Best Joseph L Flatley Podcasts (2025)

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BONUS: Journalist Nick Schou on the legacy of Gary Webb 52:58

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3M ago52:58

52:58

In August 1996, the San Jose Mercury News published Gary Webb’s infamous “Dark Alliance” investigation. The three-part series revealed how a drug ring connected to CIA-backed Nicaraguan rebels was flooding Los Angeles with crack cocaine in the 1980s. Webb traced the money trail from LA street dealers all the way back to covert U.S. foreign policy o…

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UNLOCKED: Project Mind Control 23:00

3M ago23:00

23:00

In this subscribers-only episode of Paranoid History, I interview historian John Lisle about his new book Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKULTRA. Lisle discusses his discovery of never-before-seen depositions from the 1980s, revealing new insights into the CIA's infamous mind control experiments. The conversation…

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The Transvestigation of Candace Owens 38:49

4M ago38:49

38:49

In this episode, I talk to my friend and colleague Sam DeVaney about Candace Owens's strange obsession with MKULTRA, trans people, and the First Lady of France. We dive into Candace's wild claims that Brigitte Macron was actually born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, and how this theory connects to her broader worldview about elite pedophile rings…

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On A Move! Part 2 47:35

4M ago47:35

47:35

This episode concludes our investigation into MOVE by examining the tragic murder of John Gilbride and the organization's systematic abuse of power. Gilbride was a former Reagan youth who became deeply involved with MOVE leader Alberta Africa after witnessing the 1985 bombing as a teenager. He eventually left the organization and fought for custody…

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On A MOVE! Part 1 49:52

4M ago49:52

49:52

This is a long one! Part 1 of 2. Featuring Kevin Price. In January 1999, 16,000 fans packed a New Jersey arena for a benefit concert organized by Rage Against the Machine to support Mumia Abu-Jamal, the famous death row inmate and former Black Panther. The crowd believed they were funding justice for a political prisoner, raising over $400,000 for …

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Failed State Update 26:20

4M ago26:20

26:20

FAILED STATE UPDATE! Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently released documents alleging an Obama administration conspiracy to subvert Trump's presidency, centering on a December 9th, 2016 White House meeting that allegedly reversed intelligence conclusions about Russian interference. I examine how this represents selective declass…

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Patty Hearst: Revolution, Brainwashing, or Conspiracy? 35:18

5M ago35:18

35:18

This episode explores the extraordinary case of Patricia Hearst, granddaughter of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who was kidnapped from her Berkeley apartment on February 4, 1974, by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). What began as a straightforward kidnapping quickly transformed into one of America's most puzzling criminal cases …

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Report From Iron Mountain 29:28

5M ago29:28

29:28

Episode 13: Report from Iron Mountain explores the bizarre journey of a 1967 satirical hoax that became a foundational text for American conspiracy theorists. Created by left-wing satirists led by Viktor Navasky (later editor of The Nation) and writer Leonard Lewin, Report from Iron Mountain purported to be a leaked government study concluding that…

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The Interview 29:28

5M ago29:28

29:28

When Seth Rogen's stoner comedy The Interview sparked an international crisis in 2014, it exposed the hidden connections between Hollywood entertainment and U.S. foreign policy. Investigative journalist Tim Shorrock reveals how the film's graphic depiction of Kim Jong Un's assassination wasn't just a creative choice — it was lauded by RAND Corporat…

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MOMA Spies Revealed! 29:37

5M ago29:37

29:37

Discover how the CIA secretly operated as America's “hidden Ministry of Culture” during the Cold War, using abstract expressionism as a weapon against Soviet influence. The episode explores the fascinating paradox of how the CIA championed artists like Jackson Pollock abroad as symbols of American creative freedom while this same art movement faced…

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The Phantom Patriot 32:43

6M ago32:43

32:43

In January 2002, a man in a homemade superhero costume armed with guns, a sword, and smoke bombs broke into the exclusive Bohemian Grove retreat in California. His mission? To save children he believed were being sacrificed to the ancient god Moloch by some of America's most powerful men. This episode tells the remarkable story of Richard McCaslin,…

