Episode
Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
1:37:49
Published: Fri Jan 03 2020
Description
Stephen Kotkin is a professor of history at Princeton university and one of the great historians of our time, specializing in Russian and Soviet history. He has written many books on Stalin and the Soviet Union including the first 2 of a 3 volume work on Stalin, and he is currently working on volume 3. This conversation is part of the Artificial Intelligence podcast. If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or support it on Patreon. This episode is presented by Cash App. Download it (App Store, Google Play), use code "LexPodcast". Episode Links: Stalin (book, vol 1): https://amzn.to/2FjdLF2 Stalin (book, vol 2): https://amzn.to/2tqyjc3 Here's the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. 00:00 - Introduction 03:10 - Do all human beings crave power? 11:29 - Russian people and authoritarian power 15:06 - Putin and the Russian people 23:23 - Corruption in Russia 31:30 - Russia's future 41:07 - Individuals and institutions 44:42 - Stalin's rise to power 1:05:20 - What is the ideal political system? 1:21:10 - Questions for Putin 1:29:41 - Questions for Stalin 1:33:25 - Will there always be evil in the world?
Chapters
Lex interviews Stephen Kotkin, a renowned historian of Russian and Soviet history, about his work and insights into the political and social systems that defined the region in the 20th century.
00:00 - 03:25 (03:25)
Summary
Lex interviews Stephen Kotkin, a renowned historian of Russian and Soviet history, about his work and insights into the political and social systems that defined the region in the 20th century.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The discussion revolves around the concept of power and the cravings of people for an unconstrained position of power.
03:25 - 08:43 (05:17)
Summary
The discussion revolves around the concept of power and the cravings of people for an unconstrained position of power. It also questions whether most people would prefer absolute power or capped power that the Presidential role represents.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The fundamental idea of constraints on executive power is deeply ingrained in the American system and many other parts of the world that have a similar system of checks and balances on executive power, while Russia has historically been attracted to authoritarian power.
08:43 - 19:49 (11:06)
Summary
The fundamental idea of constraints on executive power is deeply ingrained in the American system and many other parts of the world that have a similar system of checks and balances on executive power, while Russia has historically been attracted to authoritarian power. The frustration with the constraints on executive power in the US might have led to a sense in which non-constrained executive power could fix things, but it's difficult to measure public opinion under an authoritarian regime like Russia.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Russian state apparatus is becoming disillusioned as the government fails to invest in the country's future, nor its infrastructure or diversify its economy, while being a hotbed of corruption amongst the presidential inner circle.
19:49 - 26:42 (06:52)
Summary
Russian state apparatus is becoming disillusioned as the government fails to invest in the country's future, nor its infrastructure or diversify its economy, while being a hotbed of corruption amongst the presidential inner circle.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Russia's economic growth during the decades following the Soviet collapse is credited to more than just booming oil prices.
26:42 - 35:09 (08:27)
Summary
Russia's economic growth during the decades following the Soviet collapse is credited to more than just booming oil prices. The successful revival of lower value products in manufacturing such as steel, iron, cement, and fertilizer, have also contributed to the country's growth.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Russia needs functioning institutions that promote sustainable long-term growth without violence or upheaval, and thereby avoid the need for miraculous solutions.
35:09 - 46:22 (11:13)
Summary
Russia needs functioning institutions that promote sustainable long-term growth without violence or upheaval, and thereby avoid the need for miraculous solutions. The country requires a group of individuals within power structures that are "patriotic and see things going down" to establish institutions built around an ideology that is good for the world.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The leftists, led by Stalin and Lenin, declared a seizure of power in October 1917 against the old government and in the name of the councils or Soviets, which represent grassroots democracy and people's power, that were popular all over the country.
46:22 - 54:10 (07:48)
Summary
The leftists, led by Stalin and Lenin, declared a seizure of power in October 1917 against the old government and in the name of the councils or Soviets, which represent grassroots democracy and people's power, that were popular all over the country.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this podcast episode, the host and guest discuss Stalin's hunger for power and his belief in communism as an ideology.
54:10 - 1:02:54 (08:43)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the host and guest discuss Stalin's hunger for power and his belief in communism as an ideology. They examine the role that communism played in his rise to power and in the 20th century in Russia.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
There is often confusion among the left between those who accept capitalism but want to regulate it and those who want to eliminate capitalism.
1:02:53 - 1:15:22 (12:28)
Summary
There is often confusion among the left between those who accept capitalism but want to regulate it and those who want to eliminate capitalism. The latter is not the recipe for abundance and freedom, and those who are in favor of it misunderstand socialism.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The far left and far right extremes threaten the legitimacy of democratic rule of law institutions and capitalism, while normal left-right politics works within the constraints of these institutions to pursue redistribution or smaller government.
1:15:22 - 1:23:23 (08:01)
Summary
The far left and far right extremes threaten the legitimacy of democratic rule of law institutions and capitalism, while normal left-right politics works within the constraints of these institutions to pursue redistribution or smaller government.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This episode explores the impact of power on a person's sense of self, asking whether leaders like Putin and Stalin can step away from their positions of authority and how power shapes a person's worldview and legacy.
1:23:24 - 1:29:26 (06:01)
Summary
This episode explores the impact of power on a person's sense of self, asking whether leaders like Putin and Stalin can step away from their positions of authority and how power shapes a person's worldview and legacy.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The enduring fact of conflicting interests and desires in history can never be changed.
1:29:27 - 1:35:45 (06:17)
Summary
The enduring fact of conflicting interests and desires in history can never be changed. The challenge for humanity is to put these conflicts in context and to resolve them peacefully instead of a zero-sum approach.
EpisodeStephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Historian and author Steven Pinker emphasizes the significance of avoiding planetary scale destruction and managing conflicting interests peacefully.
1:35:45 - 1:37:25 (01:40)
Summary
Historian and author Steven Pinker emphasizes the significance of avoiding planetary scale destruction and managing conflicting interests peacefully. He stresses that learning from history can contribute to achieving these objectives.