5 Questions for Stephen Kotkin

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  • Опубліковано 3 лют 2022
  • Recorded on January 14, 2022
    Stephen Kotkin is a professor of history at Princeton and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is the author of nine works of history, including the first two volumes of his planned three-volume history of Russian power and Joseph Stalin, Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928 and Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941. The premise of this show is simple: Peter Robinson poses five questions to Dr. Kotkin: what Xi Jinping, the president of China believes; what Vladimir Putin believes; whether nuclear weapons are a deterrent in the 21st century; the chances of another American renewal; and Kotkin’s rational basis for loving the United States. It’s a fascinating conversation that delves deep into one of the country’s brightest minds.
    For further information:
    www.hoover.org/publications/u...
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 350

  • @praneetsinghbutran9477
    @praneetsinghbutran9477 2 роки тому +727

    Uncommon Knowledge is probably the only place left online where sane discussions still take place.
    And Peter Robinson excels with every guest!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

  • @GameFap
    @GameFap 2 роки тому +95

    I'm a simple man. I see a Kotkin video, I click.

  • @ryanfitzpatrick6557
    @ryanfitzpatrick6557 2 роки тому +633

    Stephen Kotkin is a national treasure, and a phenomenal historian. He should be renowned more than he already is

  • @JDAbelRN
    @JDAbelRN Рік тому +85

    I cannot express how much I admire Peter Robinson and all the extremely qualified and articulate guests he interviews. I especially appreciate the Hoover Institution at Stanford for increasing my knowledge of world politics, cultural aspects of the world's nations, and the historical aspects of the world in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Century. The generosity of presenting these lectures on UA-cam to the public is a phenomenal legacy of the Hoover Institution. Thank you, so sincerely.

  • @andreaspahler1132
    @andreaspahler1132 2 роки тому +109

    Mr Robinson, please bring Stephen Kotkin back again soon - he is so good!

  • @CrossedSabresCOD
    @CrossedSabresCOD 2 роки тому +323

    This man is a gem. Every time he speaks, he lays out the context and then asks rhetorical questions, which makes his conclusions so much more powerful. You almost forget that he's also one of the greatest historians of Stalin and political power.

  • @JXY2019
    @JXY2019 2 роки тому +41

    Peter Robinson should be the one who questions presidential candidates

  • @kurtilein3
    @kurtilein3 2 роки тому +89

    I like the format. A format i like even more is when two people just meet and talk about a series of topics but let each other take all the time needed to make their points properly. No time control, no time pressure, no interrupting. And the very best interviewers manage to do that in an interview format.

  • @SW-lw6mt
    @SW-lw6mt 2 роки тому +128

    How awesome it must be to have him as a teacher. Cogent, rational and calm, we need more of this in these turbulent times.

  • @thomashorn5829
    @thomashorn5829 2 роки тому +343

    Bravo to Kotkin on his optimism on the future of America. He raised my hope that we can actually get through the problems of division we face today.

  • @minz4X
    @minz4X 2 роки тому +98

    My first time hearing Dr Stephen Kotkin and I'm so glad I found another great mind to learn from. Hope millions more people will get to watch/hear this. Thank you, Peter for such a wonderful interview!

  • @Rasectos
    @Rasectos 2 роки тому +337

    Finally Prof. Joe Pesci is back on the program.

    • @GameFap
      @GameFap 2 роки тому +6

      He needs to do a reading of the "funny like a clown" scene one day

    • @baryntn41
      @baryntn41 2 роки тому +3

      You're not wrong.

    • @goldbrick2563
      @goldbrick2563 2 роки тому +1

      Lmao

    • @qrious786
      @qrious786 2 роки тому +3

      Quite similar sound if not the looks though similar stature.

    • @wstevenson4913
      @wstevenson4913 2 роки тому +3

      You think I'm here to amuse you ?

  • @miguelbaca8086
    @miguelbaca8086 2 роки тому +14

    Usually I find videos like this one or two years after they’ve been posted, but you’re telling me I’m here one hour after it was posted? That’s crazy!

  • @joannamoore4477
    @joannamoore4477 2 роки тому +85

    I have rewatched so much Kotkin . Finally so new stuff ❤️😍🥰

  • @piercepetree7989
    @piercepetree7989 2 роки тому +71

    Kotkin is the man!!! Can't get enough of him

  • @karenabel6218
    @karenabel6218 2 роки тому +101

    Excellent interview. Thanks to Peter Robinson for the engaging program. Grateful that there still exists thoughtful, intelligent programming like this one.

