Behind the Bastards / It Could Happen Here Weekly 224

Compilation Episode – March 21, 2026 (Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts)

Overview

This episode of It Could Happen Here Weekly offers an in-depth, multi-episode compilation dissecting contemporary crises around private military contractors at sea, the ongoing war impacts in the Middle East, the morality and tactics of Palestinian armed resistance, the global reach of venture capitalism (and its drive toward a “network state”), and urgent domestic political developments in the U.S. Featuring hosts James Stout, Garrison Davis, Robert Evans, Mia Wong, and guest Shane Lee, the discussion traverses everything from modern piracy to the technofascist ambitions of VC mega-firms to the U.S.-Iran conflict’s global economic blowback.

Key Segments, Insights, & Timestamps

1. Private Maritime Security & The New Era of Piracy

Starts around 02:47

Main Points:

The episode opens with James and Garrison discussing the surge of private military contractors (PMCs) in maritime security due to recent attacks on boats by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby regions.
U.S. naval escorts are insufficient for the sheer volume of global shipping, leading shipping companies to rely on Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs).

Notable Quotes & Moments:

[03:56] James Stout: “I want to talk about private maritime security today... Iran is currently attacking boats in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere... It's been a really bad week for boat guys.”
They explore the relationship between lawlessness at sea, egregious labor abuses (notably in Southeast Asian fishing), and the proliferation of armed contractors:
[05:00] “The reason that we can have private security contractors... on boats is the same reason that horrific labor abuses are perpetrated on boats on a daily basis.”
Somalia’s piracy wave (post-2008) was a watershed moment, changing piracy from smash-and-grab to organized kidnapping for ransom and seizure of entire vessels.

Case Study: The Maersk Alabama (the "Captain Phillips" incident)

[12:17] James: “The situation was resolved eventually by the Navy Seals shooting all the pirates... they used sniper rifles to shoot the pirates.”
After such high-profile events, PMSCs—with little legal oversight due to "flags of convenience" (e.g., Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands)—became industry standard.

On the Dangers of Unregulated Private Force:

[21:26] James: “The state has more or less completely removed itself from this sphere. And so it is extremely hard for these people to be held accountable for things that they do in international waters.”

Jurisdictional Gray Zones & Lack of Accountability:

[22:10] James: “Cool. I'm sure they will [report killings]. I'm sure they love to do the paperwork. But then who would they report it to?”

2. Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz & Global Economic Fallout

Around 23:15 and 185:52/194:18

Key Points:

Iran’s use of mines, uncrewed surface vessels (naval drones), and swarming tactics with armed speedboats make it nearly impossible to fully secure shipping through the strait.
The U.S. and allies cannot realistically escort the volume of oil and commerce—insurance rates skyrocket, potentially making the route commercially untenable.

Notable Quotes:

[28:37] James: “The Iranians only have to make transiting the Strait of Hormuz uninsurable to succeed.”
[186:05] Mia Wong: “Let's check in with the Strait of Hormuz... All attempts to actually open the straits have failed... We are now well on the road to the doomsday gas crisis scenario.” (Reuters quoted)
Liquid natural gas processing facilities in Qatar and Iran have been hit, causing massive, likely multi-year energy supply disruptions and sending global oil/gas prices toward crisis levels.

On the Limits of Military & Private Solutions:

[35:27] Garrison: “The state, the states of the world couldn’t find a good option when we were dealing with piracy in 2009... They’d rather have private companies do it.”

3. Gaza & The Debate Over Disarmament & Resistance

Begins at 45:42, with Dr. Dada Elkern

Summary:

The segment gives a nuanced overview of ongoing conditions in Gaza, especially following a “ceasefire” that has not stopped violence or humanitarian crises.
The major focus: Do Palestinians broadly support armed resistance? Elkern breaks down an on-the-ground debate featuring Hamas, Fatah, and independent activists, showing a clear lack of national consensus.

Notable Quotes:

[48:55] Trump (clip): “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”
[58:43] Dada: "Polling from the Palestinian Center shows most Palestinians do not support either Fatah or Hamas... This is not a situation where either of these parties have a mandate."
Summary of debates:
- Hamas: Asserts armed resistance is legitimate and they cannot disarm while occupation continues.
- Fatah: Argues only the Palestinian Authority is legitimate; disarmament and unity under the PA are prerequisites for any political solution.
- Independent/Human Rights: Both sides are blamed for failures; argues for more flexibility from Hamas and for real consensus-building processes.

