Niall Ferguson Stuns World Leaders at ARC Australia - "Are We The Soviets Now?"

[@aquious953]

The problem is that economic growth has concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, leaving people demoralized. Average people do not benefit from outsourcing, selling off public services, fake currency and mass unskilled immigration.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

And Niall did not address a single one of these *_real_* issues! He is deflecting people from the real issues in order to push an Establishment narrative (yet again).

[@OneLine122]

Ferguson has bigger fish to fry, like people with blue hairs in academia.

[@Lobos222]

Pretty sure you can walk up to a farm and ask to get a job as a strawberry picker any day of that season if you want...

[@mogznwaz]

Global corporate monopolisation of everything we need to survive is a huge problem

[@jjeremyhunterr]

True that. This guy just totally missed the point. He entirely left out corporate moneyed interests and the implications of global heating / biodiversity loss and instead pointed a finger at the dems. Don't get me wrong, they suck, but this is such a narrow take on the issues of the present. Institutions have lost legitimacy because people realize this culture is structured for only one thing - to push money upwards. That's it. And it's f***ing obvious

[@fleetinghopes6448]

this is the *real problem* that dear Niall doesn't ever want to acknowledge or address... because guess where his income and speaker's fees come from... It is the economic system that has created this "huge problem" and Niall is _in love with_ that economic system and ideology. As they say: Love is blind...

[@seananderson127]

It might be THE common problem across the examples cited by Ferguson of other societies that collapsed under similar circumstances.

[@pinkfloyd870]

This IS the problem.... and it is these corporations that corrupt. I am a Trade Unionist, ex Organiser, and convenor, and I am black banned by multi national corporations, not by Australian government. the same billionaires that own ALL of the media and infect us with propaganda... on both social and traditional media. They own all of it.

[@frankfahrenheit9537]

And now show me the US politician who will fix alle the mess. Kamala would not have done it. Maybe Trump really causes the next civil war after which the US will hopefully get a modern constitution which makes an end to "electoral college" , "rigged election myths" and all the other crap like "gerrymandering" ,"military industrial complex" , ... . End lobbying would be a dream , but I guess that would mean we need to let ourselves rule by an AI. Which is programmed by .... Elon. Okay we are fuuked.

[@tonywozere909]

Professor Richard Falk (Princeton) notes that "liberal democracy is now an ideological facade; its power is in corporate capitalism on the one hand and a militarised state on the other".

[@AB-qt4dj]

So fascism and it’s the group that is this system is labeling the ones railing against the system as fascist.

[@PaulHobus]

@@AB-qt4djyou call people what you are

[@paulmalcolm1081]

In 1971, as part of a school boy water polo team, I travelled behind the Iron Curtain to Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. My one overriding memory was that there were “rich communists and poor communists”, and that the rich were members of the Party.

[@ralphsimpson4593]

The rich Soviet Party equivalent in the West are now the rich political donors . In the US other Countries hold more influence and whose interests are being prioritized over it's own citizens.

[@amraceway]

That seems fair.

[@Rexhunterj]

Feels that way to me, as a 33 year old Australian, in reference to Australia. Everyone with property is 'in the party - by proxy' while the party steals from everyone, impoverishing the youngest generation the most, even before they are born. All I hear when I talk about these problems is bored middle classers who just don't care because they can afford their car and house repayments and their coffee on the way to their slave wage job. Everyone is so caught up in their own, empty, vapid world, so much so that they cannot care about our communual shared space, Australia.

[@knowahnosenothing4862]

@@Rexhunterj All of Western culture. Aussies are the last in my opinion as a Kiwi you guys are our rich cousins and it's even starting to bite you guys badly now.

[@amraceway]

@@Rexhunterj Welcome to capitalism 2024. And it only going to get worse. There is nothing communal about Australia. That finished in 1788.

[@mikestanmore2614]

Whilst I think professor Ferguson has drawn a valid conclusion, I feel he is restricted by his political stance. The issue is not simply the Democrats, it is US politics as a whole which has failed the average American.

[@tristansolero2159]

Successive Democrat Presidents and their captured institutions and weaponized media have overseen the commandeering of freedom of speech. republican have never owned the media to even begin to try using propaganda as a tool for hearts and minds

[@nonfictionone]

It is not a failure of US politics. This has happened across the western world. Which of course makes it a much bigger and broader problem i.e. the entire western system is failing, and will probably end catastrophically .

[@mikestanmore2614]

@nonfictionone Oh, I agree, but the fact that the rest of the world has followed suit doesn't absolve America.

[@davianoinglesias5030]

It all started with Reagan

[@thechloromancer3310]

"The issue is not simply the Democrats" Agreed. As I mentioned elsewhere, Ferguson neglected to mention that the Republican Party is happy with this state of affairs, as they continue to receive huge amounts of treasure from AIPAC, the MIlitary Industrial Complex, Wall Street, etc. So long as the Republican politicians can receive their share of the pie, they'll remain complicit participants in the degradation of US political and societal institutions.

[@naftali_nakhshon6745]

This poster was born in and did 31 yrs of the USSR. So with that experience, yes, absolutely, North America feels like the Soviets - in ideology, politics, individual freedoms, the role of the masses. Now, for many here, Ferguson's idea may look amusing or counterintuitive. For me though, the everyday reality itself is a pure nightmarish Déjà Vu.

[@HondoTrailside]

Yeah, and immigrants to this country come from a lot of other failed, or incoherent states, like China. There are a lot of nightmares to be reminded of, based on where we are going.

[@MedellínInsider-n3o]

@naftali_nakhshon6745 That's just karma catching up with you.

[@naftali_nakhshon6745]

@MedellínInsider-n3o How's that? What have I done, you think?

[@MedellínInsider-n3o]

@@naftali_nakhshon6745 You were born in socialism. It failed. You went to capitalism. It failed too. It sounds like a pattern... 😁 What else could it be?

[@naftali_nakhshon6745]

@MedellínInsider-n3o It could also be you don't know the definition of karma in popular English. It refers to the cause-and-effect of a person's actions. In your own words, I 'was born' in a socialist country. Do you know what a passive form is? Just in case you don't, it means, in this particular case, being born wasn't my action. Therefore, originating from socialism wasn't my choice, for either good or bad. Therefore, I can neither take credit, nor be blamed for that. Therefore, 'karma' doesn't apply here. Moreover, if moving to capitalism was a bad choice, what socialist country would've been a good choice to not fail? Which one would you recommend? Or are you trying to kill me by laugh through suggesting I MADE them both fail? Or are you simply unable to mean anything of substance?

[@DrProgNerd]

99% of my human interactions are peaceful and without coercion. I exchange my money with people for their products. I wait my turn in line and at traffic signals. I help people when I can. I accept help when I need it. Why is it that the majority of the time I feel coercion or threat of force is when I encounter the government - that ostensibly works for me - or people claiming a moral right to the shame they demand of me? People *know* how to get along with one another. We do it all the time. The pressure to drink/drug oneself into oblivion does not come from the live-and-let-live folks. It comes from the pseudo-virtuous and the State.

[@Exit-West]

Well said

[@danielpye7738]

Spot on. Pseudo virtuous, great term.

[@thegeneralist7527]

Psychopaths have no conscience and thus do not experience guilt. They weaponize guilt to take control of organizations, institutions and businesses. When governments are controlled by these psychopaths all manner of evil becomes possible.

[@evabyrne-kr1fz]

YEP.

[@JohnWilliams-iw6oq]

Well said, getting the great unwashed deplorables to understand this is one heck of a challenge.

[@feliksandrzejsienko6939]

When I tell my friends in Poland what is happening in America they look at me like I'm crazy, totally crazy

[@Matt-rw9py]

In Poland most people believe and live in insecurity, superstition and myths from 70s/80s/90s about America and the west. They still think America is that land where everything is made of gold. Most people’s thinking simply hasn’t evolved since then and the media is making sure it never will. But the truth is Poland is now a much nicer place in so many aspects than the west but unfortunately stupid people can’t see and appreciate it. It will be a perfect place to live in once the purchasing power of the money goes a little bit higher and people chill out more, start appreciating what they’ve got and stop complaining about every little thing.

[@Thund3rstruk2]

One thing about the deaths of despair to keep in mind, many of them are veterans. The US did a lot of fighting in the last 20 years, much more than the rest of the Anglosphere. Combine that with mass migration and the numbers make some sense. Our new residents have lower life expectancies, reduced community cohesion, and are far less patriotic.

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

Veterans get despair when they realise they fought for nothing that would ever help America

[@alijames180]

This information is great to be heard because it’s crosses all borders. America, UK, EU, Canada Australia etc…

[@GazGuitarz]

Which are all UN/WEF/BIS centric. They are now moving rapidly into South East Asian nations too. Thailand has never been colonised .. until now! Soon there will be nowhere to run.

[@dianastevenson131]

​@@GazGuitarzWhat is the BIS?

[@mongolike513]

You mean white people of the world ?

[@paul756uk2]

​@@dianastevenson131Bank of international settlements.

[@johnkeane1419]

No, only the Anglosphere.

