Putin's Consolidation

[@papapetebreen]

It's really unfair how much KZbin hides your content. Truly some of the best on KZbin, and always informative.

[@jaska-jalmarixvi5757]

KZbin isn't hiding anything. It's just promoting videos that have a good momentum building on viewers, likes, and comments. It was youtube algorithm that got me into this channel into first place. Not everything is a conspiracy scheme.

[@papapetebreen]

@@Javeriffic Every once in awhile videos fall through the YT algorithm cracks and get recommended randomly. I get recommended videos with 10 views or so occasionally. But I never see his videos in my feed, even though I'm a longtime subscriber and actively participate on his videos.

[@papapetebreen]

@@jaska-jalmarixvi5757 It's not a conspiracy that YT hides content regularly. This is very well-documented, though in most cases it's AI making these determinations. In any case, George's content gets buried in my feed and I have to search out his channel to see if he ever uploads.

[@gur262]

@@papapetebreen non compete made various videos on us military,some came with a weird sorta special content warning n are really hard to find

[@BarriosGroupie]

I was recommended this

[@LtDramaticOctopus]

Fantastic series so far and one of the best underrated gems of KZbin. Never change.

[@decimal1156]

Yeah hes one of the only youtubers i watch religously

[@ghiblinerd6196]

If you haven’t listened to the podcast I highly recommend

[@deez_nu1s]

Georg, as a Russian, I am thankful that you bring this info to light. Keep on!

[@styot]

Is this not common knowledge in Russia?

[@bokunogentoo4420]

@@styot I think they were thanking him for showing this information to his subscribers

[@styot]

@@bokunogentoo4420 Makes sense. I was genuinely curious if this is well known information in Russia. (Still am)

[@lovecraftcat]

It's about as well known as W. Bush ordering or being complicit in the unscheduled WTC demolition in the US of A. Sure it could've happened, but can you prove it?

[@deez_nu1s]

@@styot I was thanking Georg for both informing his subscribers AND uneducated Russians. I don't think it's necessarily their fault. This can be dug out, but of course, you have to be at least as internet savvy as a schoolkid, and also know what you're looking for. If you only watch TV, you won't see this. There is *no* alternative agenda on TV, from my knowledge

[@Truckngirl]

I learned more about Putin in 17 minutes than I did in 17 years. Thank you for your research and curation.

[@ajmeyers5661]

tbf everything he just said is well documented in newspapers and books, but having it here narrated and collated so expertly is freaking priceless. I hope this channel lasts and grows; he deserves more subs than he has!

[@onemorechris]

agreed. i knew much of this as it’s public knowledge however, it’s a sprawling history that bounces from one thing to the next for decades so having a simple line drawn through it is very helpful. i can highly recommend Adam Curtis’ documentaries if you want to go deeper (and if you want this style with more intensity and 3+ hour episodes)

[@nicanornunez9787]

Same ffs

[@guillaumechevalier3368]

In 2004, Vladimir Putin held a meeting as a candidate to a second term, in which he argued against the prolongation of presidency term from five to seven years, saying : "Why, this is too long. At least five is a round number, but seven is too much. If you work selflessly, at full strength, during seven years, you can go crazy". And there's an ironic bit later in the same meeting, about changing the term of presidency in the Constitution: "When you begin changing the Constitution, you can't stop. You better not touch the Constitution".

[@umblapag]

Putin has quite a record of saying one thing and then doing the complete opposite.

[@ETBrooD]

Where can I find that quote?

[@otherwiseunarmed4187]

@@umblapag who was it, Bush (1or2), Clinton, or Obama who said they're against 'regime change'? Or all four? Putin lies to obfuscate his intent, for his enemies' sake... American (&UK, Aus, Canada, etc) leaders lie to hide truth from their citizens. Putin can be forgiven.