Core Insight:

Palestinians have been taking strategic and moral questions of resistance and disarmament seriously for years, and lack of international space for genuine consensus is a core obstacle to peace.

4. Venture Capital, Tech Fascism, and the Rise of the “Network State”

Segments start at 67:31 (Mia & Shane Lee)

Core Ideas:

Shane Lee, of VC Info Docs, details the structural power of VC firms—not just “great men,” but a cartel of hundreds of firms collectively reshaping technology, weapons, finance, and governance.
Venture capital acts as a “central coordinator” for the machinery of startups, shaping entire global markets—especially in defense and surveillance.

Notable Quotes:

[71:54] Jane Lee: “The reality is they think that we are lab rats.”
[74:49] Jane Lee: “Venture capital, essentially what it does, it takes in capital from around the world... and then on the outside, weapons companies... crypto companies... drone companies.”
[80:44] Jane Lee: “They are constructing entire markets... with a fully envisioned picture of what the new age military looks like with AI technologies, autonomous technologies... a fully featured war platform. So they need wars.”
[83:46] Jane Lee: “If I had to put a firm that is the most responsible, it's definitely Andreessen Horowitz... In 2025, they raised over 18% of all venture capital dollars. Just that one firm.”

Crypto, Tax Evasion, and State Capture:

Venture capitalists are building a parallel financial system (crypto, tax shelters) that aims to entirely replace the current global order, evade taxation, and surpass regulatory oversight.

AI, Biotech, and the “Network State”:

[111:25] Shane Lee: “The network state is basically creating zones around the world where they can execute their projects... focused on being like industrial centers, manufacturing centers... where they can get away from regulations.”
Special Economic Zones are being exploited for medical experiments, labor, and minerals—especially in the Global South.

Eugenics & Tech-Elite Reproduction:

The VC class’ explicit goal is to encourage elite breeding, using fertility and genetic tech to create a hyper-productive, self-replicating civilization—a “new species.” (See Nick Land references at [135:11]).
[137:59] Jane Lee: “They're telling their workers to have more children... they've talked about having their children being able to work at a startup by the age of 15.”

5. Political Violence, Prediction Markets, and the Criminalization of Protest

Starts at 150:16

Domestically:

Discussion of recent Supreme Court actions re: TPS for immigrants, and the “Prairieland” case—where activists protesting at an ICE facility are convicted not just for violence but for “providing material support to terrorists” under statutes that newly interpret even protesting or having anarchist zines as conspiracy.

Notable Quotes:

[171:33] Garrison: “Last week, the Trump administration got their first conviction in an antifa terrorism case.”
Material support statutes now being applied far more broadly:
[184:39] Garrison: “They’re using antifa as this way to link the defendants through this ideological unity... can [now] be tied to offenses that are terrorism.”

The Dangers of Prediction Markets:

Reporters on the ground in conflict zones are now being harassed and threatened by people with a financial stake in “real-world bets” on events (e.g., whether a missile strike counts as intercepted or lands), perversely incentivizing news distortion.
[166:37] Robert Evans: “Once people are putting fortunes on the line around stupid shit... they are going to increasingly come after people... if I harass the journalist on the ground.”

6. Broader War with Iran: Drones, Disinformation, and Right-Wing Antisemitism

Begins at 194:18

Current Events:

Details on escalations: U.S./Israeli strikes against Iranian infrastructure and leadership, the deployment of thousands of Marines, the increased use of naval drones, and significant loss of life.
Discussion of the fog of war in Iran—the difficulty of verifying either side’s claims.

Disinformation Efforts:

Clip of Trump denying the existence of naval drones as “fake news, AI-generated.” [194:42] Trump: “The kamikaze boats don’t exist. They're fake... It's AI generated. It's fake.”

Domestic Antisemitic Narratives:

Joe Kent, resigned National Counter Terrorism Center director, blames Israel for “conn[ing] Trump into war with Iran,” invoking classic antisemitic conspiracy tropes.
Hosts specifically debunk “ZOG” (Zionist Occupied Government) rhetoric, highlighting the danger of “red-brown” conspiracy alliances infecting both far right and left spaces.

