Defiance

For 28 years, Lebanon's Lira has been pegged to the US Dollar. But 18 months ago, following widespread protests, the government collapsed. Loan defaults and central bank mismanagement saw the Lira devalue and the people of Lebanon could only watch as the value of their savings dropped by the day.

Currency controls have meant that getting access to US dollar savings is heavily restricted in Lebanon and converting them into local currency at the bank rate is almost worthless.

But a small group of entrepreneurs in Beirut have created an underground Bitcoin market. These Bitcoin dealers meet clients in quiet corners of supermarkets to convert their hoarded dollars into Bitcoin in a bid to preserve their value from the banks 80% devaluation. And to convert overseas dollar remittances into dollars at a real market rate to enable residents to pay for essential services.

As Lebanon is on the brink of collapse, we look at how the Beirut locals are increasingly looking to Bitcoin as an alternative to their broken banking system.

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Show notes and transcription:
DEF079 - Show Notes

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
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Last week a group of Redditors from the subreddit r/WallStreetBets took on Wall Street when they collectively bought shares of the struggling video game retailer GameStop.

This movement started when it was discovered that approximately 140% of GameStop shares were sold short. With the collective buying power of the millions of subscribers to the WallStreetBets subreddit, they initiated a short squeeze. By driving the price higher, those who had short positions had to buy back the stock to cover their positions, again driving the price higher.

In less than two weeks, the share price went from around $20 to over $460. 

Amongst the people on the wrong side of this trade were Melvin Capital, a Hedge Fund that started the year with over $12 billion under management. After frantically trying to cover their position, GameStop wiped out a staggering $4.5 billion of their assets and reported a 53% loss on its investments in January. 

At the height of the rally, and with WallStreetBets out for blood, Robinhood, the world's most popular retail trading platform ceased trading on a number of heavily shorted assets, most notably GameStop (GME).

The company claimed they were not prepared for the frenzied trading and that they lacked the capital to continue operations. However, some have suggested that the company's decision to cease trading was down to influential Wall Streeters.

To better understand what has been happening over the last few weeks, and the implications on the future, I am joined by Bill Barhydt, Hester Peirce, Jaime Rogozinski, Max Keiser, Nathaniel Whittemore & Preston Pysh.

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Show notes and transcription:
DEF078 - Show Notes

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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Fifty years ago, a war on drugs was launched. Its aim was to irradicate drugs by stopping the supply and punishing use. That war has failed as drug use is more prevalent than ever before. Hundreds of thousands die from overdoses, prisons are clogged with users, and the cost to the economy and society is devastating.

But attitudes are changing. Twenty years after Portugal set the global standard by decriminalising the possession of all drugs, Oregan has become the first state in the US to follow that lead. With tax proceeds from legal cannabis sales going to drug healthcare programmes, the attitude has started to shift from making drugs a criminal issue to a healthcare one.

In this episode, we speak to the Oregon lawmakers, and drug reformers in the US and the UK about what is being done and what's next. And Joao Goulao - the doctor who established the Portuguese drug reform model 20 years ago - explains the huge success that Portugal has experienced because of these reforms.

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Show notes and transcription:
DEF077 - Show Notes

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
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If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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With the COVID-19 lockdowns forcing people to stay in their homes and, if possible, not go into the office, businesses have adapted, and remote work has boomed.

Remote work tools have been available for years, but companies and individuals have realised that the office is less critical while on lockdown. With workers no longer having to go into the office and restaurants, bars and entertainment either closed or heavily restricted, what is the benefit to living in the city?

There has been a growing exodus from major cities during the pandemic, but the coronavirus restrictions are not the only reason. Many in the US have moved to other states or even countries, to benefit from preferred business regulations or tax rates.

In A Borderless World, we find out what is behind this exodus from major cities, how accessible global migration will change the way we live and what cities of the future will look like.

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Show notes and transcription:
DEF076 - Show Notes

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
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- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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Following Joe Biden's victory in the Presidential election, Donald Trump and his allies have continually called the election's validity into question and stated that it was fraudulent, with Trump demanding the result be overthrown. 

Following the election, surveys have found between 70-80% of Republicans thinking that the result was fraudulent, whilst Democrats have faith in its integrity.

Last week, the tensions reached boiling point when a Trump-supporting mob stormed the Capitol building in Washington D.C, which ultimately led to five people's deaths.

We are now just days away from Joe Biden's inauguration, and there are fears that there will be further protests and violence from Trump's supporters. Further, it is looking like Trump will be impeached for a second time.

How did we get to this point where people do not trust the integrity of an election?

