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WWW.MY-SUBS.CO
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LAST WEEK TONIGHT
WITH JOHN OLIVER
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Welcome, welcome,
welcome to "Last Week Tonight!"
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I'm John Oliver,
thank you so much for joining us.
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It has been a busy week.
Russia pulled out of Kherson in Ukraine,
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and Twitter continued its
very entertaining death spiral,
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but the big news this week
was the midterm elections,
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where Democrats did unexpectedly well.
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00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,960
John Fetterman,
seen here in a Philly tuxedo,
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00:00:49,039 --> 00:00:52,359
defeated Dr. Oz,
something perhaps best celebrated
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00:00:52,439 --> 00:00:54,719
by Pennsylvania's current Democratic
Senator Bob Casey.
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And, before I show you this video,
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know that there are
some unexpected twists in it.
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You're going to hit the first one and
think, "That's what he was talking about,"
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but it's not over yet.
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John Fetterman won the Senate race.
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This is Pittsburgh beer.
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Good work, John.
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You and Gisele and your whole team
did great work. Congratulations.
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I'm coming in hot.
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I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight.
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I think I'm gonna just hold
this beer and look at that map.
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Okay, first, if you'd given me a million
guesses about the genre of music
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that was gonna run a freight train through
the middle of that clip,
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not a single one would have been rap.
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Second, finding out that guy's gonna spend
the rest of his night staring at a map
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isn't remotely surprising to me.
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We all know a map guy when
we see one, and you, sir? Map guy.
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Finally, congratulations, John Fetterman,
you survived a stroke
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and an incredibly ugly campaign
run by a snake oil salesman,
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only to win several years with
the world's weirdest new co-worker.
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Have fun! All in all,
Tuesday was a pretty good night.
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Democrats also won
key gubernatorial races,
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progressive prosecutors won elections
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in places like Dallas County, Texas
and Polk County, Iowa,
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and voters in these five states opted to
support or defend abortion access.
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And while it is ridiculous that
we're having to fight state by state
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for rights that people had earlier
this year, I guess here we are.
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Now, there were also some big losses
for some alarming candidates
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that we've featured on this show,
like Kristina Karamo in Michigan,
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Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania,
and Blake Masters in Arizona.
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And those results were something that sent
Fox News pundits scrambling for answers.
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Single women are voting
for Democrats by 30 points.
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- 37.
- 37 points!
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And urban America,
they're cleaning our clocks in the cities.
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And the fact that these youth voters
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are coming in so strong
on an off-year is very concerning.
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The Democrats were also very deliberate
in their pitch to young people.
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They offered them drugs,
recreational drugs
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- Pot.
- Abortion, paid off student loans.
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So, there were, again,
actionable policies
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that they were promising to advance,
and climate change.
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Okay.
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We don't have time to go into all the ways
that they're telling on themselves.
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From being appalled
young people were voting,
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to admitting they have
zero "actionable policies"
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but adding,
"Oh, and climate change,"
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as a complete afterthought
is a pretty fun way to end that.
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A nice little cherry on top of a
"what the fuck have we done" sundae.
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But one person in particular came in
for a lot of the blame this week,
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and that is Donald Trump,
as key candidates that he supported lost.
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And even some on Fox made it clear
that they had a new favorite Republican.
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Ron DeSantis won the Florida
governor's race in a landslide.
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Inevitably, he's now seen
as a presidential candidate.
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That is not going down well
with Donald Trump.
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He actually threatened to reveal personal
information about Governor DeSantis
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if he runs for the presidency.
Bad move. Trump is the past.
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DeSantis, according to
the New York Post, is "DeFuture."
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Okay, I do not like a single part of that.
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Especially not when
Stuart Varney said "DeFuture"
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like a Chicago alderman introducing
the musical guest on SNL.
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"Ladies and gentlemen, DeFuture."
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The prospect of a President DeSantis
is just one of the worrying things
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that came underneath
all of the good news on Tuesday.
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There is a chance that Republicans
will recapture the House,
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and if they do, they'll be able to jam up
Biden for the next two years,
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with stunts like holding
the whole country hostage
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by refusing to raise the debt ceiling,
and I don't know,
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launching an investigation
into Biden's Peloton ride history.
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Plus, there's the small matter of
Georgia's runoff election next month,
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which could put Herschel Walker
in the Senate.
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So, Democrats still have a lot of
work to do.
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But for now, they can pause
for a very brief celebration.
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And may I suggest something like this.
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I'm coming in hot.
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THE DEMOCRATS DID
UNESXPECTEDLY WELL
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IT COULD'VE BEEEN
A LOT WORSE
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I'm just gonna hold this beer
and look at this map.
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And now, this.
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And Now: Steve Kornacki Is Never Not
at the Big Board.
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It is Election Day, that means one thing.
Steve Kornacki is at the big board.
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Steve Kornacki joins us at the big board.
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Steve Kornacki at the big board.
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Steve Kornacki will be at
his natural habitat, the big board.
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- Steve Kornacki at the big board.
- The big board.
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We've got Steve Kornacki
over at the big board.
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- The big board.
- Kornacki at the big board.
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- Let's go to the big board.
- Steve Kornacki.
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- Steve Kornacki.
- Steve Kornacki at the big board.
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- Steve Kornacki.
- Back to the big board.
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The great Steve Kornacki
at the big board.
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The big board.
Steve Kornacki.
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Kornacki at the big board.
