What Putin Fears More Than War

[@chatnoir1224]

I was independent observer on Moscow mayor elections in 2013, when current mayor Sobyanin competed against Navalny (yes, that Navalny). One of the task was to be a part of "mobile group" and visit old people who couldn’t walk to the election station so they can vote using "mobile voting box". Every single elderly person told that they received "gift from Sobyanin". "Gifts" was delivered by government social worker. Soviet boomers are the backbone of Putin's regime. They will support it till their last breath.

[@ekesa07632]

Well God forbid you tell the regime supporters that cause they’ll have a stroke

[@christianweibrecht6555]

I wonder if there are any past dictatorships that seniors don't have nostalgia for my Italian grandmother believed the only bad thing Mussolini did was join the Axis

[@ekesa07632]

@@christianweibrecht6555 my dad is 70 so you could say he is a senior. Definitely doesn’t miss the Soviet Union 💀

[@JustinWoo]

Screw fascists but if he hadn't joined the Axis, he would've been able to rule til he died, like Franco. The Allies only destroyed fascists states that fought back. Again, screw fascists.

[@chico9805]

​@@JustinWoo The allies were and are fascists. Hell, most major nations today are fascist; you clearly are ignorant of what the term means.

[@erloriel]

What Putin truly fears the most is a reasonably-sized table.

[@TheMotlias]

The horror

[@bababababababa6124]

Ahh don’t jumpscare us like that

[@existentialcrisisactor]

I soiled my armor! 😂

[@dl1083]

What Putin truly fears most is a perfectly even hairline.

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

Putin fears shopping for shoes like a regular and secure man.

[@archipiratta]

Imagine being age 49 in 1991 having just worked 20+ years in a Russian mine with the view of getting a sweet pension only for the rug to be pulled out from under you 😤

[@joshinya66]

Like social security for Americans in their mid 30s and older.

[@Larkinchance]

Admittedly, 1991 to 2000 were the Yeltsin years. The American candidate who presided over economic shock therapy.

[@mjkittredge]

imagine becoming disabled in America and getting $600 dollars a month to live on

[@Tespri]

only low IQ people think they will ever see their pension. Even in the west this is simply impossible.

[@Tespri]

@@mjkittredge still better than being disabled in ruzkiez

[@Blex_040]

As a German, it's quite the curveball to see the colors of the German flag there at 6:30 in the middle of the protest until I saw the symbol and realized, it's the flag of East Germany.

[@yurichtube1162]

You Gernans are happy that America blew up nordstreams it seems. Olaf Scholz still refers to Joe Biden as "big boss".

[@chatnoir1224]

It was 1 May day socialist march. What did you expect? :)

[@michaelmarchanda]

@@chatnoir1224 you don´t get the point, coz at this time the national flag of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was obsolete

[@matthiasklopke161]

Same here

[@nikezh6823]

@Al Because it is East Germany, the communist one but i think it is more nostalgic thing than ideological at least if we are talking about this flag only I am from Moscow btw

[@MrThatguyuknow]

I had a coworker who grew up in Norilsk. He used to laugh about how unbelievably terrible it was there. If it was any less, I'm sure he'd cry, but It was so ridiculous he talked about it like he was pranked.

[@velhari5942]

Better Norilsk than Detroit.

[@Game_Hero]

@@velhari5942 Detroit is not in the middle of nowhere in the arctic circle.

[@leechrec]

@@velhari5942 Detroit is the Hilton compared to Norlisk

[@deaththekid3998]

That’s a common trauma response, I hope your coworker is ok now

[@sammiller6631]

@@Game_Hero Detroit is closer to Ohio than Norilsk is.

[@jameswarrington9402]

A war often stirs patriotism and makes a politician temporarily more popular. But only briefly. Especially if the war is lost.

[@troodon1096]

It will make people love their country, until the coffins start coming back. Then it has the opposite effect. And yes, especially if they're losing.

[@Sam-O-matic]

"STEP 1: SECURE THE KEYS!"

[@beaconhousepechsfilm-makin8187]

"STEP 2: ASCEND FROM DARKNESS! "

[@SoulDuckling126]

"STEP 3: RAIN FIRE"

[@patrickangeloamable7784]

Where’s Reznov?

[@cjmpaja]

"STEP 4: UNLEASH THE HORDE!"

[@jw1731]

"Step 8 Reznov, freedom!" "For you, Mason, not for me!"

[@Ynhockey]

As someone from the Soviet Union: few in the West realize just how much "the government will take care of everything" mentality is ingrained in the Soviet psyche, especially in Russia outside of the two big cities. Long past the collapse, parents still recommended their kids to have careers with poor pay and prospects, but with government benefits like housing, i.e. work 20 years and get a free tiny apartment. The video is totally right that it was the most fundamental social contract, and large parts of it remain to this day. Maxim Katz made a video recently about Peskov where he talks about it briefly but clearly (there are English subtitles). The war has made the situation much worse in Russia too, because so many young people left, either being drafted or escaping the draft.

[@kathymartin1321]

Hello from 🇺🇸

[@markusParkus233]

Very interesting.

[@markobucevic8991]

So many!? Have you seen the numbers compared to russias total population?

[@Ynhockey]

​@@markobucevic8991 At an extremely conservative estimate of 1 million men between 20 and 40 who were either drafted or left so far, that's about 5% (!) of the entire male cohort for those ages. That is an incredible number, and it could already be double. As the war continues, this number is increasing at a frightening pace.

[@markobucevic8991]

@@Ynhockey Where is your proof for that!? We know that the russian army, not the one inside ukraine is 1.1 million big. They invaded with around 250k and mobilized another 300k, not counting the volunteers from ukraine. so where the hell did you pull one million men? We know that russia was outnumbered from the start of the war.

[@harshithareddy9195]

"He might find some solutions with the help of ChatGPT" I chuckled at this. Excellent video, love the buildup initially and finally dealing with the main concept.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

poohtin has a $75,000 gold toilet

[@infectedrainbow]

gotta be in the top tier of segways lol.

[@moldovanmoldovan7593]

you're cheap. He is worth trillions likely, if counting all assets he de-facto holds@@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885

[@zumabbar]

ChatGPutin

[@ronskancke1489]

​@@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885a 75000$ toilet is drop in the bucket when you have embezzled 100 billion dollars or more and stashed it in in acceptable places thruout the world under others names and more. Putin could be the richest person in the world if his ill gotten gains could be tracked. He has one thing in common with Biden on that subject.

[@jumpdawg799]

Don't think of it as falling out a window, think of it as Concrete Poisoning.

[@ILovePancakes24]

Acute gravitational disease

[@tellyboy17]

The official term is "defenestration" BTW.

