Russia May Not Be As Strong As You Think

Historian Timothy Snyder, author of "The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America," explains that Russia is not a powerful nation when measured in terms of traditional indicators like technological innovation or gross national product. Instead, Russia uses subjective measures like feelings to generate fear and distrust among its people and around the world.

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Following is a transcript of the video:

Timothy Snyder: When we think about power, we often think about it in terms of traditional, twentieth century indices, like for example, gross national product or capacity for technological innovation. Russia's definitely not a great power by either of those measures. So what the Russians try to do is to change the subject, change the rules of international competition away from those more objective things to more subjective things like feelings, like fear, like anxiety.

When we turn our own attention away from the real world, the three-dimensional world, and we pay more attention to the internet and to what feels good or bad to us, in effect, we're making life easier for Russia. What they can mobilize very efficiently, very economically actually, are psychological resources over cyber. They choose that because it's easy for them. They have a plan for the world. They have a plan for Europe. They have a plan for us. But, it's not about imposing some kind of positive vision. It's about bringing us back to where they are.

What President Putin does is he replaces domestic policy of which you can't have any, with foreign policy. He can't have domestic policy because he's an oligarch at the head of an oligarchical clan, and he's running a country which can't have the rule of law. Hence, Russia is locked into place for the foreseeable future where it is. But, if he can convince Europeans and Americans that oligarchy is normal, that the rule of law is a joke, that democracy is fake, and so on, he can bring us to where Russia is. And if he can do that, then Russians will look around the world and say, "It's all just a joke. Everything's corrupt, everywhere. So, why don't we just prefer our own corruption to other people's corruption?"

So, this is a strategy. And, it's at work; it's what we're up against, now. There's a very important difference, I think, between a nationalism, which always turns you back on yourself, and a patriotism, which says, "I wanna hold my country up to a certain set of standards." Nationalism will generally say, "We have always been innocent. "We are always the innocent victims."

So, for example, if you're Russia and you're the biggest country in the world, nevertheless, you've somehow always been on the defensive. If you attack Ukraine, nevertheless, this is somehow a defensive rather than an offensive operation. Nationalism will say it's always somebody else's fault. The way it works politically is that you do things like this. You attack Ukraine. You support the far right in Europe. You support a presidential candidate in the United States. Eventually, there's gonna be some kind of reaction. That reaction comes. Then, you say to your people, "Well yes, look, "this just proves that we were the victim. "We were always the victim."

[TheSmileyTek]

This aged well. "It's always someone else's fault". Nailed it.

[Burstahh]

Ukraine already proving it to be true lmao.

[gabriellemabayo]

Base on how they're handling the invasion on Ukraine today, this video seem accurate.

[paperclip]

Russias gdp is a joke compared to other countries and it has a ton of internal and political tensions. Russia definitely makes itself bigger than it actually is (Well it is big on a worldmap at least)

[ramonemiliochaconperdomo]

This just blow my mind. It’s incredible how accurate this was.

[DanielAkinkajou]

Even more so now this aged very well. Hahaha I’m from September 2022, I’m just here to tell you that you wouldn’t even believe how much of a joke the Russian army has become.

[thecreepers]

Summary of the comments
Before 2022: Russia is powerful this is just propaganda
Now: this aged well

[dernierergenekon]

Thats truth, Russia's economy isnt fine or its nothing compared to USA

[ipartyitravel]

What an excellent analysis of the Russian power and it turned out very true!

[neilknightley]

Russia casts a large shadow for being so weak and small. That illusion is now broken. We have seen how weak Russia is now . Besides nuclear they can’t do much

[swissyodeler]

Kremlin-sponsored Internet Research Agency trolls incoming.

[Stanley-pxbt]

Coming back to this video again three years later. It's even more relevant now.

[SuperZombiepimp]

Their military is very weak old generals out dated tech and 30% of their military is green horn volunteers

[tnh]

hello from 2022. yes they are overrated. they're threatening Finland and NATO but can't even beat their next door neighbor!

[trueexposure]

The Russian tanks, Soldiers, helicopters, and jets are getting obliterated by untrained civilians in Ukraine. It makes the USA look unstoppable by comparison

[bhaskartube]

So true…now world gets to see it in broad daylight.

[DOI_ARTS]

Today it is answered, they can't even take on Ukraine.

[MegaSb]

WoW, Timothy Snyder said this 4 years back. We now know he was right.

[CrimsonFox]

Internet is full of propaganda these days.

[stanthamman]

Its like you could see the future or just see through Russian lies. Your words have now been proven accurate. Profound!