{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.8,"endTime":6.08,"body":"Hello and welcome back to English and"},{"startTime":0.8,"endTime":6.08,"body":"Beyond Intermediate English podcast."},{"startTime":6.56,"endTime":10.24,"body":"I'm Oliver and today we're"},{"startTime":6.56,"endTime":10.24,"body":"exploring something darker."},{"startTime":10.48,"endTime":14.32,"body":"A topic that exists in every"},{"startTime":10.48,"endTime":14.32,"body":"culture, in every century."},{"startTime":14.8,"endTime":18.935,"body":"A subject that has changed history,"},{"startTime":14.8,"endTime":18.935,"body":"sometimes with a single"},{"startTime":18.96,"endTime":21.2,"body":"blade or a single bullet."},{"startTime":21.6,"endTime":25.92,"body":"Assassination, the deliberate"},{"startTime":21.6,"endTime":25.92,"body":"killing of a public figure."},{"startTime":26.16,"endTime":30.56,"body":"Deliberate meaning carefully"},{"startTime":26.16,"endTime":30.56,"body":"planned, not random or emotional."},{"startTime":31.4,"endTime":35.16,"body":"Assassination is usually"},{"startTime":31.4,"endTime":35.16,"body":"political, often symbolic."},{"startTime":35.48,"endTime":41.16,"body":"It's not just about removing a person,"},{"startTime":35.48,"endTime":41.16,"body":"it's about removing what they stand for."},{"startTime":41.72,"endTime":48.2,"body":"From ancient Rome to modern democracies,"},{"startTime":41.72,"endTime":48.2,"body":"assassination has destroyed empires,"},{"startTime":48.52,"endTime":54.735,"body":"started wars and created powerful stories,"},{"startTime":48.52,"endTime":54.735,"body":"myths that stay in our collective"},{"startTime":54.76,"endTime":58.2,"body":"memory for decades or even centuries."},{"startTime":59.08,"endTime":64.92,"body":"And even today, in our supposedly peaceful"},{"startTime":59.08,"endTime":64.92,"body":"and democratic Western societies,"},{"startTime":65.36,"endTime":68.0,"body":"assassination has not disappeared."},{"startTime":68.36,"endTime":69.56,"body":"It's changed shape."},{"startTime":69.88,"endTime":73.44,"body":"It's arguably more complicated,"},{"startTime":69.88,"endTime":73.44,"body":"less predictable."},{"startTime":74.0,"endTime":78.08,"body":"In this episode, we'll look at some famous"},{"startTime":74.0,"endTime":78.08,"body":"examples from history,"},{"startTime":78.64,"endTime":84.52,"body":"talk about why assassination happens,"},{"startTime":78.64,"endTime":84.52,"body":"and reflect on a relatively recent"},{"startTime":85.0,"endTime":88.0,"body":"high profile case that"},{"startTime":85.0,"endTime":88.0,"body":"that shocked many people."},{"startTime":88.48,"endTime":92.72,"body":"The killing of Brian Thompson,"},{"startTime":88.48,"endTime":92.72,"body":"CEO of United Healthcare."},{"startTime":92.8,"endTime":94.96,"body":"But what is assassination really?"},{"startTime":95.68,"endTime":99.6,"body":"Well, assassination is not"},{"startTime":95.68,"endTime":99.6,"body":"the same as a regular murder."},{"startTime":99.84,"endTime":106.055,"body":"It's not random violence usually; it's"},{"startTime":99.84,"endTime":106.055,"body":"planned, it's strategic, and often it's"},{"startTime":106.08,"endTime":108.72,"body":"meant to send a message, not just to kill."},{"startTime":109.44,"endTime":114.855,"body":"In many cases, the goal is not only to"},{"startTime":109.44,"endTime":114.855,"body":"kill the person, but but to destroy what"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":114.88,"endTime":119.2,"body":"a"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":114.88,"endTime":119.2,"body":"government, a movement, an idea."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":119.68,"endTime":123.6,"body":"That's why assassination is"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":119.68,"endTime":123.6,"body":"often used as a tool of power."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":124.32,"endTime":129.12,"body":"Sometimes it's done to take control,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":124.32,"endTime":129.12,"body":"sometimes it's for revenge,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":129.92,"endTime":135.695,"body":"sometimes it's done by people who feel"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":129.92,"endTime":135.695,"body":"unheard and hopeless and want to make a"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":135.72,"endTime":138.24,"body":"statement when nothing else seems to work."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":138.72,"endTime":145.72,"body":"But the thinking is almost always the"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":138.72,"endTime":145.72,"body":"same: take out a leader and maybe, maybe"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":146.04,"endTime":148.52,"body":"the system behind them will collapse."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":149.8,"endTime":154.215,"body":"To understand the impact of assassination,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":149.8,"endTime":154.215,"body":"let's look at some of the most"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":154.24,"endTime":157.32,"body":"famous and history changing examples."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":157.96,"endTime":161.24,"body":"And we'll begin, as I"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":157.96,"endTime":161.24,"body":"often do, in Ancient Rome."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":161.88,"endTime":164.6,"body":"Julius Caesar, 44 BC."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":165.24,"endTime":169.64,"body":"He was stabbed by Roman senators who"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":165.24,"endTime":169.64,"body":"believed he was becoming a dictator."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":170.28,"endTime":172.64,"body":"Someone with total, unchecked power."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":173.36,"endTime":177.68,"body":"They hoped that by killing him, they would"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":173.36,"endTime":177.68,"body":"protect the Roman Republic,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":177.84,"endTime":179.12,"body":"their democratic system."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":179.68,"endTime":181.52,"body":"But it had the opposite effect."