Radio War Nerd EP #374 — Understanding Putin, with Philip Short

Putins war in Ukraine is about security for the Russian state and its territorial interests. US would invade Mexico should China install military alliance and bases along our border. But this war fought between US (Nato) and Russia over Ukraine is not the peoples war. Nobody should die to defend the riches of the oligarchs who fund these wars to protect their loot. Read Marx on imperialism and capitalism.

Squatted 405 while listening to this ep 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

This was pretty interesting and occasionally illuminating, but the guy is an old Anglo and i want to cram a crumpet down his throat when he's being an old anglo about the russians not going to be friends with the Chinese because they are European.

A good interview. It’s a sign of the times that such a relatively neutral non-emotional approach is causing an apoplectic reaction among the believers in evil incarnate. Sounds like Short did a lot of digging to fill 800 pages. That being said, I’m a little skeptical (I know, before reading the book) that a Brit with still relatively shallow understanding of the culture can can correctly analyze the facts he had unearthed. His comments about Soviet people of the 70s only support my skepticism. But I’m curious to read his book regardless, just need to find time for 800 pages.

My friend Mayer Vishner said when you confronted Tom Forcade the founder of High Times and cofounder of the Zippies on a lie he’d look at you blankly and say “Yeah I lied.”

Regarding the apartment bombings, the book may have detail but this treatment is not adequate. No mention of the Ryazan exercise and arrests. (Doesn't that constitute a leak of sorts?) Who says Putin was in on it even if it was an FSB operation? MI6 and CIA would not have considered Putin an enemy to condemn for it at the time, and anyway, who says they know and if they do, what good is their word absent evidence--then or now? Did I miss the arrests and prosecutions? Have RF authorities ever made an attribution to specific perpetrators? I'm open to the idea that Chechen breakaways did it (and just happened to give Putin just what he needed at the time), as they were launching attacks in Russia, outside of Chechnya. But this presentation is not very persuasive as a case closed.

In 2020, NATO action officer Florian Encke responsible for NATO-Ukraine relations wrote an article inciting or threatening Zelensky to attack Crimea: "Clearly, the fight for independence remains Ukraine’s national task. It is up to Ukrainians to decide how to restore territorial integrity without undermining sovereignty and independence." https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2020/07/08/an-independent-and-sovereign-ukraine-is-key-to-euro-atlantic-security/index.html Few months later in March 2021, Zelensky came up with formal, official strategy to take Crimea

Adam Tooze's book mentions a historical analogue to EU's present interest in splintering Russia into statelets small enough to incorporate into EU because EU finds it difficult to compete with USA. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/02/book-f08.html

great interview. one for the ages. Putin's transformation from learned cautiousness to his original risk-taking nature happened in early 2021. Evidence for this comes from unprecedented statements from Russian officials after Zelensky announced a strategy to take Crimea, a strategy formally backed by EU officials. EU council president went to the conference that discussed taking Crimea. Russian officials close to Putin warned that Zelensky govt was like "children playing with matches" and that it would be the "end of Ukraine". Why did EU formally back (and perhaps incited) Zelensky's Crimea strategy? Putin had realized EU was upto something. Recent article by FP columnist described EU's plans: "Western analysts [are planning for] the West to benefit from the fracture [of Russia] by luring resource-rich successor nations into its ambit. They argue that when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the West was blindsided and failed to fully capitalize on the momentous opportunity." https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/04/17/the-west-is-preparing-for-russias-disintegration/

I remember like 10 years ago watching video compilations of Putin confronting political and business people for various failures and finding it really compelling. He seems like a guy who can at least make a show of yelling at the bad guys and scare them off with his big cold blue eye stare. Not that western politicians don't occasionally try to yell at CEOs sometimes but it doesn't hit the same way

I guess I kinda sympathise with Putin in the sense of "generally cautious and then takes a really stupid risk occasionally" Clinton pretending his big fuck-up was Budapest 1994 and not NATO exspnsion is hilarious

heres what i know about vladolf vladolfmirovich putler: he has cancer and he fell down the stairs and pooped his pants, and he's soooo stupid and crazy

This guy is such a lib

I'm Putin this guy's books on the top of my reading list!

Its pretty jarring to listen to this episode immediately after True Anons latest interview with Seth Harp where both the hosts and guests remark how obviously Russia has won or is winning the Ukrainian war. Despite de-dollarization, rapid growing eastern economic ties & Russia’s resilience to sanctions… still RWN repeats the mantra of labeling the war as ‘stupid’ and ‘going horribly wrong’.

Excellent interview and guest.

Great episode. Loved it!

24:16 - "When I was there [Moscow, working for the BBC] in the 1970s, they didn't really allow themselves to express themselves at all, or even to THINK... differently, to think contrary to the regime..." Why? Because they were too busy having incredible socialist sex: https://bigthink.com/the-present/women-sex-socialism/ ... Must be why this: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/06/29/in-russia-nostalgia-for-soviet-union-and-positive-feelings-about-stalin/

Re: Apartment Bombings - If we take what the CIA/MI6 say with inherent suspicion (I.e reaction to Hersh’s reporting on Nord Stream bombings), why would we believe their assessment of FSB’s lack of involvement in the apartment bombings?

His book about Mao is amazing.

Oh good another Putin-understander....

Just about to start a 90min long boring manual labor chore. Thank the war gods for this drop.