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Let's Start a Coup!

Let's Start a Coup!

By: iHeartPodcasts
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What would you do if a secret cabal of the nation’s most powerful people asked you to overthrow the President? Weirdly enough – it’s not a hypothetical. It almost happened to FDR in the 1930s, were it not for a very intense, very problematic Marine named Major General Smedley Butler.

Join Ben Bowlin, Alex French, and a cast of historical characters brought to life by Joe Kinosian for a darkly comedic – and terrifying –​ retelling of one of the weirdest forgotten schemes in American history.

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Episodes
  • Ep 6 – The Real Coup
    Apr 3 2023

    The Congressional investigation is, surprise, a farce. Those in office – heavily influenced by their powerful donors – seem determined to prevent any genuine attempt at investigating Smedley’s evidence. The press, controlled by the same forces, dismisses his claims as the paranoid ramblings of an old, no longer relevant relic of a bygone age.

    Yet the nation is listening. The original gonzo journalist John Spivak digs into the story – and he is able to prove Smedley’s claims. What happens next?

    LINK: http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/spivak-NewMasses.pdf

    (Page 8 for conspiracy board)

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    40 mins
  • Ep 5 – Ham on Half
    Mar 27 2023

    As the conspiracy to overthrow the United States government rushes from idea to action, Major General Smedley Butler draws a line in the sand. From what he can tell, the country’s most powerful people have both the money and the political will to betray their own nation. And he knows the plotters' mercenary army could outnumber U.S. forces. Smedley orders a pizza and then blows the whistle, triggering a Congressional investigation.

    Yet, it seems, Smedley forgot one important thing: the shadowy forces plotting the coup may have already bought Congress.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    33 mins
  • Ep 4 – All Smedleys Considered
    Mar 20 2023

    Alex and Ben have done their best to be fair and objective in their exploration of the coup, but one Marine objects. In this week’s episode, Smedley Butler (played by Joe Kinosian) takes the mic to tell the story from his perspective. Looking back on his career as a hard-nosed death-dealer for Big Business, Smedley wonders: What led him to this point? Where will he go next?

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    35 mins

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