The pillage that fueled America's tech booms
Summary
This episode explores the violent history of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, linking modern tech supply chains to colonial exploitation. Hosts interview researcher Siddharth Kara on contemporary labor abuses and examine historical atrocities under King Leopold II, exposed by activists like E.D. Morell and William Henry Sheppard. The narrative also covers Patrice Lumumba’s assassination and the enduring cycle of resource extraction that powers global technology.
Topics discussed
Introduction: The hidden violent history of cobalt mining
Ed Morell discovers slave labor evidence in Antwerp
King Leopold II's exploitation and William Henry Sheppard's witness
The Congo Reform Association and end of Leopold's rule
Patrice Lumumba's rise and Congo's independence
Lumumba's assassination and Mobutu's dictatorship
Modern cobalt demand and hope for justice
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