Big board.
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We have seen Kornacki
that's standing at the big board.
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I don't think they ever let him leave the
big board, I think he lives there now.
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Moving on. Our main story tonight
concerns the British monarchy.
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The best thing to happen to white actors
since literally everything else.
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The monarchy has given the world
royal weddings,
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the unveiling of new royal babies,
and, of course, moments like this.
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He may have grown up in a palace,
but today,
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Prince Charles was doing his best to
get in touch with the mood on the streets.
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Ah! Dig that crazy rhythm!
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Oh, no, no!
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There is perhaps
nothing more pathetic
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than the world's most famous adult son
saying, "Dig that crazy rhythm,"
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with what I can only describe as
"big narc energy."
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The monarchy's clearly in transition now
following the death of the Queen,
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an event that prompted
10 days of public mourning,
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with a massive line of people queuing
for hours to pay their respects.
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But while some were devastated,
others had more complicated feelings.
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The Queen, it's like, I care, but I don't.
That's me being real.
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Tell me about the "care" part and then
tell me about the "don't care" part.
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- I care because it's our Queen.
- Our Queen.
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- It's a person who died, it's sad
- Okay, and then the "don't care" part.
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- She ain't done nothing for us.
- She's done nothing for us.
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Yeah, I get that.
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I had a similar reaction
when Big died on the Peloton.
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I don't care, because Big was pompous,
good for nothing and voted for Trump.
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But I do care a little because
I know that Carrie cares.
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Look at her there in his last moments,
devastated, doing absolutely nothing.
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But their ambivalence speaks to the fact
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that to a degree
that Americans may not realize
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the monarchy isn't a universally
beloved institution.
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And they were being very nice
about it there.
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Others have been much less kind.
In the aftermath of the Queen's death,
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many sporting events
held a minute's silence.
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But some crowds, particularly in Scotland
and Ireland, went a different way,
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with this song
proving particularly popular.
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Lizzie's in a box, in a box,
Lizzie's in a box!
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Lizzie's in a box, in a box,
Lizzie's in a box!
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Lizzie's in a box, in a box,
Lizzie's in a box!
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Yeah, "Lizzie's in a Box."
Which I know sounds insensitive,
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but I would argue that of all the places
they could have chanted that she was in,
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"box" is actually pretty generous.
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And look, you can make the case
that that is in bad taste.
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You can also make the case that it's very
funny. Two things can be true here.
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Even we got into trouble
when Sky TV in the U.K.
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cut a couple of fairly benign jokes
that we did the week she died.
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Who knows if this segment
will even air on TV over there?
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In fact, just in case they refuse, we've
prepared an alternate show for them,
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where this story is replaced
with a 25-minute loop of this video
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of Winston Churchill
going backwards down a waterslide,
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set to the "Benny Hill" theme.
So, they won't have nothing to watch.
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But in the U.K., the argument was that,
in the wake of the Queen's death,
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it just wasn't the time for criticism
of her or the monarchy in general.
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It would be impolite.
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But it's been two months since then,
and Charles is king now.
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And while, for many, the charm
of his mother was in her longevity,
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she was the only sovereign
most Britons had ever known,
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and her tendency toward silence
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you never really knew
what she thought about anything
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neither of those
things are true of her son.
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Because Charles, a man whose
face answers the question,
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"What if two cousins had a kid?"
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is taking the throne
at a ripe age of 73.
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He had, to put it mildly,
an incredibly messy divorce,
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and he's been outspoken
on a range of topics,
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from architecture, to the environment,
to his belief in homeopathic medicine,
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including supporting
a controversial cancer treatment
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which involves
13 fruit juices a day,
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coffee enemas,
and weekly injections of vitamins.
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The point is, he doesn't have
the inscrutability of his mother,
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or enjoy her level of public affection.
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And his ascent to the throne comes as
the U.K.'s facing a cost-of-living crisis.
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One man even recently confronted
Charles directly about this.
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Charles! While we struggle to heat our
homes, we have to pay for your parade.
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The taxpayer pays
100 million for you, what for?
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That befuddled "oh" from him
pretty much says it all there.
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But that wasn't the only recent protest.
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Just this week, a man threw multiple
eggs at Charles on the street.
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And when they caught him,
he didn't really seem that sorry,
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given that this was the photo
from his arrest.
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He was released on bail, with conditions
including, and this is true,
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00:10:06,919 --> 00:10:09,600
"not being allowed to be within
500 meters of the King,"
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and not being allowed
to possess any eggs in a public space.
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Which really shows just how far
the power of the monarchy has fallen.
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A few hundred years ago,
it would have been instant beheading.
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Now, the punishment is,
"Be careful in the refrigerated aisle."
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So, given that Charles is now king,
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and will actually have
a formal coronation next May
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to be beamed by
cameras all around the world,
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before all that happens,
we thought tonight,
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it might be worth looking at the
British monarchy specifically to ask
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what the point of it is,
first in the U.K.,
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then in the countries where the monarch
still serves as a figurehead.
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And let's start with the very basic
question of,
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"What does the royal family do?"
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It's something that even they have had
trouble defining in the past,
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00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,440
as this clip of Prince Philip
from 1968 demonstrates.
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Could you tell me,
what is your job in your own mind?
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00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,720
Well, I haven't got one.
I'm self-employed.
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But surely, you must have
some clear idea
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00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,320
of what role you
fulfill in modern society.
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Really difficult to answer.