[@ZWaveAustralia]

Niall is absolutely correct. I was in the USSR at that time and can confirm every word of this speech. Living in Australia now and watching the daily news brings a strong sense of déjà vu. It’s not yet at the scale it was in the USSR, but the patterns are clearly emerging. We’re seeing an untrusted government relying on 'experts' seemingly chosen without a basis, a treasurer lacking formal economic education, government projects riddled with budget 'black holes,' and little hope for recovery anytime soon. It’s disheartening… We need change before it’s too late.

[@AlfarrisiMuammar]

Nonsense

[@es6544]

Both countries suffer from the same problem. Neither "American dream" nor communism are achievable but people fell for that promise and hence the disparity. If they were so easily duped who is to blame??

[@es6544]

Oh and impatience is also a problem. Everybody needs a new iwatch and a big screen TV even though 100 years nobody had a running hot water.

[@davidkymdell452]

I'm feeling it very much in Melbourne, not as much in Sydney.

[@tonyp2865]

@@AlfarrisiMuammar Maybe you could give an opinion/vision about Australia's future.

[@S9999Frank]

The problem of old people in the leadership is one thing. The maybe more striking similarity with soviet times, is that old people had all the money, being a pensioner was the best position in the soviet society. Meanwhile the regular worker was getting very little for his efforts, working hard was not rewarded. Just like in the west today, working hard on the lower ladders of society, hardly gives you any more reward than being on welfare. Not a sustainable system in the long run as the money must come from somewhere, and it surely is not coming from all these people doing nothing.

[@q1q2q23]

TL:DR "Scottish man invents a clickbait title and overlooks massive differences between the USSR and the USA to provide a shaky framework for a bunch of statistical data and comparing the Democratic party to the Soviet elites" Seriously, I have no idea who this guy is, but that was weak

[@OneLine122]

I comes from rich people borrowing money from the banks. Most of them do nothing except tell others to do something for them and work hard. It's sustainable as long as people are fine with it and accept that money for their work.

[@atopeconlatxabaleria]

​@@q1q2q23 The idea is not even his. Adam Curtis was already drawing the parallel on the cynicism and colapse of belief in the system back in 2021.

[@Uncanny_Mountain]

Capitalism is the problem But it's only a problem if you're an Authoritarian Communist who relies on privilege and isolation. ⌛

[@Uncanny_Mountain]

​@@q1q2q23 you couldn't tell us a single difference, in fact you can't even define Communism Because half of every dollar goes to the Military, 40 percent rely on govt handouts and .01 percent have more wealth than half of all America Not only are both Constitutional Peoples Republics But you're both using the same rhetoric, "other guy bad, my Team is never wrong" The fact it's that simple to purchase your soul and your kids souls is only a tarring of your failed society

[@steveturners1258]

Leonid Il`ich Brezhnev was not all that old: he died not quite 76 years old. His successors Andropov - 69 years old, Chernenko - 73. Gorbachev was young, and he was the one who let the things fall apart. The most important similarity between late 1980 USSR and today's USA is the Orwellian amount of political lies necessary to sustain the status quo; the rest is merely a consequence.

[@mrfarenheit9159]

No Bigger lie than Que Mala is a top notch candidate worthy of the office

[@krasavam1625]

May I remind you that the life span in USSR was in mid 65-75s, depending on your genes and health, women lived longer then men. Only Georgians for some reason lived much longer, may be because Georgia had better and cleaner air, because of mountans and nature. USSR "free" heathcare was horrible, the only thing is there were some good doctors who would work in hospitals and medical centers, but not in city boroughs (for outpatient care) facilites located in neighbourhoods. Doctors in these facilitiess were not knowledgeable and paid very low wages, and most of ppl who attended these facilites were the most poor. The "middle class" could get better treatment in hospitals and health centers due affordability of bribes or just good connections. But of course the best heath care always was provided to gov officials. They had their own clinics with best doctors, etc.. and so they lived longer as well.

[@nowarwithrussiaandchina4667]

The lies are worse today, they are amplified everywhere and they attempt to fool you, we live in the 'free' world.

[@WilliamChiu-uh6cw]

@@krasavam1625

[@seanmcdonald5859]

​@@mrfarenheit9159Kamala Harris is far more qualified: forming coherent sentences puts her LIGHT YEARS ahead of dump

[@aerialpunk]

Very interesting. I know a few Canadians and Aussies who seem to think we need to rely on the US to save everyone in the West, and it really grinds my gears. We can look at them for information just like with anyone else (such as in this case here), but we need to be taking responsibility for our own stuff to improve our countries. Just cos the US is the most influential and powerful Western nation doesn't mean we need to be like them, or that we're absolved of responsibility for our own people.

[@miriistina]

Ahh yes, but don't you know that the US effectively owns your country? We've signed treaties, compacts, and accords. We couldn't go our own way, even if we tried. I think Whitlam found out the hard way, didn't he?

[@danielpye7738]

The US was founded with a purpose of maximum freedom without government/authority interference. Now we all know it was not perfect as not everyone was free to start, but they got there at a heavy cost. It should also be said the WW2 and the nuclear era radically changed the US. Its limitations on government were thrown out the window and the creation of various security and intelligence agencies has definitely had a negative effect on the country. Despite the patriotism of its people and an ever readiness to defend it. I often say that the US kind of copied Nazi Germany with its various agencies that were created in the madness of the 1920’s-30’s with the creation of the CIA etc in the post war era.

[@alanunruh7310]

​@@danielpye7738that is exactly how it happened! you just start following the threads of todays America and its government back through time and you find 90% fall right into what you just said!!

[@Screaming-Trees]

Well it's a good sentiment but the professor left out some rather important things that you may or may not have known about. USD is global reserve currency. For now. This has profound implications across areas you wouldn't even think about. If you were to try and rely on yourself and go your own way, kind of forge your own path so to speak, Washington would quickly put you back inline. They are actively intent on being a global hegemonic power that controls everything and everyone. Gaddafi wanted to trade outside of the USD and even proposed a singular African only currency. Look what happened to that. They would do the same to you if you tried this. And the practical limitations of you walking your own way are things like having to hold USD in reserve so you can buy oil or other commodities. I don't know how this ends but Washington has become a cancer on the rest of the world unfortunately and one that might kill us all ultimately. Or we might survive but we have basically enabled them to be the hegemonic power they are. There is a lesson in that I think.

[@sonyjoseph5426]

Canadá Carries water for usa .. they know darn well usa does not view any ally as a peer

[@PeterAllen09]

Not taking into account the role the Republican party has also played in all this, makes an otherwise interesting talk difficult to take seriously.

[@giannivolata]

Amen

[@paulvanzyl1862]

Wow, Peter, you are a funny guy. Because the blame game is not played politically correct - there is no problem. You should enjoy yourself, it is later than you think.

[@PeterAllen09]

@@paulvanzyl1862 I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Was this translated from another language?

[@krazoe6258]

@@PeterAllen09 Looks like it is originally Chinese based on the sentence structure. Reminds me a lot of the NYT comment section during the hong kong protests

[@PeterAllen09]

@@krazoe6258 Could be. I'm still not sure of the point of the comment. Is it critical? Is it suggesting it's too late to worry about any of this, so just have fun? Seems darkly optimistic

[@gregorylumpkin2128]

Wow! What an excellent presentation of a dire situation. One that we must face head-on and not back down.

[@trackdusty]

Yes. More Green policies!

[@Betcsbirds]

​@@trackdusty 🤣😂😆

[@Bottle-Blonde]

I believe in you. You can do this ❤ love from USA

[@andrewwalker1131]

Very sobering talk. Thank you.

[@DmitryMesserman]

As a former Soviet citizen, I 100% agree that the US became the USSR 2.0

[@HimalayaBeard]

Not 2.0 but cosplay 😂

[@yidiandianpang]

We still have freedom and the option to make what we want of our lives.

[@ulfosterberg9116]

​@@yidiandianpang trump says. Hold my beer.

[@marcdunne7831]

Elements of truth to it hypernationalism

[@whodat9198]

​@@ulfosterberg9116Biden and Obama said hold my keg!! They definitely are the Soviets.

[@henrikg1388]

I was there in the USSR in 1989 and these observations are spot on. The vibes today are eerily similar. Almost depressing. At times I wish I would never have seen it.

[@penelopehill9710]

Hey thanks for confirming Ferguson's observations are spot on with your own experience in USSR. Nation-wide CA's people live in drug-induced stupers. Never thot I'd ever see so very many dependent on pharmaceutical and street drugs.

[@dmitryweinstein315]

I grew up in the USSR in 1980s and I can attest to the striking parallels between late USSR and modern US that Niall speaks about.

[@henrikg1388]

​@@penelopehill9710 I was only there for two months in an exchange program for students, a few weeks in Leningrad and the rest in Moscow. Everything was so surreal. The totalitarian atmosphere. The utterly ugly concrete blocks they called housing and these pompous communist monuments everywhere. 1/3 of the population was wearing uniform. You couldn't buy food anywhere, except for bread every other day after queuing for hours, but vodka and champagne (even beluga caviar) was in abundance and cheap. So we all lost 15kg, but where constantly drunk. I fully understand why the citizens made those choices, just like I understand why people in the West go for drugs today. But the big difference is what Niall points out, is that the Russians were so cynical. They all new that they were being lied to. In our current society, many people believe the lies. That is a fundamental difference. So, are we the new Soviets? In many ways, no. In other ways even more so. I could write a whole book on it, and some day I may do so, but others probably have even better stories to tell. It is a window in history that is not to well documented, though.

