Niall Ferguson in seminar at UATX: Cold War II

Founding Trustee and professor Niall Ferguson gives a seminar on the ideological, geopolitical, and technological challenges free societies face today. Session recorded at UATX Live on the University of Austin campus in February 2024.

[@beezas]

As a working-class lad from Newcastle UK these lectures are gold dust. What I'd give to be in that room learning with Niall. Thank you so much for sharing 👍

[@nikitaw1982]

buy a book he's written. i'm sick of the bed feeder formats of facebook and KZbin

[@xushenxin]

😂 you sure it is gold dust not shit crumbs? He is a propaganda figure

[@yj9032]

@@xushenxinexactly

[@TTFN55]

@beezas - Top lad from Newcastle, don't you mean?

[@chrisnuk]

I don't understand these comments. Obviously his books are better at getting into the detail, but he's great at explaining complex things orally too. I'm also from a working-class background. I didn't know that I didn't know this stuff growing up and going to university and doing maths didn't help me realise that. Propaganda is a cheap shot. Niall helps me make sense of the world. In disagreement and derision (I'm thinking Noam Chomskey) he's respectful. I've got a LOT of time for that. This sort of belittling and effectively calling someone you don't know on KZbin a shill is not convincing anyone.

[@louislegendre8714]

This is what universities are supposed to be like. 👍

[@nadinechandler8879]

I dream of studying geopolitics, law and philosophy, this is as close as I'll get. Thank you!!!!

[@TTFN55]

I have to go searching for the author of the term "Mutually Assured Economic Destruction" very soon as it appears to be a phrase worth considering these days.

[@subedi04]

Sincerely humbled by your comment.

[@matthewparlato5626]

Niall's brilliance was expected. The Students ' brilliance was refreshing as all.

[@GerryJudd]

This is the second seminar I've watched from UATX and I'm struck by the fact that in both seminars people, both teacher and student, weren't afraid to say 'I don't know'! This is the essence of the pursuit of truth, acknowledging ignorance, but striving to discover factual truth in order to banish ignorance. Long live UATX!

[@mommabearand2cubs]

Bravo Professor Ferguson and your emerging critical thinkers! Thank you for inviting in the world!

[@michaelfolkson]

Ferguson is brilliant. Great to see him find such bright, engaged students

[@aimhigh3701]

Very cool to share a tutorial like this! You don’t have see this online. Great for people who aren’t familiar with university settings and classes.

[@Dreadnought16]

I wish I was young enough to participate in such an amazing institution. But this gives me some hope for the future of the West. Thank you all!!

[@Martin-qm2lg]

Very fortunate to have a top history professor who believes in truth and has convictions and principles share a tutorial of smart thinking people discussing very important issues and topics. This is education!

[@RN-lo6xc]

Excellent topic coverage and academic approach by Niall, but I would emphasise the impressive contributions by these students as well! I look forward to following the university and its alumni’s progress.

[@mpetry912]

this was a fabulous, thought provoking discussion. thank you.

[@terrracottta]

What a delightful and thought-provoking seminar!

[@simonnilsson5356]

This is the top 5 highest value per minute video on KZbin. Wow!

[@theitalianliner1726]

It’s refreshing to see an actual history class, focusing on real and consequential items. The sad part comes when you realize they had to start an University from scratch to provide this once widely available opportunity. I get a survivor, catacomb-Christian era kind of vibe.

[@nross4689]

What a delight to be able to listen in on this discussion. I applaud the students for being willing to engage in the discussion, as it was being filmed. I hope to see more of these classes in the future. Such a lovely change to be able to hear ideas being presented and discussed.

[@DoricDon]

Wonderful discussion! Thank you for sharing this.

[@williamsnowden8186]

Well, well, well ...a group tutorial in which everyone is encouraged to participate without fear or favour, conducted by a tutor who teaches facts. It reminds me of tutorials that i participated in over 50 years ago. Amongst my peers were Conservatives, Liberals, Socialists, and a Maoist. We debated passionately but civily and remained friends. No one was "cancelled." I wish Niall Ferguson and his fellows well. An admirable venture.

