The Joe Rogan Experience #2369 - Ed Calderon
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Aug 22, 2025 Ed Calderon, a security specialist and combatives instructor with a decade of experience along Mexico's northern border, offers a gripping dive into the realities of cartel culture. He discusses the normalization of cartel violence and its ties to political corruption in Mexico, revealing chilling instances of public brutality. Calderon also explores the alarming recruitment tactics of cartels, including social media's role, while reflecting on the profound socio-political implications of these dynamics for both Mexico and the U.S.
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Origin Story Of The Death Whistle
- Ed Calderon told how the Aztec death whistle went viral after Brian Callen blew one on Joe's podcast.
- He explains the whistles were used to psych out enemies and disrupt sleep during ritualized conflicts.
Rituals Used As Psychological Weapons
- Calderon links Mesoamerican ritual violence and psychological warfare to cultural practices like bloodletting and sacrifice.
- He highlights how ritual terror functioned as a weapon to control and demoralize enemies.
Bloodletting And Cultural Syncretism
- Ed recounts seeing Aztec and Mayan sites and learning about bloodletting and self-mutilation rituals used for religious trance.
- He connects those practices to syncretism with arriving Catholic rituals and lasting cultural symbols.