Closing Reflection:

The episode highlights the difficulty of separating anti-imperialist critique from antisemitic conspiracy and urges listeners to be vigilant about the framework of their critique.

Themes & Final Takeaways

Unaccountable Power: Whether on the high seas or in Silicon Valley, much violence and change now occurs beyond nation-state control, via sprawling private entities with vanishingly little oversight.
Global Capital/Economic Violence: Shifts in monetary power (VCs, crypto, sovereign wealth) enable both explicit and structural violence, often in the name of “innovation” or “security.”
Normalization of State & Private Brutality: From weapons deals to labor practices, and policing of protest as “terrorism,” the criminalization of dissent is deepening.
Dangerous Techno-utopianism: The “network state” projects show how elite ideology (eugenics, regulatory arbitrage, profit at all cost) is translating into dystopian reality.
Crises in International Solidarity: Both in Palestine (resistance tactics, disarmament) and in left analysis of the Middle East, competing narratives are complicated by external agendas and (often unexamined) bigotries.

Notable Quotes

James Stout ([20:50]): “It’s like anarcho-capitalism at sea. A vision of the ancap future that I don’t love... the state doesn't exist and we have this post-state private militarization.”
Shane Lee ([71:54]): “The reality is they think that we are lab rats. They do not care what we think about them.”
Mia Wong ([80:33]): “These people are building weapons forever. ... One of the things that they really do is they are like constructing entire markets.”
Dada Elkern ([58:43]): “Most Palestinians are not supportive of either party... There is a degree of malaise and cynicism where both parties are seen as unacceptable status quo.”
Mia Wong ([140:51]): “We have taken major North American cities from them in your lifetime. We can do this. We just have to be willing to work together and fight.”

Further Listening/Resources

The Outlaw Ocean (on maritime labor abuses/private security)
VC Info Docs (https://vcinfodocs.com) for deep dives into tech, VC, and the network state
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (for polling on Palestinian politics)

Conclusion

This episode is a sweeping, sometimes bleak but urgently necessary exploration of power, violence, and resistance in an age where private actors—PMCs and tech cartels—reshape the world as much as nation-states, often with even less accountability. Whether through privatized violence at sea, the digitized manipulation of capital, or the criminalization of protest at home, the boundaries separating public, private, and criminal power have never been more blurred—or dangerous.

For ease of navigation, see segment times above. For action or reading, see the resources section. If you want to fight the future, know who (and what) you’re up against.

Behind the Bastards / It Could Happen Here Weekly 224

Compilation Episode – March 21, 2026 (Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts)

Overview

Key Segments, Insights, & Timestamps

1. Private Maritime Security & The New Era of Piracy

Starts around 02:47

Main Points:

The episode opens with James and Garrison discussing the surge of private military contractors (PMCs) in maritime security due to recent attacks on boats by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby regions.
U.S. naval escorts are insufficient for the sheer volume of global shipping, leading shipping companies to rely on Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs).

Notable Quotes & Moments:

[03:56] James Stout: “I want to talk about private maritime security today... Iran is currently attacking boats in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere... It's been a really bad week for boat guys.”
They explore the relationship between lawlessness at sea, egregious labor abuses (notably in Southeast Asian fishing), and the proliferation of armed contractors:
[05:00] “The reason that we can have private security contractors... on boats is the same reason that horrific labor abuses are perpetrated on boats on a daily basis.”
Somalia’s piracy wave (post-2008) was a watershed moment, changing piracy from smash-and-grab to organized kidnapping for ransom and seizure of entire vessels.

Case Study: The Maersk Alabama (the "Captain Phillips" incident)

[12:17] James: “The situation was resolved eventually by the Navy Seals shooting all the pirates... they used sniper rifles to shoot the pirates.”
After such high-profile events, PMSCs—with little legal oversight due to "flags of convenience" (e.g., Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands)—became industry standard.

On the Dangers of Unregulated Private Force:

[21:26] James: “The state has more or less completely removed itself from this sphere. And so it is extremely hard for these people to be held accountable for things that they do in international waters.”

