Modern Authoritarianism and Geopolitics: Thoughts on a Policy Framework

Once upon a time, there was a seductive story about twin revolutions, a political one in France and an industrial one in Britain, that supposedly ushered in our modern world. This narrative never sat well with empirical realities, yet it lives on in textbooks. What might be a more persuasive framework for a global history of the modern era? What are the implications for research and the teaching of history?
Co-sponsored by CDDRL and @StanfordAPARC.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Stephen Kotkin is the John P. Birkelund Professor of History and International Affairs in what used to be called the Woodrow Wilson School and in the History Department of Princeton University, as well as a Senior Fellow (adjunct) at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He directs the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies and co-directs its program in History and the Practice of Diplomacy, which he founded. He also founded Princeton’s Global History Initiative. His scholarship encompasses geopolitics and authoritarian regimes in history and in the present.
Kotkin has published two volumes of a three-volume history of the world as seen from Stalin’s desk: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928 (Penguin, November 2014) and Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 (Penguin, October 2017). The final installment, Totalitarian Superpower, 1941-1990s, is underway. He writes reviews and essays for Foreign Affairs, the Times Literary Supplement, and The Wall Street Journal, and served as the business book reviewer for The New York Times Sunday Business Section. He is an occasional consultant for governments and some private companies. PhD UC Berkeley (1988).

[@ralphelio3793]

I could watch this man talk all day. I think he is so aware of the policy of authoritarian regimes.

[@alcoholfree6381]

I listen to Professor Kotkin whenever he has a talk available on KZbin. He is a marvelous teacher.

[@robertsmuggles6871]

Me too. I am tempted to read him on Stalin but his spoken analysis of current issues is simply brilliant. I sent him an email a few years ago asking if he had read Bret Stephens book 'America in Retreat' - he replied in the affirmative and praised the book. Professor's Kotkin's best thing online is his 2017 triple lectures for the IWM 'Sphere of Influence'. But they are all worth listening to - the debriefing sessions on Paradoxes of Power are amazing - you can see him awe-struck by stalinism and its immense destructive power. A book he recommends is the 'Captive Mind' by Czesław Miłosz.

[@alcoholfree6381]

@@robertsmuggles6871 Thanks for your comment. I have listened to three talks on Spheres of Influence several times. I’m tempted to get his books on Stalin but there are so many books and so little time! I’m going to go find the book you mentioned: Captive Minds.

[@davidbolen8982]

Dude is an undiscovered rock star.

[@mountainbiker348]

Kotkin is THE guy I listen to, Mearshimner too, when it comes to geopolitical and politics.

[@ronaldosassoon5602]

​@@alcoholfree6381llĺĺlĺĺĺĺĺ

[@user-ot9hg9jt7k]

As a person grew up and live in an authoritarian regime, I have gained much strength from watching Stephen Kotkin Thank you for the enlightening video

[@jeffzhang3461]

🤝

[@paulching2838]

1

[@bryck7853]

you're grew up in the Midwest too, huh?

[@7scientist]

Professor Kotkin is a national treasure. His insights on sanctions are unusually timely for an academic talk!

[@RobBCactive]

That hit home! Politics seems to belittle sound government, yet it seems like there was a degree of anticipation.

[@andrewthornber7783]

Could not agree more. I could listen to his thoughts and the way he delivers it 24/7

[@melodymaker135]

Traci Ullman as Dame Judi Dench is also a national treasure

[@Ggeorgiev89]

I agree with Kotkin that the best way for "democratic" "rule of law" states is to show that it works better than the alternative. In 2016 I would be democratic voting climate change fighting liberal. In 2020 with the "New Disease" our system showed that the rule of law was a lie, our freedoms were a lie and coercive force is the reality. I am now open to subversion from authoritarian powers and I accept the definition - Empire of Lies as well as the term The Cathedral. Kotkin is very smart man but he is just a Bishop for the Cathedral. The Liberal Empire is on it's way out. Us young people are excited to find out if what is coming is better or worse. Academia and Media apparatchiks - your time is out.

[@mic9check]

Global treasure!

[@johanneskrv]

Unlike Mearsheimer, this guy is not an idiot. One thing Kotkin does get wrong though is he argues that the Finns made a mistake by not yielding to Stalin's demands in 1939. Had the Finns yielded, they would have had the exact same fate as the baltic countries in 1940.

[@gaoxiaen1]

Stepha Kotkin is the man! I could listen to him all day!

