayonnaise and a skinny gale margharita. Wow, Yes,
(10:35):
it's that rich peasant's version of Jabel Fifting. It's cool.
So it's it's just these two guys here. Oh dear me. No,
there's lots of cool planners milling about, but they're in
the South wing. Now, where's that lever holy smokes? A
(10:56):
secret passageway behind the toilet. The rich really knew how
to live? Then, Yes, here we are. Okay. So that
handsome fellow with a schlipped back her is Grayson Murphy.
Mister Mallett prevost Murphy. If you're nasty, don't gladly effortless
quaffier folia. He's not a stylist. He's a titan of
business and also proficient mischief maker, which is rather helpful
(11:17):
for cool planning. I mean, you gotta have fun with it.
Grayson went to the same fancy private school as the
DuPont brothers, Pierre Irenee and Lemon Science of the famous
munitions and chemical company. So safe to say we'll hear
more about them later. Well that's a safe bet. Right
after his graduation from West Point, Murphy joined military intelligence
(11:42):
and was dispatched by Teddy Roosevelt for a month long
spy mission to South America. Grayson tells me that part
of their coastal reconnaissance involved chartering a yacht and posing
as a rich tourist. Cigars and champagne for everybody. But
they were spying. Isn't that hysterical. No, okay, Grayson Murphy
spied for the United States and the Philippines too, and
(12:05):
he spent time in the Dominican Republic, like which the
United States also invaded. You know this an interesting amount
of crossover with Smedley Butler here, I mean how they
were both warriors of dollar diplomacy. You really are very
intelligent the way you connect these dogs. You ever thought
of writing some of the stuff down? Shucks? Thanks? Man? Well,
(12:26):
I actually did write a book. It's called Stuff They
Don't Want. I'm gonna stop you. I can't read. In fact, confidentially,
it was me who taught Lea Michelle how to not
be able to read. Really, m well, that's one conspiracy
theory solved, I guess. To wrap this chapter up, Grayson
works in operational planning during World War One, befriends the
(12:47):
guy who went on to lead the Office of Strategic Services.
Oh that's the forerunner to the CIA, right, and Alex
I'm pretty sure the guy who headed that up was
named wild Bill down of it? Cool? Well, now you're
just showing off Sis Boombard. The war ends, Grayson goes
on to hold board seats on a half dozen or
so major companies and a Conda, Copa Mining, Bethlehem Steel,
(13:10):
New York Trust, and then Ruma. How's it? He went
on to provide the voice of Yogi Bear. Really nope,
moving along now in the Safari room. Hang on, is
that a live tiger? Oh yeah, this is getting creepy.
Oh honey, where Josh getting started? Now Here over here
we have three distinguished blokes. Hugh Johnson. How about that name?
(13:33):
You get it? Yeah? Yeah, Hugh Johnson, I get it.
He's also frenemies with Rexford tug Well, as well as
my friend Nancy Hawks brother Mike get it, my cock,
my cock? Yeah, we get it. Yeah, I've read about
Hugh Johnson. Oh, I get it. Real mature guys is
a vital early member of FDR's brain trust. Right. His
(13:56):
nickname is iron Pants. Johnson headed up the National Recovery
Administration the n r A, just to be clear, not
the National Rifle Association, No good safe, the National Recovery Administration.
Look at you two knowing even more things, just fascinating. Oh,
look out the window, Orphans, Yay, get the rocks, we'll
(14:18):
be right back. Those guys are the worst Alex if
I remember right, General Hugh Johnson didn't last long in
the FDR administration. That's right. Hugh Johnson kind of had
a thing for fascist economics. We'll get to that in
a moment. But his NRA did do some good things. Yeah. Yeah.
The NRA stated purpose was the elimination of cutthroat competition.
(14:41):
They did this by bringing industry, labor, and government all
together to create what they called codes of fair practice,
you know the stuff we take for granted today, like
minimum wage or making child labor illegal. These regulations had
the added impact of creating jobs and boosting the economy.
(15:02):
For instance, enforcing a forty hour work week meant that
businesses needed to spread the available work among a larger
portion of the workforce, and this drove down unemployment numbers.
Johnson treated the NRA as his own personal fiefdom. He
had almost unlimited power, and with his charisma and can
do attitude, he did an incredible job selling the NRA
(15:25):
to the American public. This is from a nineteen thirty
three infomercial about the NRA starring Jimmy duranting, you and
you and you and you. You've got a president now.
He gave the land a new deel Holy God, now
you deal. NRA was so popular that in nineteen thirty three,
Time magazine named old iron Pants Johnson Man of the
(15:46):
Year by Time Zone admission, the pickens were slim FDR
one in nineteen thirty two, so they couldn't give it
to him two years in a row. Time also noted
that Johnson's competition included Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and as we
all know, those guys were dicks, but new dicks could
compare to the mighty huge Johnson. I'm sorry, I always
(16:11):
got that out with a straight face anyway. Hugh Johnson
and the NRA were celebrated, but then Johnson melted down.