[@MrAjfish]

Fantastic discussion. I hope for many more like it.

[@jamesleet8330]

This was truly an excellent discussion. Thank you for sharing.

[@nicoleandalfonso6355]

Such lucky students

[@GeorgeSmiley77]

Everyone here is a lucky student

[@earldavidson4995]

Great discussion

[@marcusfisher3941]

Amazing seminar, I wish my university experience had a session like this. A great example of excellence in education!

[@TheWhitehiker]

Good idea--video UATX classes; the students seem committed and balanced.

[@Michael-tz7tj]

Please keep posting these discussions

[@FrancescoGranieri]

What a great exchange between students and teacher.

[@nathanngumi8467]

A very fascinating lecture and discussions!

[@williedigital]

1:42:15 "I think one could conceivably make the argument that I was wrong." Model of humility.

[@johnl5316]

I was in the USSR for 1 month in 1967 and 2 weeks in eastern Europe. I visited the USSR 4 times over the years. On the last trip, in 1973, Leningrad looked very much worse than in 1967. That was a mere 5 years.

[@craigwatson4565]

Sir Niall Ferguson's teaching style demands two things: Be smart, and come prepared.

[@snowbirdsurfer2474]

This is the best advertisement for the UATX project. More please. As for the central question, the culture in the west has been enervated by postmodernism. It has lost the will to fight. This will become evident when we slump over Taiwan. See UK and Suez for the cliff notes.

[@x0rn312]

1:26:00 a fantastic point, and another great example of American exceptionalism

[@BarryFranks]

These students are so fortunate. And I am impressed by there focus and dialogue. More of this! This is the true Professor/Student dialogue we should be broadcasting to the country/world. Not the ideologically possessed shouting of radical morons.

[@Kyushu314]

Wow! Step aside Harvard and Stanford?

[@drekmastermind]

What a lovely way of teaching

[@JenniferMoleski]

It appears that the teacher is teaching and the students are learning and everyone is thinking... Are you sure this is at a University???

[@johnl5316]

in the 60's & 70's my classes at Stanford WERE like this

[@oneukum]

Do you count the German vs. British rivalry 1900 - 1914 as Cold War 0 ?

[@johnl5316]

how cool to be in the 1st class at UA

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Very well done led discussion!

[@JoseSantos-kc6om]

Have to say those students seem very smart

[@simonmasters3295]

Because they are engaged?

[@johnl5316]

This reminds me of seminars at Stanford in the late 60's & early 70's.

[@xomariajane]

This is the way!

[@maxquirk6688]

Wow.. what a class.

[@junkscience6397]

The problem to me is: during the Cold War, we had Communism universally perceived as an existential threat. It had taken half of Europe, China and was working its way into "post-colonial" countries across the world. Because of this major threat, the Left (every bit as rabid at heart as they are now) couldn't go as far as they wanted to domestically, because the vast majority of people in the West were obviously "anti-Communist". After the end of the Cold War, and the supposed end to the communist threat...there's no end to the extremes that the Left feel they can now fly off to, and the results show in our societies. Nobody's afraid of being checked for being "Red" or investigated under some McCarthy-esque hunt for "traitors" - being a traitor and denigrating Western cultures, peoples, ethics and history are all cool in today's society! Throw in unfettered immigration, legal and illegal, from non Judeo-Christian countries and cultures and you have a recipe for eventual cultural collapse and national downfall.

[@rwrae72]

Interesting that the students write notes in notebooks and not laptops.

[@unavailableaz09]

It's one of UATX's stated policies that students shouldn't enter lectures with laptops or smartphones, so as not to record and publish lecturer's or student's comments, thus encouraging open discussion.

[@StereoSpace]

What every student wishes their classes were like.

[@kevinlinton3582]

George Orwell's '1984' should be the first read, but the second book to read is 'Brave New World' by Audius Huxley.

[@RustyBigguns]

This is quite stunning. What a seminar! How do I enrol?

[@Bailiol]

Nice discussion. Quite a few mature students it seems too!