[@karasagadake]

Thank you for posting this. Analysis based on thousands of hours of research synthesized into this level of cogency. Listening to Stephen Kotkin is always a privilege.

[@RobBCactive]

Yes, Stephen has a gift for clarity when explaining history. His analysis early on in the war was far more accurate than most.

[@Mr.Altavoz]

Always a pleasure to listen to S. Kotkin

[@neoleo5492]

Woman who asks 1st question around 41:30.. great example of how not to speak, “um, kind of, um, um, ya know”… It should give everyone confidence that they can also be a professor at Stanford.

[@bryck7853]

Maybe she teaches deaf studies. Close minded person.

[@cavaliermama56]

What a brilliant mind. I hope NATO is consulting with him re: war in Ukraine. It is a great privilege to learn from Dr. Kotkin.

[@wanderknight69]

As a Chinese guy I want to say Mr.kotkin is my favorite professor and I almost watched all his videos on youtube.And it is such a waste for the channel that has so little views and subscription.

[@jeffzhang3461]

👍🤝

[@jeannemccabe5752]

Do you have any favorite speakers on Chinese history & policy? That is my next area of study.

[@getevennow]

Prof Kotkin is treasure house that I find incredibly valuable for in struggling democracies like Pakistan in dangerous strategic drift with unsustainable strategic overload. I keep listening to him again and again.

[@jeffzhang3461]

👍🤝

[@fotouhi]

Knowledgeable, insightful, and humble. It's always enjoyable watching Dr. Kotkin speak.

[@jamesq3896]

Jeffrey Snider gave a great explanation of communism. He said Russia,China,Cuba, etc implemented communism on a undeveloped economy. Communism was meant to be implemented after peak Capitalism as in the case of the U.S. not before. So China,Russia etc became or chose authoritarianism instead. It was not going to work from the beginning.

[@uncannyvalley2350]

Bull Shivic (Bolshevik, bull, civic- minded, demagogue), someone who gains political power by *appealing to people's emotion's instincts, & prejudices in a way that is considered manipulative & myopic; someone who incessantly reiterates the same petty complaints, until they are taken seriously* There are citizens with valid complaints & issues, but invariably the meeting will have to deal with some Bullshivic & his personal gripe of "supreme importance". America's is a People's Democratic Republic with a Constitutional document, just like China, Iran, N Korea, and the USSR. "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." George Orwell, 1984 The Reich Whinge are America's Authoritarian Communist Party.

[@riverfreddy]

I was selling on Craigslist. I wrote my ads and waited. Tools, farm equipment, cars; all sold well. A Lady came and bought some farm things. As she got back into her car she made a suggestion to me; "...have someone else write your ads, your ads are alright for (technical) stuff but the ads for other items are seriously lacking". I hired a gal I know and my sales went up 300% ! The introduction on this presentation made me want to leave and move on. Fortunately, I respect and seek out Prof. Kotkin. An hour and a half well spent. Thank you, Freddy Chavré of Maple Valley

[@HoaNguyen-vl5li]

I never get tired of listening to DR. SK. The Princeton’s students are lucky.

[@karenabel6218]

Thank you for the insightful talk. I always appreciate Professor Kotkins' thoughts on the state of the world at this time.

[@poobum9857]

I think Stephen buys his glasses from the same place i do ... always good to listen to his expert thoughts on geopolitical matters !

[@alison6321]

I want one ! As Nice glasses as his lecture :)

[@christinezaslavsky647]

Where do I get them?!

[@thierryf2789]

From the little shop of horrors ?

[@RightSideNews]

Kotkin is great

[@vasilygrossman1944]

The person asking a question at 51:34 is Thomas Fingar, who served as Chair of the National Intelligence Council from 2005 to 2008. He is now a fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) at Stanford University.

[@kdee8166]

Most erudite analysis and commentary from Mr Kotkin as usual.

[@2Oldcoots]

Professor Kotkin has seemingly endless truths to tell us about our world and human nature, which never changes and is the root cause of what he speaks about.

[@melodymaker135]

Steve is fantastic. Drinking game: you must have a shot every time he says “And I could go on.” 😂

[@ALimbOfGreatTree]

Double shot for every “and I’m NOT going to talk about/tell you about/say…” or equivalent opening to new point.

[@melodymaker135]

@@ALimbOfGreatTree I don’t know if you watch him as well, but triple shot every time Sean McMeekin says “It’s a bit confusing…”

[@ALimbOfGreatTree]

@@melodymaker135 enjoy mcmeekin because he’s a great story teller (his books anyway) but his “agenda” can be overpowering at times. But thanks for the idea! Will watch his talks as well. Berlin-Baghdad express is great if you haven’t read it!

