![SRS #170 [Video] with Mike Benz](https://img5.saketami.com/storage/7/ee/tc/9a2cd0-019e8a43-99bd-71a7-a7f5-31fafc94ab04.jpg)
SRS #170 [Video] with Mike Benz
Added 2025-02-12 01:10:07 +0000 UTCAre you happy with how your tax dollars are being used?
Mike Benz is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, a non-profit watchdog group dedicated to protecting digital liberties and restoring the free and open Internet. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the US State Department during the Trump administration, where he formulated US policy on Internet diplomacy issues and interfaced with private industry. Benz has been a vocal critic of technological government overreach, most recently in his critiques of USAID and his advocacy against online censorship.
Due to the early access delay, all Behind-the-Scenes content featuring Mike Benz will be accessible to all membership tiers.
Comments
This was the most frightening interview I have ever seen. I thought Sarah Adams intel was frightening. This makes hers pale by comparison. I knew we did some dirty deeds, but this is far above and beyond the scope of anything I had imagined.
Robert Hess
2025-04-27 20:46:53 +0000 UTCThanks, Shawn and Mike. Gives meaning to questioning a number of the 40+ years I gave to the govt as an American.
Jim Kinne
2025-04-21 17:37:03 +0000 UTCThe country has gone downhill for 16 years except for the four years of Trump… He did what he could even with USAID Obama Clinton Comey clapper etc. all working against him. How can you think we’re doing OK when we have 3 million illegal aliens here. Biden spent trillions supporting their travel so they got here comfortable 🤮. There is mass migration in Europe as well along with a censoring fetish and all this was written out in George Soros’ plan. I am mad. I want to know who ordered the checks who received them & where all the $ went.
Stephanie
2025-02-17 22:18:27 +0000 UTCMike Ben is always the information guru. This should shared with everyone you know so they can understand how corrupt our entire government is. I read today don’t know if it’s true that Tom Cotton was chair of one of the groups of USA that he also is voting against one of Trump‘s appointee. I am just disgusted with our government. I want a list of every single person it’s taking checks and writing checks as in who gives the order & the name of the aid. I don’t believe all the BS names of PA like Sesame Street in Iraq transgender studies in Africa There’s many bogus names- I think on this aid then it probably goes out to some nefarious group.
Stephanie
2025-02-17 22:08:07 +0000 UTCThat interview was one of the most informative interview, next to all three of the Sarah Adams interviews. It is always a pleasure to watch the Shawn Ryan Show.🫡🇺🇸😎💯🇺🇸
SoulReaper66
2025-02-17 00:16:08 +0000 UTCYou are correct, the more that is exposed by Mike Benz, Elon Musk and DOGE, LEGACY media push to cover up what Demoncraps have been doing with our money. So LEGACY media bends to the will of their MASTERS, they spew their lies, and misinformation about what Mike and Elon are doing, they attack their character, they even accuse Elon and DOGE of stealing our money and our data. LEGACY/MSM MEDIA can never be trusted again!🤬💯🇺🇸
SoulReaper66
2025-02-16 23:55:04 +0000 UTCSorry ... I didn't realize I posted this on a behind the scenes video ... One of the most important voices today is Mike Benz. We know this because the MSM is doing everything it can to malign him. Thank you, SRS, for another great and informative discussion!
Trish
2025-02-15 18:44:32 +0000 UTCIf you can watch the two interviews on this platform and walk away thinking that Mike Benz (and Shawn Ryan, for that matter) does not see a value in the things USAID is involved in, then you weren't paying attention.
