Mike Benz

was a plan to destabilize Bangladesh politics. That's a direct quote, destabilize Bangladesh politics. By working with, they listed 170 pro-democracy activists, 304 key informants, and then they did a baseline assessment of the different ethnic groups and cultural cleavage points that they could exploit either destabilize the country's politics or prop up the political alternative.

And in the process of doing that, they sought the LGBT population, two Bangladeshi ethnic minority groups, and young students and student groups who had already been protesting earlier that year because of, a local politics issue there. And they noted that rap music was popular and young people were listening to rap music in Bangladesh. So what do they do?

And in the process of doing that, they sought the LGBT population, two Bangladeshi ethnic minority groups, and young students and student groups who had already been protesting earlier that year because of, a local politics issue there. And they noted that rap music was popular and young people were listening to rap music in Bangladesh. So what do they do?

And in the process of doing that, they sought the LGBT population, two Bangladeshi ethnic minority groups, and young students and student groups who had already been protesting earlier that year because of, a local politics issue there. And they noted that rap music was popular and young people were listening to rap music in Bangladesh. So what do they do?

They turned around and they took US taxpayer funds. They get 100% of the money from the state department and they work closely with USAID. They actually administer USAID programs all over Bangladesh and all over the world. And they funded Bangladeshi rap groups to produce songs and music videos insinuating that people should take to the streets and do street protests.

They turned around and they took US taxpayer funds. They get 100% of the money from the state department and they work closely with USAID. They actually administer USAID programs all over Bangladesh and all over the world. And they funded Bangladeshi rap groups to produce songs and music videos insinuating that people should take to the streets and do street protests.

They turned around and they took US taxpayer funds. They get 100% of the money from the state department and they work closely with USAID. They actually administer USAID programs all over Bangladesh and all over the world. And they funded Bangladeshi rap groups to produce songs and music videos insinuating that people should take to the streets and do street protests.

And, you know, the classic peaceful protest that has the upside of being a riot and protests. uh in you know one of in in iri's baseline assessment submitted to the state department they talked about how one of the songs they paid for uh was was designed to uh to sow resentment uh at the sitting government and uh you know basically undermine people the popularity of the government so you have

And, you know, the classic peaceful protest that has the upside of being a riot and protests. uh in you know one of in in iri's baseline assessment submitted to the state department they talked about how one of the songs they paid for uh was was designed to uh to sow resentment uh at the sitting government and uh you know basically undermine people the popularity of the government so you have

And, you know, the classic peaceful protest that has the upside of being a riot and protests. uh in you know one of in in iri's baseline assessment submitted to the state department they talked about how one of the songs they paid for uh was was designed to uh to sow resentment uh at the sitting government and uh you know basically undermine people the popularity of the government so you have

One sponsored song to get people to take the streets, another sponsored rap song to get people to distrust their government. And then basically the baseline assessment revealed that these groups were the ones who would be receptive Those were the contacts in the region. They do field work when they do these baseline assessments.

One sponsored song to get people to take the streets, another sponsored rap song to get people to distrust their government. And then basically the baseline assessment revealed that these groups were the ones who would be receptive Those were the contacts in the region. They do field work when they do these baseline assessments.

One sponsored song to get people to take the streets, another sponsored rap song to get people to distrust their government. And then basically the baseline assessment revealed that these groups were the ones who would be receptive Those were the contacts in the region. They do field work when they do these baseline assessments.

What if the baseline assessment, the strategic assessment, happens to reveal that the highest ROI for soft power projection is with very unseemly groups and activities? This is, for example, how we end up funding terrorist groups and paramilitaries. And very extreme, because oftentimes when you have...

What if the baseline assessment, the strategic assessment, happens to reveal that the highest ROI for soft power projection is with very unseemly groups and activities? This is, for example, how we end up funding terrorist groups and paramilitaries. And very extreme, because oftentimes when you have...

What if the baseline assessment, the strategic assessment, happens to reveal that the highest ROI for soft power projection is with very unseemly groups and activities? This is, for example, how we end up funding terrorist groups and paramilitaries. And very extreme, because oftentimes when you have...

a popular government it's the coalition of the fringes and the extremes and the weirdos and the criminals and the prostitutes this this was in an ned memo in 2009 for cuba where they were uh were the national down for democracy uh you know they have something called the journal of democracy and

a popular government it's the coalition of the fringes and the extremes and the weirdos and the criminals and the prostitutes this this was in an ned memo in 2009 for cuba where they were uh were the national down for democracy uh you know they have something called the journal of democracy and

a popular government it's the coalition of the fringes and the extremes and the weirdos and the criminals and the prostitutes this this was in an ned memo in 2009 for cuba where they were uh were the national down for democracy uh you know they have something called the journal of democracy and

You know, they talked about this exact phenomenon that they might be able to mobilize the Afro-Cuban community to, you know, leveraging racial animus against the, you know, mostly, you know, white Cuban government and, you know, taking note of, you know, proclivities for I think it was prostitution, crime and drugs and how.