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Havana Syndrome 31:36

6M ago31:36

31:36

In 2016, American embassy personnel in Cuba began reporting strange sounds followed by debilitating symptoms - ear pain, headaches, dizziness, and cognitive difficulties. Quickly labeled as attacks by a mysterious sonic weapon, these incidents led to diplomatic breakdowns and accusations against foreign adversaries. This episode explores the scienc…

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The Strange Case of Sirhan Sirhan 30:09

6M ago30:09

30:09

On June 5, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles by a 24-year-old Palestinian immigrant named Sirhan Bishara Sirhan. While Sirhan was immediately apprehended and later convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy theories have persisted for over five decades. These theories center on a…

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Project Monarch 28:50

6M ago28:50

28:50

In 1995, a woman named Cathy O'Brien published a book containing some of the most shocking allegations ever made against the American government. She claimed to be a survivor of Project Monarch, a classified CIA mind control program where she was programmed through systematic trauma to serve as a sex slave to presidents, politicians, and global eli…

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Siege 32:49

7M ago32:49

32:49

In 1986, experimental musician and provocateur Boyd Rice wrote a fan letter that would have devastating consequences. The recipient wasn't a fellow artist, but James Mason — the author of an obscure neo-Nazi newsletter whose violent ideas would soon become known around the world. This episode traces how Mason's newsletter Siege! evolved from fringe…

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The Octopus 40:34

7M ago40:34

40:34

In this episode we look at the death of freelance journalist Danny Casolaro, who was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Martinsburg, West Virginia. This was ruled a suicide, but circumstances surrounding the case raised questions. Casolaro had been investigating what he called “The Octopus,” a sprawling conspiracy that connected intelligence agencies…

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Finding Satan 24:13

7M ago24:13

24:13

In this week’s episode, Joseph L. Flatley investigates the infamous Finders case—a 1987 incident where two well-dressed men and six disheveled children in a Tallahassee park sparked nationwide panic about satanic cults and child trafficking. What began as a routine police call transformed into one of the internet's most persistent conspiracy theori…

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The Bennewitz Affair 26:29

7M ago26:29

26:29

Dive into the shocking story of Paul Bennewitz, a physicist and military contractor whose innocent observations near Kirtland Air Force Base triggered one of the most elaborate government disinformation campaigns in history. This episode unravels how Air Force intelligence agents deliberately fed Bennewitz false information about alien bases, cattl…

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Acid is Groovy! 26:22

7M ago26:22

26:22

From distinguished FBI agent to conspiracy kingpin: Journey inside the mind of Ted Gunderson, whose investigation of the infamous Jeffrey MacDonald murder case launched his transformation from respected law enforcement official to professional conspiracy theorist. This episode of A Paranoid’s History of the United States follows Gunderson's evoluti…

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Bill Cooper in Waco 31:52

8M ago31:52

31:52

In 1993, the 51-day standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas ended in tragedy with 76 people dead, including 25 children. For William Cooper, former Naval Intelligence officer turned conspiracy broadcaster, this wasn't just another government operation gone wrong—it was the smoking gun that validated everything he had…

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Introducing A Paranoid's History of the United States 3:20

8M ago3:20

3:20

A Paranoid's History of the United States is a podcast exploring the murky intersection between documented government conspiracies and fantastical theories, examining how real covert operations have fueled paranoid beliefs throughout American history. CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE: https://paranoidhistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/paranoid…

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75. The Occult Aspects of the Failed State: Livestream w/Anima Noira 1:09:48

3y ago1:09:48

1:09:48

The United States is failing fast, taking many of its most storied institutions with it. As a child of the former Soviet Union, occult artist @AnimaNoira has seen this all before. Watch us discuss magick and decline live tonight! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glqt06mGrco Sign up for the Failed State Update Newslette…

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74. The King of Stolen Valor and Other Weird Stories w/Oki 53:42