He drank heavily, and he started disappearing on benders for
days at a time. He compared himself to Moses and
his NRA code to the Ten Commandments. Let's just say
he had delusions of grandeur and he started being a
(16:32):
little too public about where he got his ideas. At
the time, an economic system called corporatism was so hot
and fascist Italy. Here's how it worked. Mussolini's government created
twenty two corporations. Each corporation represented a different trade just
about every sector of the Italian economy was represented everything
(16:53):
from the production of fruits and veggies to forestry and lumber,
to chemical trades and electricity and water and good lord,
we got it. Yeah, you're losing papal nerd. Yeah. Mussolini,
of course, presided over each corporation. Below him was a
council of big wigs from the Fascist Party, employers and
laborers for each trade. Johnson's DRA was set up to
(17:16):
look a lot like Mussolini's corporatist system, just like the
Italians had their corporations. The NRA formalized trade organizations with
government officials, business owners, and workers, and it doesn't sound
too bad. Employees and employers were working together to create
codes of fair practice. But the truth was Johnson had
set up something that was more like corporatism light. Instead
(17:39):
of benefiting the state like Mussolini's corporatism, the structure really
favored big business. US workers won the right to collectively bargain, sure,
but the pay remained pretty bad and the hours were
still long. So what we're saying is Johnson was essentially
trying corporate fascism on for size. Banned with Gusto, he
actually starts sending pamphlets on Mussolini's corporatism to the cabinet,
(18:04):
except those pamphlets were straight up fascist propaganda. All this
shilling for fascist economics got Johnson some negative attention. In fact,
it may have led to him getting sacked from the NRA.
Not twitch when she joins our little club and becomes
one of the planners of our rebellion, quite the character
ark Q. Johnson had, no kidding. Let's take a break,
(18:27):
and when we get back, we're going to meet more
notorious denizens from the smoke filled room. Good. I could
use a refill anyway. And speaking of refills, that's the
sound of gin being poured haphazardly into the tumbler of
someone who, by the sound of it, has a drinking problem.
(18:48):
And it's the well defined problem. It's the only kind
of gin we hues, old gimlet eye gin, the gin
of champions, but not champions who like done stuff, champions
who are born into it. Yeah, sure, jim let. I again,
remember it's the it's what is the tangle? All right,
(19:09):
it's got the eye And now here's the real lads.
We're back with three pills for all. I think I'm good, guys,
This old gimlet eye. Gin kind of tastes like gasoline.
(19:31):
Let me see that. Oh that is actually gasoline. Sorry,
it's so smoky in here you can hardly read the labels. Yeah,
the boy runs your mouth out with some absinthe. Oh yikes,
this is him luck, I'm good, Okay, I am good.
Let's continue the tour. All right. Well, over here playing
(19:52):
tag in the cloak room are two of our finest
almost but not quite presidents. They tried bless him. There's
Al Smith, four term progressive governor of New York, lost
the twenty eight presidential election to Herbert Hoover. Dad, someone
say my name, yes, hello, Herbie. Please don't call me Herbie.
(20:14):
If you must use a nickname, stick to my favorite,
the Great Engineer, or are my second favorite, Huby la Huve.
In nineteen thirty two, Al Smith tried to block Roosevelt
from getting the Democratic nomination for president. Smith made no
secret that he loathed Roosevelt and opposed the New Deal.
Join the club literally, and here's Al Smith's partner in failure.
(20:37):
On John asked Davis, Oh, that's the guy who wrote
the gold Standard address that Butler was supposed to read
to the men at the American Legion Convention. I love
how excited you get about this stuff. It's really adorable.
Thank you. Davis was nominated by the Dems in twenty
four but then got beat by Calvin Coolidge by seven
million votes. I believe it was. And they were like
(20:59):
twenty five people in the US back then. So he
served in Congress and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom.
He also argued one hundred and forty cases before the
Supreme Court. So, you know, busy guy on politics, and
busy guys socially too, because he's buddies with the richest
dudes in the whole country at the time, people like
(21:21):
the Rockefellers and Morgan's and DuPont's. Right, why do you
ask if you know the answer to Shay, I just
want to make it clearer. His friends are so powerful
that they're above politics. It's like they see presidents as employees.
It's true, men, these guys were connected. I'm thinking that
(21:41):
John W. Davis and Al Smith being here in the
smoke filled room seems like a major clue behind the
plot to depose FDR. Indeed Alex because all these smoky
room guys, Davis, Smith, Grayson Murphy, Robert Sterling Clark, not
to mention the alleged involvement of a handful of sitting senators.
All these folks were connected to an anti Roosevelt organization
(22:05):
called the American Liberty League. I never belonged to a
club that would have someone like me as a member,
except this one, because Roosevelt blows the group with public
in August nineteen thirty four. The League's stated purpose is
to hang on, let me pull up my shirt. I
tattooed their motto across my chest. Wow, losers, you're ripped.
(22:27):
Thank you. They put a pilates machine upstairs next to
the iron Maiden. So league stated purpose was to quote,
defend and uphold the Constitution, to teach the necessity of
respect for the rights of persons and property as fundamental
to every successful form of government. To teach the duty
of government to encourage and protect individual and group initiative
(22:51):
and enterprise. Hang on, it continues to round my back here. Yeah.
To foster the right to work earn, say than acquire property,
and to preserve the ownership and lawful use of property
when acquired. Or more plainly, the purpose of the Liberty
League is to influence the Roosevelt administration and if necessary
(23:13):
or possible interfere. Don't say it's so grim interfere, it's
a happy word. The League got off to an inauspicious start.
They launched months prematurely, with no money in the bank
or membership, and only because a newspaper reporter had the
goods on the story about the formation of an anti
Roosevelt group formed by some of the world's wealthiest men.
(23:36):
That'll sell some papers. Smedley saw the headlines and remembered
his last meeting with Jerry McGuire Hallo, when he told
him about his adventures learning about fascist groups in Europe.
