logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2018
1h 50m

The Dig: Russia Beyond Caricature

JACOBIN
About this episode

Russia: the more your average American thinks about it, the less they seem to know. National security-state enthused liberals blame Putin and for creating what is an obviously-if-incomprehensibly made-in-America monster. Trump, in turn, cannot seem to contain his giddy enthusiasm for Putin's brand of hyper-masculine authoritarianism. Meanwhile, Russia, an actual country where roughly 144 million people live, has become mostly invisible to Americans—because it has been replaced by a caricature. Sean Guillory, the host of the SRB podcast and author of seansrussiablog.org, explains it all.

Thanks to Verso Books. Check out New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future by James Bridle versobooks.com/books/2698-new-dark-age And The Amateur: The Pleasures of Doing What You Love by Andy Merrifield versobooks.com/books/2765-the-amateur

Support this podcast with your money at Patreon.com/TheDig
Up next
Nov 23
Behind the News: War and Neocolonialism in Sudan w/ Mosaab Baba
<p>Mosaab Baba, who wrote an <a href="https://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php/sudan-africas-regional-neo-colonial-war" rel="nofollow">article</a> about Sudan for <em>Black Agenda Report</em>, looks at what’s behind the horrendous civil war. <a href="https://tokyopaladin.subst ... Show More
53m 1s
Nov 20
Dig: 500th Episode Party w/ Brace Belden and Liz Franczak
<p>Featuring Brace Belden, Liz Franczak, Gabriel Winant, Aziz Rana, Sumaya Awad, Thea Riofrancos, and Alex Lewis. Toasts and roasts celebrating 500 episodes of <em>The Dig</em>. Plus a short speech from Dan. Live at Brooklyn’s Littlefield.</p> <p>Support <em>The Dig</em> at <a hr ... Show More
41m 2s
Nov 19
Confronting Capitalism: Economic Populism at a Crossroads
<p>While Democrats recently scored some much-needed electoral wins, the party remains in crisis. Recent reports like Welcome PAC’s “Deciding to Win” argue that the Democrats must drop unpopular cultural positions and recenter economic demands. Can a populist economic agenda shorn ... Show More
37m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2021
Daily: BACK IN THE USSR? Author Sergei Lebedev on Russia’s unquiet past
Novelist Sergei Lebedev writes forensically detailed books which uncover how Soviet history still exerts its power on modern Russians. According to the New York Review of Books he’s “the best of Russia’s younger generation of writers.” He talks to Alex Andreou about his latest no ... Show More
23m 34s
Mar 2022
Putin and his entourage
<p>Gideon talks to Catherine Belton, author of the bestselling book <em>Putin’s People</em>, about who is likely to be influencing the Russian president as he decides whether to step back or press on with the war in Ukraine.</p><p><em>Clips: Reuters, BBC</em></p><br><p>Want to re ... Show More
26m 19s
Aug 2023
Introducing: The Russian Banker
Who is Sergei Leontiev? To the US asylum system, he’s an exiled Russian banker who was persecuted by the state and forced to flee. To Russia, he’s&nbsp;said to be&nbsp;responsible for massive fraud.&nbsp; On The Russian Banker, a new series from the Financial Times, reporters Cou ... Show More
1m 44s
Jul 2020
Putin: a president trapped in power
Now in power until 2036 after a recent constitutional change, Vladimir Putin is nevertheless facing a difficult future as the Russian economy stagnates and popular unrest grows. Gideon Rachman and Catherine Belton, author and former FT journalist, discuss how the president and a ... Show More
19m 53s
Dec 2021
Back to the USSR: Russia and Ukraine
<p>As border tensions continue to build, our Russia editor looks back to the fall of the Soviet Union to explain why Russia has <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2021/12/18/why-russia-has-never-accepted-ukrainian-independence?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio ... Show More
23m 54s
Aug 2023
Putin's Rise to Power
Serving continuously as either Prime Minister or President since 1999, Vladimir Putin's leadership of Russia has always dominated the geopolitical stage and made headlines. Enforcing extreme policies, engaging with dangerous allies, and hiring deadly mercenaries - it seems he isn ... Show More
47m 27s
May 2022
Putin's Rise to Power
<p>Catherine Belton joins Dan on the podcast to discuss the remarkable story of Vladimir Putin's rise to power. After working from 2007-2013 as the Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times, Catherine's career has offered an exclusive insight into the workings of Putin's Kreml ... Show More
32m 57s
Mar 2022
Masha Gessen on Putin’s 'Profoundly Anti-Modern’ Worldview
<p>For Western audiences, the past few weeks have been a torrent of information about what’s happening in Russia and Ukraine. Daily updates of Russian military advances. Horrifying videos of buildings exploding and innocent civilians being killed. Announcements of increasingly se ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2023
87. Tolstoy: War and the Russian Empire
Tolstoy was one of the greatest writers of all time. His books have constructed how we think about Russian imperial history. But he was not just an observer, he was also a participant. As a young man, Tolstoy fought in several of Russia's imperial wars– against the Chechens and t ... Show More
54m 23s