[@penelopehill9710]

@henrikg1388 WOW! Reading about your experience is like another flavour of what's happening here now. Write the story!

[@henrikg1388]

@@penelopehill9710 Thanks. Perhaps I will.

[@artinterhakopian9684]

Exceptional! As a psychiatrist in the US, I've observed the decline and increasing despair for the last 20-plus years. Urgent social reorganization and pro-social measures can reverse these trends.

[@alan2102X]

And the first item on your list of evidence-based measures is...?

[@alexshenderov4975]

@@alan2102X ...to ask you which item on YOUR list of evidence-based measures actually works 😉

[@stirlingmoss9637]

​@@alan2102X giving people hope.

[@micheldriessen5081]

Easy! Stop the enormous money transfers from poor to rich, stop the WEF policies. An egalitarian society with little difference in earnings between professions and all basic services like water, energy, public transportation, health care, pharmaceuticals, etc in hands of the state with a severe public control on people in power and their purse.

[@thechloromancer3310]

"Urgent social reorganization and pro-social measures can reverse these trends." Not going to happen so long as the current political establishment retains its grip on power and its grip on the narrative. One thing Ferguson neglected to mention is that while the Democratic Party may hold a monopoly over the US' academic and media establishment, the Republican Party is happy to play along so long as they get their fair share of the plunder.

[@cezarwat395]

Hello from Russia. I can confirm the professor's words. I was born during the collapse of the USSR. As a child, I heard what happened to the country and I was told that corrupt politicians had ruined it while sitting in a bathhouse. However, it was only at the institute, studying the history of economics and top management, that I realized that this was a systemic problem and most of the problem was precisely the human factor: not competent people in their places, matchmaking, terrible management from there, corruption, etc. and all this could have been avoided if all the rules and laws (and they were strict and regulated) were executed and adjusted appropriately. At the moment, having already visited many countries in Europe and Asia, including Australia, I see systematic problems of the same nature both in private business and in the public sector. Best wishes from Russia, where this problem is being solved radically.

[@andrewhirsch6472]

Perhaps you can tell us how "this problem is being solved radically." Is the flood of migration of Russian citizens to the West--everything from mechanics and truck drivers to engineers and doctors--part of the radical solution?

[@nickhanlon9331]

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury.'' Alexander Tytler.....another bleeping Scot!

[@paveli1181]

Elites know that too. that's why they push all this "identity" agenda. "faction to liberty is like air to fire" James Madison, Federalist 10

[@johnschuh8616]

In our case, it is the educational establishment that has betrayed us the most. But of course the biggest fools are the professors. They long ago lost control of their institutions.

[@billsmith-qq9pt]

If only

[@aoeu256]

Maybe, but most of the democratic institutions have been compromised by corporations. Most people don't want to vote for wars, and presidents say they will not go to war then go back on their promises.

[@roughhabit9085]

“Democracy is the road to socialism “ ~ Karl Marx

[@evolutionnotrevolution4475]

Sobering and refreshing. Thank you for sharing! This type of analysis is deliberately not seen in any, ANY, MSM channels in Australia, especially the ABC so it's wonderful to see, yet again, alternative media spaces leading the way to bring about a more enlightened perspective on world events.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

The US, Australian, etc governments working very hard to shut down the "alternative media spaces". (And perhaps you should consider what punctuated evolution has done for life on Earth...)

[@johngalt3566]

18:00 It's too late, I'm afraid. We already live in a multipolar world, and the US oligarchic empire can only thrive as the sole hegemon.

[@vivianoosthuizen8990]

Humans have 15 years of childhood 15 years of of youth 15 years of adulthood 15 years of getting old 15 years of being old if you go past this it’s slow dying for 15 years and that’s that.

[@glendurrant3988]

Geez, when phrased like that, go out and live life each day!!

[@vivianoosthuizen8990]

For the 15 years of childhood understanding your duties and how Love alone is the binding of it all together. 15 years of laying the foundation of your adult life with the knowledge of your duties and love. 15 years of passing on to the next generation. 15 years of harvest of your work. 15 years of allowing others to share your harvest instead of hoarding it .15 years of allowing death to come instead of fighting to hold onto a life that is already passed by accepting all sorts of treatments to extend the suffering that living passed a certain age will inevitably be.

[@tonyp2865]

@@vivianoosthuizen8990 Youth is a blunder, middle age a struggle, and old age a regret.

[@geoffreyparker926]

That makes me feel a lot happier. ❤🤠

[@philosophicaltrainer2610]

He almost had it. It's not democrat or Republican. They are the same thing

[@sailingAlpa42]

the problem is us, kanada, britain never had bolshevic revolucion. its time for people to rise against opresors but i doubt it will happen. so the hegemon wil colapse because it lost its connection with the mases. the propanda is not enough to keep the power and the unjustice. it will colapse under ist waight as real democrscy and real priosperity is spread around the world lead by its oponents.

[@MichaelWojtaluk]

This is global leftists coup, which in the US includes the entirety of the democrat party and a large portion of RINOs in the Republican party. Trump is part of the freedom caucus, which I would argue is a new largely libertarian wing of the Republican party.

[@toast803]

Note, beyond Musk, et. al. there are key differences that can give Americans hope. They have 1st/2nd amendments and the states are now choosing to exercise their power to thwart central planning. America is at a critical inflection point for them and the world. Will they choose to be great or a has been.

[@MrRatclima]

Love it when he starts talking about Scotland... he starts reverting back to his Scottish accent :)

[@johnmccaffrey5942]

He always speaks with a Scottish accent. His natural speaking accent is Kelvinside Glasgow accent. When he’s speaking about Scotland he can easily switch it to broader Glaswegian

[@janetgray8638]

Yes, I noticed that.

[@TheRadgeOne]

Barrie Gadgie

[@rwm5518]

Maybe that's where Kamala got her inspiration?!!

[@MGJS71]

Ferguson more Glaswegian than "Scottish" tbh.

[@gregorschoner9682]

Important arguments for perspective taking. However, the Democratic party is not the only part of the elite that has lost contact with reality and with the experience of vast portions of the population. Large corporations pursued their radical outsourcing that rapidly destroyed manufacturing under a political framework supported by both parties. Right-wing media like the Sinclair Corporation destroyed the local media that had connected to people's experience. Both parties were and are heavily influenced by massive corporate interest whose influence was bolstered by legislative and juridical maneuvers of the Republican party. The Republican party fell first under the onslaught of Trump populism, but it hs continued to pursue this agenda even as it pretends to serve a new cause (just look at the tax cuts that accelerated the deficits). This is not just important for political judgement, but also when looking at how things can be changed. Electing the other party definitely fixes nothing.

[@ms-jl6dl]

Democrat party and its ideological brethren all over the west own and control 95% of world's media (newspapers,radio,tv,magazines,websites) ,98% of education,majority of investment funds and Big Business but you're still trying to equate the guilt? You've lost the plot completely.

[@diggeroldmate8122]

Thank god someone here has some perspective.

[@zorbakaput8537]

You obviously didn't absorb the presentation what part of gerontocracy, elite and largess did you not get? The corporations are their for their handouts just like the rest of the people who think the government owes them something ( preferably for free). Your bias is showing. The Internet and soft budget inflation destroyed local media.

[@johnkeane1419]

Hollywood and the lamestream media have also lost touch with reality.

[@somozasi]

@gregorschoner9682 both parties are not alike. Some Republicans shift to the left as a way to get some of their constituents' needs met.

[@misterg2269]

Just looking at the chart showing the political leaning of academia, I would say that we are doomed, because if you can't have diversity of thought in the sciences then differing opinions are not allowed, and it doesn't matter which side of politics holds sway. The same is happening right across the western world including my much beloved homeland of Australia.

[@malcolmmyself9653]

Perhaps educated people know more.

[@robknight9406]

@@malcolmmyself9653 yes. They also consume more propaganda & can be much more gullible, especially when the propaganda comes from a source with authority.

[@ChaptermasterPedroKantor-kv5yw]

@@malcolmmyself9653 Just because you know more does not mean you are smarter, or more deserving of deciding for other people. An academic degree used to mean that you made the academic way of critical thinking your own. What you studied didn't matter so much, most never ended up in their field of study anyway. But an employer knew that he could hire an university graduate on a mid level position and with only minimal tutelage they would be able to do their job. Not any more. Because critical thinking is now frowned upon, you must become part of the cult and think the same way. Academia has become an indoctrination facility. And I work there, I see it happen.

[@malcolmmyself9653]

@@robknight9406 More gullible???? So I should uneducate myself so that I am not gullible? Dumb down enough to agree with you?

[@Rnankn]

Political values are not diversity. That concept describes ascribed traits like race, gender, and sexuality.

[@WisdomFromAshes]

That 20-minute talk explains just about everything going on in the US today politically. Excellent, professor Ferguson.