I studied Hitler, I checked out that ominous fascist group QUADAFU.
I took a sort of comedic photo where it looks
like I'm holding up the leaning tower all in Ali.
(24:00):
There was an eight plus visit. McGuire told Smedley that
in a few weeks time there would be an announcement
about the formation of a powerful new political organization made
up of powerful men that would back the coup. This
organization would be created under the auspices of defending the constitution,
and it's not just made up of rich, shadowy types.
(24:21):
We've caught it. A few rich non shadowy types too. Yeah,
people will fuck you type money and influence folks like
Hollywood producer Hal Roach, League backers Directed US Steel, General Motors,
Standard Oil, and the DuPonts right, yes, yeah, we're just
getting there. The creators of the Liberty League were Irrite
DuPont and his two brothers, Pierre and Lamont. Now those
(24:45):
guys are scary, even if it's a lot of fun
to say Lamont, DuPont, Motpat pretty good Inne and his
brothers believe the New Deal constituted dangerous extremism. Most of all,
they hated the worker protections being churned out by the
National Recovery Administration because you know, they didn't see workers
(25:07):
as people. The DuPonts, in their lackeys from the League
wanted a lot of things lowell taxes, elimination, the federal relief,
perhaps a statue of Moi Apierre relement on zi, national
mall ones atuasi Lincoln Memorial, I don't know, just spitballing.
(25:29):
And to get all those things they wanted done. The
Liberty League gave money to right wing groups who opposed
communism or government regulation. At the same time, they actually
advised the Roosevelt administration on economic matters and advised on
new deal proposals when they benefited the DuPonts. They're basically
(25:50):
like Inner War Coax plus the Mercers, except they owned
a dynamite factory. Eventually they moved on to chemicals with
other applications. Yeah, but their primary business was always Boom
and Bang. By nineteen thirty three, the company had assets
and excess of six hundred and twenty million In today's money,
that's more than fourteen billion dollars. They were the principal
(26:14):
stockholder of General Motors. Face At DuPont was an industrial powerhouse.
At the same time the DuPonts are launching the Liberty League,
they're also fending off accusations of war profiteering. During a
series of well publicized congressional hearings, the DuPonts were being
maligned and framed Lenai. You know. So the DuPont brothers
(26:35):
and their gang of anti regulation crusaders liked to point
out all the Havoc prohibition brought as a prime example
of government overreach. Irenae is emotional, militant, paranoid, megalomaniac that
outshines us all in his determination. I think I'm like
in love. Right around the time the Liberty League booted up,
(26:59):
Irenae's top lieutenant at the League had a meeting with
Ku Klux Klan leader Hiram Evans. They discussed a possible
anti new Deal collab. The Devans guy, he kept coming
in here with his pointy hood and robe, so unsavory.
The only time he made me laugh was when his
hood got caught in the overhead fan. He was like, WHOA,
(27:20):
I almost pulled a muscle. It was so funny. So
it seems like the DuPonts and their co conspirators at
the Liberty League had the logistical ability to pull off
the scheme, and they had the motive. No, no, no,
look here, you the DuPonts company makes neoprene and stuff
like that, the job creators and neoprene creators. You mustn't
make a big deal out of their consolidation of power,
(27:42):
nor their backdoor dealings with clumsy KKK members. And you
really mustn't make a big deal out of the fact that,
just as Roosevelt's cranking through his first one hundred days,
the DuPont family purchased the Remington Arms Company. Quiet, Lucius, date,
what the Remington Arms Company like? One of the oldest,
(28:03):
biggest firearms companies in the country. Oh shit, that would
mean a riful for every legionnaire in general. Butler's walk
to Washington. Who said Remington Arms? I said, Remington Farms. Yeah,
it's a fabulous company run by and for chickens. Yeah, sure, dude.
(28:27):
So they had the motive, they had the muscle, they
just needed the general Asimo. I bet these are the
puppet masters we've been looking for. You're out of line.
You are making a serious accusation against a valued member
of the smoke filled room community, and I'm not having it. Yeah.
Taking over the tour with your vast historical knowledge is
one thing, but you can't talk shit about one of
(28:49):
our best guys. We're throwing you out and don't come
back unless you want to go up on the turfy
wall with the other libertals. Well, another day podcast research,
another tumble into a darkened alley. Well say, let's head
back for sure. You know, the more I learn about
(29:12):
all this, the scariest part of the story is the
Liberty League in the DuPonts. I mean, these are the
sorts of people who can destabilize economies or convince the
American government to invade a sovereign nation. Yeah, people who
manufacture munitions, people who are accused of war profiteering, who
concoct plans with the ku Klux Klan, who believe with
conviction that their vision of the world is the best
(29:34):
and only vision. Seems like the DuPonts could be the
masters of this entire enterprise. Telling you the hairs on
the back of my neck are up again, Alex again
with the hair's been. I mean, they always know when
something wicked is coming. Fair enough, are they gone? Yes?
They seem to beginning on some form of public transportation,
(29:57):
barf lucias. I think we know what we need to do.
All of us plotters and skibas and titans of industry.
Get Smaily Butler to lead the coup. Yes, and a
cook for the kitchenette. Oh, I love both those ideas.
Smedley gives a street cred with those pea brained veterans. Yes,
without them, who knows if we could even pull this off?
(30:18):
Oh we will, Billy Geld, we will, ye, You'll hear
where were you hiding this? Bittoone? Ah Brilliant and Gross
Gather Alund The Boys Companies coming Let's Start a coup
(30:38):
as a production of School of Humans and I Heart Podcasts.