[@jumpdawg799]

@@tellyboy17 Only if you are in Prague

[@joeschmo9953]

Sudden deceleration syndrome

[@bartsimpson8616]

NOO THOSE SPECIALITIES ARE YOUR INVENTION AND YOUR PRIDE ,

[@jessemercado4848]

One of the most well put together presentations I have seen in a along time. Keep up the amazing work!

[@petunized]

Cmon! Typical western breinwashing with typical graphics. nothing too special

[@andreitestmail]

Yeap i confirm best state released graph ever

[@dkaloger5720]

This video is so well researched .I would never have thought of pensions as one of the key pillars of the Putin regime .Very interesting insights .

[@MrGilang100]

@@nehemijutras Well, if you don't see that wage in Japan has stagnated in the last 30 years and had the highest ratio of debt to GDP. Yea, you are right.

[@chico9805]

​@@MrGilang100 Yes, but again unlike Japan, Russia has massive natural resource deposits.

[@sautpanjaitan8071]

​@@nehemijutras you do realize that people are shifting of from resource right?

[@michaelcaffery5038]

Nehemi Jutras, I wouldn't call around the equivalent of 250 US dollars a month a high pension. I know the cost of some things, such as gas if they are fortunate enough to live in an area where it is available, is less than western Europe but still that's not enough to live comfortably. Every interview I have seen of Russian pensioners, including before the war, is of them complaining about how hard it is. That much might be adequate for where you live. In Britain for example you would literally die of hypothermia and starvation.

[@sautpanjaitan8071]

​​@@nehemijutras no country has gone bankrupt from demographics yet. But there is lots of country that got huge economic problem caused by said demographics

[@magnvss]

If your house is on fire and you "solve it" by buying an electrical fan to throw the smoke out of the window while trying to make it as if nothing happens, the problem doesn't fix by buying an even bigger fan when things get worse. Sooner than later the fire will catch you.

[@MightyFineMan]

This is a very underrated comment

[@fietereim8190]

Why would you care if you only temporarily live there?

[@JurisKankalis]

@@fietereim8190 Yeah, like all russians, right? Because on one day - they live in Ruzzia, on the next day - they get thrown into a WW2 tank and taken to Donetsk to die. Right. Temporary residence in Ruzzia.

[@MrJakson112]

This is pretty much, literally how aircondition works in a time of climate change

[@statementleaver8095]

Nahh. You've just not understood the way the Fire Burns. Move a Log to the Unburnt area........Californians Take note👍👍

[@henriquek.7355]

Amazing analysis! Small piece of advice from a data analyst: you might wanna consider presenting the graphs in the same order as you narrate, to make things smoother. Eg: in the section of % of total workers employed by the state you could start with the 20%, followed by the 12%, and then the total. Thanks for the work! I truly enjoy all your videos 🚀

[@bogboy90210]

And covert Fahrenheit to Celsius please for the rest of the world.

[@barrybrevik9178]

​@@bogboy90210 Never!

[@r.ccustomtruckingsydneyaus4632]

you notice this youtuber has not communicated to anyone. strange hey.

[@Iknowtoomuchable]

"You heard that right: Between 1960 and 94, the average Russian lost 3 years of their life." That's pretty impressive, though. In that same period of time, the average person in any other country lost 34 years.

[@RokeJulianLockhart.s13ouq]

Where's that statistic from?

[@Hjernespreng]

Took me a moment to get the joke.

[@stoicstone521]

Befor fall of USSR Russian life expectancy was 69 yrs after it was 64 yrs

[@fanban2926]

😂

[@floydlooney6837]

lol

[@Omer1996E.C]

I wish I was affluent enough to be able to donate, this is one of the best channels on KZbin, and one of the most underrated. A student from Ethiopia ♥

[@KaiserOfAryas]

Don't worry he probably earns enough with monetization and sponsorships.

[@SamBrownBaudot]

A noble sentiment, and you're on the right path. You have to have strong foundations yourself before you can hold up others. Keep at those studies! Keep your eyes open for the chance to help the folks closest to you, especially the ones who will remember when it is your turn needing help.

[@israelenoch8763]

How is it going there? I am from Kenya

[@awfan221]

Ethiopian here enjoying the page too ✊🏾

[@Omer1996E.C]

@@israelenoch8763 about what are asking exactly. Politics, economy, education, social conditions, etc...

[@nicholasconder4703]

There are a number of places like Vorkuta in Canada and Alaska. Remote communities based on single industries, or remote First Nations communities. Trying to maintain many of these communities can be extremely difficult. Indeed, several of these communities can only be reached during winter over ice roads, or by air.

[@cattymajiv]

Except that the ones in Canada get very little from the govt. I know nothing about Alaska, but the Canadian First Nations towns that are so remote are all in extreme poverty. They do get a bit more funding per capita than elsewhere, but it's not enough to provide even the basics, not even clean drinking water.

[@FilipCordas]

Don't try to apply logic to this this intended to be a Putin bad propaganda for your average npc. Normal thing are bad didn't you see the video. Putin is fighting hard for employers not fire workers when they don't have to that's a bad thing go eat your slop and take your 50th booster you are not suppose to think.

[@unilajamuha91]

The difference is - those industries aren't subsidiary

[@horstebreedow8608]

First nations? You mean indians?

[@nicholasconder4703]

@@horstebreedow8608 No, aboriginal North Americans. Indians come from the Indian subcontinent, capital New Delhi.

[@marcobonesi6794]

same here in italy . The pensioners would kill any italian under the age of 40 to raise his/her pension. We already hve the highest labor taxes in the world to pay such an obscene expense for pensions and we have accumulated a huge public debt mainly to pay generous pensions. In the coming years it will be us or the pensioners. There is not enough for both of us.

[@vincentconti-jb3hd]

And when you are a pensioner????

[@marcobonesi6794]

@@vincentconti-jb3hd there won't be a pension system anymore when i will be old. So why should we young italians allow the pensioners to bled us dry with more than twice the tax rate the current pensioners used to pay when they worked?

[@enemyofthestatewearein7945]

@@marcobonesi6794 It's basically a ponzi scheme. And we all know how those end.

[@Tuppoo94]

@@marcobonesi6794 Something has to give. The pensions, pension contributions, inflation, emigration, or debt. If pensions stay the same, contributions will have to increase, so expect young Italians to move abroad in increasing numbers to avoid paying those. This may also lead to a dangerous feedback loop. If contributions stay the same, the pensions will have to go down, so expect poverty among the elderly population, which an opportunistic politician will take advantage of, with unpredictable results. The government may even resort to simply printing money to pay the pensions, in which case expect inflation to damage the purchasing power of Italians, and thus the entire Italian economy. The government may also go even further into debt, which will probably combine all the drawbacks of previous scenarios: High taxes, more emigration, poverty, and inflation. However, Italy's creditors may not give Italy loans anymore, blocking this route.