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Wow. It's honestly kind of amazing
to watch him initially laugh that off
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before considering the question and then
facing something of an existential crisis.
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But since that question seemed to
stump him, perhaps we can help.
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Unlike in the U.S.,
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where the head of government and
the head of state are the same person,
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in the U.K.,
those are two very different roles.
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00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,519
Because while, for centuries, the British
monarch had huge political power,
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00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,120
it was gradually stripped
away over the years,
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00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,840
to the point that the position's
now largely symbolic.
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00:11:42,919 --> 00:11:45,080
The monarch's main role,
as head of state,
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00:11:45,159 --> 00:11:47,320
is to receive incoming
and outgoing ambassadors
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and visiting heads of state,
and to make visits abroad.
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00:11:50,159 --> 00:11:52,240
Here is the Queen
meeting Narendra Modi,
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00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,600
here she is taking a carriage
ride with Vladimir Putin,
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00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:56,759
and here she is
with former President Trump.
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00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,480
Just two people delighted to be there.
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00:12:00,159 --> 00:12:02,320
You don't usually
see a pair so unhappy
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00:12:02,399 --> 00:12:05,600
while wearing fancy costumes outside
of cats on Halloween.
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00:12:06,159 --> 00:12:08,240
There are also smaller
responsibilities they do, too,
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00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:11,480
like visiting factories and opening
things, and also, and this is true,
224
00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,240
sending people birthday cards
when they turn 100.
225
00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,799
Basically, think of the royals as
Mickey and Minnie at Disneyland.
226
00:12:17,879 --> 00:12:21,440
They're not running the rides, but they're
a mascot for the whole operation,
227
00:12:21,519 --> 00:12:24,759
and people kind of like having
their pictures taken with them.
228
00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:26,279
And the royal family's defenders will say
229
00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,840
that the ceremonial aspect of
the monarchy is really the whole point.
230
00:12:29,919 --> 00:12:32,919
In fact, the royal family's official
website describes the role of Sovereign
231
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,480
as a "focus for national
identity, unity, and pride,"
232
00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,600
and that it "gives a sense
of stability and continuity."
233
00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:43,200
But that comes at a price.
As you heard that man yell earlier,
234
00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:46,720
Britons pay millions of pounds
every year to support the royals.
235
00:12:46,799 --> 00:12:50,039
Although some will argue
that it's actually money well spent.
236
00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,399
Interestingly, the British state gives,
or the government gives the royal family
237
00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,200
100 million pounds per year, roughly.
238
00:12:56,279 --> 00:12:59,120
It's called the Sovereign Grant
to pay for upkeep.
239
00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,639
But tourism generated by the royal family
generates about 500 million a year.
240
00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,720
So, that's five to one.
I would take that investment return.
241
00:13:07,799 --> 00:13:11,200
Right. The monarchy's defenders argue
that whatever money the royal family costs
242
00:13:11,279 --> 00:13:13,879
is vastly outweighed
by what they bring in.
243
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,200
It's the exact same argument thousands
of men have made to their wives
244
00:13:16,279 --> 00:13:20,559
about investing in crypto. And
it's going really well for them right now!
245
00:13:20,639 --> 00:13:21,840
But a few things about that.
246
00:13:21,919 --> 00:13:25,039
First, the claim that they bring in
500 million a year in tourism
247
00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,000
is heavily disputed.
248
00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,639
And it is not like that goes
away if the royal family does.
249
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:33,159
You can still visit a palace
if nobody lives inside it.
250
00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,159
No one shows up to Versailles and says,
251
00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,759
"Wait, no one lives here?
It's a hard pass from me."
252
00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,279
And the notion that the monarchy
"only costs 100 million pounds"
253
00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,399
also has some major asterisks on it.
254
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,600
Because while it is true that,
as is often said,
255
00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:50,039
the Sovereign Grant amounts to just
over a pound a person in the U.K.
256
00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,360
it's by no means the royals' only
source of income.
257
00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,200
The new king now has
three main sources of wealth:
258
00:13:56,279 --> 00:13:59,440
the Sovereign Grant, money the U.K.
Treasury gives the crown
259
00:13:59,519 --> 00:14:01,080
to fulfill its royal duties,
260
00:14:01,159 --> 00:14:05,480
the family's private wealth the full
extent a closely guarded secret.
261
00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:10,200
Then the Duchy of Lancaster, a private
estate of land, property, and assets,
262
00:14:10,279 --> 00:14:12,720
the monarch receives
its annual profits.
263
00:14:12,799 --> 00:14:16,320
The Queen received 27 million dollars
from it last year.
264
00:14:16,759 --> 00:14:20,480
It's true. The Duchy of Lancaster
is a massive property portfolio,
265
00:14:20,559 --> 00:14:22,039
containing land that incidentally
266
00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,039
was seized by the monarchy
back in the 13th century,
267
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,960
and from which they continue to draw
personal profits to this day.
268
00:14:28,039 --> 00:14:30,200
So, as king, Charles gets money
from the government,
269
00:14:30,279 --> 00:14:33,799
money passed down through his family,
and money from the Duchy of Lancaster.
270
00:14:33,879 --> 00:14:36,080
And none of that includes
the Duchy of Cornwall,
271
00:14:36,159 --> 00:14:38,399
held by whoever holds
the title of Prince of Wales.
272
00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:40,559
It used to be Charles,
now it's Prince William.
