It Could Happen Here

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It Could Happen Here Weekly 224

Mar 21, 2026

Guest

Dana El Kurd

Guest

Shanley (Guest, VC InfoDocs)

Dana El Kurd, an associate professor and Middle East analyst, gives on-the-ground reporting on Palestinian politics and Gaza governance. Shanley, a researcher at VC InfoDocs, investigates venture capital networks and the network state. They discuss maritime security risks, Palestinian debates over armed tactics, VC’s political power and the rise of network-state projects in multiple short, punchy conversations.

03:17:11

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INSIGHT

Wall Street Has Absorbed Crypto And VC Interests

BlackRock and other traditional finance giants back VC and crypto, turning alternative finance into Wall Street products and aligning corporate finance with VC agendas.
BlackRock helped bring crypto ETFs to market and partners with sovereign funds like Saudi Arabia.

insights

INSIGHT

Crypto Is VC's Tool To Build A Parallel Finance System

Crypto functions as a parallel financial system for VC: exchanges, lending, payroll, and capital flight tools aim to move wealth outside traditional taxation and oversight.
The network state leverages crypto to create tax-shelter zones and global financial autonomy.

insights

INSIGHT

Network States Use Special Zones To Evade Regulation

Network states repurpose special economic zones to host unregulated biotech, clinical trials, and data centers, bypassing domestic regulations.
Examples include Honduras and planned projects offering accelerated clinical trials and medical services.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Why private maritime security matters now

02:57 • 1min

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History and role of private maritime security companies

04:18 • 3min

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Piracy cases that changed shipping security

07:41 • 6min

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Flags of convenience and legal gaps

14:11 • 4min

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How contractors arm ships and floating armories

17:49 • 4min

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State retreat and outsourcing maritime security

21:36 • 3min

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1987 Tanker War parallels

24:59 • 6min

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Iran's asymmetric maritime threats

30:45 • 3min

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Options to keep the Strait open and limits

33:46 • 5min

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Environmental and human costs of strikes at sea

Palestinian governance and post-ceasefire realities

46:44 • 3min

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Disarmament debates and international security force

49:54 • 4min

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Palestinian panel: who decides war and peace

53:52 • 2min

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Fatah perspective: accountability and consequences

55:45 • 2min

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Civil society view: blame and moral assessment

57:30 • 2min

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Polling and the lack of clear mandates

Venture capital as a structural political force

01:08:34 • 5min

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What venture capital actually does

01:13:32 • 5min

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State actors, Saudis, and VC geopolitics

01:18:47 • 6min

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Major VC firms and their agendas

01:24:36 • 5min

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Intelligence, In-Q, and state-VC fusion

01:29:52 • 3min

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BlackRock, finance, and crypto adoption

01:33:12 • 4min

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Crypto as a parallel financial system

01:36:45 • 13min

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Defining the network state

01:50:13 • 2min

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Network state tactics and special economic zones

01:51:46 • 5min

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Medical experiments, Honduras, and exploitation risks

01:57:14 • 5min

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Corporate colonization in Latin America and Africa

02:02:08 • 8min

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Network state versus Belt and Road

02:09:51 • 4min

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Eugenics, fertility, and techno-elite plans

02:14:09 • 6min

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Organizing resistance to venture capital power

Executive Disorder: week in US politics

02:30:01 • 12min

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Polymarket threats to journalists

02:41:49 • 8min

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Supreme Court and TPS timing

02:49:21 • 2min

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Prairieland trial and new legal precedents

02:50:57 • 15min

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Strait of Hormuz escalation and energy hits

03:05:40 • 9min

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Military moves, naval drones, and US deployments

03:14:25 • 6min

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Regional strikes, drone threats, and Iranian responses

03:20:25 • 6min

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Resignation of Joe Kent and extremist framing

03:26:24 • 6min

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Final news roundup and signoffs

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.

- Shipping Security in the Strait of Hormuz

- Palestinians Debate Armed Tactics

- Venture Capital: The Monster Fueling Tech Fascism

- The Network State: A Tech Fascist Empire

- Executive Disorder: Bovino Calls It Quits, Prairieland Trial, War on Iran Continues

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Sources/Links:

Shipping Security in the Strait of Hormuz

https://www.register-iri.com/wp-content/uploads/MN-2-011-39.pdf

https://en.mercopress.com/2009/04/26/cruise-ship-melody-fended-off-a-pirate-attack

https://www.jstor.org/stable/48821900?searchText=&searchUri=&ab_segments=&searchKey=&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aa5c02fb4e4aea98208bb9f0b37780d3b&initiator=recommender&seq=1

https://abcnews.com/Business/International/pirates-attack-us-flagged-maersk-alabama/story?id=9114429

https://www.ospreyobserver.com/2011/11/riverview-resident-receives-commemorative-knife-after-surviving-pirate-attack/

Palestinians Debate Armed Tactics

Moral Matters in Hard Times - https://www.dohainstitute.org/en/Lists/ACRPS-PDFDocumentLibrary/moral-matters-in-hard-times.pdf

October 2025 poll of Palestinians - https://www.pcpsr.org/sites/default/files/Poll%2096%20press%20release%20FINAL%20ENGLISH%2028%20Oct%202025.pdf

Disarmament reporting - https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2020639164602200358