[@saigonvietnam3312]

Incredible Teacher ! Amazingly! Knowledge of the Gulags. I am always appreciated your wisdom Dr. Kotkin

[@erpthompsonqueen9130]

Thank you, again.

[@erpthompsonqueen9130]

Thank you.

[@markthemovieman]

If Burgess Meredith was one of the world's finest historian, he'd be Stephen Kotkin.

[@paulbrimble8204]

"Your'e a bum, Vlad. Your'e a bum" - Mickey

[@stephenpetrilli4199]

I'm always reminded of Joe Pesci when I listen to him

[@TheVietnameseDevil]

we love the jian-yang impression

[@LindaStevensBZ]

Love the cobbled together glasses.

[@Mujangga]

That's a great description of Canada, Mr. Kotkin.

[@DeltaAssaultGaming]

Can’t understand the guy at the beginning.

[@katladyfromtheNetherlands]

thank you, enlightening. I dont understand your glasses though,; the one side green

[@davidanderson9664]

Never miss Kotkin. D.A., J.D., NYC

[@OziBlokeTimG]

How can someone be so smart.!!! I love it.

[@lucay2222]

Joe Pesci is one smart dude!

[@AndreAndFriends]

LOL. Good one. 🤣😭😀

[@lucay2222]

@@AndreAndFriends Are you calling me funny? Am I here to amuse you?

[@AndreAndFriends]

@@lucay2222 I like your joke mate.

[@AndreAndFriends]

@@lucay2222ate give me some time to refresh on some Joe Pesci movies to have some better comeback for you.

[@AndreAndFriends]

@@lucay2222 Joe Pesci Quotes I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown? ... I'm just some lunatic macaroni mushroom, is that it? ... You try too hard. ... You win, you win. ... Women, aren't they perfect? ... Sure, mom, I settle down with a nice girl every night, then I'm free the next morning. ... You know why you hate me so much, Luis?

[@getevennow]

The Policy Framework is incredibly useful in analysing Pakistani politics - light years ahead of what i learned in an American University..

[@thierryf2789]

A brilliant exposé and the answers to the questions reveal the depth of the analysis. When I listened to his 5 points, I started wondering how semi-authoritarian France and the EU were. It’s perhaps not the case that we still have a shining exemple of liberal democracy. Never mind the United States…

[@p.d.stanhope7088]

Professor Kotkin was right about the lack of reform within the CCP. How did the Party handled the student protests in 89'? How did the Party handled practitioners of Falun Gong in the 1990's? There cannot be any kind of alternative to the CCP for the citizens of China.

[@dangin8811]

Why would the ccp reform when satisfaction with the ccp is sky-high.

[@SynapseDriven]

This man is a genius

[@slavemonkey5063]

3:30 to skip the rather uninspired introduction

[@Embassy_of_Jupiter]

This should be pinned to the top

[@jerryware1970]

Our academics don’t need to go far to find abuses of power at the federal level.

[@zacharydavis4398]

So many relevant facts of modern day 💯REAL LIFE💯 the parallels that are applicable to even within our own region/nation/etc. Even my personal discoveries/research/investigations/etc highlights a lot of this has somehow continued to sneak from within our own nation(s)(western nations/etc) to a degree that was surprising to discover. And rather disappointing to a degree, unfortunately

[@jeffzhang3461]

👍🤝

[@tedzehnder961]

Wow, Great presentation. When China acquired Most Favored Nation status it would have behooved American Policy makers to gauge China`s political liberalization while transfer of technology was being done to see if economic liberalization was making the necessary adjustment politically to combine for the good of both countries.It turned into a free for all because middle men getting rich on China`s growth couldn`t of cared less about harmony in the short run. Greed of a few in the West outweighed the benefit of the total in the end.I`ve said it before and i`ll say it again, doing deals with gangsters and murders will come back to bight you in the long run. When rule of law and common interests are far apart, we better not bet the farm on trade deals that costs your own citizens their jobs and ends up making you increase your own National Defense budget.USA did both.

[@qingzhou9983]

You need modify this sentence "When rule of law and common interests are far apart" to "When rule of The US law and common interests of US are falling apart". Because US never submitted itself to the Rule of International Law (even thought US created most of them to limit other countries) and US only acts on its own interest (Even the Marshal Plan was for rebuild Europe to counter Soviet. Without Soviet challenge, there would be no such plan). Trump is just doing it in your face and Biden is doing it more skillfully and hidden.