[@hrnfw4818]

Kudos for touching on the greatest intelligence failure of modern history that no one, especially the intelligence community, anticipated the collapse of the Soviet Union . This would imply a structural intellectual rejection of this possibility which was at variance with reality which has not subsequently been widely discussed / analyzed . How we in retrospect collectively ignored the obvious is a subject ripe for analyses in order to avoid future repetition. Expansion of this topic with regards to potential structural blind spots in in US - China attitudes that might lead to such intelligence failures would be prescient.

[@CristinaDaniel-e2i]

I can't define it. But having lived through one, it feels like we are in one. And the enemy seems faceless.

[@dilloneliassen9622]

Because America has two oceans and friendly countries as neighbors, its enemies have to get creative in direct action (Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Covid, TikTok) as well as use its ideals against it. Freedom of movement and freedom of speech, free markets of both products and ideas provide cover for bad actors to smuggle in ways to undermine American ideals.

[@defaultytuser]

Excellently put

[@hawkiebaby]

I remember in-depth seminars like this in history at my alma mater in the early 2000s with pretty left wing professors who managed to restrain from politicizing the discussion quite well.

[@tuckerbugeater]

Did they announce they were starting Cold War 1?

[@oldernu1250]

And no one blew a whistle to signal the end.

[@eugene_dudnyk]

Mr Ferguson can calm himself down as much as he likes that this war will be cold, and that (non-)reactive strategy of NATO will be enough, but without the readiness of making the war hot from NATO, you will get exactly that - the hot and maybe nuclear war.

[@sturam30]

Which one of Orwells letters were discussed in the beginning?

[@sturam30]

“You and the Atom Bomb”

[@OrwellsHousecat]

🐱

[@wendellbabin6457]

35:44 This is absolutely the approach of China no matter what Political System(s) it tries to operate qith or under. The Ultimate Definition of "The Long Game" that a "Herding Cats" Western Liberal Democracy is FAR too chaotic almost by DEFINITION will never be able to Achieve realistically. To multicultural, mililti EVERYTHING really. And INCREASINGLY so in the US for Generations. And Probably the origin of MOST of the expansion of the Feds. As well as "Deep State" Conspiracy theories, Right Left and all over the Map. A level of almost GENETIC DISTRUST of WHOMEVER is in power of ANYTHING because every HUMAN knows power corrupts is a Reality as SOLID as Gravity and taxes going up FOREVER. Or FINANCIAL collapse. Because, as DeTocqueville noted about the US at the BEGINNING for all intents and purposes that No Politician faced with Extinction CAN NOT refrain drom buying votes out of the Public Trough. In whatever form on whatever "side". Past, present or future.

[@bartoszlubczonok2941]

Where America is located determines close to all of human history. The US is a unique case. In all human history. But NOT because of the Constitution. Rather, because of a GEOGRAPHICAL position that differs fundamentally from the same for ANY other country. The size and geographical position of the US makes it a completely different KIND of power to ALL other powers.

[@harml3ss28]

I am surely missing something or am conditioned by tiktok to expect arguments, but was there much direct disagreement among the group here? Love the discussion and the points made, but not sure that the boundaries were revealed (at least to my coddled brain) between differing views. Well done for being open, sharing and agreeing to be filmed for this seminar.

[@888YangJi]

they were just in denial of reality and patting each other on the back and sucking each other off.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

(I do think it's nice being able to sit in on some of these discussions. Thank you.) No. You and others are incorrect in my view. The Cold War was uniquely almost all-encompassing on nearly all fronts. To claim whatever this is, is clearly just another is to trivelize that era. The USA's relationship with China is high economic competition in the same global system by many of the same means, and firm secondary motivations to either hold territorial political entities in place or have them altered, but just in the South-China Sea, not globally. Even just this is all secondary. Foe the USA the domestic front not only is, but must be the main front in the actual conflict important to the USA. Even more important to the USA even if China hypothetically dominated the South-China Sea. I say that with substantial understanding of what that would mean globally, economically, and geo-politically, in all it's negatives. The main conflict and struggle for the USA is The Cold Civil War. In every way domestic matters matter more to the USA overall then global affairs and competition. Unlike during THE Cold War, the emerging balancing act will increasingly be to firmly place global affairs after domestic priorities and struggle. Accept this reality.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