273
00:14:40,639 --> 00:14:43,879
That is a separate billion-dollar
real estate portfolio,
274
00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:48,240
nearly the size of Chicago, by the way,
which includes seaside vacation rentals,
275
00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,200
office space in London,
and a suburban supermarket depot.
276
00:14:51,279 --> 00:14:54,639
That alone brought in 26 million
in additional income
277
00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,080
for the family last year.
278
00:14:56,159 --> 00:15:00,279
So, the royal family's wealth,
unlike their gene pool, is massive.
279
00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,679
And while, in 1993, in response
to public anger over their spending,
280
00:15:05,759 --> 00:15:09,679
both the Queen and Charles agreed
to pay voluntary income taxes,
281
00:15:09,759 --> 00:15:11,840
that arrangement
isn't necessarily permanent.
282
00:15:11,919 --> 00:15:16,000
Meanwhile, the two duchies are completely
exempt from corporation taxes,
283
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,759
and Charles doesn't have to pay
any inheritance tax
284
00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:20,399
on whatever the Queen
passed on to him.
285
00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,159
And when you factor all of that in,
286
00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,320
it sure starts to feel
like they're costing a hell of a lot more
287
00:15:25,399 --> 00:15:29,120
than just a pound per person.
So, is it worth it?
288
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:30,879
Well, people can disagree.
289
00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,879
I think my position on the royal family
is pretty well-documented.
290
00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,799
To me, they're like a human appendix:
we've long evolved past needing them,
291
00:15:37,879 --> 00:15:39,960
and there's a compelling case
for their surgical removal.
292
00:15:40,039 --> 00:15:45,240
But I admit, I am in the minority
when it comes to British people.
293
00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,159
Many feel exactly like this woman does.
294
00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,639
I just think it's nice that we have it,
and it makes us a bit unusual. Unique.
295
00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,399
Yeah. I mean, it's nice that we have it.
It's a British thing, isn't it?
296
00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,480
And I think a lot of people
would like what we have.
297
00:16:01,159 --> 00:16:05,159
Okay, but "it's nice that we have it"
isn't what you say about
298
00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,480
a free-loading multimillionaire family
exempt from paying most taxes,
299
00:16:08,559 --> 00:16:11,919
it's what you say about a water
dispenser in your fridge.
300
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,799
As for being "a British thing,"
that's not a great justification, either.
301
00:16:15,879 --> 00:16:19,039
You know what else is a British thing?
Mushy peas.
302
00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:23,720
If you've never had the pleasure, imagine
emotionally unavailable guacamole.
303
00:16:23,799 --> 00:16:26,679
They're like if mashed potatoes
killed themselves.
304
00:16:26,759 --> 00:16:33,080
But the fact is, 67% of people in the U.K.
feel that the monarchy should remain.
305
00:16:33,159 --> 00:16:35,639
So, for now,
it does seem secure there.
306
00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,879
But that brings us
to the second part of this story.
307
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,159
Because abroad, their role
is a much more open question.
308
00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,240
Charles, as king, is now head
of the Commonwealth of Nations,
309
00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,879
a loose alliance largely composed
of former British colonies,
310
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,360
14 of which still have the British
monarch as their titular head of state,
311
00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:56,200
in spite of being self-ruling nations.
These are those countries.
312
00:16:56,279 --> 00:16:58,559
And debates have been raging
for a while in many of them
313
00:16:58,639 --> 00:17:00,440
about what
the crown represents.
314
00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:03,480
As we mentioned in March, William
and Kate had to cancel the first stop
315
00:17:03,559 --> 00:17:05,400
on their royal tour
through the Caribbean,
316
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,519
due to overwhelming local protests.
317
00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:09,640
And in Australia,
in the wake of the Queen's death,
318
00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,279
the women's Aussie-rules football league
held a moment of silence for her,
319
00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:15,640
but, given they were,
by sheer coincidence,
320
00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,319
in the midst of a 10-day tribute
to Indigenous players,
321
00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,440
they opted to not do that for
the rest of the mourning period,
322
00:17:21,519 --> 00:17:24,519
prompting this man to freak out.
323
00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:26,839
What a disgrace. Seriously, I mean that
324
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,039
that any sporting organization
in this country
325
00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:34,000
would think there is any reason
not to honor the Queen is a joke.
326
00:17:34,079 --> 00:17:38,880
And why can't they have a minute's
silence in Indigenous Week anyway?
327
00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,960
I mean, you know, Indigenous
people are Australian people.
328
00:17:43,039 --> 00:17:45,680
They were subjects
of Her Majesty the Queen.
329
00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:49,319
And you can have your arguments
about colonialism or whatever,
330
00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:53,960
but the Queen in this country
and for the world was a force for good.
331
00:17:54,559 --> 00:17:59,960
What? You can't just gloss over the
entire history of colonialism there.
332
00:18:00,039 --> 00:18:03,200
It's like saying, "Have all the
arguments about murder or whatever,
333
00:18:03,279 --> 00:18:07,079
but at the end of the day,
Charles Manson was a family man."
334
00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,920
And let's talk about that history,
starting in Australia,
335
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,119
where Indigenous people suffered
greatly under colonial rule.
336
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,720
Researchers have found
evidence for, conservatively,
337
00:18:17,799 --> 00:18:20,599
nearly 200 massacres
of Aboriginal people
338
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,160
at the hands of British military
and colonial police,
339
00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,480
and hundreds more by colonists.