[@selphconscious]

@@umblapag .. almost like it's not exclusive to Putin and more of a political thing lol.. smh

[@novat9731]

Obviously. It was important for Putin himself, not to touch the term limits or the term duration. In that way, it was very useful to have someone else step in and take a 4 year term, in order to push through legislation which would have been... not impossible for Putin to push through, but far safer to have someone else push through. Medvedev could be discarded into comfortable retirement, had he become too unpopular. Julious Caesar did something similar. Having one of his supporters, i believe Mark Antony, attempt to ceremonially crown him during a military triumph. Only to have Caesar make a big public show about turning down the honor. In essence, it is always better to have someone else propose increases to your own power, so that you yourself can speak against it. But then your supporters ''vote'' it through anyway. This is where a ''controlled opposition'' comes in as well. If you establish opposition parties, who will on and off vote against your interests in order to maintain a façade. You can pick and choose when you need their support, and when you need them to vote or speak against you in order to strengthen their legitimacy as an opposition. It is likely that the question regarding presidential term limits, and in fact the vast majority of the questions Putin has ever received. Was a) Created by Putin, and his supporters so that the response could be televised or b) The question was not created, but approved ahead of time. or lastly c) Critical questions were simply edited out.

[@neilwilson5785]

"If we dare to be cynical, just for a moment" Good stuff right there.

[@daithiocinnsealach1982]

Rather a scientific approach is preferred, where we try to gather facts and remain open minded about our conclusions and where the data might be pointing. Unrestricted cynicism can lead to wrong conclusions just as much as unrestricted optimism.

[@fe3bal]

This has got a flair of Adam Curtis. More of this please!

[@s.2470]

The Novel Discourse Podcast brought me here. Georg's humor kept me here.

[@foxybingo1112]

This is a fantastically edited, concise and enlightening video. Please keep doing what you're doing.

[@teej008]

This channel’s like turning on BBC2 at 3am in the 1980s

[@umblapag]

Not directly related to the topic, but Chechens were also forcefully relocated _en masse_ to Central Asia by Stalin and returned only decades later.

[@Darkfawfulx]

He mentioned it. Briefly.

[@Maggbba]

I love your chill background music, it makes everything more cinematic.

[@fredbloggs5902]

Thanks for doing this, it’s an important area that the mainstream media have largely ignored.

[@Raydensheraj]

It's not the mainstream media job to "educate" but inform and to put pressure on the government...to expose corruption. Unfortunately that doesn't always mean the free press does it's job. In case of Putin's history...your local library will ALWAYS give you options to research any subject that sparks your interest. There's too much going on in the world...no modern news station will go all out with one historical subject...PBS still has great documentaries....HBO also had moments of greatness concerning documentaries.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Thanks for the history lesson. I admit I know damn little about Russia, Ukraine, or that part of the world and it's important to know before making a knee-jerk reaction.

[@andrewsmithphoto]

This is a good series, I am really interested to see where things go in the next installment.

[@trickyd499]

Thank you George, you truly rock all!

[@sidequest22]

I'm glad you brought back your Twelve Minutes to Midnight series.... No, wait. It's horrifying.

[@arhturlegend007]

Thank you Georgi!! Big fan of yours and of course HipTang!

[@wowomah6194]

I've gotta say, I've watched your channel since probably your third video you ever made back YEARS ago now and I have always loved your style, quality, and wit. Thank you. Thank god you never abandoned the lava lamp haha.

[@n3v3rg01ngback]

You’ve got an eye for hilarious news footage.

[@PictureProductStudio]

Georg, I'm a longtime fan of yours but that aside I am a PhD in political science from Ukraine and I constantly stumble upon new puzzle pieces in what seems like brief summaries in your episodes on this subject. They're great especially seems people abroad oftentimes lack the context of what chaotic mess turned violent mafia/dictatorship hybrid Russia is.

[@patternrecon5271]

Kieth Woods: "russian" oligarchs. Igor Kolomoisky. Great russian famine, Holodomor, Famine in Khazakhstan, Lazar Kaganovich, Genrikh Yagoda, Aron Solts, Filipp Goloshchyokin, Yakov Rappoport, Lazar Kogan, Matvei Berman, Naftaly Frenkel. Minimum replacement birth rate: 2.1 EU birth rate: 1.53 Canada birth rate: 1.47 USA birth rate: 1.70 Russia birth rate: 1.50 Ukraine birth rate: 1.23 Australia birth rate: 1.66 Israel birth rate: 3.00

[@RealLargeManTheGiantOne]

Up until the war I was vaguely aware of how russia currently operates, but now I'm seeing just how messed up the whole system is. Knowing now how rotten russia is on the inside, the issues they're having in Ukraine aren't surprising. I just wish russia could have found a less deadly way of showing off their incompetence.