Our hosts are Alex French and Ben Bolin. The show
is written by Alex French, with additional writing by Joe
ken Ocean. Original music and scoring by Joe ken Ocean.
Character voices by Joe ken Ocean. Does he Do Windows Too?
Eli Spetas is our producer. Emilia Rocky is our senior producer.
(30:58):
Sound design, scoring, mixing and mastering by Alexander Overington. Story
editing by Lacy Roberts, fact checking by Joscelyn Sears. Sean
Riggins is our recording engineer. Recorded at Tune Welders in Atlanta, Georgia.
Executive producers are Jason English, Virginia Prescott, Brandon Varr, and
Elsie Crowley. Special Things to Ethan Trucks clips courtesy of
(31:20):
the National Archives and Records Administration and the Academy Collections.
If you're enjoying the show, help us get the word
out by leaving a rating in your favorite podcast app.
And if you don't enjoy, we come for you, tune
in again next time for Let's start a coup school
(31:46):
of humans
This is an I heeart original retired Marine Corps Major
General Smedley Butler here smeddles to some, but you gotta
earn it. People ask me all the time if I
imagined what leading a coup on the White House would
feel like like? Did I imagine myself on that horse
at the front of the line. You bet your fucking ash.
(00:31):
I did. Because I never savored a sweeter buzz than Conquest.
I changed my middle name to Conquest. If it wasn't
already Darlington. Darlington's such a sweet name, why mess with it? Anyway?
The coup I can imagine myself there now. The night
before the march south to Washington, we camp and the
pine barrens around elk Ridge, Maryland. It's colder than a
(00:52):
witch's Why do you bleep that? I said? Nose Ah?
These I heart people anyway. Orders are to disembark at
four thirty, which, for those of you not in the know,
is military speak for two damn early. Our route is
straight down US one thirty miles to the White House.
The boys form a single column, twelveman wide, five hundred
(01:15):
thousand proud American veterans in black shirts and armbands. Every
man with a brand new Remington rifle. We reach sixteen
hundred Pennsylvania Avenue by sundown. The boys surround the White
House and I walk right in. I enter President Roosevelt's
study without knocking hand casually on my side Armholster like, yeah,
(01:35):
that's my gun. Jealous I have five hundred thousand men
outside who want peace but want something more. I tell
him what's well? He asks, with that goofball mid Atlantic voice.
Thing he's got. I want to be Secretary of State.
I say, third in the line of succession. But that's
not all. At this point, I lean in, which makes
(01:57):
him lean back. So then I lean in further Cheryl
Sandberg style, and I say, real quietly, Anderson here, Rosie, henceforth,
I'm going to act as the nations exactly. You can
continue to live here and draw your salary and pick
out the china. But that's a kid, And what do
you think? Took the coward less than a minute to
sign the commission, And just like that, the tree of
(02:19):
liberty hath been refreshed. I ended the depression, restored the
economy to its free market glory, outlawd war, and became
the first fascist dictator of the United States. All hail President,
Major General for Life Smedley Darlington conquest. Wait wait wait,
wait wait wait, Smedley, Now, dare you interrupt? The Leader
(02:39):
of the air quotes free world. None of that ever happened, though.
There was no armed coup, but there could have been.
That was their plan anyway, those jerks in the smoke
filled room, they tried to make an offer that was
like so hard to refuse from. iHeart Originals and School
(02:59):
of Humans. This is let's start a coup. I'm Ben
Bullen and I'm Alex French. Depending on whom you have,
the story we're about to tell you may or may
not be true. We've done all the research, read the books,
interviewed historians, but there are some big gaps in the
historical record. It will never know exactly what happened. So
(03:20):
in those gaps we've also had some fun. Oh that
cold open fantasy thing was fun. The rest is gonna
be straight downhill. Episode three. Let's get a Luminati. Oh
that's cool, get it, stalet it, get it? Oh, Illuminati
like Illuminati, I get it. That's stupid. Viers nineteen thirty
(03:43):
three and American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is on a
mission to end the Great Depression and reshape America along
the way. Roosevelt and does braintrust create employment and social
programs that alleviate this thing of poverty for millions of Americans.
He regulates dozens of industries and directs new oversight to
Wall Street. They're serious talk about a social safety net
(04:04):
being created, unemployment insurance, and pro ambitions on child labor.
And he broke from the gold standard, the basis for
American monetary policy since eighteen seventy nine, and forced Americans
to turn in their gold Roosevelt's new deal meant that
the old anything goes order of doing business was over,
and in his inauguration speech, FDR blamed America's business ely
(04:26):
for forcing his hand. Primarily, this is because the rulers
of the exchange of mankind's but have failed through their
own stubbornness and their own incompetence. Have admitted their failure,
and I've abdicated. So this is the presidential version of
(04:47):
trash talking. And all of this change meet some very
rich and powerful people, very angry. As we've mentioned, they
all hang out in the smoky Room, the place where
titans of industry gathered to concoct the world order. That's
a right. Well, yeah, and we're drunk on power and
cognac alike. Oh, there's a couple of them. Hey, guys,
(05:07):
look me in the eye when you speak. Please, thank you. Today,
Alex and I thought we'd paused the story of Smedley
Butler to see if we can get inside the room
where the coup was planned. You see, it takes time
and resources and discretion to put something like that together.