3+ y ago53:42

53:42

Oki is a Canadian documentarian with a keen eye for unusual subject matter. We spoke to him back in January when he infiltrated a cabal of conspiracy theorists who use hypnosis to "prove" that there is a secret space program operating throughout the universe. His latest doc, The King of Stolen Valor, is a must-see. It is the story of Jonathan "Jack…

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73. Ravi, Mind Control Victim in Silicon Valley 42:04

3+ y ago42:04

42:04

Ravi lives in Silicon Valley, he's a former Google employee, and he’s a Targeted Individual. That is, he believes he has been the subject of high-tech surveillance and harassment. Whatever the cause of the trauma he has experienced, the trauma is very real. “I felt like committing a crime” at one point, he says. “I felt like avenging what happened …

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72. Lucien Greaves on the Satanic Temple, fire bombing, modern day witch hunts, and more 1:09:45

3+ y ago1:09:45

1:09:45

Long-time friend of the show Lucien Greaves will be on FSU tonight. What will be talking about? The arson at the Satanic Temple's HQ? Probably. Sovereign Citizen death threats? Youbetcha. Satanic Panic? That is to be expected. Lucien Greaves on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucienGreaves Failed State Update on Twitter: https://twitter.com/failedstat…

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71. A Failed Coup and a Failed Reality TV Show with Rocco Castoro and Emily Molli 1:26:59

3+ y ago1:26:59

1:26:59

We keep hoping that the Trump administration will become old news, but the stories of its incompetence and corruption keep coming. One of our favorites is Seven Days in January, a new podcast about Mark Burnett and Elizabeth Koch's failed attempt to turn the Presidential Inauguration into a reality series for Amazon Studios. According to our guests…

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70. Jack Brewer's UFO Trail (livestream) 1:02:26

3+ y ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Jack Brewer is a freelance writer with a longtime interest in the UFO genre. He maintains the blog "The UFO Trail," where he posts credible info on incredible topics. Brewer is the author of "The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community," in which he explores how public perception of the UFO phenomenon has been distorted by the int…

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69. Douglas P. Horne on Operation Northwoods and lies the Pentagon tells us 1:07:48

3+ y ago1:07:48

1:07:48

Douglas P. Horne is a former staffer for the Assassination Records Review Board and the author of several books, including Inside the Assassination Records Review Board. In this episode of Failed State Update, J.G. and Douglas discuss Operation Northwoods, the Pentagon's (very real) plan to down aircraft, blow up ships, or possibly kill American ci…

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68. Gabriel of Urantia Warns of the Apocalypse… But This Time We're Afraid He Means It 50:49

3+ y ago50:49

50:49

In Tumacácori, Arizona, a stone’s throw from the U.S. border with Mexico, roughly 85 “destiny reservists” await their fate. They are the followers of Gabriel of Urantia. Born Anthony J. Delevin in Pittsburgh in 1946, Gabriel’s life work is a community known as the Global Community Communications Alliance (GCCA). They live in a compound in the deser…

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66. Daniel Muessig, "real-life Saul Goodman" going to prison 2:11:14

3+ y ago2:11:14

2:11:14

Daniel Muessig is a Pittsburgh folk hero, mostly because of his over-the-top ad for his law practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_iaugcJW7Q Any day now he will go to prison for five years for conspiring to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possession of marijuana. He was busted by an FBI task force who ID'd him through a wiret…

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62. Wayne Madsen on Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, and the Fascist Fourth Reich 1:15:42

4y ago1:15:42

1:15:42

Wayne Madsen is an investigative journalist, the author of twenty-one books, and the publisher of The Wayne Madsen Report. His latest book is The Rise of the Fascist Fourth Reich: The Era of Trumpism and the New Far-Right. Stories about Wayne Madsen on Failed State Update: "Did Wayne Madsen uncover a 2016 ‘Stop the Steal’ Plot?" "Wayne Madsen on th…

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JG and Lenny stop by the Ochelli Communications Worldwide Studio 58:30