[@stephenlock7236]

Not just politically but economically, socially and legally as well. The US led West is indeed less liberal in all aspects than the USSR ever were. This is most prominent is how they treat and deal with the rest of the global community, where the democratic values which it claimed to abide by were thrown out the window at its whims and fancies.

[@Mikexception]

I think he is overestimating some particular evidence - like question of age. Does he want us to believe that younger presidents and PM like mr Trudeau and mr Macron shall realy make good change? Many nations now afford for experiments with younger gavernors because they feel secured by USA The same with mlitary expenses - opposite to bliefs these expenses fall down due to differnt approach - high tech electronic and software spared expenses for building advantage over enemy with hugh number of military - one rocket, dron can do what for one jet does , one jet stands for 10 in IIWW , one aircarrier for many ships, one soldier for few Every piece of arms requieres constant maintenance the same as paying to keep big army readiness - these costs could be reduced now.and funds could support loans.

[@somozasi]

But its happening not only in the USA !!!!

[@martinliehs2513]

​@@somozasitrue....in many ways, Canada is leading the way, sadly.

[@stanleyshannon4408]

​@stephenlock7236 as a veteran of the Cold War, I am often struck by this. I put on a uniform in 1972 to defend a Christian republic from an atheistic super power. Today I live in the atheistic globalist superpower.

[@Blazgjole]

I love how his accent switched when he started talking about Scotland

[@sjbesq1]

Yes, in many ways. Corporatization is a principal reason. For example, in 1983, I visited the Soviet Union. I noticed, when I went to a gift shop, how the clerk didn’t care a bit about customer service; she was going to get paid regardless of how she treated me; unlike with small businesses, she was not going to lose her job if she treated me poorly. As big box retailers replaced small businesses in the United States, employees didn’t have accountability and incentive like they used to with mom and pop shops. In general, employees just don’t seem to care. Just one way we’ve become like the USSR. The mass surveillance in abrogation of the 4th amendment would make the Stasi envious. The attacks on the 1st, 2nd and 5th amendments and the culture of censorship are other symptoms. There’s much more.

[@jjhpor]

Good ole' 2nd amendment: It keeps those kindergarten teachers on their toes. Do tell us what you have done to make the world a better place.

[@krasavam1625]

In USSR we did not have small businesses, neither we had any training for sales ppl what so ever. I am from USSR and talking from experience. The words customer service was not even known to Soviet Union population, you are one American naïveté LOL. Although we had fair markets that were popular in USSR, because these ppl had their very very small personal farms and could sell some food products that we would not be able to buy in stores, but I don't remember there was "customer service". Ppl who sold their products just were more amiable then in gov controled stores, because they depended on their sale, and you would be able to get something cheaper from or another, because they would sell you for "competitive" prices, but that was the only thing about "competition". But I am sure these "farmers" had to pay to gov high % may be 97 or higher of their earnings never the less.

[@johnmarinescu96]

You are perfectly right. I was thinking about a parallel between large neo-communist corporations and the old comunist enterprises. This similarity is shocking. I can tell from perso al experience living under brutal dictatorship of Ceausescu in Romania.

[@sjbesq1]

@@jjhporI conscientiously raise a family, practice law, participate in community organizations like Bar associations, try to keep informed… Other than apparently being triggered by my mention of the 2nd Amendment, you?

[@sjbesq1]

@@krasavam1625it’s not naïveté. I kind of think you missed the point. By the way, both my parents and many, many members of my family and community were from the Soviet Union, including from pre-WWII days. I have a little bit of insight.

[@Exit-West]

I wonder how many ordinary citizens can see this. I feel many intuitively know something isnt right, but are too crushed by debt and distractions to give it the necessary thought

[@paul756uk2]

That's always been very much my thoughts. People know something is wrong but can't figure it out. When you're a slave to the system, all you want to do is come home from work and turn on the TV, and therein lies the problem. It's another advantageous by-product to those who rule over us.

[@Exit-West]

@paul756uk2 well said

[@sonyjoseph5426]

In that case you'll end up voting for the right candidate

[@ymmv99]

Ferguson is slightly wrong with his bit about the declining life expectancy in the later years of the Soviet Union. He says that it was at its worst during the 1970/80ies, but the chart clearly shows that it was much, much worse in the mid 1990ies when the USSR didn't exist anymore. That's when Russia went though an enormous economic crisis after becoming capitalist, the average Russian was piss poor and turned to alcohol with disastrous results.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

Since he used that graph of alcohol consumption is he implicitly suggesting that the solution is to entice Russian President Putin to be the American President? Since there is a clear correlation between the term of Putin with significant and steady declines to an acceptable level of alcohol consumption.

[@MarineScoutSniper]

😂😂

[@pennyflynn1748]

He’s not a good historian; very biased to the right

[@vacri54]

His "deaths of despair" graphs were also misleading - the "cumulative deaths" was designed to look like it was getting worse when it was staying stable, and the historical graphs showed that it was drug deaths that skyrocketed, not suicides or alcohol-related deaths, which stayed pretty stable.

[@petershutak5573]

But he was not wrong because he was talking about the Soviet Union which ended in 1991. Russia came later.

[@dvgsun]

I am going to save you some time "Are we the Soviets now?" - Yes we are. BTW, I was born in USSR and live in Australia now.

[@sergeypavlov9488]

you can return to Russia (or in countries like to Kazakhstan if you prefer it more). You know there are australians (and not just australians) who did that.

[@serpentines6356]

​@@sergeypavlov9488 Really? Dang, it's so cold there. Australia did get crazy- nutty during Covid. It sounded awful.

[@PolarExpress_11-10]

So.. what about Australia feels anything like the USSR?. The USSR in the 1980's was running a defense budget roughly 1/3 the size of the economy, or more. This is the opposite of what Niall just described, so he's kind of being self serving here.

[@kimobrien.]

@@PolarExpress_11-10 Capitalist exploitation makes it impossible for the working class to reproduce itself in the advanced capitalist countries which now rely on immigration to be the next generation of workers.

[@pinkfloyd870]

@@serpentines6356 Perth did not go "crazy" We co operated with health authorities, and we hardly had any cases. Your take on thinkgs is not connected to reality, and the people that said "we won't be dictated to by our government"... and spread COVID because they could.... had the highest death rates. Most of the resistance came from jelly brains, eating propaganda from our enemies.

[@greggregson9687]

I have a Ford Falcon, a leather jacket, a cattle dog and I am ready for the Western Apocalypse.

[@Johnconno]

Do you have a Mullet?

[@subaruadventures]

@@Johnconno Mad Max reference so i doubt it

[@TheSnowdonRamblers-e8d]

What about the feral kid? ;)​@@subaruadventures

[@davianoinglesias5030]

No one is ready for an apocalypse.

[@TheSnowdonRamblers-e8d]

@@davianoinglesias5030 You're absolutely right. Not even a small one.

[@banginghats2]

Evictions from rental properties are on the rise in the UK and I recently read a study that showed that people who were evicted were four times more likely to self delete than people in the general population.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

it's not fun being homeless so I'm not sure what else they expect. Profits over people. Every time. Did Niall mention that?

[@gordonmorgan6298]

Not if you are an immigrant, it's everything handed on a plate. This statement pretty much applies to indigenous Brits only.

[@banginghats2]

@@gordonmorgan6298 Definitely. I've been through four no-fault s21 evictions in the last twenty years. I'm going through one right now and I think of self deletion every day, because I'm finding it so hard to get another place to live.

[@jasonneugebauer5310]

The reason that we as American non elites are feeling dispare is because we believed in the greatness of America and the American dream and now we see that something has went horribly wrong in our country. America no longer is based on the fundamental values that we were taught to believe. What do you do, as a USSR or USA citizen, when you have to accept that you were sold the lie of exceptionallism to keep you working hard. The difference in attitude between the USA and most other western countries is that the USA was the dominant power after WW2 so we believed that we were the greatest society. Now we are losing that belief. People in other countries are more accepting of the wrongness of the modern paradigm. When I look at GB, Canada, and Australia, I see a people that have little control over the insanity that is government policy and those people accept their fate or are brutally punised for any true resistance. Examining our government efforts to do good, I see that government seems to try. But, the costs of government implementation of the good, are more than the benefits received. The man in the middle takes the profits of our services and works. Comparing NASA to SpaceX shows the ineffectiveness of our bureaucracy in spending our money wisely and accomplishing goals in a timely and efficient way. (Not to say SpaceX is a model of perfection on caring for their people. But, they do get results.)

[@jasonburder3963]

Just gloss over space x treatment of its people. I would put this ahead of efficiency

[@jasonneugebauer5310]

@jasonburder3963 True statement. From what I hear SpaceX is a grueling task master. I wish there was a happy medium between the ultimate in productivity and providing a sustainable work load. My wife works at a hotel. It was owned by an American company and had good benefits. They weren't making money so they sold the hotel to an Indian who cut the staff by 50% and provides 0% benefits. Both situations suck for someone 🤔

[@Ludus57]

Niall has clearly read the book "Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail", by Abby Innes of the LSE. We are in that place and condition.