340
00:18:25,559 --> 00:18:28,880
And when the Queen herself
visited Australia in 1954,
341
00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,440
"First Nations people were not counted
as part of the population,"
342
00:18:32,519 --> 00:18:35,640
and "children were still being forcibly
removed from their families
343
00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,039
to be assimilated into white households."
344
00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,799
So, "have your arguments about
colonialism or whatever"
345
00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,480
is very much what we should be doing,
not glossing over it,
346
00:18:45,559 --> 00:18:48,359
and forcing people to mourn
a symbol of a painful past.
347
00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:50,319
And that's just Australia.
348
00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,640
If you really want to talk about
"colonialism or whatever,"
349
00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,759
or litigate the extent to which the Queen,
or the monarchy in general,
350
00:18:56,839 --> 00:19:00,240
has been a global force for good,
let's do that.
351
00:19:00,319 --> 00:19:03,400
And let's start with the
full extent to which the monarchy
352
00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,079
was intricately involved
in the transatlantic slave trade.
353
00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,839
After Britain invaded Jamaica in 1655,
354
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:15,480
the Royal African Company was set up
by royal charter under King Charles II.
355
00:19:15,559 --> 00:19:19,960
The RAC went on to transport more
enslaved Africans to the Americas
356
00:19:20,039 --> 00:19:25,480
than any other single institution ever,
lining the pockets of the Stuart monarchs.
357
00:19:25,559 --> 00:19:29,359
Many of those trafficked were
branded with the initials "DY,"
358
00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:34,480
as in the Duke of York, who led the
company and later became King James II.
359
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:36,119
That's true.
360
00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,799
The direct ancestors
of today's royal family
361
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,720
were investors
in the Royal African Company
362
00:19:41,799 --> 00:19:45,519
and had their initials literally
branded into people's skin.
363
00:19:45,599 --> 00:19:47,400
And both the trade of enslaved people
364
00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,359
and the high-demand products that they
produced, like sugar and tobacco,
365
00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,839
went to enriching Britain,
strengthening its empire,
366
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,960
and, by extension,
filling royal coffers.
367
00:19:55,039 --> 00:19:58,200
And I do get that people shouldn't
be held personally responsible
368
00:19:58,279 --> 00:19:59,559
for whatever their ancestors did,
369
00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,880
but trying to talk about
the British role in the slave trade
370
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,720
without talking about the monarchy
371
00:20:04,799 --> 00:20:07,200
is sort of like trying to talk about
Jeffrey Epstein
372
00:20:07,279 --> 00:20:09,279
without talking
about the monarchy.
373
00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:14,759
They are inextricably linked, however
uncomfortable they might find that fact.
374
00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,200
Yet despite all of that,
no one in the royal family
375
00:20:18,279 --> 00:20:20,240
has ever apologized
on behalf of the crown.
376
00:20:20,319 --> 00:20:23,720
Instead, they've tiptoed around
culpability with passive-voice statements
377
00:20:23,799 --> 00:20:26,720
like Prince William saying
"slavery was abhorrent,"
378
00:20:26,799 --> 00:20:29,480
or Prince Charles going
to Ghana and saying this.
379
00:20:29,559 --> 00:20:32,759
The appalling atrocity of the slave trade
380
00:20:32,839 --> 00:20:36,279
and the unimaginable suffering
it caused
381
00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:41,680
left an indelible stain
on the history of our world.
382
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,799
While Britain could be proud
that it later led the way
383
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,119
in the abolition
of this shameful trade,
384
00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,160
we have shared a responsibility
385
00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,079
we have a shared responsibility to ensure
386
00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,400
that the abject horror of slavery
is never forgotten.
387
00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:05,079
But listen to that. He can't even mention
how awful the slave trade was
388
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,680
without in the same breath mentioning that
Britain "led the way" in abolishing it.
389
00:21:09,759 --> 00:21:13,440
British people love to
talk about their role in abolition.
390
00:21:13,519 --> 00:21:16,200
But Charles left out a lot there,
including that, while, yes,
391
00:21:16,279 --> 00:21:19,720
the British did abolish
the slave trade in 1807,
392
00:21:19,799 --> 00:21:23,440
it allowed plantation slavery to persist
in colonies for decades after,
393
00:21:23,519 --> 00:21:26,680
meaning full abolition
didn't follow for another generation.
394
00:21:26,759 --> 00:21:30,160
But the larger point here is,
you can't have it both ways.
395
00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,160
You don't get to take the credit
for abolition
396
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,720
without taking the
blame for what led up to it.
397
00:21:34,799 --> 00:21:37,119
If someone intentionally
set fire to a Quiznos,
398
00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,680
then hours later put that fire out,
399
00:21:39,759 --> 00:21:42,400
they wouldn't get to post a picture
of themselves holding a hose
400
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:47,720
with the caption, "So, I did a thing!"
That's not the full story, is it?
401
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:53,000
Also, for what it's worth, the effect
of slavery clearly isn't just in the past.
402
00:21:53,079 --> 00:21:57,400
The U.K. was paying for it, in a very
literal sense, incredibly recently.
403
00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:01,599
Because when Britain finally abolished
slavery in its colonies in the 1830s,
404
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:06,480
it took out a loan of 20 million pounds,
but not to compensate enslaved people.
405
00:22:06,559 --> 00:22:10,400
"Instead, it went to enslavers
who wanted compensation
406
00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,480
for the loss of income
from their properties,"
407
00:22:12,559 --> 00:22:14,440
which, to be clear, meant people.