Maybe it starts as a kind of cocktail coup, a wild,
(05:29):
vaguely seditious idea that gets tossed around at a party.
But it sticks, it escalates, and all of a sudden
it's no longer a joke. People start taking it seriously.
Once we can see inside for ourselves, maybe we can
finally see who exactly these anonymous plotters and puppet masters are,
(05:51):
and we could figure out who's really pulling the strings
of this coup plot. Aute. Wait a minute, you want
to come in? Not on your tin type. Even if
we let you in, it's not like you could really
understand what it's like to belong here, or what wouldn't
we understand? Well, what it's like to be omnipotently wealthy
for one. Yeah, I mean, I don't know what podcasts
(06:12):
are paying these days, but I'm guessing I just spent
more on breakfast. That's a dick thing to say, Oh
was it? I'd apologize, but my money won't let me. Okay,
But I've just gotta know. What do you guys actually
do here all day? Gossip and make more money? Mostly,
I mean it's a lot of fun. We sit around,
(06:36):
read the papers, see what Blondie and Dag would are
up to, talk about so and so and this and that,
and playing coops. Yeah, of course there's some pressing of palms,
some greasing of wheels, some making of deals. I mean,
we're only human and incredibly oblivious to our own privilege.
You get the vague but shady picture. Yep, sounds vague
(06:57):
and shady, all right. Also the drinks amazing. Try and
find a dryer, Gibson, I dare you so? The smoke
filled room. You keep talking about the smoke filled room.
It's not just one place. There are multiple locations, and
there are all kinds of conspiracies. We are thinking of
someday opening one in tooloom dedicated to figuring out once
(07:19):
and for all, if Leah Michelle can read truly, I'm
not a conspiracy theory for the agent. So on the
polance of my darlings on the riviera, the party moves.
Look at that a Gatsby reference in episode one and
now hemmingway, aren't we smart? Yeah? Now you see, our
little gang of insurgent plotters met on a weekly basis
(07:40):
in a smoky room at either the Metropolitan Club or
the Empire State Club, both fancy pants Manhattan, established mounts.
How do you get invited in? How do you get
invited in? Don't wear that for status? What it's a
baseball cap? It should stop at beauregards a road. This
is Benjamin Bowlin you're speaking to. He's a very prominent
(08:03):
member of the creative underclass. Yeah. Sure, I'm a big deal.
So come on show me around. No you'll touch stuff,
We won't, I promise. Oh god, both of you want
to come clear the ducks please? Alright? Alright, alright, since
you said it's so cute together. But after we give
(08:23):
you a tour, introduce you to some of the more
notorious denizens, we will raise your memory so you can
never speak of this again. Right on. Can we bring
our recording equipment and stuff we're not recording? We promise
everything's turned off. Okay, as long as they're off. Welcome,
(08:43):
I mean welcome to the smoke filled room. Okay, listeners,
let me describe what we're seeing here. Hang on, you
just said you won't go to record. Oh no, I
just like to narrate my life because I feel insecure
because I don't have as much money as you guys. Well,
that tracks, all right, proceed. The room smells of leather
(09:08):
and booze and wood polish and cigar smoke. The walls
are shimmering gold in the furniture's French walnut. There are
crown moldings everywhere. It seems like everybody in this room,
and it's all white. Guys, to be clear, speaks in
hush tones because nobody wants to be overheard. The men
wear gray flannel three piece suits with chalky white pinstripes
(09:28):
and gleaming ivory buttons. I dress it up with a
cravat and a boot and air just to be fun.
The smoke is so thick you can hardly see anybody's face,
although that guy looks familiar. Yes, I believe you know
Jerry Maguire. He keeps stalking Smedley in episode two, plate
in his head, face like a thumb, generally happy to
see you. Hellow right, that guy he told Smedley he
(09:52):
had some real financial heavyweights behind him. Guilty. I have
very delicate bones, so I do appreciate you calling me
a heavyweight. Wait wait, wait, so it's YouTube behind this. Well,
let's just say guys like us, unlike Robert Sterling claw
Arc over there, the guy who's papa left a millions
and singers sewing machine money, remember him, mister, I'll give
(10:13):
up half my fortune to save the other half. Yeah.
Eventually he winds up becoming a philanthropist and forming an
art institute with his wife doing all sorts of preservation.
What a way, What a simple dance? Talk about me
like I'm not here. What you got there, mister Clark.
A couple of mayonnaise and a skinny gale margharita. Wow, Yes,
(10:35):
it's that rich peasant's version of Jabel Fifting. It's cool.
So it's it's just these two guys here. Oh dear me. No,
there's lots of cool planners milling about, but they're in
the South wing. Now, where's that lever holy smokes? A
(10:56):
secret passageway behind the toilet. The rich really knew how
to live? Then, Yes, here we are. Okay. So that
handsome fellow with a schlipped back her is Grayson Murphy.
Mister Mallett prevost Murphy. If you're nasty, don't gladly effortless
quaffier folia. He's not a stylist. He's a titan of
business and also proficient mischief maker, which is rather helpful
(11:17):
for cool planning. I mean, you gotta have fun with it.