[@marcobonesi6794]

@@Tuppoo94 italy has had the most generous pension system in the world since the reform of the mid 60s that transformed the system from a contribution one to a pay as you go system. So it is overdue that the pensioners will have to receive a kick in their butts and suffer a reduction of their pensions. It's been decades that the ones receiving the short end of the stick was the youth.

[@themotherlander7258]

As a Russian I’d like to say that the largest factor contributing to shorter life expectancy for men isn’t healthcare system (women use it too) or alcohol consumption (Russia wasn’t even in top 10 worldwide in 2016), but a toxic machismo culture where (among other harmful behaviours) men are discouraged to seek help for their physical and mental health problems. The latter were subtly encouraged to be solved with outward or inward aggression (drinking oneself into a stupor/overworking/picking a fight to “blow off the steam”)

[@greg-bc8ky]

Thanks for addressing this. My dad and uncle grew up in soviet Ukraine during the entire Cold War. 8 years apart, they actually have completely different views of their time growing up. Crazy thing is, the venn diagram of men who have been successfully brainwashed during this period and the men you describe is almost a circle

[@ernst624]

Where would they go to seek help in the first place? There's no one to turn to...

[@rh_BOSS]

For decades, the Soviets used psychiatry as a tool of political repressions. The completely destroyed image of psychiatry in the eyes of an average Russian is just another part of glorious Soviet heritage, along with the wasteland of Syberian monotowns.

[@brianbelgard5988]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a list that didn’t feature Russia in the top 5.

[@Johnconno]

Liverpool?

[@TheDennys21]

I just got a flashback from 2010 when i played Black Ops and i can still remember how Reznov shouted: now, we take - Vorkuta!

[@hydronpowers9014]

"The message was clear - don't touch pensions" Putin: "Got it" *Meanwhile in France* Macron: "Let's me just raise the retirement age" French People: "It's revolution time"

[@qlum]

Often forgotten in France however, is that it's not a one-sided issue, a sizable portion of the population is in favor of the reforms, of course they won't be doing any protesting.

[@guilhemmollon255]

Seems like these protests are overestimated abroad. Seen from here in a large french city, life is mostly undisturbed.

[@naufaltriandiroziqi8538]

Well, I'm wondering whether pensioners are in macron's key constituents

[@robbob3717]

@@qlum Yeah, young people will almost always support reform, because if its not fixed, it wont be there when they get to retirement.

[@TheGrinningViking]

Young people are protesting because few are dumb enough to think raising their retirement age makes more sense than taxing the wealthy at a fair rate.

[@RH-pl2yb]

“Vorkuta has no roads in and out and is only accessible via a 40 hour train ride” Thank you for confirming the legitimacy of the Black Ops 1 Campaign as a historically accurate source for geopolitical research.

[@weirdo1060]

Video mentions limited airplane flights…contingent on weather conditions.

[@RH-pl2yb]

@@weirdo1060 damn, kinda wish that Viktor Reznov would’ve mentioned that during the 2nd mission…

[@Praisethesunson]

It was funded by the U.S military. I hope that includes a map.

[@lusvus5445]

Kids, I live in Australia and there is no roads here in Northern Queensland when temperatures always always above 25C. What you expected in Vorkuta than😂😂😂😂😂

[@jeffbenton6183]

That's it. I'm buying that game. Back when it came out (I was in high school) I thought it was stupid and didn't want it. But over the past year I've been hearing surprisingly good things about it in surprising places... (or I'll just watch a KZbin Let's Play video... one of the two)

[@Ifraneljadida]

I'm a regular person. I have used the internet to learn soooooo much more about the world then I did in school. Hard to retain much at age 10 but now I actually have somewhat of a grasp of the world. This video is part of such a revolution in education. It's genuinely profound. My mother, when I was 9 in 2003, could not tell me what Iraq was, where they were or anything else about them despite our war. She's a very successful professional now at the C Suite level in financial data system engineering so she's very intelligent. But now, for example, I know about Russias pension system/problems. I know the name, can locate on a map and know the strategic benefit of cities across Ukraine. I know about the history of the Middle East, the cold war occurring there between Saudi/Iran and how those nations came to be. I take two minutes every night and play a game on an app on my phone about locating every country on a map. This is so transformative. I just learned, in detail, about the Russian pension program while driving to get food. Insane. This is like a briefing someone would have gotten in DC just fifty years ago

[@anacaeiro1049]

For real!

[@Itried20takennames]

Well, I wouldn’t blame your mom or the early Internet for not being able to explain the second Iraq invasion. I was in my 20s when it happened and to this day still have no idea why Bush-Cheney wanted it, why the US was there, or what it was supposed to accomplish.

[@AE-bh5zs]

@@Itried20takennames Cheney profited personally. Bush Jr. was dumb enough to be led into a war that his own father told him NOT to get involved in. Junior liked to talk tough and push up his poll numbers, but had no clue about the likely outcome: permanently strengthened Iran, shattered Iraq which didn't have weapons of mass destruction, destabilized Middle East, and no discernible advantage to the USA for the cost in blood and treasure. Junior, in many ways, was an unindicted war criminal.

[@ronaldom2239]

facts, we live in an information golden age!

[@oeokosko]

And I'll wager you'll never vote Republican! Not if you value knowledge over ignorance, education over segregation, the internet over guns.

[@FeldwebelWolfenstool]

Canada has had a lot of small, one-industry towns that went bust. Most have become retirement community-oriented or have perhaps have some tourism or transportation value. Nowadays, resource companies don't allow towns at their remote mines, they run fly-in, fly-out operations with big temporary work-camps...

[@michelekett8450]

Fly-in, fly-out is the common workers lot in the West Australian mining industry.

[@danopticon]

Regarding Vorkuta, as a child in a developing nation of the global south in the ‘70s, me and my classmates and indeed much of the world rather admired the Soviet ability to venture out into the middle of nowhere … and somehow get a railway and supply lines and a radio station and a research outpost and then a whole city going. In hindsight, the environmental consequence of these excursions was quite dire. But I promise you, we may be painting those towns as hellholes today, but - just as the U.S. has always portrayed its lawless and deadly western frontier of the 1800s as “romantic” - the moment we start really building on our moon and on Mars and losing scores of colonists in the process, we’re going to start painting such losses as “romantic” again.

[@RiseAgainst786]

That's quite the perspective. Never thought of it that way.

[@steven_tesla1911]

@@RiseAgainst786 in alaska there’s a bit of romanticism with the Russian explorers and how they mapped arctic wastes

[@zephyrprime]

I don't think the environmental costs are significant since the whole area is nothing but wilderness. However, the time and effort and large number of people who died building a place that is basically useless is regretful in my opinion.