Trish
2025-02-15 18:42:16 +0000 UTCTech involvement and using it for corruption started here. I believe those relationships were groomed to be later weaponized. https://youtu.be/Vp3wgu1jITQ?si=VKDtMFm2usjPYEtV
Remi
2025-02-14 17:15:12 +0000 UTCBTW, I'm sorry I was so pissed in some of my comments yesterday. I'll leave my comments as is. I get stuck in the reptile brain sometimes and that's on me. Hoping to get ibogaine legalized in the USA someday soon! ✌️
Robert Diggins
2025-02-13 15:36:05 +0000 UTCLook into the Turkish construction company, ENKA, and ask yourself why they've gotten so many contracts to build our military bases around the world. A lot of dark money goes through companies like this, who are vastly overpaid, but don't keep all they get. Some of the money moves on. This is pretty old news as well. Just another way we get those dirty tricks (on American tax payers) done. 💡
Robert Diggins
2025-02-13 15:31:41 +0000 UTCWell, this is simply another fanatical buffoon… At the very least he is charlatan exaggerating for his own profit. Never mind that his views by any measure or ideology are actually on the very far left (virtually Marxist and like listening to an apparatchik from Lenin’s USSR). While we might all agree that USAID’s silly payments to LGBTQ+ nonsense in for example Serbia are an abomination, it does mean we should get rid of our ability to conduct useful covert operations in a practical way. Should they be run by the CIA or another intel agency, if possible, yes, but if not practical, then USAID might be a good vehicle… If so what’s the problem? Why are these fanatics, the WOKE/DEI stuff aside, focused on uncovering and/or getting rid of effective tools we can use against unfriendly governments? It is just counterproductive. Never mind Benz’es version of history, straight out of the Marxist playbook – he really does not know his history regarding Chile and the removal of Allende, by Pinochet. What utter disinformation on his part. No wonder he needs to push for so called freedom of speech online, when he himself is a spreader of fallacies! And he goes on about this. Utterly ignorant about history or seemingly about how and why things work the way they do. Sure, our nation has interests, but this just goes overboard into outright speculation. And great exaggerations about what the USAID’s actual role in helping the CIA actually is/was. What fantasy role play… His ideas about business and the economy are further utterly naïve and ignorant… His recipe would be one of withdrawal for the US and lead to our nations demise. His analysis (at 1h 24m) about Reagan’s trickle-down economic theory, etc. - I could not help but laugh… But worse yet, it takes about 15 seconds to degenerate into a tirade about executive salaries, etc. The classical socialist litany of complaints. And he gets so excited in his fanaticism that he can’t even speak calmly, and his thought process is seemingly not coherent, it intermixes issues, and jumps around in a nonlinear or non-logical fashion. I do not know if this is due to him being nervous or stressed or simply not able to structure his opinion or view coherently. If the latter, which is likely in light of his prolific public appearances, well then its simply not factual or coherent or rational thought or opinion. It is instead a list of divergent grievances that he really has little understanding or depth of knowledge about, he is simply outraged, but seems not to really know why. But it is still nothing but a litany of leftist complaints and diatribes against US capitalism and business, etc. Pure socialism… Why is he so angry about this, had even half of what he claims been true, its great work in the interest of America. Aside from the WOKE/DEI nonsense there is no cancer here. And sure that DEI stuff might be bad enough to warrant a house cleaning, but then focus on that aspect. Then he goes into absolute nonsense about the Atlantic Council… And the utter conspiracy nonsense about Romanian and Ukrainian politics. OMG people believe this crap? (That is not to say we cannot critique Ukraine…) And he seemingly does not even really understand how the NATO and EU aspirations are very different processes for Ukraine. And we have the unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about universities and think tanks. Again, everything is just taken to the loony level… Intermixing USAID, DoS, DoD, CIA, and even DARPA. Then transitioning to information/disinformation and making a word soup that would make Kamala Harris proud, and expanding on that into his own theories about the work, business and personal choices of current and former high-ranking officials. Again, utter conjecture. This is nothing but far left (and loony isolationist right) ranting. Utterly sad to see this guy gets the opportunity to waste our time. (That said he is correct about the dangers of the pending EU disinformation law…) I know another fellow who would say these same things, his name is Putin. So…
Neil
2025-02-13 12:57:41 +0000 UTCI understand that we need to have some of these overseas programs but don’t tell me it’s to maintain our standard of living. The standard of living here in the US has steadily gone down as the dollar has lost its buying power. Tell that to the people who can’t buy a house anymore or can’t afford groceries. All of this has hurt the average American.
Denny Meinert
2025-02-13 04:28:40 +0000 UTC