[@mustbtrouble]

yup

[@RobBCactive]

I saw it as a geopolitical move to move China closer, there was an optimism before people realised how Russia had corruptly implented capitalism and had weak rule of law. As it involved China joining the WTO I am not sure it could be regulated in the way defined. It's been withdrawn from Russia for flagrantly breaching every treaty securing peace in Europe. China would never have agreed to "interference in its internal affairs".

[@chickenfishhybrid44]

yeah you make it sound like anyone could actually influence or exert that much pressure on China. Mentioning the West and Greed is always a great buzzword but I don't think the outcome would be much different even without these greedy middle men you describe.

[@jeffzhang3461]

👍🤝

[@nickjohnson3619]

I like him. He talks like Joe pesci. And you know all the academic achievements and what not

[@roc7880]

I would go to Princeton only to go to his classes.

[@robertfeinberg748]

The USSA has traded the Rule of Law for the arbitrary rule of lawyers to advance the interests of Demigarchs. Let's Go Brandon.

[@piotr9246]

Encina could use fewer Ahm interuptions.

[@aslamtu]

A breath of fresh air. Thank you, Prof Kotkin

[@crimony3054]

Kotkin says stories with purchase in the general population have a big impact, which means the culture within a country matters. A country like Sweden or France or England will have lots of stories that resonate well because the population is all of one culture. But totalitarian regimes like Franco and Tito and Stalin existed atop countries with highly diverse cultures, and the stories don't resonate among the entire population.

[@Addeladle-St-James]

Sounds like you're sad everyone isn't white

[@crimony3054]

@@Addeladle-St-James 🤣 Spain has regional differences like in Basque and Castillo, in addition to the long-standing Communist-Fascist divide. Yugoslavia had a division along religious lines and ethnic enclaves that fractured into pieces after the fall of the USSR. And of course, the USSR was cobbled together from different nations and regions, including Ukraine, which was only a region before Lenin gave it its status as a republic as a matter of political expediency. My point is that all these authoritarian/totalitarian bad guys didn't have a natural, cohesive country beneath them. It makes you wonder if otherwise stable countries like The Philippines and Romania had especially bad bad rulers in Marcos and Ceausescu, respectively.

[@kreek22]

Sweden, France, England are no longer nations with one culture: they have suffered invasion from various barbaric lands and now have various barbaric subcultures. The intention is to prepare the conditions for totalitarianism in these countries.

[@kreek22]

@@Addeladle-St-James Racial envy whimpers again.

[@kathykadane4784]

A "Long Telegram" -- for the post Cold War. Profound and convincing.

[@excellentcomment]

How to double historical literacy overnight? Have Joe Rogan interview Stephen Kotkin.

[@stephenpetrilli4199]

I've been dreaming of this!

[@UTubeISphere]

Good idea! Lex Fridman already has, at least twice

[@mountainbiker348]

Kotkin is brilliant.

[@RhysWilliamsX]

Start: 3:37

[@IrishCarney]

46:10 YES absolutely key distinction between totalitarianism and authoritarianism is that authoritarians only prevent dissent, they don't demand assent. If you keep your mouth shut about an authoritarian regime you dislike, you can run your business, go to your house of worship, travel about internally, participate in various hobbies, etc. But the totalitarians aren't satisfied with you refraining from criticizing them. Totalitarians demand you PRAISE them. Attend the rally, chant the slogan, sing the song, wave the flag, cheer the Leader.

[@gregsmith6446]

International corporate regimes, have characteristics, on a par with the authoritarian regimes, canvassed by Stephen et al.

[@TheWhitehiker]

You might mention Stephen's name in the title.

[@tonyholmes962]

Stevo rocks funky fellow needs a rap backsound though.

[@mustbtrouble]

word

[@ivandate9972]

for internal purpose, a country will always promote its political ideology to others, that is the danger of Asian economic rise to be world hegemony

[@TheCommono]

10:20 "ruled by the few in the name of the many" - wait, it has the kratos in it, and even the demos...