408
00:22:14,519 --> 00:22:17,119
That is about 17 billion
pounds in today's money,
409
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:22,200
and up until 2015, the British state
was still paying off the debt.
410
00:22:22,279 --> 00:22:24,440
Amazingly, many learned about this
for the first time
411
00:22:24,519 --> 00:22:26,519
when, a few years ago,
the British treasury Tweeted,
412
00:22:26,599 --> 00:22:29,440
"Here's today's
surprising #FridayFact
413
00:22:29,519 --> 00:22:32,480
Millions of you helped end the
slave trade through your taxes."
414
00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:36,000
And I'm sorry,
but that is just not a good Friday fact.
415
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,599
"The average person farts between
10 and 20 times per day?"
416
00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,359
That is pretty good.
"Fish can cough?" Now we're talking.
417
00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:44,880
"Surprise, I know times are tough
418
00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,440
but you just helped pay off the families
of dead enslavers?"
419
00:22:47,519 --> 00:22:52,400
No! Absolutely fucking not.
Save that shit for Monday, you buzzkill.
420
00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,240
For anyone thinking, "That didn't happen
on the watch of the modern monarchy,"
421
00:22:57,319 --> 00:23:01,319
it is worth knowing one of the most brutal
atrocities carried out by the British
422
00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,559
actually happened in the
first eight years of Elizabeth's reign,
423
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,279
and when Charles was alive.
424
00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,160
Because in the 1950s,
while Kenya was still a British colony,
425
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,720
an armed rebellion was launched
by the Kikuyu people,
426
00:23:12,799 --> 00:23:14,119
who had lost land to white settlers,
427
00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,279
and found themselves locked into
a formal racial hierarchy
428
00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,440
that placed Europeans on top
and Africans at the bottom.
429
00:23:20,519 --> 00:23:24,599
The British sent army reinforcements to
put down the so-called "Mau Mau uprising,"
430
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,079
describing the situation
to the world back then like this.
431
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,200
Agitators urge some of the Africans
to free their country of the white man.
432
00:23:32,759 --> 00:23:36,759
There is little reliable information about
the set-up of the terrorist organization,
433
00:23:36,839 --> 00:23:39,880
for few members even know
from whom they take their orders.
434
00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,559
They obey blindly,
savagely attacking the defenseless.
435
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,400
Burning, looting, murdering.
436
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,119
Kenya is a battlefield of a conflict
that cannot end
437
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,000
until the Mau Mau
is dissolved forever.
438
00:23:53,519 --> 00:23:57,000
"Oh, righty-ho! The trouble in Keen-ya
comes not from the British
439
00:23:57,079 --> 00:23:59,960
who took over and stole land but from
the people whose land was stolen!
440
00:24:00,039 --> 00:24:02,279
Now, is there more to this story? Surely!
441
00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,400
But will you hear it coming from a
voice that sounds like this?
442
00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:08,000
I say, never! Never, I say!"
443
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,319
In crushing the uprising, the British
instituted a system of detention camps,
444
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:17,279
and "90,000 Kenyans were executed,
tortured or maimed during the crackdown,"
445
00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:21,480
and an estimated "160,000 were
detained in appalling conditions."
446
00:24:21,559 --> 00:24:24,119
For a long time,
the British met outcry over this
447
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,079
with a mixture
of denial and defensiveness.
448
00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,599
In fact, just watch this interview
with a former British colonial officer,
449
00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,240
who'd been responsible for at least
six of those detention camps.
450
00:24:33,319 --> 00:24:37,319
When asked about reports that soldiers had
put their boots on the necks of detainees,
451
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:39,000
he has an escalating exchange
452
00:24:39,079 --> 00:24:42,440
culminating in the single longest pause
you'll ever see on television.
453
00:24:42,519 --> 00:24:45,640
I'll warn you, however long you think
this pause is going to be,
454
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,599
it's going to be much longer.
455
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,359
Did you have cause
to give the order to, or yourself,
456
00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:56,000
put your boot on the neck of these
resisters, the ones that were howling?
457
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,519
Can we stop talking for a moment?
458
00:25:01,599 --> 00:25:03,759
No, 'cause I'd quite like
you to answer that.
459
00:25:03,839 --> 00:25:07,000
I will answer it when I have stopped
talking for a moment.
460
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,039
I'm sorry, but I
461
00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:13,200
Well, do you have a problem
with that question?
462
00:25:13,279 --> 00:25:19,359
No, it's it's a
hypothetical question.
463
00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:20,880
No, it's not.
It's a very precise question.
464
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:24,440
You've asked me, "Did I put
my foot on anybody's neck?" No.
465
00:25:24,519 --> 00:25:28,119
Did you cause the order to be given?
Did you give the order to do that?
466
00:25:51,079 --> 00:25:52,400
Are you not going
to answer the question?
467
00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:57,519
No, I am looking at you
with certain thoughts in my mind.
468
00:25:58,079 --> 00:25:59,839
Holy shit!
469
00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:02,839
If you are trying to conceal your role
in supervising torture,
470
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,160
here's a few quick tips:
471
00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,160
don't respond to a simple question
by taking a full 23 seconds to answer.
472
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,960
Don't then issue a vague threat
like some sort of cartoon villain.
473
00:26:11,039 --> 00:26:13,799
And finally, try not to glare
malevolently at the interviewer
474
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,079
with what I can only
describe as war crime eyes.