[@this_epic_name]

This resonated with me. While I'm not on the spectrum of death from despair, I can absolutely say that my thinking about my personal situation has shifted. I'm in my late 40s, and my goal right now is to get into the house I intend to live in for the rest of my life and essentially detach from society and employment. I have become thoroughly uninterested in most issues and disgusted with the state of national politics -- being now at the point that I don't believe the republic can be saved (essentially black-pilled) by anything short of a violent revolution. (A convention of states *could* turn things around, but I find that to be a long shot.) The monied interests (corporatocracy) and career politicians have an ironclad grip on power and continue to expand it at every turn. Congress has vastly overstepped its constitutional boundaries, the executive branch effectively ignores the supreme court and institutes what is effectively law (Congress' domain), and the supreme court has failed in its duty to apply constitutional constraints to the federal government vis-a-vis enumerated powers and the 10th amendment (with a faint glimmer of hope in that institution having emerged with the present 6-3 conservative majority). I think a growing number of Americans are seeing that big-ticket policy items aren't advancing their interests and most-immediate needs. Instead, they're serving the rich and the powerful, even if only to sustain the power of the powerful. One thing that's amazing to me is how, in recent years, given how the bias and "fake newsery" of the corporate media has been exposed, it hasn't changed. Legacy media orgs have essentially doubled-down on their transparent efforts to maintain power for the elite and craft a convincing narrative to that end, abandoning investigative journalism and basic fact-finding and reporting. They don't even hide it anymore, and they don't seem to care. When average ordinary citizens of both political stripes realize they have more in common with each other than they do with their government (particularly the federal government), that government will fall.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

You are not alone. And it is not just in the US, but across the West and its vassals. One correction: "craft a -convincing- narrative to that end". Their narrative is now paper-thin and increasingly unbelievable. The only rational explanation for so many people believing it, at least accepting it, is by Mattias Desmet and his work on Mass Transform (Mass Psychosis or Mass Hypnosis). There is a growing abyss between those people that are in touch with reality and those that are not, those who believe in the narrative... Beware though, Niall is a supplicant of "The monied interests" and is simply crafting a new (actually recycled) narrative to that end. He is not advocating for _changing_ the system, he is advocating for "the natives to not be so restless", but in a fancy "elite Ivy league" way.

[@watkinssixtyfive7788]

I'm 20 years older than you and fully sympathize with your feelings toward the woke administration of education, government, and HR departments. And don't even start me on the captured media. The one thing I envy you is, your constitution and the limits it places on government. True, the alphabet agencies are running roughshod over it (for the time being). It's another thing for legislators to abrogate it. At least you have a Supreme Court that can and does defend the interests of the common man. Here in Canada we have the same problems but magnified by the idiocracy in charge. And our Supreme Court is made up of appointees that are not subject to the approval of legislators, but instead owe their positions to the prime minister alone. No conflict of interest there, eh?

[@alanlight7740]

One of the biggest issues in the U.S. is the growth of the fourth branch of government - the bureaucracy - to dominate all the others. Similarly, even within the original three branches it is underlings who value process above results who have most of the power: congressmen come and go, but they all have the same staffers - and what the congressman wants is immaterial when his whole staff is opposed to it. And of course Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area now has the greatest concentration of wealth in the United States, despite the fact that this region provides no notable products or services. Thus the people making these decisions are completely divorced from the reality of life for the majority of Americans. All that said, while those in power have made many bad decisions we should not forget that ordinary people can be greedy and corrupt too. Many of the decisions made at high levels have been reactions to decisions made in the past at low levels. The rust belt is the rust belt because the ordinary working people demanded unsustainable levels of wages and benefits after World War 2 when the U.S. was the only major developed economy that did not have its infrastructure degraded or ruined during the war. This meant that they had customers who would pay their asking price regardless of quality, and this meant a great economy until the rest of the world had recovered enough to compete again - at which point American companies could no longer afford the cost of labor in the rust belt. Manufacturers made as much use of the pre-existing infrastructure there as they could, but over time they moved operations elsewhere because they simply could not be competitive with the wages and working conditions demanded in that region. Somehow the people who demanded excessively high wages and working conditions where nothing could ever get done - and most notably where products could never be improved - are treated as victims of circumstance rather than as the architects of their own demise. Washington, D.C. was not the only region where the people were and are out of touch with reality. It's really a matter of the human condition rather than a regional thing - it's just that when someone gets a windfall they often don't see it as something extraordinary but come to think of it as the new normal, and then don't know how to act when there is a correction. But to those not caught up in it their reactions have all the characteristics of greed, which soon gives way to corruption as they take unethical steps to secure what they think of as their birthright. It should be no surprise then that capital and talent soon flee, regardless of the many advantages such a region might have. As regions both Washington, D.C. and the rust belt are largely the victims of their own past success, which most of the beneficiaries never understood the true origins of. Whereas they never understood what caused these past successes they have no idea how to replicate that success; whereas they falsely believe that what they are doing was the source of past success they have no interest in changing their own behavior; whereas they will not change and do not understand, they will attempt to restore their wealth by demanding more from others whom they are already demanding too much from. Naturally this is not a recipe for recovery, and reform must come from outside - if not outside the region then at least from outside popular opinion in the region.

[@deniserothwell6325]

Yes the west are the Soviets now have been seeing this since 2016. I have been to Russia and over the years witnessed the changes.

[@R-zi2bc]

and China is the US now

[@alanunruh7310]

ooop sorry bud just need to help you clarify one thing here. the democrats of the west. dont lump us libertarians and republicans in with the crazies please. :)

[@DaniMagnes]

​@@alanunruh7310 Democrats and Republicans are two cheeks of the same butt. They have exactly the same economic and foreign policy and are funded by the exact same people and institutions. Look at Trump and Harris. One is funded by Blackrock the other is funded by Blackstone. One is funded By Multi Billionaire Elon Musk, the other is funded by Multi Billionaire Bill Gates. Both are funded by AIPAC, the MIC (Military Industrial Complex), Wall street, Silicon valley. None are there to represent the working class and the interests of the American average Joe and Joanne. They are both there to maintain and protect the social economic status quo where the richer keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. So to distract Americans and to pretend they are different they both found two particular socially divisive issues. One if illegal immigration, the other one is abortion. None of which will affect the living standards and well being of Americans or tackle to real issue tackling Americans. Unequal wealth inequality, unaffordability of homes, education, health care and lowering living standards for Americans and the growing gap between rich and poor and American flawed foreign policy.

[@bernielamy5135]

I was there just after the end of the Soviets in 1995, and it was depressed. It has been completely revived by Putin in 24 years. A miracle of good management and strong leadership. And this has angered the US, who were convinced they had destroyed it, and keep trying.

[@strigoiu13]

​@@bernielamy5135😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@debrahumphreys9305]

Thank you. An important speech

[@orlandofurioso7958]

The least developed countries were also the least Covid vaccinated and had the lowest excess deaths. You don’t even have to leave Europe to see that. Bulgaria.

[@nickcharles1284]

Not true. Also consider that the least developed countries lack access to health care , the vaccine, and in particular ability to track and verify death by cause. Undeveloped countries are ahead in virtually all communicable mortality and there is no reason covid would be excluded from that.

[@markusnall]

state your source please.

[@orlandofurioso7958]

@markusnall Search using as much of these words until you get the link to the most recent official EU report, "In October 2024, excess mortality continued to vary across the EU (Figure 2). The excess mortality rate was negative in 3 EU countries: the lowest rates were recorded in Bulgaria (-7.1%), Croatia (-1.4%) and Latvia (-0.6%).Dec 12, 2024." Generally, search on lowest Covid vaccination rates in EU.

[@orlandofurioso7958]

@markusnall European Union Excess Mortality Statistics Data extracted on 12 December 2024. Also, Statista.

[@orlandofurioso7958]

@@markusnall I hope that was sufficient for your verifying the factual assertion made. What effect does this truth have on your previously held opinions?

[@AlexthunderGnum]

Ha-ha-ha! 20 years ago or so, I was arguing that USA is the same as USSR with some minor variations. I knew USSR very well at the time, as I was born and raised in it, and also experienced its collapse from inside. I didn't know USA that well, but as I was learning about it, I was discovering that it is more and more look like a mirror picture of USSR. You know when you flip the video you watch it normally until some writing appears and only then you see it was flipped. That is how similar USSR to USA were then to me. Now I hear this lecturer... well... what can I say - it took some time for you to realize. I wonder if you will be able to realize what is next for USA, or do you need me to tell you?

[@Eric-tj3tg]

Luke, I am your father.

[@monaliza3334]

They will never be like USSR, never. They think, they heard about it on TV but they still have no idea. The Soviet Union built 168 million free apartments for its population in 1962( rememberin was just 7 years after the WW2), and built 2 million free housing every year. Kindergartens, schools, universities, holiday trips for children were free, everything was paid for by the state. Low crime, everyone had a job, there were no homeless people or poor people lying on the street. Any citizen of the country could choose between living in the city or outside the city, buy a house with land and grow vegetables, fruits and keep pets. Ow, the transport. It's still the best in the world. It was with USSR, now with Russia. You don't need a car, it's cheaper to move around by bus, train, or metro. Medical care was free as well, any hospitalization, surgery, dental care... What did they get for free in their capitalists countries ??? Capitalists without capital? I got my masters degree for free, and during USSR the government paid me to study.