[@zacharydavis4398]

💯Real Life 💯

[@campaneroprimero3753]

Totalitarian/ authoritarian Regimes are political systems of Governance where the few individuals in charge write the rules in the name of the many ones that are part of a nation/ society/ community/ country. That's the same thing where you have Democratic systems where political parties do the thing in the name of the many. There is no difference between one model and the other. The only difference is one system has Voting Elections where the elected political parties with lots of money as a force to be reckoned, think the people who voted for them, gave them the power to write those rules legally though there is never a consultation or popular referendum that allows the people to decide whether they want to be ruled by those rules or not. 1. Democratic systems (Liberal, Socialist, Conservative) are ruled by money through fixed biased elections and then these elected rich political parties go on to write their own Totalitarian rules in a circus called a parliament. 2. Authoritarian systems on the other hand are ruled by arms, weapons and brute force by those ones who have them and are ready to impose them on the majority that do not have them, so later on these coward bullies can go on to write their own rules.

[@yuanhaochue2889]

U are more balanced than Prof. kotkin, as u classify liberalism, Socialism n Conservatives within the define of democracy .. simply said liberalism n conservatives are within the scope of democracy manifesting difference shade of democratic governance between these 2 extremes ..so it is just being subjectively INDOCTRINATED to claim that authoritarian or totalitarian do not have rule of laws.. ,( China definitely has much better rule of law either one consider it as authoritarian, totalitarian or socialist..) 2. Rule of law is said to be proprietary of Western democracy which is too presumptuous .. Donald Trump was the classic example of authoritarian fascism manifested by US style democracy..his presidency period was full of one man rule the world that sacked or forced resignation of the highest number of officers within his government.. n yet he was twice failed to be impeached.. so Prof. Kotkin statement that implied Western rule base value systemv is preferable is just being subjectively arrogantly ignorant. 3.Prof. stated that Authoritarian government can not manifest innovations but depends on importation....this is absolutely refuted with the fact ..China is on the way to be a formidable innovative industrial power with Beidou Satellite Navigation System n it's space station as one iconic achievement after total embargo n sanction levied on China.. 4 Democratic liberal rule base order has institutional n constrain on executive power. .. how about the failure of Congress Hearing to stop executive power to stop drone assainstion of more than 30 thousands foreigners...gun violent killing of more than 12000 deaths to-date until April this year.. more than 100 opioid deaths n reaching 1 million Covid deaths to-date.. 5 claiming that all authoritarian regime are against Western liberal democracy.. .it is most preposterous misinformation because most of the time it was the consequence of strategic alliances by Western Collective to contain， encircle, sanction, intimidate, slander , demonize any alternative political system that post a challenge to Western UNIPOLAR hegemony n imperialism.. especially its double standard hypocrisy.. classic example is the slander n demonization BRI as Debt Trap while，the Paris Club , Marshall Plan n the US n Western Collective controlled n managed IMF the latest has caused so much dismay for developing nations during the Foreign Exchange Crisis of 1998 plus the 2008 US sub prime crisis n continuous padding inflation to the world by US escalating national debts n printing money.. 7. Diaoyu Island or Shinkaku Island is wrongly described because it was China sovereign territory that was cessed to Japan by US ignoring objection from China after the second world war only base on the fact Japan forced the rule on Taiwan after China losing the war with Japan (ruled Taiwan for 45 years ) There are so many points to argue n refute this Prof. That one need to watch again this podcast with more opportune time later.

[@uncannyvalley2350]

Representative Democracy hasn't worked in over 50 years because politicians will always come from the monied classes and be beholden to their Corporate Donors, only way we avoid this apocalypse is to stage a Velvet Revolution to install a Scaled Direct Democracy. Citizen Initiated Referendums with thresholds and a Social Contract using Blockchain technology means communities can vote their own policies without parties or politicians. Banning Beef, Oil, and Fishing Subsidies would stall climate change and habitat degradation overnight. Thorium Energy renders their global oil monopoly obsolete. Or we can bend over and accept our Orwellian future

[@uncannyvalley2350]

@@yuanhaochue2889 well argued

[@yuanhaochue2889]

@@uncannyvalley2350 thank u for your comment...... Amazing that most Western public intellectuals n thinkers are still blind to reality while choose to be politically correct , which is self defeating for common good for humanity. It is a infrequent satisfying/motivating reply being received that sees the truth about Western dogmatism about their prescribed definition of rule based world order that are derived from Western value system manifested by domination n subtlety of arrogant supremacism.. .. One must stop the narrative of being classified as Anti West while it is just natural for me as one example to response with the stance to counter the framing .. ( I was being told off that my stance is counter productive n further driving a wedge between the West against the emerging opposite....