[@TheDennys21]

Omg that's adorable! You really think we will colonize the Moon and Mars? Hahahahaha

[@MrTL3wis]

Did you realize it was mostly built by prisoners?

[@Ra1d_danois]

1:00 could you please add metric on screen, when using imperial? Vice versa for that matter.

[@alexsyld5410]

yes, please

[@Apoorvpandey]

Agreed

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

Yeah, it’s common technique to use both or at least use Celsius. I’m American and didn’t notice that but including Celsius is a must

[@dulguunjargal1199]

It's Cater for 400 Million People vs Cater for 7.8 Billion People Instead

[@morriskaller3549]

100% agree, i really dont get why people keep using those weird units

[@megapangolin1093]

Fascinating and engrossing, well researched and presented video. We need more information looking at what is going on in the world presented as well as this. Thank you. Now subscribed.

[@Gameknight2169]

"You know there's a problem when the American government looks like an efficient, well-oiled machine by comparison." That's a harsh burn, entirely deserved

[@statementleaver8095]

Californians can't quite get the Burn right though 😂😂 Problem is America.......Trade is Value of Currency and Russia has been denied a Port of Trade for Decades.

[@simonkormendy849]

Most likely the reason why Mr Putin hates America so much, America's government works better than Russia's.

[@nanonano2595]

@@statementleaver8095 I feel like you're trying to say something, but I just dont get it.

[@Paul-yd6rr]

Ahaha

[@statementleaver8095]

@@nanonano2595 Well more could be spoken about but......Most *Americans* like to turn a blind eye to interesting Trades that any *Civilian* would be on Death Row for.

[@aucontraire1986]

"With my life. He and us are not so different... We are all soldiers, without an army. Betrayed. Forgotten. Abandoned. In Vorkuta, we are ALL brothers." - Viktor Reznov

[@alexeishayya-shirokov3603]

No better historical reference than call of duty *slow clap*

[@andrewfager1713]

STEP ONE: SECURE THE KEYS🔑

[@dainius82]

My grandad was deported as a political prisoner to Vorkuta, never ceases to amaze me how he survived it.

[@michaelberna7746]

STEP ONE: SECURE THE KEYS

[@Ren99510]

With how expensive this war of his has been, I have to wonder just how quickly the financial burden of it is going to compound these issues.

[@nickmonks9563]

I suspect Putin is aware of this calculation. 1) Fewer pensioners for the future, but more importantly 2) if they win, a large expansion of oil and gas wealth that could bolster those pension funds. People often presume power is it's own end, but it is a snare. Without control of economics (the ability to move goods and services), power is empty. Always follow the money.

[@giorgialadashvili4771]

You don't have to wonder much: the country has no future aside from being a Chinese client state by 2040.

[@maxwellyedor7610]

@@nickmonks9563 Russia has never been capable of capitalizing on their oil and gas reserves without Western help, nor is it worth much without Western buyers. China would buy stolen Ukrainian gas, but the west won’t, and without the west there’s no production infrastructure to supply China from. Putin thought it would be Crimea 2.0, and now that it’s turned into anything but he keeps pouring bodies on the problem in the hopes that eventually a solution will present itself. OP is right, every life lost in the war is a lost contributed to the pension funds, his best long term course of action is to fire up the propaganda machine and claim western oppression is the reason the pension programs must be curtailed.

[@grabik4402]

@@nickmonks9563 lol, as if any of those profits ever got to the russian public.

[@bordedup546]

@@nickmonks9563 How does the war lead to less future pensioners? It leads to less future contributers initially because military age is relatively young and indirectly will reduce the birth rates even further; not to mention the hundreds of thousands of skilled workers whom overcontrabute to pensions that fled from mobilisation. Secondly, how does winning the war lead to a massive increase in oil & gas revenue when it directly resulted in embargoes and an oil cap that plunged oil revenues down by 50% between Jan & Feb 2023 when compared to Jan & Feb 2022? I can only see the war as worsening the pension problem.

[@fangslaughter1198]

I spent decades in mine construction and contracting in northern Saskatchewan. It is easily just as cold. Brrr. Big difference. We flew in 2 weeks. Then out for one. Good money . Easy work.

[@hacker52057]

In 3 different moments throughout the video I had the impulse to give it another thumbs up. This is such a deep dive into Russia while focusing on a subject that isn’t often talked about. I’ve learned more about its geopolitics in this video than in several others in the recent years.

[@curie3938]

I attribute my ability to follow this information to Peter Zeihan so clearly explaining demographics.

[@dkrawk8309]

ITS LIES

[@dkrawk8309]

@49er how would you know if your government prohibits media to say truth?

[@petunized]

Alas it's usual, facts mixed with lies. Just like anything about Russia on western platforms.

[@hahanoitsu]

woah. can we just take a moment to appreciate this man for videos like this?

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

You didn’t even watch it

[@GrigRP]

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson right lol, another bot reply

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

@@GrigRP a lot to the early comments are exactly that- b0t replies. Usually it’s a very vague comment like this one by OP. You can copy and paste that to any video.

[@shep9231]

No kidding!. This is one of the best videos I've seen in a long time!

[@GrigRP]

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson another one right above 😂 can't believe polymatter paid for them, pretty embarrassing

[@suryaprakashbellary8773]

What an amazing and well researched presentation. I never expected that fiddling with pension was a such a dangerous thing .

[@Ynhockey]

This channel's research is among the few that take demographics as seriously as it should be taken. So many global events can be explained partly by demographics, from the war in Ukraine, to the French protests, to the Israeli protests, to the unending Syrian war.

[@MCKevin289]

He and us are not so different... We are all soldiers, without an army. Betrayed. Forgotten. Abandoned. In Vorkuta, we are ALL brothers!

[@SpringIsBACK]

Not only are PolyMatter's vids great, they somehow draw in some of the best comments and discussions on the Internet! Thanks to all (of the serious commenters anyway) for the insights!!!!

[@archanvaya5520]

Agreed. Usually such videos on other channels have some of the most toxic comment sections, and they deter me from watching any more of such content.

[@Ifyoucanreadthisgooglebroke]

The more economically terminal the demography, the worse this issue is. It'll be interesting to see how different places try to go about managing it. "Just increase the retirement age" appears to be shaping up as the "just print more money" non-solution. It feels like a fix on the surface, but then it turns out you only succeeded in ruining a necessary pillar of the system.

[@gargoyle7863]

increasing the retirement age ist the opposite of just printing money: it's a de facto cut oft cost what is the right thing to do when your cost is exploding due the demographic explosion of retirees. (Government just have to be strong when the protesters come - "don't ask the frogs when you have to drain the swamp." As our finance minister once said.)