[@AlexthunderGnum]

@@monaliza3334 You are eitherdreaming, or you are lying. I was born and raised in Soviet Siberia. I have first hand experience of all these wonders you describe. It was all a lie, unfortunately. The rapid economic growth of the USSR has been achieved at unaffordable cost to the people and the nature. We lost pretty much the entire population of peasants and villagers during the initial phase of industrialization, then again during the war, then again during post-war "recovery". The dream for a few was a nightmare for many. I was one of those many, and so were my poor parents, and their parents. So please, tell the story of "great achievements of the USSR" to somebody else. I have seen what it really was myself. I still remember the number of my Komsomol Member ID. That is how good the memory of it still is in me. No need for a secondary witness, sorry.

[@paul756uk2]

​​​​@@AlexthunderGnumthis is a word for word comment she made on another channel, 'Solgenizin was selling his books for $$$. MOST OF IT IS BS AND pure lies. Traitor for money...This guy was too young to know anything about USSR. haha...but he's ok for gullible western ppl'. Yeh, she's lying.

[@ymx7947]

@@monaliza3334 So what you're saying is that you were part of the rich upper class that got everything handed to them at the expense of the poor, at the expense of the lives of your slaves. How virtuous of you.

[@nickhanlon9331]

This why we must study history. So that we can predict the future with some kind of clarity. People who don't study history are like the punter who turns up to a racetrack without a form guide.

[@Homunculas]

Who were the Bolsheviks? How many Christian Russians did they kill? Who now controls most western governments through bribery, extortion and honey-trapping?

[@ciii707]

So you think history will help? Maybe, but recall a saying in Latin that translates roughly into "But who will guard those very same guardians?" Juvenal, Roman satirist born ~55 AD, died probably not later than 127 AD. His career overlapped that of Tacitus, for example. The "but" is lost in most translations, despite its being the first word in a dialog line written in dactylic hexameter, a meter in which the first syllable is accented, a meter frequently used in Latin poetry of his time. "Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes." The speaker is replying to a married man's question regarding how he can keep his wife at home during the lush Roman nights. That man's other friends have proposed watchmen, or guards, and Juvenal offers his advice as a question. Likewise, I that the history which citizens learn from today's tenured anarchists won't be one you recognize, but another, more like Lewis Carroll's.

[@WayWordWay]

And why the Academics of late seem to not want to teach history.

[@megasbaladoros]

I have 2 words for Mr Ferguson: "Fox News" I am not American. But I like to follow their news. It doesn't look to me that the Dems control 95% of the media. This whole thesis started off intriguing, but then it went weird and unconvincing. In t😢he end I think that it says more about the speaker's opinions than about the world.

[@J.R.Y.]

100%

[@mat3714]

Yea...it's full of crap. Literally. Just read some comments, it's half filled with russian talking points and conservative doom and gloom victimization glorifying the past and making ludicrous analogies about how it feels like late stage soviet union in the west.... this is a political monologue.

[@sebsebski2829]

So, every single media is democratic except Twitter and Fox News, and you're saying he's lying?

[@J.R.Y.]

@@sebsebski2829 Fox News is the biggest news network by ratings. It’s huge. Twitter is completely in the bag for the right wing. Huge audiences follow the biggest online personalities (which lean right). The idea that DEMs control the media landscape is laughable. If anything, the right wing is now the mainstream media.

[@HondoTrailside]

Fox is run by the kids now and they are somewhere between democrat and globalist. Not anywhere near what was just voted in heavily by a plurality. They fired the most valuable media property in the US, Carlson. Sure he goes overboard regularly but that never bothered them until his populism started to leak out.

[@johnmcgrath1929]

So the historical problem stems from debt slavery. Having private bankers issue and control the currency supply of a country. And to who the nation pays interest.

[@unclepete100]

I’m watching Ferguson on KZbin… Not all social media is lost…

[@jamesclark6487]

KZbin removes "right wing" comments constantly using AI. We have no insight into what is widely said. Not to mention YT videos and self censorship. A crime documentary about a serial r-word-ist, muted every time the offence is mentioned. And so on. The Iron curtain is there, waiting.

[@wayando]

Until they realize it, then shadow ban it ...

[@SimonHollandfilms]

this disconnect with voters is rampant with UK Labour party. their ideas and policies have become alien to the uk working class. there is a desperate need to reconnect with disenfranchised citizens....or Community driven, wealth levelling socialism is doomed.

[@garryrichardson4572]

I really hope and pray Donny boy gets to listen to all of this. I am Australian and I realise that US politics affects the whole world. Our government are pretty much the same ( Albo is no where near understanding what’s going on)

[@jjhpor]

All democracies that I am aware of seem to have fallen into the trap of demanding from their representatives quick fixes to long term problems without the voters having to experience any short term inconvenience. This attitude is fodder for demagogues and the world seems to be awash in them.

[@glenjones182]

Agree but I would Kamala in the same category

[@Betcsbirds]

@@glenjones182 She's WAY WAY worse than Trump.

[@petersanders2815]

I don’t think Donny will be getting elected after he gave the microphone stand a BJ!! LOL!

[@jaynebuchanan4612]

Thank you Niall. Well thought out and spoken!

[@frankyyaggabot6222]

Niall plays both sides of the Fence - 20 years ago he was championing DEI in US Universities while feathering his nest there. The winds must be changing!

[@lettersquash]

@@frankyyaggabot6222 Thanks for that. I didn't know, but his interesting facts followed by weird Trump-is-different conclusion made me suspect his motives.

[@englishincontext4025]

In his own way, Ferguson is describing the same societal polarisations as Matt Goodwin in the UK. Goodwin uses Rob Henderson's term 'luxury beliefs' to describe the espoused views of an ever-wealthier upper middle-class and 'elite' class who have done very well out of the mechanisms of globalism. These are people who no longer differentiate themselves through conspicuous spending and the blatant display of wealth but now demarcate their superiority by advocating for social causes such as climate change, mass immigration, lgbt± etc. Goodwin describes this advocacy as 'luxury beliefs' because espousing them provides a way of demonstrating a moral superiority with little to no cost to those holding those views. Conversely, those same luxury beliefs usually negatively impact the less well off, who don't have the money to send their kids to private school, who can't afford to live in more secure, well-off neighbourhoods, whose children don't have 'trust funds', or go to the best universities and have parents who hold lucrative positions in the financial sector. As Ferguson is pointing out, western society is rapidly segregating into those who by dint of money and connections can influence political and social life to best suit their own interests, and the rest of us, who are desperately trying to navigate and mitigate the effects of such policies are disenfranchised and increasingly powerless. When Schwsb said we'd have nothing and be happy, naturally he didn't include himself in that scenario.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

And Niall has no solutions, just more of the same. He is telling us to be "a more civil society", but without changing the system. He is going to tell us how to be happy even though he is happy for us still to have nothing. That is, he is a tool of The Establishment.

[@person.X.]

Great comment. Goodwin is on the money. There are quite a few people now from different perspectives who are highlighting this issue too such as Catherine Liu with her portrait of "Virtue Hoarders". She explicitly states that it is basically a class war with the PMCs (Professional and Managerial Classes) acting as well paid flunkies and enablers for the true elite (the very rich oligarchs) and the luxury beliefs are a way to denigrate the lower social orders to make it easier to disenfranchise and impoverish them.

[@Utopia_YT]

There is no "rapid economic growth" in the entire west, excluding Australia. Energy consumption has a correlation of over 0.95 with economic growth and it's flat/slightly declining in the US and Europe for over 20y.

[@fleetinghopes6448]

Australia's GDP has kept increasing (mainly due to very large numbers of immigrants recently), however the GDP _per capita_ has declined.

[@user-tj9bg6tz2p]

I like to listen to Ferguson and have read most of his books but I always take a deep breath when a man educated at Cambridge with a Phd from Oxford who is a Fellow at Stanford sneers at "Ivy League elites"

[@MrBallynally2]

Niall has fingers in many pots. Not bad for a Davos man..

[@andriesschoneveld429]

Is that the covid lunatic?

[@Pacdoc-Oz]

To me, the sharing of a valid perception, that the long march of Neo-marxism through the American institutions has been completed is not sneering at all but akin to saying, all our streams are polluted or all the air in our large cities is contaminated. He and I were both educated in wonderful institutions which were elite and enriching and ennobling human life and culture before this rot set in.

[@mataform]

This man was brought up in the hell that was Glasgow Scotland at the time. I’m Scottish so I know how hideous that was.

[@lllordllloyd]

It's also why he talks about climate change policy but not tax policy. The wealthiest contribute nothing- or as little as possible which is almost nothing- to society. That is the single reason for all our problems and why we have a declining standard of living and far more alienation in a country as fantastically wealthy as Australia: wealth that only has to be dug up and sold.

