Great post! History is not my strength and I appreciate your weaving history into your posts. I knew nothing of Ukraine. It seems to me, the Republican party has been taking classes by Putin and his minions on how to create national domination aka authoritarianism. Victor Rud’s proposal makes sense. Make Putin look inward to distract his focus. Disrupt Putin’s plans. Wishing Biden and Blinken consider Rud’s approach, but removing sanction on pipeline doesn’t indicate that intent. Frankly, we have nothing to lose. Oh. Wait. We do. Democracy!
Thank you and Victor so much for this amazing episode. I appreciate you guys going into the history of Ukraine, the country of my birth, and emphasizing that it is definitely NOT Russia. It's something that's definitely needed to be known to many people in the West.
It's also refreshing to hear someone, who understands the real threat Russia represents to the United States and other Western democracies. Victor is absolutely right, when he says Russia has to be dealt with in a much stronger manner. Putin is a "gopnik", a thug basically, who can only be defeated by his own methods. Anything less is considered a weakness by him and he's just laughing at the West and its weak moves to pacify him. That Churchill quote was on point!
Personally, I think we should keep hitting them the way Victor has described, until Russian Federation ceases to exist as a sovereign country. Carthago delenda est!
Interesting post, Greg! I would direct you to the excellent work of medieval historian of the Kyiven Rus' Christian Raffensperger. He is one of the few historians writing about the Kingdom of the Rus' in English. What is interesting is that Moscow was not founded by Putin's ancestors: it was founded by the kingdom of Novgorod (now Belarus). The Scandinavian-Slavic groups that established both kingdoms had significant connections to the Byzantine Empire, but also were affected by the Ottoman, Saxon, and Salian "push to the East"--the expansion of the Germanic "Holy Roman Empire" into the region--and the Teutonic Knights (origin of Prussia) who promoted "crusades" in Livonia (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). There were plenty of other groups who occupied those regions and engaged with the medieval and early modern European powers, despite the invasions of the Khans and the Ottomans.
I think that the US failed to capitalize on the Soviets getting bogged down in Afghanistan. Instead of leaving well enough alone, we armed the Taliban and al Qaida on the basis of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Then we did the ultimate stupid thing and got bogged down in Afghanistan ourselves. We failed miserably to understand that Russia was never going to be a working democracy; that the Russians themselves were not terribly interested in democracy; that they much preferred to return to the Christian Orthodox autocracy of the Tsarist state, which had been replaced by a Stalinist autocracy. Putin desires to reconstruct not the Soviet Union, but the Russian Empire. He wants to be Tsar.
Greg, back when you and I met, you made some (misguided) comment that somehow I would match and exceed you in some way.
NOT A CHANCE.
I know the difference between the Soviet Union and Russia, and I get all the Nazi Germany references, and I know generally what happened when Russia “annexed” (took by force) that piece of the Ukraine, but all of the rest is brand new to me, a history ignoramus. I am in the same camp with all those Americans, and American politicians who should know better, when it comes to ignorance of this history.
What on earth is “These are яблука and апельсины.” I emphatically do not read that language.
Well, you need to add BRAVE to the title PREVAIL. I find it difficult to intellectualize the US incompetency in foreign policy that I hope, is not mirrored by our inability to to even stop anti-democratic republicans from destroying us.
And they didn’t even use a GRID (well, there was Texas, right?). I’m a fan of hands on David Satter who said in a talk that Russians themselves, regard Crimea as theirs. So... 🤔....can I assume Russians who believe this...are the Republicans of Russia? The breadth of Victor Rud’s insight is fvking reassuring to be frank. My GUT and my HEAD have finally gotten validation together. This is terrifying. They only reassuring thing is.... Rud knows, you Greg found him and now maybe ..... only maybe...(? 😢) someone will hear this who can push a RESULT. Caps because that’s what’s needed. I hate the half informed intellectual chewing of cud we seem to do in America. Damn it.
So now we are “preoccupied” internally and can we respond Internationally as we need to? The last administration really did know what the directions were; create enough chaos inside America... so we can do our thing.
I know I always look a bit crazy, but I’m unrelenting until I find and dig up, the crucial point. It’s the way I’m built. I’m willing to look like a fvking fool to do it....so I’m incredibly grateful for this podcast and the fact you discovered him and didn’t let go of that.
Whew. I’m exhausted and totally energized by this recognition of our mentally lazy and slovenly ways... I do feel it has taken a democratic catastrophe to even begin to wake up “Strategy” genes in Democrats.
I recommend listening to Stuart Stevens on Jared Sexton’s podcast Muckrake... for a sad sad Republican realization (if it is that) that real damage has been done to the democracy that fed that Republican Party for so long. (And that they fed OFF OF.). One can’t be sure of what his book will be “It Was All A Lie,” but I ordered it anyway.
Oooooooo did Victor Rud write a book? I gotta find out more about this guy.
I’ve been thinking about this interview. Most alarming is the bad guidance from academic books. This interview popped a lot of brain bubbles for me. It’s the whole point, right? Now, not just grow but grow up. And Fast. We are starved by cable news. Yet fattened up by stuff we don’t need; hype, speed, celebrity. THis is what the Fairness Doctrine looks like to me now; this interview. Not summary sound bites by Haas, or even Ann Marie Slaughter. THey never have enough time to tell you what they are really thinking. It’s all in bits.
This would certainly be one of those posts that I would leave a donation in the tip jar if there was one, Greg.....hint, hint. Thanks (to you & Victor Rud) for the enlightenment and adding a bazillion more questions than answers to those already swirling in my head, but that is probably what true enlightenment is.