[@Zoulstorm]

Society’s only goal should be to make people’s lives better. When society no longer does this you have to burn down that society.

[@iliveinyourwalls5193]

Increase the retirement age has nothing in common with printing money. It saves money and allows the pyramid scheme that are pension funds to actually work a little longer. Within the next few decades pension funds in western Europe will fall because of the lack of children.

[@cattymajiv]

@@Zoulstorm I agree. And farther enrichment of an already FAR too priveledged upper class, or of Big Business, are NOT adequate standins for the well being of the overall population.

[@AliceEmily-od7rz]

The downfall of Silicon Valley Bank has caused significant damage to the worldwide financial markets. As a result, investors are scrambling to revise their projections for interest rate increases and hastily selling off bank stocks across the board. As someone who has invested 200k in stocks, I find myself at a pivotal moment, wondering whether it's wise to cash out my depreciating portfolio. What strategies should I adopt to make the most of this bearish market?

[@olgageorgsen9654]

The recent events with SVB make it unlikely for the market to make significant gains soon, so it's wise to manage expectations and prepare for a potentially long recovery period. It's recommended to avoid making significant investment decisions until the economic environment stabilizes in areas of concern. It's best to exercise caution and avoid engaging with the current turbulence

[@user-dl4rr5qs8y]

A steadfast commitment to reputable companies requires either holding steady during market downturns or increasing investments during such times. This strategy is based on the fundamental belief that well-managed enterprises will eventually rebound with renewed strength. On the other hand, investors seeking long-term profits through stock appreciation should seek guidance from a FA to identify opportune entry and exit points. My own experience during the pandemic highlights the value of working with an investment advisor, which resulted in a significant gain of $530k in just 8 months.

[@AliceEmily-od7rz]

please can you leave the info of your investment advisor here? I’m in dire need for one.

[@user-dl4rr5qs8y]

My advisor is YUVAL ERIC BROKMAN., a renowned figure in his line of work. I recommend researching his credentials further. he has many years of experience and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to navigate the financial market.

[@user-dl4rr5qs8y]

google his name::

[@tverdyznaqs]

20:12 This was the worst sponsor transition i ever heard lmao

[@mauriciohernandezgarcia2203]

🤣

[@gringo1723]

A valid point...

[@shchef18]

Bump lmao

[@guillermo5782]

In Spain we got that same problem with the pensions, although here it is not a matter of survival for pensioners. Here, the average pensioner earns more than the average worker, is the owner of at least one house, and has a lot of free stuff such as transportation. But it seems that it’s never enough, so Spanish workers are being charged more and more each year to sustain the ponzi scheme.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Won't they bequeath it to their descendants later on?

[@counterpointsreloaded8982]

@@ianhomerpura8937 Yes, when their descendants are nearing retirement age. The pension systems around the world have broken the generational contract. Instead of people having kids and caring for them so they care for yourself when you are old the system was abstracted. People stopped having children while pushing the care for the elderly on the smaller next generation. Old people feel entitled to a pension because they paid into the system not realizing that they paid for their parents, not for their children, if there are any, to care for them.

[@murimurimrui]

Time for spain to be not spain in the future. Time to rebuild Moorish Emirates on top of the failure of the whites. ALLAHU AKBAR

[@davidholland3605]

Great analysis and presentation - fascinating and revealing.

[@laurenconrad1799]

This video reminds me of the part of Fiddler on the Roof where Tevye finds out that his daughter is going to Siberia willingly and she’s like, “I know. It’s as crazy as it sounds.” 😭

[@pavelcizik4237]

In Vorkuta, we are all brothers.

[@beaconhousepechsfilm-makin8187]

CAN WE TRUST THE AMERICAN?

[@MrKh4O]

​@@beaconhousepechsfilm-makin8187 more than the maniac pootin

[@littlekeyb6352]

​@@beaconhousepechsfilm-makin8187 when nature can easily kill you, you don't need enemy.

[@zurielsss]

Burdens more like to the Russian state

[@paidrussiantroll1305]

The smoothest transition to an embedded advertisement I have ever seen on KZbin.

[@Xnoob545]

I like that by using Cyrillic letters you turned the word fears into fedyas

[@kingofhearts3185]

Does it mean or resemble something?

[@kaytiinein]

@@kingofhearts3185 No it is faux cyrillic, like the movie Borat, which actually spells out Bordt. FC usually doesn't mean anything and is more gibberish, like using cyrillic to speel Donald Trump turns into doidld tyatsumr

[@bartsimpson8616]

START TO LEARN - СТАРТ ТО ЛЕАРН , кириличну азбуку .

[@kingofhearts3185]

@@kaytiinein I meant if fedyas was or resembled a word or acronym

[@kaytiinein]

@@kingofhearts3185 "Faux Cyrillic usually doesn't mean anything and is more gibberish" There's your answer

[@shaunhouse8469]

What is it about asbestos, and naming towns that mine it "Asbestos", there's one in Canada too, or at least there was, it changed it's name to Val-des-Sources (Valley of Springs) when "Asbestos" became a difficult sell. Most towns that concentrate industry on mining a particular mineral/substance don't call themselves after their product?

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

In Ukraine, Soledar means "salt gift" and Vuhledar "coal gift". Mining towns named after the product.

[@egerantoniuk]

@@ChucksSEADnDEAD Also, there are Marganets (Manganese) and Antratsyt (Anthracite).

[@shaunhouse8469]

@@ChucksSEADnDEAD if I'd really thought about it. I'd guess the most famous would maybe be Salzburg, although being Salt Town isn't why it's famous

[@nikezh6823]

@@egerantoniuk Yes, we even have Apatite(s) called after a group of phosphate minerals

[@velhari5942]

@@shaunhouse8469 It' means Salt Castle, not Salt Town, and we know it's famous for Mozart's balls.

[@vasbond]

My father was born and raised in Vorkuta. Sad to see how his hometown has deteriorated to the current state it’s in.

[@mrsalwaysright6478]

People don't want War.., people want Peace and Growth.

[@carultch]

I'm still waiting to hear what Putin fedyas more than war.

[@MinhLe-vj9ij]

This is a good presentation. We do not find the information presented here in any other platforms. Thank you for providing us with such rich information we can learn from.

[@twiglet2214]

Inside Russia and Vlad Vexler are two excellent sources that i have been following.

[@john_smith_john]

Bot reply

[@twiglet2214]

Not bot !

[@kevinu.k.7042]

Great Vlog. This was interesting and well presented - Thanks.

[@BorisLissov]

Man, you have just scraped the surface of the hell-hole called the Russian Pension System! 1. In Russia, you get less money by working while receiving pensions. 2. In Russia, the 1990s are used as an excuse for “losing” 10 to 15 years of your working records so not to pay you as much as you deserve. And so on. Meanwhile, even in the most wretched mono-town, the Pension Fund building will be new, shiny and expensive (as well as the cars on its parking). Maybe they just work super-hard.