4y ago58:30

58:30

On February 10, Failed State Update co-hosts Joseph L. Flatley and JG Michael appeared on The Ochelli Effect live to discuss current events, conspiracy theories, JFK, Ozzy Osbourne, and more. Unfortunately, someone messed up the recording of the after-show that we did (that person being Joseph L. Flatley), but we do have the show itself here for yo…

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61. the CIA, FBI, UFOs and NICAP... and Jack Brewer 1:08:34

4y ago1:08:34

1:08:34

What do UFOs, the CIA, the conflict in Ukraine, and the Philadelphia Experiment have in common? Tune in to find out! Jack Brewer writes "The UFO Trail", a blog dedicated to publishing credible info on incredible topics. Brewer's research interests include the UFO subculture, the intelligence community, and related social dynamics, and he's here to …

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60. The Finders: The Movie featuring Boys' Bible Study (the podcast) (BONUS EPISODE) 1:01:28

4y ago1:01:28

1:01:28

In this episode of Failed State Update, Joseph L. "Lenny" Flatley goes toe-to-toe with the hosts of the Boys' Bible Study podcast. The Bible Boys, as we like to call them, wade deep into the murky waters of the Christian pop culture industry, reviewing the weirdest and most interesting independently produced films with a certain message. Since that…

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59. Spencer Sunshine on Oath Keepers, militias, and left antisemitism 1:21:49

4y ago1:21:49

1:21:49

You're in for a treat! For this edition of Failed State Update: The Podcast, J.G. Michael interviews author and extremism expert Spencer Sunshine on the Oath Keepers' role in January 6, the militia movement in general, and what happens when antisemites infiltrate leftist politics. Also, Joseph L. Flatley tells you about his recent reporting on sove…

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58. Alfred W. McCoy: To Govern the Globe: World Orders and Catastrophic Change 1:06:28

4y ago1:06:28

1:06:28

Regular listeners of Failed State Update are in for a real treat. Our guest, Alfred W. McCoy, is an American historian and educator. Currently the Fred Harvey Harrington Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he specializes in the history of the Philippines, foreign policy of the United States, European colonization of Southea…

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57. John Zerzan: When We Are Human 53:29

4y ago53:29

53:29

Is the United States collapsing, or is all of civilization collapsing? To explore that question we bring you John Zerzan, an anarchist and primitivist author whose work has been compared to Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, of all people. His books offer an alternative vision of history that focuses on the destructive nature of technology. And more importan…

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56. Tom Mellett on Arthur Young, Pseudoscience (or not), and the Cult of UFO Twitter 44:48

4y ago44:48

44:48

Tom Mellett is a retired high school teacher of math and physics who delights in trolling UFO Twitter and Facebook because their emotional maturity is at a 9th grade level (as he puts it). He is also a cat butler in Los Angeles. We got on the phone after my story "The New Intergalactic Cold War" caused a (quite brief) firestorm on Twitter last week…

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55. Sherry Shriner’s Deadly Anti-New World Order Online Doomsday Cult 53:47

4y ago53:47

53:47

Anthony Russo is the author of Dragged Into the Light: Truthers, Reptilians, Super Soldiers, and Death Inside an Online Cult, and for the next fifty-three minutes we'll discuss his book about Sherry Shriner, an online cult leader in rural Ohio who preached a bizarre combination of reptilian conspiracies, orgone energy pseudoscience, and discredited…

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54. Havana Affair (feat. the CIA, crickets, and conspiracy theorists) 51:30

4y ago51:30

51:30

Havana Syndrome is back in the news. On the one hand, it's clearly a psychogenic illness that's being misdiagnosed as the result of commie death rays. On the other hand, by treating it as an attack by America's enemies, politicians can use it to help further their foreign policy objectives. Which side do you think the media is going to take? Robert…

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53. R. Kelly Found Guilty Of Racketeering And Sex Trafficking 52:27