Great post! History is not my strength and I appreciate your weaving history into your posts. I knew nothing of Ukraine. It seems to me, the Republican party has been taking classes by Putin and his minions on how to create national domination aka authoritarianism. Victor Rud’s proposal makes sense. Make Putin look inward to distract his focus. Disrupt Putin’s plans. Wishing Biden and Blinken consider Rud’s approach, but removing sanction on pipeline doesn’t indicate that intent. Frankly, we have nothing to lose. Oh. Wait. We do. Democracy!
Hi Greg!
Thank you and Victor so much for this amazing episode. I appreciate you guys going into the history of Ukraine, the country of my birth, and emphasizing that it is definitely NOT Russia. It's something that's definitely needed to be known to many people in the West.
It's also refreshing to hear someone, who understands the real threat Russia represents to the United States and other Western democracies. Victor is absolutely right, when he says Russia has to be dealt with in a much stronger manner. Putin is a "gopnik", a thug basically, who can only be defeated by his own methods. Anything less is considered a weakness by him and he's just laughing at the West and its weak moves to pacify him. That Churchill quote was on point!
Personally, I think we should keep hitting them the way Victor has described, until Russian Federation ceases to exist as a sovereign country. Carthago delenda est!
Interesting post, Greg! I would direct you to the excellent work of medieval historian of the Kyiven Rus' Christian Raffensperger. He is one of the few historians writing about the Kingdom of the Rus' in English. What is interesting is that Moscow was not founded by Putin's ancestors: it was founded by the kingdom of Novgorod (now Belarus). The Scandinavian-Slavic groups that established both kingdoms had significant connections to the Byzantine Empire, but also were affected by the Ottoman, Saxon, and Salian "push to the East"--the expansion of the Germanic "Holy Roman Empire" into the region--and the Teutonic Knights (origin of Prussia) who promoted "crusades" in Livonia (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). There were plenty of other groups who occupied those regions and engaged with the medieval and early modern European powers, despite the invasions of the Khans and the Ottomans.
I think that the US failed to capitalize on the Soviets getting bogged down in Afghanistan. Instead of leaving well enough alone, we armed the Taliban and al Qaida on the basis of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Then we did the ultimate stupid thing and got bogged down in Afghanistan ourselves. We failed miserably to understand that Russia was never going to be a working democracy; that the Russians themselves were not terribly interested in democracy; that they much preferred to return to the Christian Orthodox autocracy of the Tsarist state, which had been replaced by a Stalinist autocracy. Putin desires to reconstruct not the Soviet Union, but the Russian Empire. He wants to be Tsar.
Especially interesting since finding out that my father's family came from what was then Poland, and is now Ukraine.
Greg, back when you and I met, you made some (misguided) comment that somehow I would match and exceed you in some way.
NOT A CHANCE.
I know the difference between the Soviet Union and Russia, and I get all the Nazi Germany references, and I know generally what happened when Russia “annexed” (took by force) that piece of the Ukraine, but all of the rest is brand new to me, a history ignoramus. I am in the same camp with all those Americans, and American politicians who should know better, when it comes to ignorance of this history.
What on earth is “These are яблука and апельсины.” I emphatically do not read that language.
Gr8 piece but those intrusive tones 😖
This was fascinating. A huge historical hole in my life has begun to be filled. Thank you!
Fantastic episode. I gotta read up on Rud’s stuff and some Ukrainian history now. You keep me reading, thanks!
Well, you need to add BRAVE to the title PREVAIL. I find it difficult to intellectualize the US incompetency in foreign policy that I hope, is not mirrored by our inability to to even stop anti-democratic republicans from destroying us.
And they didn’t even use a GRID (well, there was Texas, right?). I’m a fan of hands on David Satter who said in a talk that Russians themselves, regard Crimea as theirs. So... 🤔....can I assume Russians who believe this...are the Republicans of Russia? The breadth of Victor Rud’s insight is fvking reassuring to be frank. My GUT and my HEAD have finally gotten validation together. This is terrifying. They only reassuring thing is.... Rud knows, you Greg found him and now maybe ..... only maybe...(? 😢) someone will hear this who can push a RESULT. Caps because that’s what’s needed. I hate the half informed intellectual chewing of cud we seem to do in America. Damn it.
So now we are “preoccupied” internally and can we respond Internationally as we need to? The last administration really did know what the directions were; create enough chaos inside America... so we can do our thing.
I know I always look a bit crazy, but I’m unrelenting until I find and dig up, the crucial point. It’s the way I’m built. I’m willing to look like a fvking fool to do it....so I’m incredibly grateful for this podcast and the fact you discovered him and didn’t let go of that.
Whew. I’m exhausted and totally energized by this recognition of our mentally lazy and slovenly ways... I do feel it has taken a democratic catastrophe to even begin to wake up “Strategy” genes in Democrats.
I recommend listening to Stuart Stevens on Jared Sexton’s podcast Muckrake... for a sad sad Republican realization (if it is that) that real damage has been done to the democracy that fed that Republican Party for so long. (And that they fed OFF OF.). One can’t be sure of what his book will be “It Was All A Lie,” but I ordered it anyway.
Oooooooo did Victor Rud write a book? I gotta find out more about this guy.
I’ve been thinking about this interview. Most alarming is the bad guidance from academic books. This interview popped a lot of brain bubbles for me. It’s the whole point, right? Now, not just grow but grow up. And Fast. We are starved by cable news. Yet fattened up by stuff we don’t need; hype, speed, celebrity. THis is what the Fairness Doctrine looks like to me now; this interview. Not summary sound bites by Haas, or even Ann Marie Slaughter. THey never have enough time to tell you what they are really thinking. It’s all in bits.
This would certainly be one of those posts that I would leave a donation in the tip jar if there was one, Greg.....hint, hint. Thanks (to you & Victor Rud) for the enlightenment and adding a bazillion more questions than answers to those already swirling in my head, but that is probably what true enlightenment is.