Very interesting conversation; lots of food for thought. A couple of comments:
1. Russia. I do think that Putin does indeed have a vision, one that is shared or pounded into the Russian population: Russia is a great and imperial country, got completely taken advantage of by the West during the fall of the Soviet Union, and the only way for Russia to gain the status and respect it deserves from the world is to recover its empire.
2. US. As you said in the podcast, we've gone through challenging periods. I'm older than you, and experienced the disaster of Vietnam War, race riots, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK, Malcom X, the attempted assassination of George Wallace, Watergate, and the impeachment of Nixon. Our country survived and eventually prospered.
What concerns me presently, as you stated as well, is the impact of social media on our political and social life. I remember reading a book by Silviu Brucan, 'The Dialectics of World Politics' (1978). In it he argued that there are both centripetal and centrifugal forces {dialectics) in world politics and the communist and free world must synthesize these in order to prosper -- enact policies that help the centripetal forces. The dialectics of the internet and social media likewise have both centripetal and centrifugal forces at play. Thinking a bit about it, on a political level, social media amplifies our voices and gives rise to our natural tendencies to react and post before thinking. On the other hand, having been in the Air Force for 28 years, I can say the GIs like to bitch and do the best job possible. I think social media is a good bitching mechanism, allowing people to blow off steam and continuing with their lives. I make no comment on the alleged social isolation it causes -- I do not know enough about the subject to make an intelligent observation.
Finally, I believe that if Trump or anyone else tried to really usurp power or otherwise undermine our civic rights, etc. I suspect we would react as the South Koreans did, and boot them out. Having said this, South Korea remains a deeply polarized society, and the causes of what led up to President Yoon's ill-conceived martial law declaration have not been resolved.
1. Russia. I think this “vision” is mostly hammered into people’s minds through propaganda. Russia is really just an ordinary country that happened to miss the early signs of autocracy. The same thing is happening here now — and honestly, it’s moving a lot faster than it did in Russia in the early 2000s.
As for the idea that “the West took advantage” of Russia, I’m not so sure about that. Sure, there were elements of it, but in my view the West did more to help than to exploit. The real exploitation happened inside the country itself — people in power looted whatever they could.
2. The U.S. I really hope we’ll pull through this time too… 😁
3. Social Media. Having lived in Russia, I saw firsthand how social media can be used as a political weapon. It’s extremely dangerous, totally unchecked, and basically impossible to control.
1. Russia. I'm not arguing that the West took advantage of Russia. The point is that Putin believes that and is convincing Russians of the the nobility and validity of his vision-- being the new Peter / Catherine, who will revive the Russian empire.
2. USA. We will pull through, however, our institutions will need to change. Trump is a consequence, not the cause, of the political class' failure to provide for the safety and general welfare of most Americans--especially the working class.
3. Social media. "The best prisons are those in which the prisoner is given freedom; for in confusion lies enslavement." Gabriela Anaya Valdepeña
Very interesting conversation; lots of food for thought. A couple of comments:
1. Russia. I do think that Putin does indeed have a vision, one that is shared or pounded into the Russian population: Russia is a great and imperial country, got completely taken advantage of by the West during the fall of the Soviet Union, and the only way for Russia to gain the status and respect it deserves from the world is to recover its empire.
2. US. As you said in the podcast, we've gone through challenging periods. I'm older than you, and experienced the disaster of Vietnam War, race riots, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK, Malcom X, the attempted assassination of George Wallace, Watergate, and the impeachment of Nixon. Our country survived and eventually prospered.
What concerns me presently, as you stated as well, is the impact of social media on our political and social life. I remember reading a book by Silviu Brucan, 'The Dialectics of World Politics' (1978). In it he argued that there are both centripetal and centrifugal forces {dialectics) in world politics and the communist and free world must synthesize these in order to prosper -- enact policies that help the centripetal forces. The dialectics of the internet and social media likewise have both centripetal and centrifugal forces at play. Thinking a bit about it, on a political level, social media amplifies our voices and gives rise to our natural tendencies to react and post before thinking. On the other hand, having been in the Air Force for 28 years, I can say the GIs like to bitch and do the best job possible. I think social media is a good bitching mechanism, allowing people to blow off steam and continuing with their lives. I make no comment on the alleged social isolation it causes -- I do not know enough about the subject to make an intelligent observation.
Finally, I believe that if Trump or anyone else tried to really usurp power or otherwise undermine our civic rights, etc. I suspect we would react as the South Koreans did, and boot them out. Having said this, South Korea remains a deeply polarized society, and the causes of what led up to President Yoon's ill-conceived martial law declaration have not been resolved.
Looking forward to your Q&A on Wednesday.
1. Russia. I think this “vision” is mostly hammered into people’s minds through propaganda. Russia is really just an ordinary country that happened to miss the early signs of autocracy. The same thing is happening here now — and honestly, it’s moving a lot faster than it did in Russia in the early 2000s.
As for the idea that “the West took advantage” of Russia, I’m not so sure about that. Sure, there were elements of it, but in my view the West did more to help than to exploit. The real exploitation happened inside the country itself — people in power looted whatever they could.
2. The U.S. I really hope we’ll pull through this time too… 😁
3. Social Media. Having lived in Russia, I saw firsthand how social media can be used as a political weapon. It’s extremely dangerous, totally unchecked, and basically impossible to control.
Interesting ...
1. Russia. I'm not arguing that the West took advantage of Russia. The point is that Putin believes that and is convincing Russians of the the nobility and validity of his vision-- being the new Peter / Catherine, who will revive the Russian empire.
2. USA. We will pull through, however, our institutions will need to change. Trump is a consequence, not the cause, of the political class' failure to provide for the safety and general welfare of most Americans--especially the working class.
3. Social media. "The best prisons are those in which the prisoner is given freedom; for in confusion lies enslavement." Gabriela Anaya Valdepeña
I agree, 100%.
Great information and conversation. Thanks