[@БогданБеркут]

And usually people die before retirement.

[@sonneh86]

Every time I see old footage of Putin I cannot shake the feeling that it's not the same person as the Putin we're seeing today

[@LancesArmorStriking]

According to senior aides, 2011 (Libya) was what changed him so fundamentally. At the start of his career (think 2001 speeach at the Bundestag) he genuinely wanted Russia to be folded into the Western system, as a key partner. What he got instead was a continuation of pushing for neoliberal policies by the West (which destroyed Russian society in the 1990s under Yeltsin), and rank hypocrisy in foreign policy. Other countries can't do anything without our okay, but Iraq needs to be invaded! That sort of thing. Libya was especially horrifying for him. It was in the process of developing nuclear arms, and the US didn't want that. They made an informal deal with Gaddafi that, if he suspended the program, the US would look the other way regarding his 'lack of ddmocracy', and ostensibly allow the country to continue under him. He disarmed in 2003. 8 years later, they funded rebel groups and had him killed in the streets. Putin reportedly watched that video on repeat over and over, obsessively. He saw himself in that video. A nuclear armed state being given non-binding agreements by the US, only to be backstabbed and exploited later. Case in point, look at Libya now. He definitely also saw it happen surrounding NATO expansion in the 1990s. So from that point on, his perceived role as leader of Russia was to chiefly to develop Russia, but to act as a counter to the West.

[@tellyboy17]

To be fair, he does look less of a thug now than he used to. Too bad looks are deceiving.

[@JagnaLesna]

@@LancesArmorStriking I think, his chief concern is retaining his grip on power, even if the russian people will pay the price.

[@ulrichleukam1068]

@@JagnaLesna I think it is not the case. with his long reign he probably built enough wealth, fame and relationships top retire with no issue ... i just think he is not confident that the next Gov will be able to face modern Russia issues (war, geopolitics, economics etc.) especially because the whole county is united behind him, but when he goes there will be internal power struggle on top of the external ones

[@JagnaLesna]

@@ulrichleukam1068 Power is addictive drug.

[@erictaylor5462]

Also, Russian retirees are former Soviets. I'm 53, and the USSR ended when I was about 20 or 21. Anyone who is over 50 in Russia grew up in the Soviet Union and then, as adults, lost that country.

[@galreserve2322]

Step 1: Secure the keys Step 2: Ascend from darkness Step 3: Rain fire Step 4: Unleash the horde Step 5: Skewer the winged beast Step 6: Wield a fist of iron Step 7: Raise Hell Step 8: Freedom

[@minieimoe104]

But it was all in his head

[@galreserve2322]

@@minieimoe104 Nope,Vorkuta uprising was real

[@raihanrusli2720]

If Reznov lived longer, he could probably give more kids to the state

[@pimplyface64]

a lot of people struggle, it is something that goes un-talked about in all countries... sure the community might see it as a work that needs fixing but the people in change see it as another speed bump in the road.

[@crucifixus]

Isn't Europe's eastern side usually defined as ending where the Ural mountains start? Thus Vorkuta being "The most eastern town in Europe" is greatly off the mark.

[@crucifixus]

Is that a mistake generated by chatGPT?

[@planetarysolidarity]

It does appear to be west of the Urals.

[@incognitotorpedo42]

It's farther north than any European town. I think that's what he meant.

[@Haxerous]

@@incognitotorpedo42 Well if it is west of the Urals then it isn't in Europe to begin with. And I pretty sure there are towns further north than that in Europe.

[@marekdg]

Yes the Ural Mountains are the border between the two continental plates. And Europe lays west from the mountains. Vorkuta lays on the west of the Ural as well. And therefor being located in Europe

[@grimx5772]

Would love to know more about the Chinese pension system

[@Muninnnr]

Pretty sure there straight up isn't one, so there's not much to talk about. When you get too old to work it's expected that your family will take care of you.

[@covenawhite4855]

​@@Muninnnr There was a Pension System but it is not enough to live on and elderly people in the countryside without help from young family members. There was a Documentary about a poor starving old lady in a broken down house after her Son died crying

[@CoRe01337]

@@Muninnnr With China's one child policy, they might get massive population aging.

[@TumblinWeeds]

@@Muninnnr nope, all of my grandparents had pensions, and the living ones still do. The pension grew from 1k yuan ($200) to 4k yuan for my lowest paying grandparent since her retirement, the others have a few thousand more. Even accounting for inflation and living costs, they’ve seen a significant improvement in quality of life since first retiring at 55 years old. Whether or not that is sustainable with the current demographic is another matter entirely.

[@dsw86]

Demographics are multiplied 10 fold vs Russia. Also there is more government and societal narrative/expectation for families to be self sufficient (young takes care of old and rely less on outside help). While Russia seems more stuck with seniors reliant on government pensions, China is more active in reshaping societal narratives to perhaps relieve that demand. In the hay days of the One Child Policy, it was common to see encouragements like “One Child is enough, let the government take care of seniors” “只生一个好，政府来养老”. Then in the decades since, you’d see more emphasis of “children must take care of seniors, it is shameful to throw your seniors at the government” “子女要尽孝，甩给政府管，真是脸不要”. Also should consider the governmental structure where: a sweeping order or general direction given by the central government, then it’s up to the local government to interpret and implement policies as to satisfy the end goals of said orders. You get wide discrepancies within the country, where you can find hundreds of millions of people with success stories of the said central government order, while there are easily just as many people living under bizarre circumstances or flat out dissatisfied as a result of the same central government order.

[@bro_dBow]

Key imformation that is well presented and understood here. Keep this up, and a story being told much let alone well like it is here.

[@steelsolider95]

I once escaped from Vorkuta with Reznov

[@nikezh6823]

It was fun mission

[@jgv2699]

In Vorkuta we're all brothers

[@venomousfringe]

Reznov got exactly what he wanted… revenge

[@tabaabataa4693]

Me too 😂😂

[@HeinkelYeetus]

We all did brother 😢

[@BarrettCharlebois]

I wish Nebula had a comment section

[@snow24121]

And a rating system. I’m sure we’ll get it all eventually…

[@cashington5756]

@@snow24121 Let us know when it has these basic functionalities that would make it worth subscribing to

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

@@cashington5756 The point of it is that it gives power to the Creators. This means that they don't have to worry about Views, as all of them get a share, or about Viewer Approval. Or getting facts right...

[@marinarosario8855]

Me too. Sometimes really good questions (and answers) can be added.

