Shadowing Practice: "I wanna kill him so bad" - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The firebombing of my house.
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The firebombing of my house.
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This event I would have much preferred that the New South Wales Police handled, failing that any responsible authority.
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Yet so far every single person or institution with an obligation to investigate has mysteriously declined or just plain failed.
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Apart from Kate McClymont at the Sydney Morning Herald who needs to be given immense credit for her work on this saga.
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But very little credit can be given to other journalists and authorities who not only seem ambivalent about properly investigating the firebombing but downright hostile to any potential action that could threaten to expose those responsible.
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And now we know a few of the reasons as to why this has been the case.
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And these are very, very concerning reasons.
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As such, today I feel like I've been left with no choice but to again address the firebombing as I've waited three years for the police to do something.
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During these three years I've not only watched them pass by on numerous chances to solve this mystery, but also somehow for some mysterious reason, downright actually reject good leads that I've been aware of.
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No follow-up or interest.
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It's been a joke.
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There's been more interest in the police determining what accelerant was used to burn down my house than convicting the people who ordered it.
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So I hope this video will get some proactive cops interested in finally charging the people responsible for burning down my house,
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or at least flush out what the hell is happening in the New South Wales Police, one of the largest, most powerful, well-equipped police forces in the Western world that has, in my estimation, seen a single journalist publicly uncover more about the firebombing than the entire force combined.
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As you probably know, in 2022, my house was firebombed because of a video I made.
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A video which I was forced to take down a year after the firebombing, after threats on my life and the lives of others were attempted to be passed on to me via a former Mongols bikey sergeant-at-arms gangster turned Four Corners journalist, Mahmoud Fazal.
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Yes, Four Corners, ostensibly the most prestigious investigative journalism institution in Australia, the esteemed flagship, no less, of our dear public broadcaster, the ABC.
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Allow me to reiterate, as that is really hard to capture just how damning this is.
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A Four Corners journalist was meeting with heavy organised crime figures, then sending through demands purportedly on behalf of those figures, threatening that if I fail to remove my investigation into these figures, myself and people around me would die.
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This story was exposed by Kate McClymon in the Sydney Morning Herald over a year ago, though I never spoke about it in depth.
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You can read it if you want more context, it's brilliant work, but the important takeaway is this.
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When faced with an abundance of new evidence relating to the firebombing, the evidence that was more than enough at the very least to charge a few people, what did the New South Wales Police do?
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As far as I'm aware, nothing.
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Nothing substantive at least.
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I tried to question the Four Corners journalist who passed on these threats, but according to New South Wales Police, he refused to provide a statement.
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Shouldn't that ring a few alarm bells?
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Shouldn't that open up further avenues of inquiry when conveying threats in of itself can be an offence?
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Apparently not.
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This is every criminal's dream treatment.
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Burn down a house, threaten to kill people, have it reported to police, and then the police do nothing.
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I thought the police would do something.
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I shut up for them.
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I didn't release material I had as the police said it could hamper with their investigations.
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Now in hindsight, I think it would have been safer to put out what I knew.
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And then what did the national broadcaster do when faced with the fact that their reporter was telling people that he was going to meetings with gangland murderers in order to find out what death threats and messages to pass on to?
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I guess in this context, I'll have to call myself a journalist as my stories are certainly more consequential than the utter Swill Four Corners pumps out.
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The ABC did nothing.
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Well, they didn't do nothing.
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Do you want to know what they actually did?
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They defended Mahmoud Fazal.
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They defended this man with his self-advertised gangster history and this proof against him, who slanderously claimed that Kate McClymont's article on the threats that he passed on were based on, how's this,
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ethnic stereotyping.
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And the self-proclaimed greatest, most hard-nosed investigative journalist in the country believed him.
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I can assure you that absolutely nothing in Kate McClymont's article is incorrect.
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And considering McClymont's track record, it would take a very creative, brave, or perhaps just in way too deep ABC management type to chuck an Eddie Obeid and dismiss serious allegations as simply racist stereotyping.
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But it looks like that's what happened.
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The ABC were even offered multiple times hard documentary evidence to back up McClymont's claims.
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Should they want to investigate these serious allegations?
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Evidence that they refuse to even look at.
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In light of, I have to stress, grave allegations, death threats from one of their reporters.
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Which brings us to now, where even more damning news about Mahmoud Fazal is coming out, news that to be honest is really scaring me.
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First, he was in the news over a lover's quarrel with his now former podcast host, independent reporter Ryan Nomenko, a man with a similar story to Fazal as he describes himself as part journalist, part outlaw.
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This was covered by Media Watch, but to quickly explain, Fazal and Nimenko started a podcast.
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Fazal, when getting permission for this podcast from the ABC, reportedly told his executive producer that it was unpaid.
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Nimenko claims that when it came to payment, Fazal and a man who had been the subject of Fazal's Four Corners stories in the past, former cocaine dealer Ben Aitken, demanded cash from Nimenko immediately.
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This really pissed off Nimenko.
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Anyway, you can watch the Media Watch episode on the beef if you want the details of Fazal's denials of demanding cash for the podcast and then the text and bank details released by Nomenko which appear to contradict those denials.
