On paper, non-governmental organizations often sound like something everyone can get behind: these institutions are often dedicated to addressing some of the most dangerous, long-running problems on the planet. It may be surprising, then, to learn that a growing number of nations are taking increasingly aggressive actions to ban NGOs, especially foreign ones. Supporters of NGOs argue these nations are attempting to fight progress in hopes of saving their own corrupt regimes -- but the opponents inside these countries claim many of those do-gooder NGOs are more sinister than they'd have you believe: instead of saving the world, critics argue, these institutions are foreign-owned fronts for everything from illegal activities of intelligence agencies to acts of industrial espionage, forced regime change and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last time you bought something, did you use a card, cash or something else? If you automatically thought "who uses cash nowadays", you're far from alone. More and more people are eschewing physical currency for digital dollars, and this move seems largely supported by big banks as well some countries. Proponents argue a cashless society has no shortage of benefits for everyone involved, but critics suspect there are more than a few dangerous possibilities at play -- and something sinister may be afoot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.