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":182.08,"endTime":186.72,"body":"Civil war followed and within a"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":182.08,"endTime":186.72,"body":"few years, the Republic collapsed."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":187.2,"endTime":193.575,"body":"In its place, ironically, rose the Roman"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":187.2,"endTime":193.575,"body":"Empire, ruled by autocratic emperors,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":193.6,"endTime":199.36,"body":"essentially monarchs, kings, and not by"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":193.6,"endTime":199.36,"body":"elected leaders - that is, everything"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":199.68,"endTime":201.28,"body":"that the Romans had feared."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":202.24,"endTime":206.0,"body":"Centuries later, in mediaeval England,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":202.24,"endTime":206.0,"body":"another assassination"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":206.48,"endTime":211.68,"body":"would shake the balance of power,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":206.48,"endTime":211.68,"body":"this time between church and state."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":212.64,"endTime":216.16,"body":"We're going to look at"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":212.64,"endTime":216.16,"body":"Thomas Becket, in 1170."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":217.12,"endTime":221.84,"body":"The Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":217.12,"endTime":221.84,"body":"highest religious figures in England,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":222.32,"endTime":228.135,"body":"was murdered inside a cathedral, after"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":222.32,"endTime":228.135,"body":"a long conflict with King Henry II."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":228.16,"endTime":233.095,"body":"The King didn't give a direct order for"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":228.16,"endTime":233.095,"body":"his assassination, but his angry"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":233.12,"endTime":235.76,"body":"words may have inspired the killing."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":236.16,"endTime":240.735,"body":"The collective shock was so great"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":236.16,"endTime":240.735,"body":"that Henry later allowed monks to"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":240.76,"endTime":244.0,"body":"publicly whip him at Becket's tomb."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":244.4,"endTime":249.84,"body":"This dramatic act of penance, this self"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":244.4,"endTime":249.84,"body":"punishment designed to seek forgiveness,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":250.44,"endTime":255.48,"body":"showed just how powerful the"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":250.44,"endTime":255.48,"body":"Church still was, even over Kings."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":256.68,"endTime":262.12,"body":"Let's jump way forward now to the 19th"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":256.68,"endTime":262.12,"body":"century and we can see how assassination"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":262.44,"endTime":265.24,"body":"deeply affects a country in transition."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":266.44,"endTime":269.16,"body":"Abraham Lincoln, in 1865."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":269.8,"endTime":273.56,"body":"He was shot just as the"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":269.8,"endTime":273.56,"body":"American Civil War was ending."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":274.2,"endTime":278.84,"body":"Lincoln had been working to reunite a"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":274.2,"endTime":278.84,"body":"divided nation, north and south,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":279.44,"endTime":281.84,"body":"after four brutal years of fighting."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":282.24,"endTime":288.935,"body":"His assassination didn't just remove a"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":282.24,"endTime":288.935,"body":"leader, it slowed the healing process, and"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":288.96,"endTime":294.375,"body":"many say the political and emotional"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":288.96,"endTime":294.375,"body":"wounds of that moment can still"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":294.4,"endTime":297.52,"body":"be felt in parts of the USA today."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":298.56,"endTime":304.08,"body":"Sometimes an assassination doesn't just"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":298.56,"endTime":304.08,"body":"change a country, it changes the world."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":304.96,"endTime":307.92,"body":"Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":308.72,"endTime":312.24,"body":"He was killed in Sarajevo"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":308.72,"endTime":312.24,"body":"by a young nationalist."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":312.72,"endTime":317.68,"body":"It may have seemed like a regional"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":312.72,"endTime":317.68,"body":"political act, but that single gunshot"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":317.76,"endTime":323.175,"body":"triggered a chain reaction,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":317.76,"endTime":323.175,"body":"one that led to the First World War, a"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":323.2,"endTime":328.295,"body":"conflict that killed millions, destroyed"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":323.2,"endTime":328.295,"body":"empires and changed the shape"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":328.32,"endTime":330.72,"body":"of Europe and the world forever."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":331.84,"endTime":338.16,"body":"And in the modern age, where events unfold"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":331.84,"endTime":338.16,"body":"on camera and in real time, assassination"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":338.56,"endTime":341.36,"body":"continues to leave a lasting legacy."