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Why is this interesting?
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Check the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald.
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Nomenko has provided what he claims are further texts between himself and Fazal in which Fazal says quote, fuck Geordie's and his people, they're dogs, I want to kill him so bad.
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Yeah, the man who I know for a fact said he was meeting with organised crime figures in order to ascertain what message to send to me from them, the man who ABC and police failed to investigate is now reported to have said he wants to kill me.
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So bad.
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There's more in these text chains, which is just as damning.
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But before I get into them, I want to note that as reported by Kate McClymon, Fazal has claimed that one of the text messages is fabricated and the others merely take it out of context.
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Now just to editorialise a little, knowing a bit about the background of this story, It would have taken a very sophisticated writer with insider knowledge of the entire situation and a deep grasp of Fazal's prose to fake any of these messages.
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Having seen the original chains, it's very difficult to see how these could possibly even be taken out of context.
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Plus, even if just some of these texts are real, as Fazal himself has now implied, that's enough of an indictment on Fazal and the ABC in of itself.
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I also want to add that Fazal has denied allegations in the past that I know are quantifiably true, backed up by text.
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One that springs to mind instantly is passing on threats for organised crime.
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Compound that with his denials and then the contradictions of those denials with evidence detailed in the latest Media Watch and I really don't trust his word.
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At all.
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So let's see what the chain said.
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Some context, the day earlier I released this video about the conviction of Toofy whatever his name is for firebombing my house.
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I made this oblique reference to Fazal.
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Why do the Alamedans, an organized crime gang, give so much access to certain ABC journalists?
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Why is the ABC so ardent in defending these certain journalists?
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In response, Nomenko has claimed that he and Fazal had this exchange.
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Ryan Nomenko, we all sweet to do F2 or has that issue with Shanks rattled you?
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If you did what you did, just f***ing own it.
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Why lie?
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Never ends well, brother.
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Mahmoud Fazal, f*** Geordie's and his people, their dogs.
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I want to kill him so bad.
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Ryan Nomenko, are you f***ing serious?
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Over something you didn't do?
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Leave it.
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It's not your place.
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Mahmoud Fazal.
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Bro, Alameddine still want to hit me.
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I need to make up to him with this pod and we will kill it.
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Better him than me, but f*** him.
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We should do a pod on that and get my story out.
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Ryan Nomenko.
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Nah, leave it.
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It's not worth it.
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Seriously, Geordies is a nerd, bro.
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He's not part of OC.
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That's organized crime.
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Why hit a house over a story?
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It's f***ing g***y.
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You should know how bad it was when I had to cop all that shit.
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Just leave it.
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I'm not willing to speak about it because let's be real, you sent the fucking threats.
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They fucked you.
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Mahmood Fazal.
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Nah, he has to get what he gets.
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He's a dog.
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Ratted me to Jax.
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Jax means police.
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Now, I want to be fair here.
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Mahmood, can you tell me which one of these texts is out of context?
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Keep in mind, I have a bunch of screenshots of the original chains.
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Was make it up to the Alamudines with a podcast out of context?
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Do elaborate on how.
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I'd love to hear it because if it's not out of context, if organised crime has a man in four corners,
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supposedly the most prestigious investigative journalism institution in Australia, if their guy has fooled, well I was going to say the smartest investigative journalist in the country,
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but let's be honest, if you can't follow up on an offer for evidence as a journalist, you're atrocious.
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But if organised crime has a guy in the ABC, I have very little doubt that a sprawling institution such as the New South Wales Police has been compromised to some degree.
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I'd love to be proven wrong, so please New South Wales Police, Can you make a substantial arrest?
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It's actually unbelievable that after three years you have no one.
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There is something really weird going on.
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There's also more texts.
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Mahmoud Fazal.
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Ah yes, last five seconds.
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Why do certain journalists get access to the Alamedines?
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Ryan Nomenko.
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See, he's a sly dog.
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Mahmoud Fazal.
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And he has my story behind him.
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He's a f***ing rat.
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Ryan Nomenko.
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Yeah bro, bad.
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Now, in the wake of these leaks, Mahmood is desperately trying to paint Nomenko as a dishonest actor, stating in an email to the Sydney Morning Herald, Ryan Nomenko has a criminal history, a history of harassment and a documented record of dishonesty.
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As a journalist, you should know that background is material when assessing his reliability and motives as your source.
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How does he not see how hypocritical that is?
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Mahmood, didn't you claim McClymont was relying on your background to stereotype you when she relied entirely on hard evidence for her claims?
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Now you're relying solely on Nomenko's background to refute text change, some of which you yourself have tacitly admitted were real, just out of context.
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Again, how?
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What's the context in which any of this is okay?
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Please enlighten us.
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Plus, you have provided no hard evidence to the contrary, just Nomenko's background.
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That's not fair on Nomenko.
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furthermore if Nomenko is a liar if he has in your words a criminal history a history of harassment and a documented record of dishonesty why start a business with him?
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Why start a journalistic endeavour with him?
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Where the sole purpose should be to expose the truth.
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But I guess if those character traits are good enough for the ABC, they're good enough for Fazal.