In this interview, I talk to Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle, a daily, non-partisan political newsletter. We discuss the claims of fraud in the presidential election, partisan news and the political divide.

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/election-fraud-media-bias

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

- - - - -

The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
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- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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America has the highest prison population of anywhere in the world, and young black men have a 50% chance of ending up in jail by the age of 23.

Seventy million Americans currently have a criminal record, leading to challenges accessing legal aid, housing, healthcare, voting rights and most importantly, the ability to get a job. Without an income, many fall back into crime and return to jail.

The economic and social costs to both society and the individuals is devastating, but with high urban poverty, widespread gang violence, a semi-privatised prison system, and little political will, very little is being done to reform the system.

Former convict Richard Bronson is on a mission to change that. He has established the Commissary Club which helps find jobs for those with criminal records as well as finding mentors and support systems for the recently released.

In this episode, we speak to Richard Bronson and two former gang members Sean Dupree and Victor Lombard - known as Divine - about their experience of finding work since their release from incarceration.

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/locked-out

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
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- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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In October, Nigerians took to the streets to protest against police brutality in the #EndSARS campaign. 

SARS is the Special Anti Robbery Squad is a Nigerian police unit specialising in combating violent crimes ranging from robbery to kidnapping. However, they have been accused of corruption and committing human rights violations including executions, torture, rape and extortion.

The movement began in 2017, but October 2020 saw a spike in interest and the protest that began in Nigeria spread worldwide. 

While the #EndSARS protests have been peaceful, on October 20th, the Nigerian police and army opened fire on protesters killing at least 12 people, in what has been named the Lekki Massacre.

In this interview, I talk to Ire Aderinokun and Tomiwa Lasebikan, to discuss the #EndSARS Movement, corruption in Nigeria, women's rights and equality and how they are using Bitcoin to help the Nigerian people.

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/nigerias-endsars-movement

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

- - - - -

The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
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- Subscribe to the Defiance mailing list.
- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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While division in politics is certainly not new, the Trump era in America has arguably pushed it to an all-time high. News outlets and social media platforms provide a 24/7 source of highly partisan content and elected officials leverage division to grow their support.

However, what I've found in making this series is that there isn't any one thing to blame for the growing divide, it's everything. 

In the final episode of Chaos, I have asked Chart and Julie to return for a recap on the series and see if their opinions have shifted in the aftermath of the presidential election.

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/this-is-america

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

- - - - -

The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
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- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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Social media has infiltrated every part of our lives, especially politics. Social media can quickly push people into echo chambers where highly partisan ideals are championed rather than challenged.

We have seen the role that social media has played in elections with companies like Cambridge Analytica exploiting peoples data to profile and target potential voters, but what role does it play in pushing political agenda, spreading misinformation and creating division?

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/chaos-05-echo-chambers

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

- - - - -

The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
Twitter
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- Subscribe to the Defiance mailing list.
- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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We’re in a strange political limbo: Joe Biden is systematically dealing with the transitional process in a composed manner and with full confidence he will be inaugurated on January 20th. However, in the foreground Donald Trump and his allies continue to protest that the election was stolen and Trump has been demanding the result be overturned. Following the election, surveys have found between 70-80% of Republicans think the election results were effected by fraudulent means, whilst Democrats have faith in the integrity of the election.

At the same time, the US is dealing with an early winter Covid surge. There has been a dramatic increase in hospitalisations across the country, and concerns about how high the death rate will go prior to the effective distribution of a vaccine. As with the results of the election, this critical issue is being made more difficult because of partisan divisions. There are significant differences of opinion on both sides regarding the seriousness of the disease and the need for measures and controls to limit its spread. The problem is that the decision to save lives through lockdowns and controls, whilst trying to support the economy, is a zero sum game. It is an issue that needs compassion and compromise, but instead the debate is increasingly polarised and bitter. The result is a confused picture of the seriousness of the virus where even mask wearing has become politicised.

While we contend with society living in alternative version of reality, people are still losing their livelihoods, people are developing serious mental health problems, and people are continuing to die.

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/chaos-04-alternate-realities

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

- - - - -

The success of Defiance will be largely down to the support of you, the listener. Below are a number of ways you can help:
- Subscribe to the show on your favourite app so you never miss an episode:
iTunes
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- Leave a review of the show on iTunes (5* really helps, if you think the show deserves it).
- Share the show and episodes out with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Follow Defiance on social media:
Twitter
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- Subscribe to the Defiance mailing list.
- Donate Bitcoin here: bc1qd3anlc8lh0cl9ulqah03dmg3r2uxm5r657zr5p

If you have any questions then please email Defiance.

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