It's about the USA surviving and possibly coming to better know what it really is the legacy of and what it can yet truly be, VS seeking to reinforce the outwardly Liberal, universalist, materialist, agnostic espousing, post-national technology seeking Global World Order thats increasingly been around since WWII, and thrown into absurd arrogant hyperdrive following the end of The Cold War. Which do you think more people, whether they really know it to various different and comparative degrees or not, genuinely feel more concern for?

[@mikeschaefer2808]

Absolutely fantastic for me !!!

[@juanzulu1318]

One thought of mine: if the atomic bomb created a semi-peaceful status quo were both sides feared that if used then the other side will use it as well then what will happen if both sides change that argument slightly and think that the other will never use their bomb (because of the fear of retaliation). Couldnt this actually lead to an INCREASE in conflicts? I mean, we see this in the Ukraine-Russian war were many EU politicians argue: "No problem, we can escalate, Putin will never use his atomic weapons" Greetings from Germany

[@msomayya2828]

Balls Lincoln and grant solved the problem that is why America is great

[@msomayya2828]

Neal of all the books I have read pity of war is the ultimate 65000 flower of British youngsters in the battle of Somme unpardonable

[@bartoszlubczonok2941]

I don't think the Roman Empire degeneration vs the American degeneration analogy works. These are completely different geopolitical blocks.

[@msomayya2828]

We did not have a Lincoln and Grant

[@patireads]

We’re going through a very Orwellian reality in Brazil.

[@OrwellsHousecat]

🐱 + EUSSR

[@kevinlinton3582]

I believe that China is the best example of a Totaltarian state that the world currently has. Unfortunately, I see the western world (including the USA) slipping into Totalitarianism and many parts of the western economies are actively pursuing this for economic reasons. It seems to me that Totaltarianism borrows from both capitalism and communism and creates the conditions for perpetual cold war around the world. However, if the world does slip into Totaltarianism it will be very homogenous world with few alternative systems upon which we can rely to compete and provide incentive for change...a very bleak future indeed and a recipy for stagnation. I believe that the democratic government system is at the apex of ruling government and has ideals worth fighting for. This is why we have an obligation to educate ourselves and discredit the woke theology that seems to be dragging us down that path.

[@WNxShisno]

China recently changed the child policy to 3, if I recall correctly.

[@davidhorne3459]

Big call to say 'we won the cold war'. The west did nothing when the Soviet tanks rolled into Hungary in November 1956. The war ended then

[@陌陌-n6b]

America is not a nation state but an empire with multi-national people. China is not a nation state but a nation empire.

[@randygault4564]

I think I need an answer to why UATX has ALREADY cancelled a lecturer based on viewpoint.

[@MrStumpmeister]

Interesting, please... Who have they cancelled? And for what reason?

[@WideAwakeHuman]

The Chairman resigned - Marietta - after being told by the Dean that they have to get all events pre-approved for content and what not after some student protested.

[@tuckerbugeater]

Anyone that calls out Fauci's bioweapons program. @@MrStumpmeister

[@OrwellsHousecat]

I'm actually not surprised. Everything in this session was highly ideological

[@WideAwakeHuman]

@@OrwellsHousecat what does that mean?

[@888YangJi]

Most of his information about China is more 15years old, He was a guest lecturer in Beijing's university, he wrote a book sucking up to the CCP, but the Chinese did not renew his contract because they saw no value in his academic work. He was quite bitter about the experience and had been trash talking China ever since. Don't believe me look it up yourself. China is now ahead of America in solar, battery, wind turbine, EV, telecommunications, global trading, infrastructure, biotech, public healthcare, public safety, public transportation, just to name a few. Also China filed more patents at WIPO than America 5years in a row, and out of world's top10 patent producers, four are Chinese company and only two are America.