Jurisdictional Gray Zones & Lack of Accountability:

[22:10] James: “Cool. I'm sure they will [report killings]. I'm sure they love to do the paperwork. But then who would they report it to?”

2. Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz & Global Economic Fallout

Around 23:15 and 185:52/194:18

Key Points:

Iran’s use of mines, uncrewed surface vessels (naval drones), and swarming tactics with armed speedboats make it nearly impossible to fully secure shipping through the strait.
The U.S. and allies cannot realistically escort the volume of oil and commerce—insurance rates skyrocket, potentially making the route commercially untenable.

Notable Quotes:

[28:37] James: “The Iranians only have to make transiting the Strait of Hormuz uninsurable to succeed.”
[186:05] Mia Wong: “Let's check in with the Strait of Hormuz... All attempts to actually open the straits have failed... We are now well on the road to the doomsday gas crisis scenario.” (Reuters quoted)
Liquid natural gas processing facilities in Qatar and Iran have been hit, causing massive, likely multi-year energy supply disruptions and sending global oil/gas prices toward crisis levels.

On the Limits of Military & Private Solutions:

[35:27] Garrison: “The state, the states of the world couldn’t find a good option when we were dealing with piracy in 2009... They’d rather have private companies do it.”

3. Gaza & The Debate Over Disarmament & Resistance

Begins at 45:42, with Dr. Dada Elkern

Summary:

The segment gives a nuanced overview of ongoing conditions in Gaza, especially following a “ceasefire” that has not stopped violence or humanitarian crises.
The major focus: Do Palestinians broadly support armed resistance? Elkern breaks down an on-the-ground debate featuring Hamas, Fatah, and independent activists, showing a clear lack of national consensus.

Notable Quotes:

[48:55] Trump (clip): “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”
[58:43] Dada: "Polling from the Palestinian Center shows most Palestinians do not support either Fatah or Hamas... This is not a situation where either of these parties have a mandate."
Summary of debates:
- Hamas: Asserts armed resistance is legitimate and they cannot disarm while occupation continues.
- Fatah: Argues only the Palestinian Authority is legitimate; disarmament and unity under the PA are prerequisites for any political solution.
- Independent/Human Rights: Both sides are blamed for failures; argues for more flexibility from Hamas and for real consensus-building processes.

Core Insight:

Palestinians have been taking strategic and moral questions of resistance and disarmament seriously for years, and lack of international space for genuine consensus is a core obstacle to peace.

4. Venture Capital, Tech Fascism, and the Rise of the “Network State”

Segments start at 67:31 (Mia & Shane Lee)

Core Ideas:

Shane Lee, of VC Info Docs, details the structural power of VC firms—not just “great men,” but a cartel of hundreds of firms collectively reshaping technology, weapons, finance, and governance.
Venture capital acts as a “central coordinator” for the machinery of startups, shaping entire global markets—especially in defense and surveillance.

Notable Quotes:

[71:54] Jane Lee: “The reality is they think that we are lab rats.”
[74:49] Jane Lee: “Venture capital, essentially what it does, it takes in capital from around the world... and then on the outside, weapons companies... crypto companies... drone companies.”
[80:44] Jane Lee: “They are constructing entire markets... with a fully envisioned picture of what the new age military looks like with AI technologies, autonomous technologies... a fully featured war platform. So they need wars.”
[83:46] Jane Lee: “If I had to put a firm that is the most responsible, it's definitely Andreessen Horowitz... In 2025, they raised over 18% of all venture capital dollars. Just that one firm.”

Crypto, Tax Evasion, and State Capture:

Venture capitalists are building a parallel financial system (crypto, tax shelters) that aims to entirely replace the current global order, evade taxation, and surpass regulatory oversight.

AI, Biotech, and the “Network State”:

[111:25] Shane Lee: “The network state is basically creating zones around the world where they can execute their projects... focused on being like industrial centers, manufacturing centers... where they can get away from regulations.”
Special Economic Zones are being exploited for medical experiments, labor, and minerals—especially in the Global South.

Eugenics & Tech-Elite Reproduction:

The VC class’ explicit goal is to encourage elite breeding, using fertility and genetic tech to create a hyper-productive, self-replicating civilization—a “new species.” (See Nick Land references at [135:11]).
[137:59] Jane Lee: “They're telling their workers to have more children... they've talked about having their children being able to work at a startup by the age of 15.”