Grayson went to the same fancy private school as the
DuPont brothers, Pierre Irenee and Lemon Science of the famous
munitions and chemical company. So safe to say we'll hear
more about them later. Well that's a safe bet. Right
after his graduation from West Point, Murphy joined military intelligence
(11:42):
and was dispatched by Teddy Roosevelt for a month long
spy mission to South America. Grayson tells me that part
of their coastal reconnaissance involved chartering a yacht and posing
as a rich tourist. Cigars and champagne for everybody. But
they were spying. Isn't that hysterical. No, okay, Grayson Murphy
spied for the United States and the Philippines too, and
(12:05):
he spent time in the Dominican Republic, like which the
United States also invaded. You know this an interesting amount
of crossover with Smedley Butler here, I mean how they
were both warriors of dollar diplomacy. You really are very
intelligent the way you connect these dogs. You ever thought
of writing some of the stuff down? Shucks? Thanks? Man? Well,
(12:26):
I actually did write a book. It's called Stuff They
Don't Want. I'm gonna stop you. I can't read. In fact, confidentially,
it was me who taught Lea Michelle how to not
be able to read. Really, m well, that's one conspiracy
theory solved, I guess. To wrap this chapter up, Grayson
works in operational planning during World War One, befriends the
(12:47):
guy who went on to lead the Office of Strategic Services.
Oh that's the forerunner to the CIA, right, and Alex
I'm pretty sure the guy who headed that up was
named wild Bill down of it? Cool? Well, now you're
just showing off Sis Boombard. The war ends, Grayson goes
on to hold board seats on a half dozen or
so major companies and a Conda, Copa Mining, Bethlehem Steel,
(13:10):
New York Trust, and then Ruma. How's it? He went
on to provide the voice of Yogi Bear. Really nope,
moving along now in the Safari room. Hang on, is
that a live tiger? Oh yeah, this is getting creepy.
Oh honey, where Josh getting started? Now Here over here
we have three distinguished blokes. Hugh Johnson. How about that name?
(13:33):
You get it? Yeah? Yeah, Hugh Johnson, I get it.
He's also frenemies with Rexford tug Well, as well as
my friend Nancy Hawks brother Mike get it, my cock,
my cock? Yeah, we get it. Yeah, I've read about
Hugh Johnson. Oh, I get it. Real mature guys is
a vital early member of FDR's brain trust. Right. His
(13:56):
nickname is iron Pants. Johnson headed up the National Recovery
Administration the n r A, just to be clear, not
the National Rifle Association, No good safe, the National Recovery Administration.
Look at you two knowing even more things, just fascinating. Oh,
look out the window, Orphans, Yay, get the rocks, we'll
(14:18):
be right back. Those guys are the worst Alex if
I remember right, General Hugh Johnson didn't last long in
the FDR administration. That's right. Hugh Johnson kind of had
a thing for fascist economics. We'll get to that in
a moment. But his NRA did do some good things. Yeah. Yeah.
The NRA stated purpose was the elimination of cutthroat competition.
(14:41):
They did this by bringing industry, labor, and government all
together to create what they called codes of fair practice,
you know the stuff we take for granted today, like
minimum wage or making child labor illegal. These regulations had
the added impact of creating jobs and boosting the economy.
(15:02):
For instance, enforcing a forty hour work week meant that
businesses needed to spread the available work among a larger
portion of the workforce, and this drove down unemployment numbers.
Johnson treated the NRA as his own personal fiefdom. He
had almost unlimited power, and with his charisma and can
do attitude, he did an incredible job selling the NRA
(15:25):
to the American public. This is from a nineteen thirty
three infomercial about the NRA starring Jimmy duranting, you and
you and you and you. You've got a president now.
He gave the land a new deel Holy God, now
you deal. NRA was so popular that in nineteen thirty three,
Time magazine named old iron Pants Johnson Man of the
(15:46):
Year by Time Zone admission, the pickens were slim FDR
one in nineteen thirty two, so they couldn't give it
to him two years in a row. Time also noted
that Johnson's competition included Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and as we
all know, those guys were dicks, but new dicks could
compare to the mighty huge Johnson. I'm sorry, I always
(16:11):
got that out with a straight face anyway. Hugh Johnson
and the NRA were celebrated, but then Johnson melted down.
He drank heavily, and he started disappearing on benders for
days at a time. He compared himself to Moses and
his NRA code to the Ten Commandments. Let's just say
he had delusions of grandeur and he started being a
(16:32):
little too public about where he got his ideas. At
the time, an economic system called corporatism was so hot
and fascist Italy. Here's how it worked. Mussolini's government created
twenty two corporations. Each corporation represented a different trade just
about every sector of the Italian economy was represented everything
(16:53):
from the production of fruits and veggies to forestry and lumber,
to chemical trades and electricity and water and good lord,
we got it. Yeah, you're losing papal nerd. Yeah. Mussolini,
of course, presided over each corporation. Below him was a
council of big wigs from the Fascist Party, employers and
laborers for each trade. Johnson's DRA was set up to
(17:16):
look a lot like Mussolini's corporatist system, just like the
Italians had their corporations. The NRA formalized trade organizations with
government officials, business owners, and workers, and it doesn't sound
too bad. Employees and employers were working together to create
codes of fair practice. But the truth was Johnson had
set up something that was more like corporatism light. Instead
(17:39):
of benefiting the state like Mussolini's corporatism, the structure really
favored big business. US workers won the right to collectively bargain, sure,
but the pay remained pretty bad and the hours were
still long. So what we're saying is Johnson was essentially
trying corporate fascism on for size. Banned with Gusto, he
actually starts sending pamphlets on Mussolini's corporatism to the cabinet,
(18:04):
except those pamphlets were straight up fascist propaganda. All this
shilling for fascist economics got Johnson some negative attention. In fact,
it may have led to him getting sacked from the NRA.