[@Brascofarian]

Withnail and I, Swedemason and Georg Rockall-Schmidt. Happy with this.

[@janesmith1008]

I really love your stuff. These videos are some of my favorite on any platform (KZbin, T.V., Spotify). You're an amazing writer!!! I am bummed that you're not single though :(

[@TubePincher]

Can't wait to see what happens in the next part. Your ominous tone at the end, there, really made me wonder.

[@nithingr4359]

I'm curious about that more than half a million figure. Most of the data I can find puts the total population of Ingush and Chechens in the '40s at approximately 478,000, dropping to about 450,000 by the end of the decade (this relatively low drop being due to a relatively high birth rate in the latter half of that decade), with most of the academic sources I can find* being approximately concurrent the NKVD's own fairly horrific figure of 144,704 dead due to transportation and confinement. The only discrepancy I can find is a Chechen historian who puts the figure at 400,000. But I'm curious where the more than 500,000 figure comes from. * Thomas McDonell, 2009 : >123,000 Otto Pohl 1999 : >100,000 (excluding Ingush) Tom K. Wong 2015 : >100,000 (Both Chechens and Ingush - collectively termed Vainakhs) William Flemming 1998 : >132,000 Alexander Nekrich 1978 : >143,000 Lutz Kleveman 2002 : ~150,000 Chanturiya 2017 : ~400,000 All of these sources (with the exception of the last) make a distinction between wartime/war-related deaths, reduced fertility rates, and deaths due to transport and malnutrition in confinement (these being focused on the last category, as these deaths make the best case for ethnic cleansing). This is particularly interesting as many western sources with access to soviet records seem to believe that the NKVD over-estimated the death toll. It is needless to say that there is still some heated debate over whether or not the deportations classify as ethnic cleansing (as ethnic cleansing suggests a deliberate attempt to destroy either the whole or a portion of an ethnic group). However, this is fairly academic as ~150,000 people died as a result of collective punishment via deportation due to alleged fascist collaboration - which is particularly tragic as, according to some sources, the majority of fascist collaborators fled their communities as soon as the deportations were announced, leaving behind those who felt safe as they had done nothing wrong.

[@krunkle5136]

I like how he calls it a horrible podcast.

[@dethrocker]

Outstanding Georg!!!!!!!!!

[@MrBendybruce]

Thanks for this fantastic history lesson Georg -your investigative chops really are first rate

[@AgrippaMaxentius]

I love the Withnail and I intro. Sherry?

[@NautilusGoose]

*WE'VE GONE ON HOLIDAY BY MISTAKE*

[@dylanmcconnell409]

Your content is still gold. Seriously, you're one of less than five youtubers that I keep up with, you clever funny bastard.

[@smooth4553]

thank u for uploading greg

[@smooth4553]

meant georg but sure

[@pigmanpiggypiggyman3732]

Fantastically informative, thank you

[@booognish]

Great video.. Important video...

[@Heavy-P]

Thank you for educating me Georg.

[@NagasakiBladers]

7:45 that's his "distraught" face??

[@BL-tr2ug]

Fantastical content...

[@andrewelk23]

I love the clip from 'Withnail and I' in the intro music. "GET IN THE BACK OF THE VAN!"

[@justadddiesel]

Keep up the good work, your videos are great.

[@scrunts666]

Excellent video :)

[@TheIrishGamerGuy]

Excellent insight. Amazing stuff 👏

[@crayzmarc]

Very informative.

[@Alex-yy5iz]

George I love your videos, but considering the topics we would all appreciate scources and citations to go along with them.

[@garrett2439]

I have no idea if Georg has read this or not but everything he talks about in these two videos is covered by the book 'The Man Without a Face' by Masha Gessen. If you want citations for claims, then get that book and check the back section.

[@liverpools]

Holy shit. Opening with that remix of the swede mason song hit me in my nostalgia.

[@feedbackloop9960]

you can talk about anything, thank you for sharing. enjoy life even though the world is crazy sometimes and trust the universe and yourself. cheers!