475
00:26:17,799 --> 00:26:21,240
And just to be clear,
we don't know what the Queen knew.
476
00:26:21,319 --> 00:26:24,240
What she is briefed on is kept secret,
very conveniently.
477
00:26:24,319 --> 00:26:28,519
But we do know what was done
in her name, by her government.
478
00:26:28,599 --> 00:26:30,799
Her face was on the money in Kenya.
479
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,279
When Kenyans' captors sang their national
anthem, it was a hymn to her protection.
480
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:38,079
And we do know that she was not only
characteristically silent
481
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,960
about those atrocities, you know, in that
charming style that everybody loved,
482
00:26:42,039 --> 00:26:46,839
but she also awarded that man an MBE,
one of the country's highest honors.
483
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:51,039
Which is just appalling, unless the MBE
stands for "Messiest Bitch Ever,"
484
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,720
in which case, yeah,
I guess that might be appropriate.
485
00:26:54,799 --> 00:26:57,720
And that is the thing,
if you are the symbol of a country,
486
00:26:57,799 --> 00:26:59,960
you represent what it does.
487
00:27:00,039 --> 00:27:02,160
And it is revealing that,
even decades later,
488
00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,000
when the British finally agreed
to pay some compensation
489
00:27:05,079 --> 00:27:07,640
to a fraction of
those who suffered in Kenya,
490
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,680
this woman was very clear about
who she wanted to hear from.
491
00:27:11,759 --> 00:27:15,599
Muthoni Mathenge is one of the few
surviving Mau Mau independence fighters
492
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:16,799
in Kenya.
493
00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:19,279
Britain has apologized for some abuses,
494
00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:23,480
but Mathenge did not get a
compensation paid to other rebels.
495
00:27:23,559 --> 00:27:27,400
She is calling on the Queen
for help before it's too late.
496
00:27:27,839 --> 00:27:32,559
Let Elizabeth bring what belongs to me.
That's what I want to say.
497
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:37,359
No middlemen in between. Let the
compensation come directly to me.
498
00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,960
She should look for a sensible
person and send it here.
499
00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,079
Yeah, that's completely understandable.
500
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,880
And particularly the "send
a sensible person" point.
501
00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:47,759
Because when you are dealing
with the royal family,
502
00:27:47,839 --> 00:27:50,359
it's very much worth remembering
that unless you stipulate otherwise,
503
00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:52,920
you could end up
being sent someone like this.
504
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,519
Dig that crazy rhythm!
505
00:27:56,039 --> 00:27:59,680
Exactly.
And nobody wants that! Nobody.
506
00:28:00,839 --> 00:28:04,880
The point is, you can't say you're just
a symbol and bear no responsibility
507
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,000
for how the institutions
that you are the head of behave.
508
00:28:08,079 --> 00:28:10,680
Take the Church of England,
of which the monarch is the head.
509
00:28:10,759 --> 00:28:12,480
In Canada, it played a role
510
00:28:12,559 --> 00:28:15,319
in their system of residential schools
for Indigenous children,
511
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,680
who were forcibly separated
from their families
512
00:28:17,759 --> 00:28:20,519
"and sent to government-funded,
church-run boarding schools
513
00:28:20,599 --> 00:28:22,160
in an attempt to assimilate them."
514
00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,119
Horrific abuses happened
in those schools.
515
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,240
And while they were largely
run by the Catholic Church,
516
00:28:27,319 --> 00:28:30,599
the Church of England operated
approximately three dozen of them,
517
00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:36,240
giving up control of the last one in 1969,
which is pretty fucking recent.
518
00:28:36,319 --> 00:28:38,240
Earlier this year,
Charles visited Canada
519
00:28:38,319 --> 00:28:40,079
and made a point
of showing up at a garden
520
00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,480
that paid tribute to
the victims of those schools.
521
00:28:42,559 --> 00:28:44,839
But when it came to showing
remorse for what had happened,
522
00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,279
that seemed to be off the table.
523
00:28:46,359 --> 00:28:48,559
Because just listen
to one Indigenous leader
524
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,279
who briefly spoke with Charles that day
describe their entire exchange.
525
00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,839
He did say,
"I hope we weren't too bad on you."
526
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,240
I didn't get a chance to respond,
so he moved on.
527
00:28:59,319 --> 00:29:01,720
The Prince, while leading this country,
528
00:29:01,799 --> 00:29:04,480
he should apologize
to the Aboriginal people
529
00:29:04,559 --> 00:29:08,200
for this trauma that
we've gone through for 500 years.
530
00:29:08,759 --> 00:29:13,400
Wow. "I hope we weren't too bad on you,"
he said, before walking away.
531
00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,599
Which I know might seem bad to you,
but as a symbol of Britain,
532
00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:18,359
it's honestly pretty on-brand.
533
00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:22,119
"You keep calm, and now,
if you'll excuse me, I will carry on."
534
00:29:22,759 --> 00:29:24,799
And look, I know,
across Commonwealth countries,
535
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:28,160
there are a range of views on this,
especially among the older generation,
536
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:31,440
as, incredibly, even some
who suffered under British rule
537
00:29:31,519 --> 00:29:34,799
can feel strong affection
for the Queen personally,
538
00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,960
even if they didn't love
what she represented.
539
00:29:37,039 --> 00:29:38,039
And some argue,
540
00:29:38,119 --> 00:29:42,319
"If the royal family is just ceremonial
now, where is the real harm?"