[@uncannyvalley2350]

@@yuanhaochue2889 western minds have been coopted by sophisticated psychological warfare, there's no checks or balances and so we've surrendered to a completely fictional narrative that just so happens to uphold a delusion that we are impervious to fault, and can never be wrong it's like a cancer that will be our downfall. Everything that's happened over the last 20 years was predictable, I know this because I predicted it, accurately. The War of Terror was an attempt to install western hegemony by force, and now we have played all our cards and lost all credibility. Now we have lost the most basic principle of any functional society; Trust. No one knows which way is up, young adults earn ten times less than their grandparents, no industry, failing infrastructure Except in Europe it looks unsustainable, at least in terms we would consider "western". Going to be a lot of bruised egos in the coming decades. Oh, and the fact America has higher inequality than China, Iran and N Korea says it all

[@6663000]

I think I understood about 30% of the words in the introduction.

[@williambuysse5459]

He should be secretary of state or at least a key presidential advisor. Would lovers of power listen to a lover of knowing??

[@psithurism241]

Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.

[@williambuysse5459]

@@psithurism241 Perhaps it may be put this way, and I paraphrase; Some are corrupted by wielding power while others are improved by it. Power shows the man.

[@gardylavertu3928]

Excellent talk !!! BTW is it me or does he look like John McEnroe ? lol

[@UTubeISphere]

Most folks think he looks like Joe Pesci ;-) However, in terms of astrology, both Kotkin and McEnroe are Aquarius / Pig natives if memory serves.

[@AndreAndFriends]

Prof. Kotkin glasses are the coolest thing that have seen in the last ten years. His wisdom and in death knowledge is unmatched and widely known. However the glasses are very cool 😎 and making the statement!!!

[@jesuisravi]

what statement is that?

[@AndreAndFriends]

@@jesuisravi 👍👍👍

[@angelozachos8777]

Who made a statement ?

[@yp77738yp77739]

Every mechanism he described can be positioned within the US system, a perfect descriptor of the US state power. Particularly the illusion of democracy.

[@-dash]

Read _The Federalist Papers_ (or Tocqueville’s _Democracy in America,_ for that matter). The US is easily distinguishable from authoritarian regimes through its deliberate separation of powers.

[@yp77738yp77739]

@@-dash The separation of powers on a cyclic basis is no different to a feudal system where power is awarded to courtiers. The outcome is exactly the same, a select group of persons retaining power and control. At least in an effective authoritarian system you can have long term planning for infrastructure and development.

[@-dash]

@@yp77738yp77739 You don’t understand. Under the American system, executive power is entirely distinct from legislative and judicial power, as is legislative from judicial. No branch has the authority to dominate another, unlike authoritarian regimes under which authority is limited only by the political dexterity of individual actors. In Federalist 51, James Madison described it succinctly, writing, “ambition must be made to counteract ambition."

[@-dash]

@@yp77738yp77739 Wait, what in the hell are you talking about? “a select group of persons retaining power and control”…? You’re describing some kind of a politburo, not the West.

[@yp77738yp77739]

@@-dash That’s nonsense. The executive has the right to pick for the Supreme Court justices. Who themselves are tainted with corruption as they can, without having to declare on the public republic record, receive bribes in kind. Any system, that does not wholly and completely decouple from private financial gain, is, and will always be, corrupt to the core.

[@vickhartunian1632]

I am sorry to admit I did not understand the opening of the video. The second person was clear and understood the content.

[@Addeladle-St-James]

Don't worry boomer, you're a known quantity. No one expects much from you

[@margsview]

One may be initially enthralled by his simplistic wanderings; but answering questions directly is not his front suit. So, to me it was like I was back at uni, listening to another Chicago School neo- be they liberal or conservative academic--they all are apologists never really criticizing the country that 'gave them everything' to quote Stephen. Too bad because the best talks are ones that reveal not conceal or ignore with short answers, then pontificate against 'the other side'.

[@genkestrel7254]

Who do you enjoy listening to?

[@margsview]

@@genkestrel7254 I listen to John Pilger (listen to his speech given at the Holberg Debate 2017...amazing for his blunt honesty---very rare. Take care.

[@genkestrel7254]

@@margsview thank you, I'll listen

[@genkestrel7254]

I hope you enjoy a great day Marg

[@bluenote7086]

3rd pillar "control of life chances" Kotkin and M Friedman are prescient. The DEMS and Public Unions do just that. Milton said "no Public Unions". Want Authoritarianism? Keep Public Unions.

[@tdioxin2658]

Starts at 3:40…

[@deandimattia4516]

🎉🎉🎉

[@alexbuckley4378]

Stephen kotkin watches Star Trek?