[@Happy-xi9hl]

@@spaghettiisyummy.3623 Nebula is S8it... let's be honest. It get's all the same videos we get on youtube except early. There's only a bunch of Nebula Exclusives and a few of them are just lengthier versions of youtube videos. Only a few videos like Mustard's B2 documentary are worth paying money for.

[@cafepablo]

Interesting and captivating. As you say though, the ageing demographic isn't uniquely challenging to Russia -- most developed nations have very similar issues. However, I doubt that 93% of the retirees in these developed nations are as dependent on state pensions as Russians to survive. To me, this is a Putin time bomb that he's hoping to dodge and leave for the next person to solve, knowing that they're going to be instantly unpopular.

[@Byteblaster2]

The production value on these videos are unreal! Keep up the badass work 💪

[@traviscameron7434]

The age of retirement in Canada is 65, not 62.5 as stated in this video.

[@zandman3737]

this is a very insightful look into what Putin fedyas. Thanks so much

[@xgrove]

i swear to god, they just never learn

[@ChupeTTe]

​@@xgrove Its like arranging arabic letters in a way so that they look latin. Goddamn i hate it

[@ГеоргийИванов-й6ю9ш]

>fedyas what?

[@the_mariocrafter]

@@ChupeTTe wait what give me the link

[@ChupeTTe]

@@the_mariocrafter I wont, i fucking hate latin arranged arabic letters and whenever i dont have to look it up again i dont. I would rather watch Daesh execution compulation with the lenght of a damn Abel Gance movie.

[@GiovanniSmith]

Very insightful video. Great job!

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

I really appreciate the effort that makes such high quality videos.

[@JakeBroe]

Well done! Great video!

[@blackterminal]

Thank you for your video.

[@richard1493]

I would love to see an analysis of what the actual value is of the pension program is compared to the cost of living in the country. How much does a retiree actually from their pension? Is it comfortable or just bare-minimum living? The Ruble (₽) can be a confusing currency, so a USD ($) equivalent would probably be more easily understandable by the audience. I retired after 10 years in the US Marine Corps and have a pension that I feel like has me set for life without needing to work as long as I don’t live excessively or have too many kids. I have a feeling that a Russian pension program compared to the US is wildly different.

[@shotelco]

The key in your comment is "...as long as I don’t live excessively." Consider this thought experiment; One works from about age 21 to age 50, earning the average income that the median American worker brings home, which an estimated $54,132 a year. After all taxes, lets say that's $40,000/year in pocket. Instead of falling victim to Western societal pressures of "keeping up with the Joneses," one uses all of the technology at hand: 1.) Habitat for humanity can build a 1400 sq.ft. house for about $100K. Add in the land and the cost is $200K 2.) As part of this house install, Solar panels, battery, hydroponic greenhouse, 40,000 gallon cistern to store rainwater, water recycling system..etc. Another $100K 3.) Electric cars (both BEV and Phev), electric assist bicycles, for base transportation. 4.) acquire all furniture, tools, and appliances from the pre-owned market (like offer up/craigslist) All in about $350K. 29 years of work @ $40K = $1.16M net income post tax. About 33% of lifetime earned income for the above 4 steps. Thus, upon retirement, not only is one debt free, but all living cost have been mitigated. One could live very comfortably on less than $12K/year. This would cover maintenance and replacement expenses, and have more than enough leftover for several yearly vacations. It would not cover potential Medical expenses. It would not cover other potential emergency expenses. But again, this is a mitigation strategy for younger people in light of the fact that there will be no Government retirement (Social Security/Medicare/etc.) for them as us Baby Boomers will have bleed them dry by their time to retire.

[@anonymousbloke1]

Average pension in Russia is 7220 rubles. 89$. That's not enough to live anywhere in Russia. That's why pensioners in Russia usually live with their children, because otherwise they would just die

[@Coxman]

I would have thought that was clear from the video. It's clearly not enough, more and more are being added and less people working. And in comparison, $200 approx. is not enough to live on in any modern or developed country. In China they get even less. At least western countries have recognised this in their own countries and have taken steps to address it, such as raising the retirement age. So yes, US and Russian pensions are different. Chances are, the Russians wont have a pension to speak of. There's a serious possibility that these older people in Russia will stop supporting Putin.

[@thomasnielsen5580]

My aunt is about 74, and she still works daily. She also gets money sent regularly to Russia by her daughter. So yeah, the pension is probably not enough, and i know her well. Her consumptions habits are bare minimum.

[@Pyro-Moloch]

My first job in Russia paid me about $250/month (by the conversion rate at the moment), and I can tell you it is not enough to survive on alone. I was living with my parents. I don't think there's a single retiree who lives alone on $222/month.

[@dmytro2792]

From ruzzia's collapse to ChatGPT - didn't expect such wild twist.

[@brianjones7660]

the elderly woman at 20:10 is beyond heartbreaking.....😦

[@PARPROX777]

As a russian citizen, I must admit, that main reason, why women lives much longer than men in Russia is disregard for health. This is not an evil state that makes you sleep little, eat junk food and drink vodka.

[@elainemunro4621]

Perhaps not, but when your government never tells the truth and you have no free media to tell you what is happening with your governement, I guess the frustration leads people to drink and poor food choices.

[@fietereim8190]

You mean "was". Life expectancy for men will drastically suffer in the near future.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@CraftEccentricity the US does not have only one new agency.

[@kyle-ld2gh]

@@CraftEccentricity the press in the west is massively more reliable and truthful them anything in ruzzia you m0r0n. While yes, there is some manipulation and narrative building here. It is no where close to the levels done on ruzzian media. Which is owned and operated by the ruzzian government.

[@doomslayer4276]

​@@CraftEccentricity way near to it , almost all of em are state approved anyone whose against the narrative gets 135 years sentance like julian

[@chrispanca1590]

Cries in Australian Superannuation, arguably the best retirement system in the world.

[@erictaylor5462]

I take that approval rating with a huge grain of salt. We are talking about a country where disapproval of the government is a crime, what will you say if someone calls to say, "How do you feel about Putin? Is he doing a good job?"

[@Maximevete]

Retirement age in Belgium is 67. Not 62.5😂

[@LathropLdST]

...yet 😂

[@velhari5942]

It's really fkd up how high it is nowadays.

[@stephenvincent4706]

Australia the same.

[@coolcat-gb7wm]

people get creative with cyrillic and I have to sit like an idiot staring at the preview for a whole minute straight, trying to figure out what "FEДЯS" is supposed to mean 😂

[@GCarty80]

I hate faux Cyrillic

[@guul66]

what putin fedjas

[@martinkunev9911]

English speakers sometimes forget that people CAN speak other languages and how an english speaker sees such text is not necessarily how others see it.

[@lowhealth525]

Just so you guys know thumbnail spells out "What Putin Fedjasc the most:

[@JeffRL1956]

Putin a year ago: "We're doing this to prevent NATO expansion." Putin today: "Oops."