[@kakayou546]

The reason for life expectancy dropping and alcohol abuse in USSR is living standards were dropping fast. Real fast

[@elle.w.p]

Outstanding presentation, thankyou

[@dougsherman1562]

Brilliant. Thank you for a wonderful talk.

[@williamchirgwin8754]

Despair is here in Australia in our two party system that is soviet in nature; and it certainly showed how bad it was during COVID in how people were treated, locked up, forced to be vaccinated, and in general, oppressed. As a nation we are divided under two or maybe three flags, but thankfully the recent referendum did not succeed in dividing Australians further, much to the disappointment of a lot of Marxists including the PM.

[@matcole1975]

This is true. I trust ARC. It is common sense. Who trusts the WEF?

[@ML6103]

Is there somewhere in the speech he talks about the WEF? Minutes and seconds if you have it

[@zorbakaput8537]

@@ML6103 Phobia alert - The OP made a statement and posted a question he did not state the reference was in the speech, your diversion is disappointing and a shallow response.

[@winstonskafte5505]

Justin trudeau.

[@ValeryLevchenkoTurin]

One small correction - price of vodka was not subsidized in USSR, the opposite is true. Government regulated (or better to say assigned) its price to a pretty high level in comparison to the median wage. Vodka usage in soviet economy is very interesting. It was an unofficial payment method for various services. It was a way of getting foreign cash in abroad trips (for those who went abroad). And even the Soviet Central bank used tailored supply of Vodka to control the amount of cash in a given region.

[@ianbardon8581]

I took it as Tobacco

[@Robs_79]

Brilliant video. Thanks 👍🏼

[@alijames180]

Please speak about the WEF the Un and WHO

[@amraceway]

All products of the USA.

[@greggregson9687]

No need. They are just other wings/organisations of The Party.

[@amraceway]

@@greggregson9687 There is no party just asset managers.That is how capitalism works.

[@ML6103]

'please confirm my conspiracy theories for me please please please I need it'

[@MrBallynally2]

Niall steps out and back in w the Davos crowd..

[@johnwright9372]

There is a spiritual malaise in Western style democracies, but Ferguson fails to identify the cause and has no particular solutions. Neoliberal economic political ideology heralded the era of thoughtless greed by corporate boards who only have a duty to rapacious shareholders. The USA and UK have been one party states since Thatcher and Reagan. The political pendulum has shifted inexorably to the right. All the capital, technology, expertise and skilled jobs were sent to the cheapest sources of production in authoritarian states which are inimical to democracy, rule of law, individual freedoms. China, Russia and other similar regimes are actively trying to supplant the USA and a rules based order. People have lost faith not because of the Democrats, the Republicans, like the British Conservatives ARE the wealth. The public have lost faith because their leaders have become the bought creatures of billionaire oligarchs and there is little honour, integrity or honesty in the governing system. Leadership is missing.

[@108chapin]

Someone has been reading to many progressive blogs. The democracy of the united states became a patronage system doling out grants, welfare, government jobs, and subsidies as a method of controlling the voter base. As Ferguson shows in this video the richest counties in the USA vote blue. Our growth has been through "stimulus" given to those loyal to the regime to keep them loyal. Now the left is in favor of unending wars, giving tax dollars to multinational drug companies, and against striking railroad workers. A total inversion happened and you don't see it.

[@wfifa199]

👏👏👏👏

[@person.X.]

I think neoliberalism is less an economic philosophy than a counter revolution by those who felt aggrieved by the post war social and economic settlement. It is almost feudal. Masters and servants. The result is that we no longer have the democratic concept of people being the citizens of nation states that exist to look after their collective interests and well being. Leadership in our system now means looking after the interests of the oligarchs. The rest of us are literally just human resources to be used and abused as those oligarchs see fit. Globalisation and values that go with it is the device used to achieve this.

[@tbe0116]

100%. Perfectly said.

[@grannyannie2948]

Well said I agree

[@luisdominguez2087]

I agree with this guy, there are clear signs the anglosphere is in decline, especially after COVID-19, this shift was tickled after the pandemic even more... the moment calls for something else, however, neither of the options is divisible and suitable for the task.... Also. sorry but USSR shows in graphs decline in 1990 and after, not so much prior when it was USSR and not Russia yet.

[@Zukiwi]

Emmanuel Todd who predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union based it on the infant mortality rates - according to him, the US is on the same path, hence another similarity.

[@richardsaunders3743]

Good point, especially on the matter of connexion between academia and US Democrats. For one is at times reminded of comments by former ministers of social democratic type governments in Continental Europe, to this effect: ‘All the (sic)worker's parties of Europe now care more about Palestine than the proletariat, more about migrants than manufacturing, and more about homosexuals than housing’. There would likely be a similar story on the matter of Labour in UK and Australia, et al.

[@frankyyaggabot6222]

Obvious for decades but beware the Messenger who only lately has started singing this song for his supper: Niall played Academic games for decades. He massaged his way through Universities by bowing and scraping, by advancing the careers of Academics that were of the right 'type' and allowing History to be distorted and falsified. The man has a personal history of his own that is far from distinguished. That he elected to butter his bread at the expense of his own field of endeavour tells you everything you need to know about his principles. I would wager this is a paid performance and he adjusts his cadence and message for his Paymasters. Trust him at your peril.

[@richardsaunders3743]

@@frankyyaggabot6222 Good point there. One does certainly need to keep the powder dry.

[@user-xp2tv6wu9y]

So true! Amazing presentation and interesting views.

[@972vein]

Excellent listen, thankyou.

[@SinfidelityMusic]

Brilliant and Brutally honest ✌️💪🙏

[@valeriemacphail9180]

MSM in USA is bought and owned, as is congress, by AIPAC. No one in the USA has the foggiest idea about what is going in Gaza. l wonder why?

[@Real_OSHA_Unsafety_Engineer]

Who would have thought that pursuing a Liberal Hegemony is disastrous as much as Soviet Iron Curtain.

[@armandoacevedo6978]

Power must be decentralized as much as possible

[@deborahsmith8871]

Fascinating delivery.

[@unclepete100]

What’s wrong with that audience? Ferguson is quite witty on occasion, a laugh now and again wouldn’t be out of place.

[@Johnconno]

Fearful Academics isn't it?

[@williamtaylor9966]

The ‘audience’ may well be representative of who Ferguson was targeting?

[@unclepete100]

@ …😂…good grief, now you mention it! Didn’t occur to me. Thanks.

[@ciii707]

They disagreed that anyone not high on Cool-Aid could have an idea -- or be allowed to speak on media. Not to worry, it's just the world unlearning how to think.

[@Johnconno]

@@ciii707 I'm afraid that started in earnest around 2001. X

[@len2063]

Naill is right that the US have many similarities with the late USSR but it is not only the democrat fault in the in two party state of US.

[@softcolly8753]

Looking at the numpties that we have in UK politics with zero life experience, I would far rather have people that are old than inexperienced.

[@Johnconno]

In Britain you'll get old and inexperienced by your reasoning.

[@antonius_006]

Fiscal Policy big problems begun in the US with Ronald Reagan' s Reaganomics ?

[@thomaswayneward]

BS

[@epicphailure88]

​@@thomaswaynewardThanks to Reagan the Pharmaceutical companies can't be sued for childhood vaccine injuries.

[@TixNBurrsRanch]

You've spotted the fatal flaw in his grandiose thesis, where he's forgotten that exporting industrial employment delivers the workers into despair.

[@antonius_006]

@TixNBurrsRanch and as far as I know, inspired by Mílton Friedman, he helped the rich with "free lunch", while republicans complained about the poor having free lunch. Democrats made It worse.

[@gadzooks5541]

He's spot on with his analysis of the current situation and not just in America. The west in general has to varying degrees degenerated towards a socialist depressionist/authoritarian form of policy making, which is why a lot if countries are voting centre right to avoid the impending cataclysm that comes from rule by lies.

[@srelma]

A lot of countries? Let's look at the main European countries. Germany has a SPD led government (although it just declared a new election, but still). The UK has Labour in power with a bigger majority than ever. In France the election was won between the left and the far right party. The centre right was nowhere to be seen. In Italy the government is far right. Spain has a left wing government. Then Japan. They always have LDP as the government but even they lost seats in the election this year.

[@cdeford2]

He made a good case but presented no solutions. Maybe because there is no solution at this point.

[@mrfarenheit9159]

Atlantic States of America, Confederate States of America, Pacific States of America

[@Korgmeister]

There are solutions and there has been great effort and resources put into suppressing them, because it would end forms of rent seeking.

[@petersanders2815]

Even If there are actual solutions, unless they benefit the people who actually run the world, they won’t be allowed anyway. “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.”