5. Political Violence, Prediction Markets, and the Criminalization of Protest

Starts at 150:16

Domestically:

Discussion of recent Supreme Court actions re: TPS for immigrants, and the “Prairieland” case—where activists protesting at an ICE facility are convicted not just for violence but for “providing material support to terrorists” under statutes that newly interpret even protesting or having anarchist zines as conspiracy.

Notable Quotes:

[171:33] Garrison: “Last week, the Trump administration got their first conviction in an antifa terrorism case.”
Material support statutes now being applied far more broadly:
[184:39] Garrison: “They’re using antifa as this way to link the defendants through this ideological unity... can [now] be tied to offenses that are terrorism.”

The Dangers of Prediction Markets:

Reporters on the ground in conflict zones are now being harassed and threatened by people with a financial stake in “real-world bets” on events (e.g., whether a missile strike counts as intercepted or lands), perversely incentivizing news distortion.
[166:37] Robert Evans: “Once people are putting fortunes on the line around stupid shit... they are going to increasingly come after people... if I harass the journalist on the ground.”

6. Broader War with Iran: Drones, Disinformation, and Right-Wing Antisemitism

Begins at 194:18

Current Events:

Details on escalations: U.S./Israeli strikes against Iranian infrastructure and leadership, the deployment of thousands of Marines, the increased use of naval drones, and significant loss of life.
Discussion of the fog of war in Iran—the difficulty of verifying either side’s claims.

Disinformation Efforts:

Clip of Trump denying the existence of naval drones as “fake news, AI-generated.” [194:42] Trump: “The kamikaze boats don’t exist. They're fake... It's AI generated. It's fake.”

Domestic Antisemitic Narratives:

Joe Kent, resigned National Counter Terrorism Center director, blames Israel for “conn[ing] Trump into war with Iran,” invoking classic antisemitic conspiracy tropes.
Hosts specifically debunk “ZOG” (Zionist Occupied Government) rhetoric, highlighting the danger of “red-brown” conspiracy alliances infecting both far right and left spaces.

Closing Reflection:

The episode highlights the difficulty of separating anti-imperialist critique from antisemitic conspiracy and urges listeners to be vigilant about the framework of their critique.

Themes & Final Takeaways

Unaccountable Power: Whether on the high seas or in Silicon Valley, much violence and change now occurs beyond nation-state control, via sprawling private entities with vanishingly little oversight.
Global Capital/Economic Violence: Shifts in monetary power (VCs, crypto, sovereign wealth) enable both explicit and structural violence, often in the name of “innovation” or “security.”
Normalization of State & Private Brutality: From weapons deals to labor practices, and policing of protest as “terrorism,” the criminalization of dissent is deepening.
Dangerous Techno-utopianism: The “network state” projects show how elite ideology (eugenics, regulatory arbitrage, profit at all cost) is translating into dystopian reality.
Crises in International Solidarity: Both in Palestine (resistance tactics, disarmament) and in left analysis of the Middle East, competing narratives are complicated by external agendas and (often unexamined) bigotries.

Notable Quotes

James Stout ([20:50]): “It’s like anarcho-capitalism at sea. A vision of the ancap future that I don’t love... the state doesn't exist and we have this post-state private militarization.”
Shane Lee ([71:54]): “The reality is they think that we are lab rats. They do not care what we think about them.”
Mia Wong ([80:33]): “These people are building weapons forever. ... One of the things that they really do is they are like constructing entire markets.”
Dada Elkern ([58:43]): “Most Palestinians are not supportive of either party... There is a degree of malaise and cynicism where both parties are seen as unacceptable status quo.”
Mia Wong ([140:51]): “We have taken major North American cities from them in your lifetime. We can do this. We just have to be willing to work together and fight.”

Further Listening/Resources

The Outlaw Ocean (on maritime labor abuses/private security)
VC Info Docs (https://vcinfodocs.com) for deep dives into tech, VC, and the network state
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (for polling on Palestinian politics)

Conclusion

For ease of navigation, see segment times above. For action or reading, see the resources section. If you want to fight the future, know who (and what) you’re up against.