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Seriously, this really needs to be emphasized because this is so damning, and not just Fazal, but the entire ABC is an institution.
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What is a Four Corners journalist doing passing on threats to other journalists and demanding cash from this person?
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And why did it It's taken till now for the ABC to even acknowledge that that might be a problem.
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Mahmood has more to say about me.
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I don't know why he's crying.
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Seriously, comes with the territory.
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You wanna shit on gangsters and make fun of them in your video.
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Ryan Nomenko, ha ha ha ha ha.
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That's what I said watching it.
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Mahmood Fazal, the world's not your little bubble on the internet.
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Bro, this c**t fell off hard.
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His videos are getting 100 to 150K roughly.
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I wonder if this video will get more than 150k.
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Let's see, re, why am I crying?
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Firebombing comes with the territory?
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Yeah, I guess it does come with my territory, my reporting, but certainly not yours, Mahmood.
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The only time you piss off organized crime figures is by accident, when your attempts at jobs and favors to make up to them, blow up in everyone's faces.
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Look at Mahmood Fazal's repertoire of reporting.
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I can't think of one instance in which his access these crime figures to produce anything revelatory or negative about organised crime.
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He's never revealed any political connections, never any strange financial deals, any malfeasance that the authorities failed to pick up on.
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He's not an investigative reporter.
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He makes Gardening Australia or Woman's Weekly style interviews for crims.
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It doesn't even expose anything or pass the basic fundamentals of what journalism supposedly is, which is a quest for the truth.
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Showing a bunch of crims talking about how honourable they are and how they never break codes.
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All criminals break the code.
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They're all ratting on each other all the time.
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If you're in a milieu where murder is commonplace, a milieu where the only abiding principle is amorality for financial gain, who's seriously dumb enough to buy the idea that there's a f***ing code that people follow?
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But that's the point.
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His reporting serves as a purpose to enforce the convenient myths around organised crime in Australia.
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To keep the right people afraid and the right people impressed by these gross displays of violence, it's very clear in this where Fazal's sympathy lies.
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It's sympathy for criminals, sympathy for murderers, sympathy for traffickers, sympathy for business,
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taking out tax money to try and sell the Australian public the fiction that wealthy crime magnates are some sort of downtrodden forgotten people, forced into poverty, into crime and picked on by the Australian establishment.
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When any shred of investigative reporting would reveal that in Australia these figures are wealthy and exploitative entrepreneurs fueled not by desperation but a deep culture of familial amoralism.
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The leaders of these groups are not ostracized by Sydney's establishment but are in fact increasingly ingratiated with them, welcomed with open arms.
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It's not anti-establishment or brave to celebrate millionaires just because they made their millions screwing over people outside of the law.
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It's adolescent as hell and it's an indictment on the ABC and the Gen X managers there who are so out of touch,
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so desperate for younger viewers that they desecrated an already anemic four corners, forcing it to produce crime porn, slop, propaganda slop, tailor-made for organised crime.
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Make an arrest.
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Make an arrest, you cowards.
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Thank you.
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Why practice speaking with this video?

This video provides a compelling narrative that can enhance your English speaking practice. The speaker passionately shares a personal story involving crime, threats, and inadequate law enforcement, which engages listeners emotionally. By practicing with this video, you can improve not only your vocabulary and fluency but also your ability to express complex ideas clearly. Listening to real-life experiences encourages you to use everyday language while simultaneously grasping more advanced expressions. In this context, utilizing the shadowing technique allows you to mimic the speaker's delivery, enhancing both your speaking skills and comprehension of nuanced topics. This is particularly beneficial for learners aiming to elevate their conversational skills to discuss serious issues effectively.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the transcript, several grammatical structures and expressions stand out:

  • Conditional Clauses: "If I fail to remove my investigation..." illustrates the use of conditional statements, allowing learners to understand cause and effect in conversation.
  • Past Perfect Tense: "I would have much preferred..." demonstrates how this tense can indicate preferences regarding past events, helping learners articulate their feelings about previous actions.
  • Passive Voice: "has been firebombed" is a strong example of passive construction, which is commonly used to emphasize the action rather than the subject, a useful structure for more formal contexts.
  • Direct Speech: The speaker’s confrontation reveals how to incorporate quotes for dramatic effect, enhancing storytelling capabilities in English.
  • Emphatic Structures: Phrases like "I assure you" highlight methods for adding emphasis to one's speech, making arguments more persuasive.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When shadowing this video, you'll encounter several pronunciation challenges:

  • Terms like "firebombing": The compound word can be tricky due to its length and syllable stress, making it essential to practice articulation.
  • Expressions such as "mysterious reason": The combination of "mysterious" and "reason" can lead to blending sounds, necessitating careful pronunciation to avoid confusion.
  • The phrase "Four Corners journalist": The proper noun may present challenges, especially in native versus non-native speakers. Focus on the rhythm and intonation to ensure clarity.
  • Words like "investigate" and "authority": Pay attention to the vowel sounds and stresses, as mispronunciation can change their delivery impact.

Utilizing the shadow speak method, repeat these challenging phrases after the speaker to refine your accent and diction, ultimately elevating your English proficiency.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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