  • @prommann1234
    @prommann1234 2 роки тому +54

    8:50 I cannot help but notice, that I have kind of a similar feeling about CCP commisars at large private Chinese companies as I have about their American counterpart, the Chief Diversity,Equity and Inclusion Officer, a position with a similar function: a political commisar tasked to uphold ideological orthodoxy.

  • @douglascampbell66
    @douglascampbell66 2 роки тому +78

    Thanks for the episode. I can listen to Stephen Kotkin for hours and hours.

  • @Tadicuslegion78
    @Tadicuslegion78 2 роки тому +125

    Just sitting here patiently waiting for Stalin Volume 3

  • @dralghuroba
    @dralghuroba 2 роки тому +38

    So I guess my Stephen Kotkin’s youtube loop that I get myself into every month or so just got one video longer.
    Amazing content.
    Keep it up Prof
    Peter you’re still the best interviewer

  • @fondofsauce
    @fondofsauce 2 роки тому +88

    Peter is the best interviewer, in the history of such an endeavor.

  • @mark91345
    @mark91345 2 роки тому +38

    Boy, is it nice to have a person-to-person interview. And what a pleasure to have Stephen Kotkin!

  • @chrishaidinyak4621
    @chrishaidinyak4621 2 роки тому +5

    Thank God our country has men like Stephen Kotkin.

  • @meinking22
    @meinking22 2 роки тому +21

    Fantastic interview! Dr. Kotkin's statements about fourth generational warfare were especially pertinent and his national pride is inspirational. Thank you for sharing

  • @eoinoconnell185
    @eoinoconnell185 2 роки тому +8

    Third time watching this (in full) and always catch words of wisdom from Kotkin that I missed previously.

  • @dipdipgoose5399
    @dipdipgoose5399 2 роки тому +29

    Stephen Kotkin - What a brilliant, brilliant man! Could listen to him everyday and twice on a Sunday.

  • @danielstavroff1535
    @danielstavroff1535 2 роки тому +8

    I couldn't wait to click my notification message to watch this.
    Thank you Hoover Institution!

  • @narkelnaru2710
    @narkelnaru2710 2 роки тому +6

    Thank God for Stephen Kotkin. He's the only person I can listen to on the Hoover Institution's UA-cam channel.

  • @craigharryman4500
    @craigharryman4500 2 роки тому +12

    An hour well spent. Bravo.

  • @yvanguez2077
    @yvanguez2077 2 роки тому +46

    Happy of your coming back Peter. You bring a refreshing source of wisdom in our new MAD environment .

  • @akp167
    @akp167 2 роки тому +11

    I have been waiting for Joe Pesci to comment on all of this for months

  • @philipford6183
    @philipford6183 2 роки тому +27

    Just wanted to to say thank you for this. Stephen Kotkin is such an interesting speaker.

  • @EddierThanThou
    @EddierThanThou 2 роки тому +21

    I always enjoy a sit down with Kotkin. Thanks to you both.

  • @yuxinshen7740
    @yuxinshen7740 2 роки тому +7

    His answers to Qs 1 and 2 are very insightful. The rest is just American exceptionalism.

  • @yessir8089
    @yessir8089 2 роки тому +48

    So happy to see a new video with prof. Kotkin ! Thank you Uncommon knowledge.

  • @scienceisgod1
    @scienceisgod1 2 роки тому +35

    Wow! There really are a few smart and reasonable people still left in this world. Glad I found them.

  • @MrEnjoyBeats
    @MrEnjoyBeats 2 роки тому +2

    The table interview setting is great. For some reason I just can't listen to an online interview, the voices aren't as clear, it feels distant, you name it. It's great to have Peter Robinson sitting again at the table with the guest.

  • @joethegeographer
    @joethegeographer 2 роки тому +5

    Dr. Kotkin's 1st volume of his Stalin biography is excellent! I'm working through the 2nd volume, equally good so far; both demonstrate that Dr. Kotkin is very well read in the appropriate topics.

  • @surenderbhutani3470
    @surenderbhutani3470 2 роки тому +10

    An excellent dialogue. Prof Kotkin is an outstanding scholar on Russia. Prof Surender Bhutani Warsaw (Poland)

  • @temijinkahn511
    @temijinkahn511 Рік тому +3

    would be interesting to have a follow up interview to talk about the current state of Russia with the war in Ukraine.