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":341.92,"endTime":345.84,"body":"John F."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":341.92,"endTime":345.84,"body":"Kennedy, JFK, in 1963."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":346.32,"endTime":351.68,"body":"He was shot in broad daylight in front of"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":346.32,"endTime":351.68,"body":"cameras, in front of the world, in fact."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":352.16,"endTime":355.68,"body":"His death was more than just"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":352.16,"endTime":355.68,"body":"the end of a presidency."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":355.76,"endTime":362.52,"body":"It introduced a new era of fear, suspicion"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":355.76,"endTime":362.52,"body":"and conspiracy - one that still influences"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":362.68,"endTime":366.76,"body":"how many Americans view"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":362.68,"endTime":366.76,"body":"politics and power today."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":367.56,"endTime":371.16,"body":"These weren't just dramatic"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":367.56,"endTime":371.16,"body":"moments, they were turning points."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":371.72,"endTime":376.36,"body":"Moments where history shifted and"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":371.72,"endTime":376.36,"body":"the future took a different path."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":377.16,"endTime":379.88,"body":"But how has assassination changed?"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":380.44,"endTime":385.4,"body":"In the past, assassins usually went after"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":380.44,"endTime":385.4,"body":"kings, queens, emperors"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":385.88,"endTime":387.48,"body":"and other traditional rulers."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":387.88,"endTime":389.56,"body":"They were easy to identify."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":389.96,"endTime":394.12,"body":"They wore crowns, they gave orders,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":389.96,"endTime":394.12,"body":"they held public ceremonies."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":394.76,"endTime":399.08,"body":"Today, the idea of power is"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":394.76,"endTime":399.08,"body":"arguably more complicated."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":399.72,"endTime":403.0,"body":"Assassins don't just"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":399.72,"endTime":403.0,"body":"target politicians anymore."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":403.32,"endTime":408.28,"body":"They might attack journalists, business"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":403.32,"endTime":408.28,"body":"leaders, scientists or activists."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":408.76,"endTime":412.28,"body":"They might act alone, without"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":408.76,"endTime":412.28,"body":"any group or army behind them."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":413.2,"endTime":418.24,"body":"And so let's look at a recent example"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":413.2,"endTime":418.24,"body":"that many people found deeply shocking."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":418.8,"endTime":426.095,"body":"In December 2024, a man named Luigi"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":418.8,"endTime":426.095,"body":"Mangione, just 26 years old, was arrested"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":426.12,"endTime":431.255,"body":"for killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":426.12,"endTime":431.255,"body":"United Healthcare, one of the biggest"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":431.28,"endTime":433.36,"body":"healthcare companies in the world."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":434.08,"endTime":437.04,"body":"Mangione wasn't a member"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":434.08,"endTime":437.04,"body":"of any political party."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":437.44,"endTime":440.96,"body":"He wasn't part of a religious"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":437.44,"endTime":440.96,"body":"group or terrorist organisation."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":441.76,"endTime":444.16,"body":"He was a wealthy young man from Maryland."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":444.72,"endTime":447.44,"body":"And according to police, he acted alone."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":448.16,"endTime":449.76,"body":"So why did he do it?"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":450.24,"endTime":455.735,"body":"In handwritten notes found in his home,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":450.24,"endTime":455.735,"body":"Mangione wrote about his hatred for the"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":455.76,"endTime":461.335,"body":"healthcare system in the U.S. he called it"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":455.76,"endTime":461.335,"body":"parasitic, like a parasite, something that"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":461.36,"endTime":466.56,"body":"feeds off others and corrupt,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":461.36,"endTime":466.56,"body":"that is dishonest and broken."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":467.2,"endTime":471.28,"body":"His actions seemed to come from personal"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":467.2,"endTime":471.28,"body":"anger and frustration,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":471.84,"endTime":477.28,"body":"not political strategy, not as part"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":471.84,"endTime":477.28,"body":"of a broader formal revolution."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":477.52,"endTime":480.32,"body":"But still, they carried a strong message."