4y ago52:27

52:27

REPOST: After decades of accusations and a weeks-long federal trial, R. Kelly has been found guilty of charges including sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, racketeering and sex trafficking that will put him in prison from 10 years to life. I figure now is as good a time as any to repost this interview with journalist Jim Derogatis, who did as…

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52. The Lyndon LaRouche Cult of Intelligence w/Marley Clements 59:11

4y ago59:11

59:11

The subject of political cults continues with Marley Clements, a writer, producer, and documentary filmmaker whose work includes Active Measures (2018) and QAnon: The Search for Q (2021). Her company Bunker Crew Media is responsible for the Kremlin File podcast. Kremlin File: https://pod.co/kremlin-file Erica Duggan on Lyndon LaRouche & the Mysteri…

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BONUS: New Age Grifter 17:43

4+ y ago17:43

17:43

Joshua Lilly is a former follower of Gabriel of Urantia, the subject of this podcast as well as my latest book, New Age Grifter. He’s also something of a “fan favorite,” so — due to popular demand — I am giving him an (almost 2 hours long!) episode of my FAILED STATE UPDATE podcast to tell us about his life and times in (and out of) a religious cul…

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48. New Age Grifter: Joshua Lilly (preview) 17:43

4+ y ago17:43

17:43

Joshua Lilly is a former follower of Gabriel of Urantia, the subject of my book New Age Grifter. He’s also something of a “fan favorite,” so — due to popular demand — I am giving him an (almost 2 hours long!) episode of the FAILED STATE UPDATE podcast to tell us about his life and times in (and out of) a religious cult. This is a preview of an epis…

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47. New Age Grifter: The True Story of Gabriel of Urantia 13:05

4+ y ago13:05

13:05

New Age Grifter is the story of Gabriel of Urantia, a self-proclaimed holy man who currently presides over a spiritual community (some call it a cult) in the desert of Southern Arizona. In a fenced-in compound, three generations of the Global Community Communications Alliance soak in Gabriel's teachings as they wait for the end of the world. My boo…

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46. The Socioeconomics of Cults and QAnon 43:41

4+ y ago43:41

43:41

Less than a week until my book NEW AGE GRIFTER: THE TRUE STORY OF GABRIEL OF URANTIA AND HIS COSMIC FAMILY is released, and to get you in the mood I'm sharing a conversation that I had today on, of all things, the YouTube Grassroots #YangGang Show. We discussed the book a little bit, as wells things like: "What is the difference between conspiracy …

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45. Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick Director Steven Intermill 43:57

4+ y ago43:57

43:57

Raymond Buckland founded The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in 1966. After visiting the late Gerald Gardner and his collection on the Isle of Man, Raymond was inspired to start a collection of his own. While working for British Airways, he was able to acquire many of the artifacts in this collection from all around the world. He initially…

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44. Danny Casolaro and the Surveillance State 33:52

4+ y ago33:52

33:52

Joseph Daniel Casolaro (everyone knew him as Danny) was a journalist who died in Martinsburg, West Virginia, thirty years ago this August. He was in town working on a book tentatively titled The Octopus, which promised to tie together damn near every conspiracy theory of the decade: including the October Surprise, Iran-Contra, and the FEMA concentr…

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43. Lucien Greaves on multiple personalities, TikTok, and conspiracy therapists 34:26

4+ y ago34:26

34:26

A story crossed my desk recently: "Inside TikTok’s booming dissociative identity disorder community" (Input Magazine, July 6). The author, Jessica Lucas, looks at the unique world of social media influencers with multiple personalities. While it provides a unique look at a fascinating subculture, it does not portray the truth about Dissociative Ide…

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42. Satan Goes to the Mind Control Convention 10:03

4+ y ago10:03

10:03

My book Satan Goes to the Mind Control Convention: Manchurian Candidates, Recovered Memories, and the Dark Side of Conspiracy Culture is finally available as an audiobook! From the back cover blurb: Satan Goes to the Mind Control Convention looks at the role that conspiracy theories play in American life and the current political climate. The audio…