  • @davidbowick7830
    @davidbowick7830 2 роки тому +36

    "Stephen, you're the best show in town." You guys are good together. Great information too!

  • @defective6811
    @defective6811 2 роки тому +11

    Ive loved all of the material I've seen from the Hoover Institution thus far, but this conversation inspires me to feel responsible for the future of freedom and democracy. It inspires me to put in the work to empower myself and those within my reach to actuate a difference, rather than dream of one.

  • @armenalexanian
    @armenalexanian Рік тому +2

    If I were elected President I would immediately recruit Professor Kotkin to be my most senior advisor. Failure to employ his wisdom is a matter of national security.

  • @isabellaliu8409
    @isabellaliu8409 2 роки тому +38

    I love uncommon knowledge podcast!

    • @isabellaliu8409
      @isabellaliu8409 2 роки тому +5

      I agreed that’s why these evil countries look for political agents destroying not only the system, trying to change the constitution, being arrogant to rule of law, but also divide you from i within by provoking racism and spreading extreme far left ideology and deepening race conflicts. American as one should not vote for this kind of politicians!

  • @lukecockburn1140
    @lukecockburn1140 2 роки тому +65

    Amazin! To hear from Stephen kotkin been waiting & checking regularly for a while

  • @TobyFan321
    @TobyFan321 2 роки тому +9

    9:32 Insert laugh track

  • @randomcommenteronyoutube1055
    @randomcommenteronyoutube1055 2 роки тому +5

    Stephen Kotkin, you are an American legend. Thank you for everything you do.

  • @yuanhaochue2889
    @yuanhaochue2889 2 роки тому +1

    I must agree that this Guest is a realistic historian with apt historical n modern geopolitical perspectives.. ... even more he us so patient n polite to narrate his logics with such confidence n stature..
    Thank u for bringing him in ...

  • @simongraham2516
    @simongraham2516 2 роки тому +8

    Finally, this conversation was overdue. Been searching for Stephen Kotkin interviews and podcasts for months but nothing new.

  • @DPMConnacht
    @DPMConnacht Рік тому +3

    Great discussion. I'd have loved to have had a teacher like Professor Kotkin.
    He kind of missed out on the Russian invasion of Ukraine though. As of now Russia run into a lot of trouble. Putin's partial conscription/mobilization isn't going well in Russia and his military is retreating in eastern Ukraine.

  • @tvintx9741
    @tvintx9741 2 роки тому +13

    Absolutely phenomenal interview!

  • @looklao
    @looklao 2 роки тому +6

    I would like to see the debate between Mr. Stephen Kotkin and Mr. kishore Muhabani on the world’s views. Specially on the west and China.

  • @--Dani
    @--Dani 2 роки тому +2

    Always enjoy Peter Robinson, great interviews, put him and Dr. Stephen Kotkin together and amazing insights come, not to mention his unparalleled books. Thanks Hoover, cant believe things like this are free, have to also give a mention to VD Hanson as well.👍

  • @plankro8
    @plankro8 2 роки тому +22

    This was great, as usual Steven is captivating and deliciously well informed, thanks guys I love youse young punks!

  • @janemackenzie6061
    @janemackenzie6061 2 роки тому +89

    Another excellent, intriguing, rational, illuminating conversation, Peter and Stephen! I could only wish the people who need to heed the relevance of what you discussed could absorb and act upon the truths revealed. There was so much to digest that demands attention at this intersection of ideologies, policies and agendas, but most of all personalities and contrasts, moods and methodologies! The challenge is in the how to go about steering the great ship, America, away from the shoals and into the deep clear channel of nonobstructive positive thinking and effective collaborative action. Perhaps the natural attrition that appears to be taking place around the corner and the fallout/benefits from replacements will offer a satisfactory degree of compromise in principles, morals and values better aligned to steer the ship(s) of State. Steer onward, Patriots!! Thank you for enlightening us with your wisdom, knowledge, and excellent reflections this day!!🌍🌎🌏🚜🚛🚚🛻🚙🚘🇨🇦🇺🇲🏆🏆🏅🏅

  • @namehimhuman5500
    @namehimhuman5500 2 роки тому +12

    Greetings from Russia! I watch every Kotkin video I see, his insights are incredible.

  • @veliatorrez6523
    @veliatorrez6523 2 роки тому +8

    This was great wish I could get the written word of this interview on paper so I could read it. Never know if u tube will keep it. Very educational for me.