[@d48731]

I thought you were going to say, “I cannot say with certainty that Putin has any friends.”

[@mollydooker9636]

Medvedev has that weird one arm swinging walk that Putin has ( around 15:40). Was he ever in the KGB/FSB or is he just mirroring him?

[@zackali9934]

I noticed that too and scrolled down in vain to see any comment on that untill I saw u noticed it too

[@MrNegativeable]

I would like to thank this video for making me Google the meaning of the word obsequious.

[@andrzejkulakowski]

Educational and entertaining - good stuff!

[@halsinden]

OH MY GOD, where the hell did you find a "GET IN THE BACK OF THE VAN!" remix?!!?!

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

It's quite great to see a video that is not an April Fool's joke

[@HereForTheBrains]

"If anyone had dirt on ..Putler" got me. Just to add on the Moscow bbings that some neighbors found b*mbs on the basements of other buildings and the charges for those were traced back to the FSB. You probably knew this and just wanted to keep the story short. Subbed

[@MrSwac31]

What gains in "legitimate democracy and functioning state" are you talking about during the transition from USSR to Russia? There were none, it's was a completely corrupted mock state run by Oligarchs and brutal Mafiosi that pillaged the country. Taken from Wikipedia's "Russian oligarchs" page: "Post-Soviet business oligarchs include relatives or close associates of government officials, even government officials themselves, as well as criminal bosses often connected to the Russian government." "Some members of these groups achieved vast wealth by acquiring state assets very cheaply (or for free) during the privatization process controlled by the Yeltsin government of 1991-1999" "During the 1990s, once Boris Yeltsin became President of Russia in July 1991, the oligarchs emerged as well-connected entrepreneurs who started from nearly nothing and became rich through participation in the market via connections to the corrupt, but elected, government of Russia during the state's transition to a market-based economy. The so-called voucher-privatization program of 1992-1994 enabled a handful of young men to become billionaires"

[@boarfaceswinejaw4516]

i'd consider going from "no democracy" to "failed democracy" to be a step up tbh. not a major one, but hey, if russia chose to speedrun the agricultural feudalism - industrial revolution in the 20th century, why not speedrun feudal politics - democracy and enlightment in the 21st century.

[@lovecraftcat]

Putin saved russia through questionable means. How questionable depends on how many soy beans you swallowed, but you can't argue with the results.

[@captainfreedom3649]

​@@boarfaceswinejaw4516 On the golden path towards "democracy" the Soviet people were given a choice to keep the Soviet Union in the 1991 referendum, 75% voted yes. And yet, in December of that year the USSR was signed out of existence by 3 of the 15 Soviet republics. That was a massive step down not only for Russia, but the whole world. In "no democracy" Russia people had jobs, safe streets, more health, higher life expectancy, free housing, free healthcare, free education... while enlightened and democratic 90s introduced unemployment, terrorism, wars, child prostitution, drug trafficking, organized crime...

[@MemeMarine]

@@captainfreedom3649 how ungrateful Poland, Estonia, Ukraine, and all the rest are... Why would so many nations resent Russia for bringing such civilization to their borders? The USSR was so great!

[@boarfaceswinejaw4516]

@@captainfreedom3649 ah yes, all those bad things totally didnt exist before the fall of the soviet union. Just like how all of Stalin's genocides didnt exist until after Stalin died and suddenly they were acknowledged. fuck off. doesnt matter how the soviet people "voted", the soviet union was on the financial brink of collapse. the systems it had didnt work anymore, and all the countries once forced under the soviet umbrella discarded the red veil and chose to be their own nation and people.

[@Svorty]

Good video with good information, thank you. Also be careful from now on while drinking your tea, please.

[@MaryJohanna]

Great video, thank you very much.

[@yandan7010]

Do one on 7/7. 👍🏻

[@WhiskeyTango84]

Hey, I'm curious, not doubting anything you say here,but i would love to read the resources you used to make these videos. I'd appreciate it.

[@King_Cola]

There was a french documentary about putin and it had all the same talking points

[@666Eva]

@@King_Cola also Wikipedia, which has lists of sources

[@Ragnarok540]

You all know what's the title of the third video in this series. Hopefully it comes soon, too.

