Listen now | Mike Lang taught me to enjoy beer and Rush when we were 16 years old in 1978. We’ve been brothers-by-choice ever since. In addition to being one of the smartest people I know, Mike has direct family ties to Ukraine, speaks Russian fluently, and is deeply interested in the history of the region, so he seemed like a good person to chat with about what’s going on there now. Please consider subscribing to my hybrid newsletter/blog/podcast.
I really loved this episode and came back to it for a second listen now... Mike’s calm and deeply informed perspective (even when denying it’s *that* well informed!) is so refreshing.
Towards the end of the episode, you guys talk a bit about humour and Soviet jokes... I wrote a book about just that: how humour helps us understand how ordinary people coped with and made sense of their lives under Stalin (a tradition that continues in the underground stand up clubs in Kyiv today).
Chris - I’d love to send Mike a copy if he’s interested at all, but I’ve no idea how to get in touch with him. Do you think he’d be interested?
Thank you Chris for dedicating more time on this topic, since we got so fired up us the EUs.
It is true this topic is so sensitive. My emotional heat/ cool radar was jumping up an down, during this talk, Some mostly false alarm.
Personally, the most upsetting situation that I am dealing emotionally now is in USA I have a coworker who is Uzbek and she studied in Moscow and has a family in Russia as well.. but has been in US for over a decade and one of the things she told me... a sweet girl.. was that bombing of a maternity hospital was staged and the pregnant women were acting and posing.. she is pregnant herself.. I had to contain myself and just start thinking what makes her think this way. Sure propaganda that many Russians still watch due to Nostalgia but I realized it is mostly their choice to believe that horrible things that Russia is doing is staged... only because it feels better.. it is much easier to sleep better at night. Toxic positivity if you will.
Hey Chris, thanks for that podcast. It is EXACTLY the reason that I support your podcast and what you do. I love hearing different points of view and opening up my world as a result. Your friend Mike painted a really good background of what his view was without saying I AM THE AUTHORITY and the only person who has an opinion. As someone who also went thru a recent medical scare, please send him my best as good vibes just make the world a better place.
Loved this guest, keeping it to an hour talk was spot on. Not getting both sides' propaganda in the Russia/Ukraine matter appears to be extending it and making any diplomatic solution impossible. I found it telling when Mike quickly corrected himself when he first said access to the Black Sea and then quickly changed to dominance to access. Russia border region was being attacked by Ukraine months before this invasion began, being fired upon with U.S. donated missiles. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43239/ukrainian-troops-have-been-firing-american-made-javelins-at-russian-backed-forces
IMO Mike gave a very intelligent appraisal of both the current situation in Ukraine, and its historical precedent. Perhaps the only thing missing was the religious angle, since I've read in a few articles how Putin (an ultra orthodox Christian) is bent into turning Russia into a new Tzarist empire as a counterbalance to the materialistic worldview of the West.
And maybe there are even darker undertones into this, given how in the United States government there are also very powerful secret cabals with a very fundamentalist worldview. Google "Collins Elite" and have some fun diving into that rabbit hole.
Hi Chris, I'm looking forward to listening to this new episode. :)
Quick technical note: I noticed that episode 520 appeared in the regular, non-subscriber podcast feed, but it did NOT appear in the paid, subscriber podcast feed.
After noticing this, I subscribed to both the non-subscriber and subscriber Tangentially Speaking podcast feeds because I don't want to miss any future episodes.
I wanted to point this out in case you intended to publish all of the regular podcast episodes to both the unpaid AND paid podcasts feeds. However, I realize that you may want to only publish private (i.e. special) episodes to the private podcast feed.
I hope this doesn't sound nitpicky! I simply want to help if possible as you transition to this new way of hosting and sharing your work.
I really loved this episode and came back to it for a second listen now... Mike’s calm and deeply informed perspective (even when denying it’s *that* well informed!) is so refreshing.
Towards the end of the episode, you guys talk a bit about humour and Soviet jokes... I wrote a book about just that: how humour helps us understand how ordinary people coped with and made sense of their lives under Stalin (a tradition that continues in the underground stand up clubs in Kyiv today).
Chris - I’d love to send Mike a copy if he’s interested at all, but I’ve no idea how to get in touch with him. Do you think he’d be interested?
Thank you Chris for dedicating more time on this topic, since we got so fired up us the EUs.
It is true this topic is so sensitive. My emotional heat/ cool radar was jumping up an down, during this talk, Some mostly false alarm.
Personally, the most upsetting situation that I am dealing emotionally now is in USA I have a coworker who is Uzbek and she studied in Moscow and has a family in Russia as well.. but has been in US for over a decade and one of the things she told me... a sweet girl.. was that bombing of a maternity hospital was staged and the pregnant women were acting and posing.. she is pregnant herself.. I had to contain myself and just start thinking what makes her think this way. Sure propaganda that many Russians still watch due to Nostalgia but I realized it is mostly their choice to believe that horrible things that Russia is doing is staged... only because it feels better.. it is much easier to sleep better at night. Toxic positivity if you will.
Hey Chris, thanks for that podcast. It is EXACTLY the reason that I support your podcast and what you do. I love hearing different points of view and opening up my world as a result. Your friend Mike painted a really good background of what his view was without saying I AM THE AUTHORITY and the only person who has an opinion. As someone who also went thru a recent medical scare, please send him my best as good vibes just make the world a better place.
Loved this guest, keeping it to an hour talk was spot on. Not getting both sides' propaganda in the Russia/Ukraine matter appears to be extending it and making any diplomatic solution impossible. I found it telling when Mike quickly corrected himself when he first said access to the Black Sea and then quickly changed to dominance to access. Russia border region was being attacked by Ukraine months before this invasion began, being fired upon with U.S. donated missiles. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43239/ukrainian-troops-have-been-firing-american-made-javelins-at-russian-backed-forces
IMO Mike gave a very intelligent appraisal of both the current situation in Ukraine, and its historical precedent. Perhaps the only thing missing was the religious angle, since I've read in a few articles how Putin (an ultra orthodox Christian) is bent into turning Russia into a new Tzarist empire as a counterbalance to the materialistic worldview of the West.
And maybe there are even darker undertones into this, given how in the United States government there are also very powerful secret cabals with a very fundamentalist worldview. Google "Collins Elite" and have some fun diving into that rabbit hole.
I really enjoyed this talk on Ukraine and Russia and the history between them. Very informative
Likewise looking forward to this and all the best with your new endeavour. P.E.A.C.E
Hi Chris, I'm looking forward to listening to this new episode. :)
Quick technical note: I noticed that episode 520 appeared in the regular, non-subscriber podcast feed, but it did NOT appear in the paid, subscriber podcast feed.
After noticing this, I subscribed to both the non-subscriber and subscriber Tangentially Speaking podcast feeds because I don't want to miss any future episodes.
I wanted to point this out in case you intended to publish all of the regular podcast episodes to both the unpaid AND paid podcasts feeds. However, I realize that you may want to only publish private (i.e. special) episodes to the private podcast feed.
I hope this doesn't sound nitpicky! I simply want to help if possible as you transition to this new way of hosting and sharing your work.
Best wishes,
Chad