Not twitch when she joins our little club and becomes
one of the planners of our rebellion, quite the character
ark Q. Johnson had, no kidding. Let's take a break,
(18:27):
and when we get back, we're going to meet more
notorious denizens from the smoke filled room. Good. I could
use a refill anyway. And speaking of refills, that's the
sound of gin being poured haphazardly into the tumbler of
someone who, by the sound of it, has a drinking problem.
(18:48):
And it's the well defined problem. It's the only kind
of gin we hues, old gimlet eye gin, the gin
of champions, but not champions who like done stuff, champions
who are born into it. Yeah, sure, jim let. I again,
remember it's the it's what is the tangle? All right,
(19:09):
it's got the eye And now here's the real lads.
We're back with three pills for all. I think I'm good, guys,
This old gimlet eye. Gin kind of tastes like gasoline.
(19:31):
Let me see that. Oh that is actually gasoline. Sorry,
it's so smoky in here you can hardly read the labels. Yeah,
the boy runs your mouth out with some absinthe. Oh yikes,
this is him luck, I'm good, Okay, I am good.
Let's continue the tour. All right. Well, over here playing
(19:52):
tag in the cloak room are two of our finest
almost but not quite presidents. They tried bless him. There's
Al Smith, four term progressive governor of New York, lost
the twenty eight presidential election to Herbert Hoover. Dad, someone
say my name, yes, hello, Herbie. Please don't call me Herbie.
(20:14):
If you must use a nickname, stick to my favorite,
the Great Engineer, or are my second favorite, Huby la Huve.
In nineteen thirty two, Al Smith tried to block Roosevelt
from getting the Democratic nomination for president. Smith made no
secret that he loathed Roosevelt and opposed the New Deal.
Join the club literally, and here's Al Smith's partner in failure.
(20:37):
On John asked Davis, Oh, that's the guy who wrote
the gold Standard address that Butler was supposed to read
to the men at the American Legion Convention. I love
how excited you get about this stuff. It's really adorable.
Thank you. Davis was nominated by the Dems in twenty
four but then got beat by Calvin Coolidge by seven
million votes. I believe it was. And they were like
(20:59):
twenty five people in the US back then. So he
served in Congress and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom.
He also argued one hundred and forty cases before the
Supreme Court. So, you know, busy guy on politics, and
busy guys socially too, because he's buddies with the richest
dudes in the whole country at the time, people like
(21:21):
the Rockefellers and Morgan's and DuPont's. Right, why do you
ask if you know the answer to Shay, I just
want to make it clearer. His friends are so powerful
that they're above politics. It's like they see presidents as employees.
It's true, men, these guys were connected. I'm thinking that
(21:41):
John W. Davis and Al Smith being here in the
smoke filled room seems like a major clue behind the
plot to depose FDR. Indeed Alex because all these smoky
room guys, Davis, Smith, Grayson Murphy, Robert Sterling Clark, not
to mention the alleged involvement of a handful of sitting senators.
All these folks were connected to an anti Roosevelt organization
(22:05):
called the American Liberty League. I never belonged to a
club that would have someone like me as a member,
except this one, because Roosevelt blows the group with public
in August nineteen thirty four. The League's stated purpose is
to hang on, let me pull up my shirt. I
tattooed their motto across my chest. Wow, losers, you're ripped.
(22:27):
Thank you. They put a pilates machine upstairs next to
the iron Maiden. So league stated purpose was to quote,
defend and uphold the Constitution, to teach the necessity of
respect for the rights of persons and property as fundamental
to every successful form of government. To teach the duty
of government to encourage and protect individual and group initiative
(22:51):
and enterprise. Hang on, it continues to round my back here. Yeah.
To foster the right to work earn, say than acquire property,
and to preserve the ownership and lawful use of property
when acquired. Or more plainly, the purpose of the Liberty
League is to influence the Roosevelt administration and if necessary
(23:13):
or possible interfere. Don't say it's so grim interfere, it's
a happy word. The League got off to an inauspicious start.
They launched months prematurely, with no money in the bank
or membership, and only because a newspaper reporter had the
goods on the story about the formation of an anti
Roosevelt group formed by some of the world's wealthiest men.
(23:36):
That'll sell some papers. Smedley saw the headlines and remembered
his last meeting with Jerry McGuire Hallo, when he told
him about his adventures learning about fascist groups in Europe.
I studied Hitler, I checked out that ominous fascist group QUADAFU.
I took a sort of comedic photo where it looks
like I'm holding up the leaning tower all in Ali.
(24:00):
There was an eight plus visit. McGuire told Smedley that
in a few weeks time there would be an announcement
about the formation of a powerful new political organization made
up of powerful men that would back the coup. This
organization would be created under the auspices of defending the constitution,
and it's not just made up of rich, shadowy types.
(24:21):
We've caught it. A few rich non shadowy types too. Yeah,
people will fuck you type money and influence folks like
Hollywood producer Hal Roach, League backers Directed US Steel, General Motors,
Standard Oil, and the DuPonts right, yes, yeah, we're just
getting there. The creators of the Liberty League were Irrite
DuPont and his two brothers, Pierre and Lamont. Now those
(24:45):
guys are scary, even if it's a lot of fun
to say Lamont, DuPont, Motpat pretty good Inne and his
brothers believe the New Deal constituted dangerous extremism. Most of all,
they hated the worker protections being churned out by the
National Recovery Administration because you know, they didn't see workers
(25:07):
as people. The DuPonts, in their lackeys from the League
wanted a lot of things lowell taxes, elimination, the federal relief,
perhaps a statue of Moi Apierre relement on zi, national
mall ones atuasi Lincoln Memorial, I don't know, just spitballing.