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":480.8,"endTime":484.4,"body":"Because today, power doesn't"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":480.8,"endTime":484.4,"body":"just sit in governments."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":484.64,"endTime":490.24,"body":"It sits in corporations, in media,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":484.64,"endTime":490.24,"body":"in the people who run big systems."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":490.56,"endTime":496.455,"body":"And sometimes when people feel powerless"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":490.56,"endTime":496.455,"body":"or unheard of, they direct their anger at"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":496.48,"endTime":499.16,"body":"those who seem to them to have control."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":500.36,"endTime":504.2,"body":"In today's world, we have better"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":500.36,"endTime":504.2,"body":"protection than ever before."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":504.68,"endTime":509.56,"body":"Bodyguards, cameras, security"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":504.68,"endTime":509.56,"body":"services, intelligence agencies."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":510.04,"endTime":514.28,"body":"And yet assassination continues."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":510.04,"endTime":514.28,"body":"Why is that?"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":515.0,"endTime":519.88,"body":"Well, the answer is because as long as"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":515.0,"endTime":519.88,"body":"there is power, there will be conflict."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":520.72,"endTime":526.96,"body":"Power creates admiration, but it also"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":520.72,"endTime":526.96,"body":"creates jealousy, frustration and hatred."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":527.84,"endTime":530.4,"body":"Some assassins are cold and calculating."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":531.04,"endTime":534.76,"body":"Others act in moments of"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":531.04,"endTime":534.76,"body":"desperation or mental instability."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":535.84,"endTime":537.64,"body":"Some believe that they can change history."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":538.52,"endTime":542.52,"body":"Others just want to be remembered"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":538.52,"endTime":542.52,"body":"or to make others feel their pain."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":543.16,"endTime":549.935,"body":"In all cases, assassination shows us that"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":543.16,"endTime":549.935,"body":"human emotions, anger, fear, the need to"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":549.96,"endTime":552.84,"body":"be heard are still"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":549.96,"endTime":552.84,"body":"stronger than any system."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":554.44,"endTime":559.495,"body":"If you look back through history, from"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":554.44,"endTime":559.495,"body":"Caesar to Kennedy, from Becket"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":559.52,"endTime":562.04,"body":"to Thompson, you see a pattern."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":562.6,"endTime":564.44,"body":"Power attracts attention."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":565.0,"endTime":567.08,"body":"Attention creates risk."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":567.72,"endTime":571.4,"body":"The more visible a person is,"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":567.72,"endTime":571.4,"body":"the more vulnerable they become."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":572.12,"endTime":576.48,"body":"We like to believe that history"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":572.12,"endTime":576.48,"body":"is logical, slow and predictable."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":576.96,"endTime":582.24,"body":"But sometimes it changes in an instant"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":576.96,"endTime":582.24,"body":"because of a single act of violence."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":582.88,"endTime":586.655,"body":"And when that happens, the world after"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":582.88,"endTime":586.655,"body":"can never be quite the"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":586.68,"endTime":588.48,"body":"same as the world before."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":589.52,"endTime":590.72,"body":"Thanks for listening today."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":591.04,"endTime":595.335,"body":"You can find the full transcript"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":591.04,"endTime":595.335,"body":"and free flashcards at www."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":595.36,"endTime":596.455,"body":"morethanalanguage."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":596.48,"endTime":597.6,"body":"com."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":598.0,"endTime":602.56,"body":"it's a great way to read, learn and"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":598.0,"endTime":602.56,"body":"improve your English as you listen."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":603.2,"endTime":605.36,"body":"And here's something to"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":603.2,"endTime":605.36,"body":"think about this week."},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":605.76,"endTime":610.215,"body":"What moment, in your opinion, would have"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":605.76,"endTime":610.215,"body":"been completely different if one"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":610.24,"endTime":612.48,"body":"person had not pulled the trigger?"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":612.88,"endTime":616.08,"body":"Thank you very much for watching"},{"speaker":"they represent","startTime":612.88,"endTime":616.08,"body":"and see you again next time."}]}