[@debugyeh]

one detail that they missed was that the US maintains a nuclear first strike policy

[@chrisg8264]

They are all sitting so close together

[@softde]

I don’t know how many people in that classroom have been to China, if much of discussion is about China. Just like what professor experienced in East Germany.

[@WideAwakeHuman]

Idk but not sure it matters that much - one can learn a massive amount about a place without ever living there or spending much time there. If that’s what you’re getting at anyway, maybe not. Niall said that he’s been there and had conversations with people in leadership positions so there is that.

[@tuckerbugeater]

Niall is a court liar for Kissinger and the Rothschilds. How can you trust a thing he says? @@WideAwakeHuman

[@888YangJi]

@@WideAwakeHuman Niall Ferguson hasn't been to China in the last 10years, he was bitter about China, because he was sucking up to the Chinese, but Chinese did not saw value in him, and did not renew his contract in Beijing.

[@juanzulu1318]

1:43:29 in what sense do "the Brits tolerate a much worse cancer rate"?

[@tanannie7914]

Taiwan is not a Chinese nation. To That discussant who speaks at 1:08.

[@msomayya2828]

The British Empire arbitrarily divided

[@陌陌-n6b]

Using War to frame the current global order and international relations as well as that in the near future, is actually itself a kind of conpiracy or more tactically decribed a strategic preparation from US to solve its own internal deadlock both ideaologically, monetarily and economically. Niall, one of the famous histrical writer who is also my favorite scholar, unfortunately, either dictated or out of the ambition to be the most influential liberal imperialist, emerged to be a academic proxy of the Anglo-Saxen regime.

[@simony276]

The containment should be this unscrupulous hegemonic power.

[@tb8865]

Orwell was kind of right and kind of wrong. Totalitarianism doesn't necessarily look like the Stalinism he feared. Read Augusto Del Noce for a better understanding of what happened in the West. Truth is, the Cold War was really 1984 (USSR) vs. Brave New World (America).

[@OrwellsHousecat]

Thanks for the reference - I hadn't heard of that one. 1. Sheldon Wolin wrote about Inverted Totalitarianism, in reference to USA. Presumably he'd also include the same for the Empire's vassals. He's trapped in a left/right polarised view though, so when reading him I was struck by how reversed the roles are to reality - perhaps that's the only way to get published though. 2. Several accounts have claimed that Eric wrote 1984 not about USSR but about USA, and how puppeteers such as James Burnham, Walter Lippmann etc were managing the regime & peasants.

[@msomayya2828]

Perfidious Albion

[@oldernu1250]

Some never had to lick the black boot. Ferguson does not cause much focus, he is content to permit rambles. Guileless students.

[@williedigital]

Sad irony in how much like a Cultural Revolution-era "study session" this is. The namedropping interjection of "red pill" talking points by the students really tells you all you need to know about the University of Austin--save money and just stick to your podcast/youtube feed. At least Ferguson is keeping the tradition of conceited professorship alive.

[@jackma1548]

Not cold war 11 but hot war 111

[@jhrusa8125]

If you want to listen to a geopolitical analyst who has a great track record on his predictions, unlike Neil, listen to Peter Zeihan.

[@Yvette-p9q]

Ps Poland is another country that uses its constitution from even earlier time!

[@msomayya2828]

We would have had a broken country

[@wendellbabin6457]

12:55 I'm a FIRM unwashed dweller of "Flyover Country" in a poor State in US. PROUDLY as it us possible to be. And 3 generation Navy Vet. So far. But this is like Nietzsche in the 19th, and Dostoevsky level "Future Think" as best I can manage being unable to read either from start to finish. But able to follow discussions of for to masses by various folks un the decades after. Cannot believe at least ONE of the students had never read 1984 at least apparently. But I guess that is indicative. I would like to know if these students are here for Masters, or PhD. They all seem older for a BS is why I am curious. I'm old enough to qualify for geezer status. I often think of myself as one of Wokes First round of casualties of First Generations of the long march thru public education as a student in the 70s as a White Male working class child every BIT as cantankerous as now. Got to where I just moved my desk in the corner to save them the trouble of telling me to go there.