(25:29):
And to get all those things they wanted done. The
Liberty League gave money to right wing groups who opposed
communism or government regulation. At the same time, they actually
advised the Roosevelt administration on economic matters and advised on
new deal proposals when they benefited the DuPonts. They're basically
(25:50):
like Inner War Coax plus the Mercers, except they owned
a dynamite factory. Eventually they moved on to chemicals with
other applications. Yeah, but their primary business was always Boom
and Bang. By nineteen thirty three, the company had assets
and excess of six hundred and twenty million In today's money,
that's more than fourteen billion dollars. They were the principal
(26:14):
stockholder of General Motors. Face At DuPont was an industrial powerhouse.
At the same time the DuPonts are launching the Liberty League,
they're also fending off accusations of war profiteering. During a
series of well publicized congressional hearings, the DuPonts were being
maligned and framed Lenai. You know. So the DuPont brothers
(26:35):
and their gang of anti regulation crusaders liked to point
out all the Havoc prohibition brought as a prime example
of government overreach. Irenae is emotional, militant, paranoid, megalomaniac that
outshines us all in his determination. I think I'm like
in love. Right around the time the Liberty League booted up,
(26:59):
Irenae's top lieutenant at the League had a meeting with
Ku Klux Klan leader Hiram Evans. They discussed a possible
anti new Deal collab. The Devans guy, he kept coming
in here with his pointy hood and robe, so unsavory.
The only time he made me laugh was when his
hood got caught in the overhead fan. He was like, WHOA,
(27:20):
I almost pulled a muscle. It was so funny. So
it seems like the DuPonts and their co conspirators at
the Liberty League had the logistical ability to pull off
the scheme, and they had the motive. No, no, no,
look here, you the DuPonts company makes neoprene and stuff
like that, the job creators and neoprene creators. You mustn't
make a big deal out of their consolidation of power,
(27:42):
nor their backdoor dealings with clumsy KKK members. And you
really mustn't make a big deal out of the fact that,
just as Roosevelt's cranking through his first one hundred days,
the DuPont family purchased the Remington Arms Company. Quiet, Lucius, date,
what the Remington Arms Company like? One of the oldest,
(28:03):
biggest firearms companies in the country. Oh shit, that would
mean a riful for every legionnaire in general. Butler's walk
to Washington. Who said Remington Arms? I said, Remington Farms. Yeah,
it's a fabulous company run by and for chickens. Yeah, sure, dude.
(28:27):
So they had the motive, they had the muscle, they
just needed the general Asimo. I bet these are the
puppet masters we've been looking for. You're out of line.
You are making a serious accusation against a valued member
of the smoke filled room community, and I'm not having it. Yeah.
Taking over the tour with your vast historical knowledge is
one thing, but you can't talk shit about one of
(28:49):
our best guys. We're throwing you out and don't come
back unless you want to go up on the turfy
wall with the other libertals. Well, another day podcast research,
another tumble into a darkened alley. Well say, let's head
back for sure. You know, the more I learn about
(29:12):
all this, the scariest part of the story is the
Liberty League in the DuPonts. I mean, these are the
sorts of people who can destabilize economies or convince the
American government to invade a sovereign nation. Yeah, people who
manufacture munitions, people who are accused of war profiteering, who
concoct plans with the ku Klux Klan, who believe with
conviction that their vision of the world is the best
(29:34):
and only vision. Seems like the DuPonts could be the
masters of this entire enterprise. Telling you the hairs on
the back of my neck are up again, Alex again
with the hair's been. I mean, they always know when
something wicked is coming. Fair enough, are they gone? Yes?
They seem to beginning on some form of public transportation,
(29:57):
barf lucias. I think we know what we need to do.
All of us plotters and skibas and titans of industry.
Get Smaily Butler to lead the coup. Yes, and a
cook for the kitchenette. Oh, I love both those ideas.
Smedley gives a street cred with those pea brained veterans. Yes,
without them, who knows if we could even pull this off?
(30:18):
Oh we will, Billy Geld, we will, ye, You'll hear
where were you hiding this? Bittoone? Ah Brilliant and Gross
Gather Alund The Boys Companies coming Let's Start a coup
(30:38):
as a production of School of Humans and I Heart Podcasts.
Our hosts are Alex French and Ben Bolin. The show
is written by Alex French, with additional writing by Joe
ken Ocean. Original music and scoring by Joe ken Ocean.
Character voices by Joe ken Ocean. Does he Do Windows Too?
Eli Spetas is our producer. Emilia Rocky is our senior producer.
(30:58):
Sound design, scoring, mixing and mastering by Alexander Overington. Story
editing by Lacy Roberts, fact checking by Joscelyn Sears. Sean
Riggins is our recording engineer. Recorded at Tune Welders in Atlanta, Georgia.
Executive producers are Jason English, Virginia Prescott, Brandon Varr, and
Elsie Crowley. Special Things to Ethan Trucks clips courtesy of
(31:20):
the National Archives and Records Administration and the Academy Collections.
If you're enjoying the show, help us get the word
out by leaving a rating in your favorite podcast app.
And if you don't enjoy, we come for you, tune
in again next time for Let's start a coup school
(31:46):
of humans
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Ben Bowlin
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com