Oddbean

Thanks for the historical/cultural insight. Ultimately the stupidest part of the interview seems to have been the first thirty minutes. If he hadn't gone on that long political history rant the conversation would have been much more rational. In the context of what I have seen in these replies that portion just seems like an over-complicated way to cope with guilt. Is Russia really putting up new statues of Stalin?

Yup. Although do think you have to also set it in the context of Russian history and culture. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/new-monument-soviet-leader-stalin-unveiled-ahead-ww2-anniversary-2023-02-01/ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66548485

If you have time, I can recommend "Black Wind , White Snow" to better explain modern nationalist Russian politics. Suggested to me by a Russian friend while discussing his flight from the country ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2016/06/21/book-review-black-wind-white-snow-the-rise-of-russias-new-nationalism-by-charles-clover/ It's from 8 years ago. And very sympathetic to its subjects. Critical but not a hatchet job.

You may also enjoy ... https://reees.macmillan.yale.edu/vladimir-pozner-how-united-states-created-vladimir-putin Although he's a little too understanding of Russia for many in the region, he's very representative of well-informed liberal Russian opinion. And I think pretty correct about where Putin's sense of grievance comes from.

"In April 2021, Pozner was forced to cut his birthday celebration short and flee Georgia after his hotel was blockaded by protesters calling him a "Kremlin propagandist"." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Pozner_Jr. He also spent most of his life working in Soviet and Russian State media. I mean I genuinely feel I'm trying for a balanced set of sources here 😅