[@TheVietnameseDevil]

it’s been over a year, wtf

[@colchiandragon7396]

I have seen a number of Prof. Kotkin's talks. This is his best by far. I would love to see a discussion of IR between him and Prof. John Mearsheimer.

[@kkquikB1]

No comparison. Mearsheimer is a joke.

[@crhu319]

@@kkquikB1 meaning "proven correct repeatedly"?

[@kkquikB1]

@@crhu319 even a broken clock is correct twice a day. The problem with mearshiemer is SOME of his arguments are based on seriously wrong assumptions. Amateur mistakes really. Kotkin does not make such childish claims.

[@brendanryan6740]

half way through stalin 1....loving it....

[@06alepea1]

It is a masterpiece isn't it. I've read the second one. I have a feeling I will have to re-read both of them when 3 comes out.

[@brendanryan6740]

@@06alepea1 i ordered both....but the second wasnt available....yet.....

[@06alepea1]

@@brendanryan6740 well hopefully you can get a hold of a copy.

[@brendanryan6740]

@@06alepea1 i will....have no doubt....have you read bloodlands....that was super sad and epic also....hitler must have freaked out when he found out that stalin was way more murderous than him....almost comical

[@lejeffrey229]

sitting in Hanoi...

[@patrickvernon1570]

Are we free to choose or forced to be liberal?

[@FiikusMaximus]

My guess is, if you openly declare yourself an authoritarian, you will very quickly find yourself isolated. Best to emigrate to one of the authoritarian countries to truly live out your beliefs. Edit: unless you of course mistake lower case l liberalism with Liberalism. The opposite of liberalism isn't Conservativism but authoritarianism or illiberalism.

[@-dash]

If you’re in the West, liberalism is codified within the social contract, more or less. You’re free to dissent- it _is_ liberalism, after all. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself in the minority.

[@philippajoy4300]

Amos Perlmutter is the correct spelling.

[@mappotofu2562]

The funny thing is that all of those criteria -- control of life chances, cashflow, coercive mechanisms -- can be found in the Woke world. That it's not state-controlled but oligarchy-controlled is irrelevant.

[@davin1287]

This probably the most incoherent comment of the 21st century. Congrats

[@GaryAskwith1in5]

The importance of coercive forces being backed by stories/narrative seems akin to the importance of both faith and deeds to Christianity.

[@patharvard]

I’m disappointed. Initially, I thought Kotkin was describing the recent authoritarian creep within US and European political and economic systems.

[@Quarrymanly]

Authoritarian regimes feed off of the successes created by democratic innovators. They all have a shelf life but the suffering they cause is more than morally wrong, it’s all hoarding and waste.

[@JOHNSMITH-ve3rq]

Joe pesci is very smart

[@muckvix]

Sounds like a theological school talk. "How should we define heresy in order to know what to fight."

[@dominiccordova8347]

I love Joe Pesci:)

[@katateo328]

hahha, sao dzay, sao lai so minh voi xu thien duong, hong co ngang tam gi het tron het troi :D

[@zahraimtiaz8534]

Sir neelam shahzadi

[@zuinet226]

To the point of trade relations between China and Europe: True, China needs High Tech from USA and Europe. But in my opinion it's also a higher risk for the europeans, because (as you said) the get from china all sorts of daily life goods and some rare earth materials for their high tech. So Europe should also be careful in this trade war. It's a very complicated situation.

[@ned900]

Its not complicated at all. Europe has a very high standard of living and we can afford to take hits. It's that simple. Also you overestimate the exposure we have to Russian and Chinese trade. Its not like we cannot make these things ourselves, we have done in the past and we can do again. Whereas Russia cannot. I would like to finish with one thought: Bundeswehr. We really are going to have a new world order. Its going to be epic.

[@burnstuff8005]

That old dark machine. Putin just woke up the actual bear.

[@tedzehnder961]

@@ned900 Except that new world order will cause a lot of death through murder and starvation that could turn into the stone age.

[@tedzehnder961]

Unless China deals with their 300 million people living in poverty China`s leaders have to watch their backs.Or start a war to distract them.Sort of what Putin is doing with his peasants.

[@burnstuff8005]

@Chip Belori you what? I work with cloud software and its ridiculously secure, with many, many levels of authentication. You don't know what you are saying , do you. You dont know anything about, that which you speak on, do you.

[@neilmeehan1305]

The joe pesce of strategy

[@Rugged-Mongol]

He should invest in a good 4K HD webcam/recording device and proper studio microphone setup.