  • @friendlyfire7861
    @friendlyfire7861 2 роки тому +6

    Yup, 5 questions over the course of an hour is about right for Peter.

  • @jameslippincott7440
    @jameslippincott7440 2 роки тому +4

    Thank you for uploading!

  • @loreyao1515
    @loreyao1515 2 роки тому +23

    Absolutely fascinating. I learned so much!

  • @PresterMike
    @PresterMike 2 роки тому +4

    Love to see you back Mr Robinson! Thank you for all that you do. Great talk as always

  • @stavrosvenizelos610
    @stavrosvenizelos610 2 роки тому +39

    Watching this extremely interesting interview after February 24th, one has to admit that no one, not even Mr. Kotkin, could guess that Russia would eventually invade Ukraine

  • @drewjackson9723
    @drewjackson9723 2 роки тому +57

    I just now found out that this is the Peter Robinson that wrote the speech for Reagan. I’m so much more impressed with this guy now.

    • @gc2696
      @gc2696 2 роки тому +2

      Check out his own account of how he got to write the Berlin Wall speech.
      👏🏻👏🏻✌🏻👍🏻👍🏻

    • @fretnottrustingod5053
      @fretnottrustingod5053 2 роки тому +2

      He wrote the "tear down this wall" speech.

    • @blimolhm2790
      @blimolhm2790 2 роки тому +1

      this show has so many great episodes to watch

    • @angieatwork1053
      @angieatwork1053 2 роки тому

      Really?! Which speech of Reagon was written by Robinson? Would love to find out. Thanks in advance!

  • @mikelezcurra810
    @mikelezcurra810 2 роки тому +11

    Shouldn't Mr Kotkin be at home finishing his third Stalin volume??

  • @ouimetco
    @ouimetco 2 роки тому +3

    Really appreciate Peter Robinson.

  • @osraneslipy
    @osraneslipy 2 роки тому +11

    This is the best analysis of what we are dealing with today that I have ever seen. Many thanks for making this discussion possible and publicly available.

  • @freeheeler09
    @freeheeler09 Рік тому +4

    Great interview!

  • @markhamburger5587
    @markhamburger5587 2 роки тому +3

    "It was foreseeable. It happened before..." Kotkin is so right!

  • @frankgentile7750
    @frankgentile7750 2 роки тому +1

    That was an amazing interview
    Thank you so much for interviewing Stephen Kotkin .

  • @valleyairsolutions3026
    @valleyairsolutions3026 2 роки тому +16

    Fucking guy is brilliantly simple we need 1000 more just like him right now

  • @wolkenpower
    @wolkenpower 2 роки тому +5

    Dr. Kotkin, please work faster and finish the 3rd volume, some of us have been waiting anxiously for years. This is emotional abuse.

  • @dongaetano3687
    @dongaetano3687 Рік тому +1

    Finished the interview. Brilliant from start to finish. thanks much.

  • @Cartersvillain
    @Cartersvillain 2 роки тому +6

    Waiting to see Peter on JRE already

  • @TheLewisLegend
    @TheLewisLegend 2 роки тому +4

    I have been waiting for a new Stephen looking update!

  • @dylanreece7991
    @dylanreece7991 2 роки тому +6

    Tell Latin America the The United States aren't imperialist. Lol.

  • @jacklucas7265
    @jacklucas7265 2 роки тому +7

    Brilliant!

  • @xDooksx
    @xDooksx 2 роки тому

    We are blessed to have this information available to us. Thanks Hoover institute.

  • @Daveposting
    @Daveposting 2 роки тому +7

    I love kotkin am very excited for his next book

  • @Fahdalrabeayah
    @Fahdalrabeayah 2 роки тому +10

    I watched it three times
    What an amazing interview
    Thanxxxxx

  • @alexball7407
    @alexball7407 2 роки тому +7

    absolutely superb dialogue, let us hope these people are making, or advising in, foreign policy decisions

  • @falldog9
    @falldog9 2 роки тому +8

    Thank you for making this content. Two incredible minds.

  • @jamaaldaynitelong8367
    @jamaaldaynitelong8367 2 роки тому +34

    We need more people like him in Washington.

  • @cato451
    @cato451 2 роки тому +40

    Great interview. Very insightful. Communism always fails.

