"Politics is Weird, Yo"

"This week Cristina brings up Shark week! Are there Israeli trained sharks stalking the waters with lasers and mind control?? Special guest star Kendra, our dearest friend, takes on the Kennedy Curse! Was the reason so many Kennedy's died due to an all powerful curse? Or was it just complete negligence and no mental health support?"

Presented by: Cristina
Category: Conspiracy

Animals have long been a part of war. Horses have carried cavalry. Pigeons have carried messages. Hannibal got elephants on skis down the Alps. They attempted to deliver bombs with bats and dogs. And, if you believe some conspiracy theorists, Israel has spy sharks.

In 2010, there were a series of shark attacks off the coast of Egypt. Almost immediately, Tawfik Okasha-because even Egypt needs their own Alex Jones-declared it an Israeli plot. He brought a captain on his show-because even Egypt needs their own Info Wars-who produced a GPS device he found on a shark that he claimed was used to control the sharks. In fairness, he probably did find it on a shark. It was a common tracking device used by scientists doing research. It was never explained how a device on the fin was used as mind control.

The Egyptian government, usually no one to shy of blaming Jews for stubbing their toes in the morning, declared the rise in shark attacks to be caused by chumming and over fishing.

Takeaway: When someone makes an extraordinary claim check for anti-Semitism.

Presented by: Kendra
Category: Curse

The Kennedys are a family of politicians in the U.S. and the closest thing the American government has to a ruling family. They are also centered around tragedy, with many Kennedys dying tragic and premature deaths or otherwise suffering misfortune. Either the first victim or origin of the curse, depending on your interpretation, was Rosemary Kennedy who was given a lobotomy to cure her mental illness. It failed and she lived in a vegetative state for the rest of her life.

Aside from the two most famous cases-the assassinations of JFK and RFK-many of them involve planes. Joseph, Jr., Kathleen and John, Jr. all died in three separate crashes, while Ted survived one. Drug overdoses has also been a common theme.

However, while extraordinary examples of tragedy are not unheard of, many of the instances of the curse are not supernatural in origin. Many are the result of risky behavior. Aside from John, Jr. who was flying a plane in conditions he was not rated to, Michael died file playing football while skiing with out a helmet. Joseph II (distinct from Joseph, Jr.) got his passengers, including his brother, injured.

The curse has also been blamed for the "failing" political career of Ted Kennedy, but as he left a girl to die and his punishment was to "only" be a U.S. senator, it doesn't fit the curse theory.

Takeaway: If the curse exists, it's the curse of power, privilege, wealth and high-expectations.

Trivia

 * Patreon Skit: CIA spy.
 * Chelsea brings up QAnon