[@andrewbaldwin4454]

Kotkin says that there's no census of the people leaving Russia. But there was a Russian census in 2021, while there hasn't been a Ukrainian census since 2001. Also, there are censuses for Canada and other countries of Russian emigration, so with a little effort surely one can establish who has left and when, although maybe not why. I was a little skeptical about Kotkin's allegations of China overestimating its growth rate, but it seems he is on reasonably solid ground here, with a 2019 NBER study indicating serious overestimation of the Chinese growth rate from 2010 to 2016. I was skeptical given a previous way out-of-line comment he made in his "What is Eurasia?" lecture, which can also be found on KZbin. He actually claimed that Russian GDP was about one-fifteenth its American counterpart, when the IMF estimates for GDP on a PPP basis for 2017 showed that Russian GDP was a little more than a fifth of American GDP. I e-mailed Kotkin informing him of his error, but the great man never deigned to respond to me. I have noticed that his Stanford U colleague, H.R. McMaster, Trump's former National Security Advisor, holds similar delusional views, claiming the Russian economy is about the same size as the Texan economy. Maybe it is something they put in the San Francisco Bay area water. If so, I hope the water is better in east Texas.

[@user-hl8cl6lh7k]

Ни один комментарий не переведён на русский. Это кое о чём говорит!

[@harryaarrestad583]

What the fuck do you expect ??

[@FiikusMaximus]

You can translate comments into Russian via Google translate. Just like I translated yours into English. By the way, what is it telling of?

[@thomasjamison2050]

I very much admire Stephen's work, but I have a real problem with trying to think of Marxist Communism as something inherently not of the West, particularly given that Marx himself was so distinctly a produce of Western cultural heritage. Marxists often debated whether or not it was appropriate for the first Communist state to be created in a Russia with a population so poorly prepared for a more advanced conception of what a modern Western government could be. The idea that there is no real distinction between socialism and communism is a very common notion in the US, but it is most certainly not an accurate conception of these things. In my own thinking, I perceive the rise of Stalin as a phenomenon not all that far removed from the Tai Ping Revolution in China during the mid 19th century. It was a case of more advanced Western concepts of liberty and democracy finding root in soil that was simply not properly prepared for their reception and implementation. In short, improperly understood and appreciate Western notions of civilization not sufficiently understood and appreciated to truly be functional in the given society.

[@kkquikB1]

Kotkin for Prez

[@samworthington6928]

Is the presenter Ha-Joon Chang? He doesn't introduce himself very well.

[@vandalism4368]

Great lecture, do you see any resemblance in the administration currently ruling in America as turning towards authoritarianism with the mandates executive orders and their particular views on censoring people who were telling the truth and they come in the form as liberals then call themselves Democratic socialist and we all know that socialism is a trick into communism and like Reagan said one of my favorite quotes that if fascism ever came to America it would come in the form as liberalism what is fascism private ownership with total government control isn't that the liberal philosophy. In other words I see a lot of what you describe happening to us in America because just a year ago America was a very different place. There's many other examples I can give but I don't want to go on a rant.

[@Addeladle-St-James]

Okay, boomer.

[@vandalism4368]

Not a Boomer just a person who has a problem with the current establishment

[@kreek22]

@@Addeladle-St-James Okay, groomer.

[@kreek22]

They are overtly propagandizing America's children into terrible sexual pathologies--that is their worst crime.

[@vandalism4368]

@@kreek22 the people that are doing this either they are brainwash, greedy making money off of it or evil have no respect for human life if it means that they can remain in power, when a person has been put in positions of power sometimes they develop The God complex and regular people are just inferior to them and the only thing that we should do is be there slaves. What they don't understand is most people would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. I was born free and no one is taking my freedoms from me and nobody is going to indoctrinate my child either that's what would make me lose my mind and I'm not a violent person but certain things could push me that way when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable of society

[@isisroy2828]

15:57 I kinda new this was all bullshit. BYE

[@eightrice]

between the bad sound quality and the thick accent.. I'm dropping off one minute into the thing

[@ned900]

Great who needs you

[@Addeladle-St-James]

@@ned900 as if your company is desirable

[@ned900]

I never claimed it was. His certainly is not.

[@Addeladle-St-James]

@@ned900 thanks for commenting before considering the implications

[@ned900]

@@Addeladle-St-James are you going to miss Andrei

[@kofferfischii]

Political kitsch. There are many ways to avoid failure. i love the "dictator" of Singapoore during covid.

[@patrickvernon4766]

Liberalism must go