[@fleetinghopes6448]

Solution? Niall had difficulty identifying the problems... The ones I could pick out from his talk: “gerontocracy” (in political leaders) -> but doesn’t this also apply to: Rupert Murdoch, Soros, Buffet… and those six old white guys that own as much as the bottom half of the global population? And since Corporations are “persons” aren’t they getting pretty old now (and very bureaucratic)?? And does he imply that the US should have voted for Harris, since she is young? No, definitely not, he is spruiking for Trump/Republicans. Does he mean to say that it will be fixed when JD Vance does his two terms following Trump's term? Niall doesn't say what a younger leader should do... “soft budget constraints” in govt, but also in monopolies and Big Corps who suckle on the teat of taxpayer funds. Trillions spent in the pandemic went to Big Corps and not SMEs and citizens. Trillions spent in the GFC went to Wall Street, Big Corps and not SMEs and citizens. Shows just who controls the government. No mention of this from Niall… Yes, its a “Welfare State”, but its not the welfare of the people - its the welfare of the Corporations and Wall Street. *Not* “Marxism/Communism”, but Capitalism. “Ivy League Elites” not in touch with ordinary Americans. But what power do the “Ivy League Elites” (Niall equates to Democrats) have? There is only one power in America and that is *money* . _Who_ funds the Ivy League Universities and dictates their policies/direction (and banning of free speech and peaceful protests)? All those professorial Chairs are named in honour of the rich donors that fund them. The elite capitalists, Wall Street “Masters of the Universe”, just as illustrated in the years leading up to the GFC, are also not in touch with ordinary Americans - after all, they all got bonuses for destroying the American and global economy while many ordinary people lost their homes and lost their jobs. -> I would categorise these as observations of similarities between the late Soviet and the current American situations, but he doesn't identify the *_causes_* of these phenomena. While his observations of _some_ similarities between one “Late Stage” ideological system and another “Late Stage” ideological system are valid, his analysis is lacking. His ability to ask *critical questions* of the system in the US is _deficient_ .

[@fleetinghopes6448]

​@@petersanders2815 This is somewhat unfortunate for us since the only actual solution involves benefitting the ordinary people and not allowing some small select privileged group of people to "run the world". On the geopolitical and geo-economic scene the countries excluded from "the big club"(of 7) (i.e. of those _with_ a 'big club') are indeed "making their own club that is inclusive".

[@simply_complex_42]

Great speech. Very revealing and thought provoking. Let’s hope people left the hall with a serious concern of what happens if they don’t actively contribute to making things better and the will to do so, rather than the easier thing to do - smile and reassure each other in the car on the way home that “it wont happen here…”

[@dc7370]

Conglomerates laugh. There just might be 7 million people incarcerated in the land of the free.

[@Cyberpunk9000]

Absolutely outstanding.

[@samuelcarmody6903]

So your answer to social cohesion in a time of widening wealth inequality rests in a billionaire (with eleven kids) and his personal corporate interests?

[@Matt-rw9py]

He’s got a good job as an academic professional, he doesn’t care about society or nation or whatever. It’s all about money today.

[@ciii707]

Of course. And your parties opinion leaders are Beyoncé, George Clooney, and Oprah Winfrey, so get off your cloud.

[@WmTyndale]

Brilliant and deep analysis. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Proverbs 31:6

[@PRLcafe]

Raised in communist Poland, basically all your points are right on the spot. Drinking pure vodka, my God, it was so incredibly prevalent behind iron curtain ! This despair was all over, my university was the only bright few years, but greyness in life dragged me down personally…if not for beautiful women of Poland and certain intellectual flair kept me going…but in the end i still left for USA. Now neo marxism has followed me here, cannot believe it..wokeness, geriatric „ leaders”, low IQ kamala …we are back to „ emperor without the clothes”.

[@sheenapearse766]

A bit of a beat up . I won’t be waiting from Donald and Elon to “save “ us .

[@marttivallila]

A brilliant talk! From a brilliant mind.

[@muskett4108]

There are on here those that blame capitalism for all our ills. Well, capitalism hasn't fully functioned for sometime where market forces dictate the price and worth, with competition keeping prices low. That is because socialism keeps interfering in the markets. I visited the Soviet Union in 1983, and Niall Ferguson makes a valid point. How can the educated elites be so thick? Well it's because these new middle classes are not as intelligent as they think they are, and envious of wealth, though desperate not top lose their own. Much of their wealth generated by the progress of industry and society ability for wealth creation, though not necessarily their industry, talent, or graft. Capitalism finds progress and graft wealth creation, and I've never found a poor person who wasn't a capitalist.

[@gordonmorgan6298]

To sum up, capitalism is free markets. Today we have manipulated markets. The game is rigged.

[@jeanpaulchristian3282]

please watch this in 2x speed becuase it will save you 10 minutes

[@s.v.discussion8665]

Niall is terrible.

[@ExpatZ266]

The Republicans won't save you either, they are the other faction of the Janus Party with only a different set of wedge issues to differentiate themselves. The policies you are showing as the problem are not part of those wedge issues. Keep enabling the two party system and you will keep getting exactly the same in perpetuity. This is what being couped looks like, Niall should know this from his own nations problems with the two party monopoly that behind closed doors are a single entity.

[@nonareally5228]

Weirdest thing- I woke up this morning with this thought of “the US establishment feels like the USSR at its end” and then this video pops on my feed a few hours later. Didn’t search for it; didn’t even speak about it. New thought- has the algorithm gotten this good at predicting what your next interests will be? So good that, just by knowing what you interact with, it can estimate with this kind of specificity what your next moves will be? Genuinely terrifying

[@soundknight]

Watch Eric Weinstein's interview with Chris Williamson next, it explains the demographic control of power.

[@soundknight]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoq1ioueipmerq8si=P6R7p9WF963TaJy-

[@mrfarenheit9159]

Agreed...and the machinations of the deep security state...his explanation of "magicians choice" is unusually apprapo as well

[@ikaustralia]

Pretty much: to a Soviet kid Australia looks like a flashback to a childhood 😅

[@paulmcmurray5777]

Deindustrialization is a culprit in the US & Canadian in favour of a corporate 3rd World wage discount for the 1 Percenters. A country that does not have foundational industrial autonomy is a state failing.

[@trytwicelikemice3190]

11:56 sorry but am I missing something here? From how I'm reading the graphs, the anti-alcohol policy _did_ work, it was upon the end of that that consumption and deaths spiked?

[@fleetinghopes6448]

I think Niall is missing something. I don't think he actually looked at the graph properly because it is evidence _against_ his argument. Since he used that graph of alcohol consumption is he implicitly suggesting that the solution is to entice Russian President Putin to be the American President? Since there is a clear correlation between the term of Putin with significant and steady declines to an acceptable level of alcohol consumption. Or maybe Niall is picking Cherry Advokat… And he refers to “the dying phase of Soviet Union”, but the gigantic spike in consumption was during the Western Capitalist exploitation of Russia in the mid 90s. (And including election/political interference by Hilary/US to install Yeltsin (the leader of alcohol if ever there was one) to remove all constraints on Western capital exploitation. As well as ignoring Jeffry Sachs advice to provide credit/loans to Russia over the transition period, exactly as he advised and was accepted for Ukraine and Poland, but which was denied by the State Dept. (i.e. intention to collapse/weaken Russian economy) for Russia.)

[@trytwicelikemice3190]

I think we agree on Niall fudging his data analysis, I'm not sure we agree on our own analyses, although tbh I'm not exactly an expert with a leg to stand on. My suspicion is that the US withheld financial support not due to some Machievelian scheme to crush Russia (surely they'd rather it succeed as a capitalist enterprise?), more that the insane corruption held them off. My only possible reason for why they didnt support Russia but did support other ex-soviet states is scale, and ability to absorb losses to corruption. Like I said though, I'm no expert, just guessing.

[@BravoCharlie]

I adored Niall’s book ‘The Square and the Tower’ - this is fascinating and I appreciate it being online. Thank you!

[@jamesgouveia5267]

For me his masterpiece is The Ascent of Money

[@alanmacmillan6957]

really good analysis I feel there.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The high levels of debt in the United States leading to high servicing costs have been incurred mainly through obscenely high tax cuts to corporations and the extremely wealthy. This is why the country is unlikely to solve the problem as these rich oligarchs have too much influence over the government.

[@truxton1000]

It would have happened anyway…

[@tbe0116]

Even taxing the extremely wealthy at 100% would barely put a dent in the deficit.

[@truxton1000]

@@tbe0116 Exactly, but it would be very very damaging for the economy as a whole, it would ruin it.

[@francoluissotomayor3123]

Been asking that myself lately, love KZbin

[@j.rustage3794]

The way I heard it, Russian male life expectancy dipped AFTER the collapse of the Soviet Union and old 'state capitalist enterprises' were being privatised or dying with resultant mass unemployment. That was largely the story of life under Yeltsin and the influx of Chicago School economists, was it not? Fun facts about about the vodka habit in Russia; vodka production was a a monopoly run by and for the Russian royal family. It was an importance source of income AND it helped to placate and anaesthetise the workforce. The Bolsheviks / Lenin did away with the vodka industry and Stalin revived it. Question: are all those opioid deaths purely the result of 'despair at the intellectual hegemony of The (Democratic) Party'? Are they totally unconnected to the names Purdue and Sackler? BTW I passed through Moscow as a traveller in the mid 80s and yes, according to what little I saw, the cynicism of the populace was justified and healthy; more so that the empty sloganeering (MAGA) and chanting of 'U-S-A, U-S-A' of late.

[@socratesrocks1513]

Excellent talk. Thank you

[@careypaulus6316]

Full-on Trumper 😂