Ukraine is one of the reasons I feel that the US election will be a crushing blow, psychologically, if Trump loses by a tight margin. Never mind him winning, anything less than him dragging down other candidates and costing House seats will really reassure me that fascism isn't basically on the march.
I remind people shocked, shocked, that the USA would watch 40,000 die in Gaza, unmoved, people who think that's racism, of something. Americans once watched fascists bomb 40,000 people to death. In London. And also were unmoved, until their own colonial territories were attacked. The Blitz was just a year after 20,000 Nazis rallied in Madison Square Garden. Those Americans were actually on the other side, cheering the deaths in London.
Feels like Americans are watching fascism march, again, and wondering what side they should pick.
Although I have heard of your two guests, life interfered so haven't had the chance to read much from them. That will change now. Anne Applebaum is a refreshing change from the female leaders currently receiving press. Smart and not a whiner by any means. Snyder strikes me as a deeply caring person who is so concerned about the Ukrainian - Russian war and more than a little fed up with the US. I agree with him...we need to help them unreservedly for our sake as much as ours. Great guests...I look forward to more.
Timothy was great. For Anne to say there's no through line (worse, it's somehow capitalism) between Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea is laughable. The CCCP spent billions of Rubles creating and fostering that network of ideology and cronyism for 60 years. It didn't go away, it mutated to survive when we stopped paying attention.
I think you miss understood Anne. I think she implied/said that, in respect to Russia, Putin is a capitalist. She did not say that Russia is a capitalist society. The former implies that Putin is an unconstrained capitalist, caring only about himself and securing his wealth, regardless of how he attained it. The latter implies that Russians, regardless of who they are or who they know, have the freedom to risk their personal capital to improve and better their personal lives. Those freedoms clearly do not exist in these Autocratic.Inc countries.
I guess that depends on your definition of capitalism. Putin took control of the means of production using the levers of the state not through the scaling of a business or businesses. The former is the well documented and consistent outcomes of communism.
Empathy says it all…think of how difficult it is to display this behaviour in one’s personal life let alone countries that often approaches issues from their own self interest.
Very good get. I've listened to Anne's recent podcast series, and I've read Bloodlands, and hoping to read both of their new books. Looking forward to hearing this episode.
I've been mulling over Applebaum's contention that this is not a new "second world" or even an "axis", more like a group of like-minded corporations. I'm not sure but that that's the description of all the opposition(s) to democracy, all along. Matt Taibbi said it some years ago, that there sure are conspiracies - every one of them out in the open, on the halls of legislatures, the lobbies and "think tanks" (i.e. more lobbies). A lot of corporations all with aligned goals, not a Plan.
Maduro and Ill Sung aren't in a WhatsApp chat group planning World Domination; they just see opportunities to jump in and help a bro.
Ukraine is one of the reasons I feel that the US election will be a crushing blow, psychologically, if Trump loses by a tight margin. Never mind him winning, anything less than him dragging down other candidates and costing House seats will really reassure me that fascism isn't basically on the march.
I remind people shocked, shocked, that the USA would watch 40,000 die in Gaza, unmoved, people who think that's racism, of something. Americans once watched fascists bomb 40,000 people to death. In London. And also were unmoved, until their own colonial territories were attacked. The Blitz was just a year after 20,000 Nazis rallied in Madison Square Garden. Those Americans were actually on the other side, cheering the deaths in London.
Feels like Americans are watching fascism march, again, and wondering what side they should pick.
Have been reading these two for at least six years. Very happy to hear them interviewed in Canada. Well done. Great interviews.
Looking forward to listening. This was a ‘real good get’ Paul. Very timely.
terrific interviews, Paul really knows how to get at the root of what his guests mean to say.
Bravo
Although I have heard of your two guests, life interfered so haven't had the chance to read much from them. That will change now. Anne Applebaum is a refreshing change from the female leaders currently receiving press. Smart and not a whiner by any means. Snyder strikes me as a deeply caring person who is so concerned about the Ukrainian - Russian war and more than a little fed up with the US. I agree with him...we need to help them unreservedly for our sake as much as ours. Great guests...I look forward to more.
If I ever doubted it, this is worth 'the price of admission '. Great interviews!
Timothy was great. For Anne to say there's no through line (worse, it's somehow capitalism) between Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea is laughable. The CCCP spent billions of Rubles creating and fostering that network of ideology and cronyism for 60 years. It didn't go away, it mutated to survive when we stopped paying attention.
I think you miss understood Anne. I think she implied/said that, in respect to Russia, Putin is a capitalist. She did not say that Russia is a capitalist society. The former implies that Putin is an unconstrained capitalist, caring only about himself and securing his wealth, regardless of how he attained it. The latter implies that Russians, regardless of who they are or who they know, have the freedom to risk their personal capital to improve and better their personal lives. Those freedoms clearly do not exist in these Autocratic.Inc countries.
I guess that depends on your definition of capitalism. Putin took control of the means of production using the levers of the state not through the scaling of a business or businesses. The former is the well documented and consistent outcomes of communism.
Empathy says it all…think of how difficult it is to display this behaviour in one’s personal life let alone countries that often approaches issues from their own self interest.
Very good get. I've listened to Anne's recent podcast series, and I've read Bloodlands, and hoping to read both of their new books. Looking forward to hearing this episode.
Bravo, Paul - two really terrific interviews. Thank you.
Two great interviews. Thanks. And more additions to my reading list.
Three of my favourite defenders of democracy. Really wish this was public!
It is! No paywall on the post, and the podcast is on all the big podcast platforms.
Hm, seems to be a problem with android phone not processing the link from fb to substack properly. But anyway, big relief, thanks! Shared
I've been mulling over Applebaum's contention that this is not a new "second world" or even an "axis", more like a group of like-minded corporations. I'm not sure but that that's the description of all the opposition(s) to democracy, all along. Matt Taibbi said it some years ago, that there sure are conspiracies - every one of them out in the open, on the halls of legislatures, the lobbies and "think tanks" (i.e. more lobbies). A lot of corporations all with aligned goals, not a Plan.
Maduro and Ill Sung aren't in a WhatsApp chat group planning World Domination; they just see opportunities to jump in and help a bro.
Thank-you. Her interview with Yuval Harari on Ukraine was also outstanding. Here's a link for anyone interested, it's just under 30 minutes: https://youtu.be/JB9yJmjCa1A?si=7lRysDUdxS8MWtca
Very inspiring.....thank you!