  • @selocan469
    @selocan469 Рік тому

    I love Uncommon Knowledge and Peter Robinson, he is doing a great job. I watched multiple session with very fine guests. Peter Robinson is a great host, he read material about or event written by the quest, knows the guest, askes fine questions and most importantly listens. Though it was a delight to watch those until now, this one took the cake. It was exquisite to watch this interview with Stephen Kotkin. I believe it was so for Peter Robinson as well since I did not see him that silent and listening to such extent before

  • @noname123412
    @noname123412 2 роки тому +2

    thank you for the fascinating interview

  • @janiekcarney5482
    @janiekcarney5482 Рік тому +1

    These conversations are wonderful.

  • @jonikelly3905
    @jonikelly3905 2 роки тому +1

    Brilliant conversation, thank you!!

  • @flemmings177
    @flemmings177 Рік тому +2

    Great job Peter Robinson ... holding that microphone!

  • @jimgregory6185
    @jimgregory6185 2 роки тому +3

    Great discussion. Thank you. 😊

  • @roubika1922
    @roubika1922 2 роки тому +1

    Excellent clarification of the current situation in the world . Highly informative
    Most appreciated with thanks

  • @hogusantos8511
    @hogusantos8511 2 роки тому +4

    Thank you for your analysis, sir.

  • @DJDarkrobe
    @DJDarkrobe 2 роки тому +1

    Great interview, thanks for doing this and having not only great thought out questions but great perspectives on today's current events.

  •  2 роки тому +11

    I was expecting for Professor Kotkin views of the Ukraine-Russia crisis. Wisdom, as always.

  • @mathieuguillet4036
    @mathieuguillet4036 2 роки тому +1

    Great conversation! Thank you.

  • @markhamburger5587
    @markhamburger5587 2 роки тому +6

    "The Russians don't want a war in Ukraine" Wrong again.Ever since the Krim annexation it didn't matter what the Russians were thinking. Kotkin should talk to Kasparov more. The former world champion in chess is pretty much the only one who got it right.

  • @tomshea8229
    @tomshea8229 2 роки тому +2

    Thank you so much. Education, knowledge is power.

  • @davidhansen1811
    @davidhansen1811 2 роки тому +29

    Enlightening and interesting as always. Professor Kotkin is light-years ahead of this professor in his knowledge of the history of 'communism'. There is, however, and aspect that never seems to get enough 'air time' amongst commentators in general. Within what I will call 'theoretical communism' is contained what is often referred to as the 'withering away of the state'. Stalin was a die-hard dyed-in-the-wool communist? He conveniently left out of his mind and his psyche the withering away of the state part that Marx wrote about. The same is true of all such totalitarian leaders, they don't have any interest in that part of the theory of communism. And who is surprised? No one (should be). Men love many things, pleasure, money, fancy possessions, exerting some influence within their tiny spheres, admiration, they love many things. Men love POWER and enjoy exercising their will over others, the more people the better; some men enjoy it more than the sum of all other pleasures that you could ever name. I am of the opinion (highly non-expert opinion) that men like Stalin are still men, and they are capable of many 'head-games' while they are just having great fun controlling people and even killing people, on their power+ego trips (that can indeed last decades, because of the great fear of the person on the trip). To me, it is 'I and we have an ideology that serves our purposes, while we do what we do' (great evil). This handy ideology (communism, but there are lot's of choices) means that we don't have to reflect very deeply on the true morality of what we are doing. Communism is axiomatically assumed to be moral. How convenient. This kind of self-serving behaviour and psychology is very old and very human. Read what Jesus of Nazareth had to say about the self-serving self-defined righteousness of men called Pharisees in Matthew 23, the religious leaders who enjoyed defining morality and imposing it on others, without examining themselves. As is the general case, their moral high ground was nothing of the sort, but was delicious for them, just as it was for Stalin and Mao and others like them. Such leaders don't seem to mind the sycophants and perks either. Xi-Jin Ping is more toward the recovery of national pride (as Hitler was) in XJP's case, very thoroughly turning the idea of 'the sick man of Asia' on its head. The ideology his party keeps trying to sell is grade school drivel, now broadly realized as being pretty poor fare. However, the Chinese people don't really mind having drivel thrown at them as long as they eat well.

  • @thomasmazzola4760
    @thomasmazzola4760 2 роки тому

    Brilliant discussion. Thank you!!

  • @tarek9513
    @tarek9513 2 роки тому

    Explained simply with such accuracy.

  • @Numi2003
    @Numi2003 2 роки тому +4

    Looking good Stephen! I would love to access your classes at Princeton.