[@tardvandecluntproductions1278]

I said finish NATO not Finnish NATO!

[@tatianaes3354]

Ukraine specifically is the red line, not just any random country

[@Bladieblah]

I condemn the war and Russia's actions but the west has made promises regarding expansion of NATO east-wards, these are well documented and also acknowledged by our media. Russia actually has a point here, in that NATO is breaking it's promises regarding expansion. The West has refused to guarantee that they would uphold those promises, i.e. that Ukraine won't join NATO ever

[@markobucevic8991]

Scandinavia is nothing compared to ukraine

[@phillipholland6795]

We didn't like Cuba being so close and used as a base from the opposition. Why would Russia feel any differently ? The hypocrisy is astounding. This is why the world has had enough of your BS tbh

[@unvergebeneid]

Crazy to think that in many regions of Russia, the majority of men never even make it to their retirement 🤯

[@bobs_toys]

The success of socialist economies in a nutshell. Can't raise retirement. Can lower life expectancy.

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

@@bobs_toys ???? Russia is anything but socialist.

[@ssir5927]

$846 Million dollars to 27 towns... My one counties school district budget is $1.3 billion dollars, serving a total population of about 250k people, with some 57k students enrolled... These subsidies do NOT sound very impressive...

[@moonman62]

Great video unfortunately skill share is kinda a scam. You sign up for a free trial and get charged for a 12 month subscription at the end of it, you can get a refund but they will auto renewal you for another 12 months in 1 years time and refuse to refund you :)

[@valentonorma5428]

he does not really care about it. It is as pointless, as to write him an email and expect any response.

[@goranisacson2502]

For what it's worth, I at least liked this information as it saves me from ever wanting to sign up with Skillshare :)

[@valentonorma5428]

@@goranisacson2502 worth it 🙂

[@looker999997]

At this point, I automatically assume any video sponsor is a scam or at the very least overpriced.

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

He just wants their Money.

[@terencekwong3033]

Pensions at risk doesn't seem like a specific Russian issue. I had teachers in the 90's telling me in Canada, we probably wouldn't see much of it but thanks for contributing to theirs

[@SpringIsBACK]

Agreed, but, raising the retirement age in the US barely caused a ripple. Trying to partially privatize Social Security was more contentious (too bad - it was a good idea if properly executed), but, even that didn't cause RIOTS, like we see in France.

[@nikitachirich7985]

I grew up near Vorkuta , I’m a descendant of a restricted-gulag Soviet family , my grandparents were sent to Vorkuta after the war for fighting against Stalin under KONR SS. I haven’t been there since 1986 .

[@bholdr----0]

This channel REALLY loves it's age histograms! (That's okay, though, I do too.)

[@SabinStargem]

Putin: "Send the pensioners to Ukraine. Be sure to not provision them with any equipment. Problem solved!"

[@Elkator955]

Lol, if only. He seems more interested in throwing away the people who make the money for the pensioners first.

[@enderreaper1482]

Genius!

[@azmodanpc]

Ccp did it for Chinese elders. Thousands of pensioners dead after zero covid was reversed overnight.

[@SurprisinglyDeep]

​@@azmodanpc It seemed it was the opposite. Like I'm not fan of China's government's corrupt authoritarianism but it seems they only had those months long city wide lockdowns in order to save a large percentage of their old farts over the age of 70 who stubbornly refused to get vaccinated against Covid 19.

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

@@azmodanpc That seems Smart to me, Actually.

[@MSSLatvia]

Most impressive and informative. Thank you so much!

[@morganmorse2086]

Viktor Reznov: Step 1: Secure the keys! Step 2: Ascend from darkness! Step 3: Rain fire! Step 4: Unleash the horde! Step 5: Skewer the winged beast! Prisoners: “Ooh-ra!”

[@danalvarez6172]

That epic Skillshare segue at the end is smooth af 😂

[@brettstephens2736]

He fears being forgotten. Megalomaniacs can't handle the concept of being completely forgot about.

[@Coffeepanda294]

Oh, he'll be remembered as the guy who started a catastrophic war that might end up causing the russian federation to collapse and dissolve the same way the USSR did only a few decades ago.

[@dictatorofthecheese]

Oh I instantly recognized Vorkuta. My buddy Alex Mason was there with his buddy Reznov. If you know, you know.

[@boredidiot1640]

What Putin fears is ✨The Power of Friendship✨

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

This is very much the problem China faces but even much worse. Russia has known this problem and some have speculated that is the reason Putin invaded Ukraine when it did. Putin knows their will be major issues with the economies and the satisfaction from older Russians that rely on the pension thus invading Ukraine in what was thought to be a short week long campaign would boost his support longer.

[@chico9805]

Invading Ukraine was a geopolitical decision, not a domestic one. Russia has enough reserves in both resources and the cash that comes from their export, to weather its impending demographic crisis. Same can't be said for many other nations, especially those in the West.

[@akademiker23]

by invading ukraine he gained enough support to counteract a pension raise of maybe 5 years, which could save the state a few percent of the national gdp

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

@@chico9805 invading Ukraine in 2014 helped boost up Putin’s approval rating after dropping. He was suspected of tampering with elections in 2012 and some people were upset that Putin was running again. There was no geopolitical reason for the invasion - if we had to name the primary reason it’s that Putin wants to be remembered like Peter the Great so he thought he had an easy win in taking Ukraine.

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

@@chico9805 you also realize that half of Russias reserves are frozen by the west? $300 billion. You also realize that Russia is spending massive amount of money to fight this war and prop up its economy thus leading to huge deficits? In Q1 this year they had a $30 billion deficit, that would be $120 billion over a year! They can’t keep that up while their work force shrinks and they are forced to export at lower prices than they would otherwise.

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

@@akademiker23 yes, i see Putin taken the opportunity to raise retirement age while people are fully behind him in the war. But at the same time, the war is costing a lot of money and more than the pensions would have cost. His plan would have worked if the war was only a week long as predicted.

[@flipper184]

A deeper dive than the usual sound bite, thanks for posting. Seriously, this plays a part. Have you done the same for China?

[@avinashtyagi2]

Yeah, he has an entire series of China videos

[@Greatcountry37]

Yep, in China's Reckoning

[@mljrotag6343]

Nicely done.

[@adityaambani4832]

Love your videos, what I didn't get a clear answer to is What Putin Fears More Than War ? Pensions ? Economic imbalance ? Small towns ?

[@door-hinge]

Read your question in reverse

[@GreenBaldrick]

One day people will realize that it IS possible to make a video about Russia WITHOUT fake butchered Cyrillic font on the thumbnail.

[@fangslaughter1198]

Just found you. I'm subscribed liking sharing! 👏👏