541
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,640
But the ceremonial
can still have the power to infuriate.
542
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:47,960
And to see that,
let's go back to Australia.
543
00:29:48,039 --> 00:29:50,440
Because shortly before the Queen died,
Lidia Thorpe,
544
00:29:50,519 --> 00:29:53,599
an Indigenous Australian senator,
was taking the oath of office,
545
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,640
which required her to swear
allegiance to the Queen.
546
00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:01,000
Something she understandably had a bit of
a problem with, so this is what she did.
547
00:30:01,079 --> 00:30:04,319
Please recite the affirmation
on the card handed to you.
548
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,960
I, sovereign Lidia Thorpe,
549
00:30:09,039 --> 00:30:12,920
do solemnly and sincerely affirm
and declare
550
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,720
that I will be faithful,
and I bear true allegiance
551
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,920
to the colonizing
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
552
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:26,559
Senator Thorpe, you are required
to recite the oath as printed on the card.
553
00:30:27,039 --> 00:30:30,960
Yeah. They actually forced her to read
what was printed on the card, verbatim.
554
00:30:31,039 --> 00:30:33,440
So, she did that, but credit to her,
555
00:30:33,519 --> 00:30:37,720
because she then employed a tone of voice
that did a lot of heavy lifting for her.
556
00:30:37,799 --> 00:30:39,480
I, Lidia Thorpe,
557
00:30:39,559 --> 00:30:44,960
do solemnly and sincerely
affirm and declare
558
00:30:45,759 --> 00:30:51,599
that I will be faithful
and bear true allegiance
559
00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,839
to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,
560
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,240
her heirs, and successors,
according to law.
561
00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,319
Okay, I hate that
she was forced to do that,
562
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,079
but I absolutely love the way
that she was able to make a pledge
563
00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,559
to a fancy old lady
on the other side of the world
564
00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,440
sound exactly
as stupid as it fucking is.
565
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,440
And look, to go by recent polls,
Australia, like the U.K.,
566
00:31:13,519 --> 00:31:16,640
seems unlikely to let go of
the monarchy anytime soon.
567
00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,960
But other commonwealth countries
are already preparing to do so.
568
00:31:20,039 --> 00:31:22,920
Last year, Barbados removed
the Queen as head of state.
569
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,400
Jamaica is looking to have a referendum to
do the same within the next three years,
570
00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:28,640
with one poll showing
a majority support it.
571
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,359
And Antigua and Barbuda,
Grenada, and Belize
572
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,440
seem to be moving
in the same direction.
573
00:31:33,519 --> 00:31:34,680
And while the royal family has said
574
00:31:34,759 --> 00:31:37,599
that these countries are free
to leave if they so choose,
575
00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:42,160
they also refuse to reckon with why they
might want to do that in the first place.
576
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,960
Instead, they've continued working hard
to be perceived as a mere "symbol,"
577
00:31:46,039 --> 00:31:49,839
while never taking responsibility
for what that symbol excused,
578
00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:53,440
all while ignoring calls
for true apologies and reparations
579
00:31:53,519 --> 00:31:57,279
to those who suffered tremendously
because of what was done in their name.
580
00:31:57,359 --> 00:32:00,839
And look, you don't have to hate
the royal family personally.
581
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,440
I mean, Google "Prince Philip racism"
or "Prince Andrew everything"
582
00:32:04,519 --> 00:32:07,720
and see where you land,
but you don't have to hate them.
583
00:32:07,799 --> 00:32:10,720
You don't even have to think
that the institution shouldn't exist.
584
00:32:10,799 --> 00:32:12,799
But if it's going to continue to,
585
00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,599
it is fair to expect
significantly more from them.
586
00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:17,400
Because right now, far too often,
587
00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,000
they hide behind the convenient
shield of politeness and manners,
588
00:32:21,079 --> 00:32:23,160
which frequently demands the silence
589
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,160
of anyone who might criticize them,
or what they stand for.
590
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,559
Will this segment even air on Sky TV
in Britain? I honestly don't know.
591
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,839
Maybe. Maybe not.
592
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:36,119
But if they do cut it out
for being disrespectful,
593
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,519
they might want to seriously
think about why.
594
00:32:38,599 --> 00:32:41,440
Why they, and everyone else,
are working so hard
595
00:32:41,519 --> 00:32:45,160
not to offend a family whose name
was branded into people's skin,
596
00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,640
and who sit atop a pile of stolen wealth,
597
00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,720
wearing crowns adorned
with other countries' treasures.
598
00:32:50,799 --> 00:32:53,720
And if there is an answer to that,
I would love to hear it,
599
00:32:53,799 --> 00:32:55,559
though if history is any guide,
600
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,680
I'm guessing that I'm just
going to get an icy stare
601
00:32:57,759 --> 00:33:00,480
while you think
"certain thoughts" in your head.
602
00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:03,240
But I really hope
that they don't cut this piece.
603
00:33:03,319 --> 00:33:07,839
Partly because this is a long-overdue
conversation that really needs to be had,
604
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,599
and partly because absolutely no
audience deserves to be subjected
605
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,039
to 25 straight minutes of this.
606
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,839
That's our show. Thanks for watching.
We'll see you next week, good night!
607
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,880
I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight.
I'm think I'm gonna just
608
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:03,759
hold this beer
and look at that map.
57686
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