[@vich1393]

As an old man who was there during the cold war, having studied the history of the Soviet Union in the 1960's and continuing to love history, I must say that I just had a feast. What a marvelous discussion and example of good teaching this provides!

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

divine central authority unity with substantive human rights choice for international law overcome political government separation from God tell each person what to do

[@msomayya2828]

As the French always said

[@xushenxin]

He is good actor. He acts like a professor, but empty talk no content and no use at all.

[@paulmaggs3212]

Please enlighten us …

[@888YangJi]

​@@paulmaggs3212 his information about China is about 15years old, he hasn't been to China in the last 10years. He was a guest lecturer in Beijing, he wrote a book sucking up to the Chinese, but the Chinese did not renew his contract because they saw no value in his academic work. He was quite bitter about the experience. China is now ahead of America in solar, battery, wind turbine, EV, telecommunications, global trading, infrastructure, biotech, public healthcare, public safety, public transportation, just to name a few. Also China filed more patents at WIPO than America 5years in a row, and out of world's top10 patent producers, four are Chinese company and only two are America.

[@williamsnowden8186]

44:29

[@lloydgush]

Chinese dude is the first to leave for a pee and snack.

[@msomayya2828]

No body can loose men

[@msomayya2828]

Neal these guys don't understand We die

[@jlarson1040]

I listened to the first half of the discussion and it was very apparent to me of the political leanings of the Prof. Ferguson. The Univ of Austin was supposed to be apolitical where students could study without being subjected to the liberal influences that pervade most universities (or so it's claimed by Prof Ferguson). What I heard in the hour that I listened was discussion about how George Orwell was wrong about certain things and about how Clinton and Obama were wrong about China. Of course, he had nothing but praise for Henry Kissinger who was a war criminal by all accounts. I guess that I'm not surprised by what I heard. I'm sure that the majority of students (white males) that attend the Univ of Austin have a Republican bias and feel quite at home.

[@888YangJi]

touché

[@陌陌-n6b]

Judged from this lecturing process, Niall became crystalized more as an academic proxy for liberal imperialism or even propaganda than a ideaology neutral economic-political scholar. It's a pity and I won't treat him as esteemed as before. Compared with Prof. John Mearsheimer, he was more like a politician rather than a political scientist and authentic historian. You could have a political stand and ideaology, but your analysis and theory should be developed and conducted more neutrally and unbiasedly.

[@wendellbabin6457]

40:24 This can ONLY work if EVERYONE in the same Political Boat is rowing constantly as they are able. No SINGLE Nation,nuclear or not, can sustain the Economic burden of containment singlehandedly. Even an Economy as Fruitful and Dynamic as the US'S and the Broader West has been. But it can not also support a cradle to grave unaccountable Welfare State nobody even seems to either be able or willing to eacape once they fall into it. Not even through Military Service which NOBODY mentions pays for college. Either BS, or Med School and such it needs to fill as well but only ONE IR OTHER. Never both. But, while enlisted offers correspondence courses and often Civilian Instructors for basic courses and night classes etc in English either as a college level class EVERY University requires in Junior Division or their equivalent Freshman Level course loaf before matriculation into their Major or Minor requiements if a Command is large enough. Folks can knock a significant portion of transfer credits while on acrive duty in their off hours. Also offers English as a second language courses if demand is large enough at bases of same sort of size. These can often be taught by Officers assigned to that base. Then G.I. Bill, that sadly was done away with while I was serving. The Recruiter never mentioned this particular tid bit at the time though. And the bill is one of the few, if not ONLY Federal "Program" that had an ROI far in excess of any other since it's inception. A single enlistment is ALSO A Path to Citizenship AND job training and SAME college benefits ro Foreign Born as well. NOBODY EVER mentions this in the "Immigration Debate". EVER! Especially the Left. Talk about recruiting opportunities! But qualifying for enlistment is tough for third world folks, but not impossible if Parents know about it AT ALL. All over the World. Military scholarships and ROTC is NEVER promoted by the left either. Only "Free Stuff" or loans students will never pay off with a Degree in Feminist Art History.