[@imiy]

8:40 Crimea wasn't annexed yet at that time

[@LeJack284]

What happened to Collaborator

[@WhatsTherapy]

thanks for the great vid

[@Coreyseyes11]

Where can I listen to more of that crazy song at the beginning?

[@cugan83]

Excellent work as always.

[@k.u.m.o.r]

I was waiting for this

[@IconOfSin]

0:32 what is this song it's awesome 😂👌

[@leroyfantasma]

Get in the back of the van - Swedemason

[@IconOfSin]

@@leroyfantasma you absolute gent!!!

[@janelane187]

When are you gunna cover the important Wide Putin memes? Important cultural moments of course (great series, keep it up!)

[@JK-zx3go]

Putin and Blair having a wee chuckle together

[@foxybingo1112]

Watching Gordon Brown fumbling in the background was quite something

[@mrcocoloco7200]

Damn this is crazy but well made.

[@unclearsector4266]

whats the classical song used near the beginning for the title card?

[@turtlenecker223]

shush that podcast was great and i watched the whole thing

[@davidconnellan6875]

Great video

[@HAIDAYY]

This was so good

[@wyndgrove9452]

Essential viewing.

[@KinoTechUSA69]

This is fair coverage/criticism of Putin's political reforms.

[@hoodoo2001]

Nice set but the lava lamp is too distracting. Minor complaint, still hit LIKE.

[@HayaJi]

Thank you Georg!

[@XDAliyaXD]

Interesting, I never knew that Sobchak could have been poisoned: his widow is a member of the upper chamber of parliament and his only daughter was a "spoiler" presidential candidate some years ago.

[@smallishfilms8362]

Only George would sample Withnail and I

[@smakfu1375]

Is it my imagination, or has the lava lamp been getting bigger as time goes by? Also: bestest channel on this largely detestable platform.

[@magicalmagnus2]

I have seen bais analysis of putin. But my god this one doesn't even hide it

[@NSGrendel]

Thank you for your content Georg, I hope you never get to the point of having fans who pretend to get you.

[@thelazy0ne]

I want my 20 Shillcoin™ ☝️😌

[@thomaseriksen6885]

One day they'll get him They'll get him good

[@sup3rghandi]

I enjoy the podcast

[@Bestestboii]

What’s the song at the beginning ?

[@CaitSith108]

Honestly stopping the "One minute to midnight" Series was the second worst thing that happened to your channel Georg

[@DerAykac]

Everybody in here is trying to make us laugh, but not our man George. Fuck that, you´re the best.

[@codyfsw]

whats the name of the song playing over the intro card?

[@brucebladarac]

Come on, who sampled withnail and I?

[@n3v3rg01ngback]

Damn it, Pyeuten!

[@middle_pickup]

Looking forward to Putin pt III.

[@Jose-se9pu]

Gonna be honest, for the past decade, the last few seconds of this video were my thoughs exactly...and then Ukraine happened.

[@mahino420]

i am subbed to you and i have the notifications on, and youtube recommends a video to me 2 years later wtf

[@Thurston86]

You’re a time traveller from 2024?! Awesome! Tell me, are any of these new Star Trek shows still “on air”?

[@mahino420]

@@Thurston86 hahahahhaha Hahaha Haha Ha Ha

[@paineoftheworld]

The frog seems to fairly comfortable so far...

[@PaulThomas-qb9cx]

Audio is really low. The ads blast. Ow, my freakin' ears!

[@thethe6232]

This could of been a retrospective account of the Russian war on Croatia! The Parallels are uncanny !

[@christopherrussell343]

That the FSB did Ryazan is a lot less up in the air than you seem to think. More like a knowable fact. So knowing that what does it mean?

[@171QA]

Amazing!

[@itcheebeard]

Lol that Withnail & I sample

[@jablao]

great video but why is the sound so low. speak up mate. lol

[@doncarlodivargas5497]

There is a longer lecture on KZbin with a Finnish colonel about Russia, and he call the Russians corrupted cruel Mongols, pretty hash words

[@yellowjackboots2624]

5:55 he should be riding a three wheeler trike down that corridor

[@otherwiseunarmed4187]

Or, at least, showing JBrandon & KHarris how to ride one

[@Leon_der_Luftige]

Thank you for summing up Putlers career.