Anne Applebaum

Yeah, that's correct. I mean, they've restructured their economy, which is now focused on producing military equipment. Of course, that has traps, as we know from American history and from the history of other countries. If you're spending an enormous amount of money to produce military equipment, I It's a kind of dead end product. I mean, it only has one use. It goes to the war.

Yeah, that's correct. I mean, they've restructured their economy, which is now focused on producing military equipment. Of course, that has traps, as we know from American history and from the history of other countries. If you're spending an enormous amount of money to produce military equipment, I It's a kind of dead end product. I mean, it only has one use. It goes to the war.

Yeah, that's correct. I mean, they've restructured their economy, which is now focused on producing military equipment. Of course, that has traps, as we know from American history and from the history of other countries. If you're spending an enormous amount of money to produce military equipment, I It's a kind of dead end product. I mean, it only has one use. It goes to the war.

It's blown up and that's it. And there's a limit to how long Russia will be able to simply pump the money it earns from oil and gas into tanks and guns and maintain the rest of the economy and maintain some level of prosperity for people. And this is actually how the Soviet Union fell apart. So this is a story that we know.

It's blown up and that's it. And there's a limit to how long Russia will be able to simply pump the money it earns from oil and gas into tanks and guns and maintain the rest of the economy and maintain some level of prosperity for people. And this is actually how the Soviet Union fell apart. So this is a story that we know.

It's blown up and that's it. And there's a limit to how long Russia will be able to simply pump the money it earns from oil and gas into tanks and guns and maintain the rest of the economy and maintain some level of prosperity for people. And this is actually how the Soviet Union fell apart. So this is a story that we know.

Eventually, they spent such a high proportion of money on the military that they impoverished their people. And that's more complicated than that. But that eventually led to the end of the system. So it's not something they can do indefinitely.

Eventually, they spent such a high proportion of money on the military that they impoverished their people. And that's more complicated than that. But that eventually led to the end of the system. So it's not something they can do indefinitely.

Eventually, they spent such a high proportion of money on the military that they impoverished their people. And that's more complicated than that. But that eventually led to the end of the system. So it's not something they can do indefinitely.

And some real Americans who... For sure. Actually Americans.

And some real Americans who... For sure. Actually Americans.

And some real Americans who... For sure. Actually Americans.

So this is because the language of democracy, which is language that quite a lot of Americans also now disparage, the language of the rule of law, the language of, you know, independent courts, transparency, accountability, this language is the thing that threatens them the most. What is Putin most afraid of? What's the movement he worries about the most?

So this is because the language of democracy, which is language that quite a lot of Americans also now disparage, the language of the rule of law, the language of, you know, independent courts, transparency, accountability, this language is the thing that threatens them the most. What is Putin most afraid of? What's the movement he worries about the most?

So this is because the language of democracy, which is language that quite a lot of Americans also now disparage, the language of the rule of law, the language of, you know, independent courts, transparency, accountability, this language is the thing that threatens them the most. What is Putin most afraid of? What's the movement he worries about the most?

What he worries about the most is what he saw happen in Ukraine in 2014, which was a mass uprising that was focused on anti-corruption. So young people saying, we don't want corrupt leaders anymore. We want the rule of law. That was actually what that moment was about. This is the 2014 Maidan, so-called Maidan revolution.

What he worries about the most is what he saw happen in Ukraine in 2014, which was a mass uprising that was focused on anti-corruption. So young people saying, we don't want corrupt leaders anymore. We want the rule of law. That was actually what that moment was about. This is the 2014 Maidan, so-called Maidan revolution.

What he worries about the most is what he saw happen in Ukraine in 2014, which was a mass uprising that was focused on anti-corruption. So young people saying, we don't want corrupt leaders anymore. We want the rule of law. That was actually what that moment was about. This is the 2014 Maidan, so-called Maidan revolution.

That language and those movements is the one thing that threatens them ideologically. And the same is true in China. What was the biggest threat to Chinese stability in the last several years? It was the Hong Kong democracy movement, which also used that language. The Chinese actually... came to this conclusion a long time ago.

That language and those movements is the one thing that threatens them ideologically. And the same is true in China. What was the biggest threat to Chinese stability in the last several years? It was the Hong Kong democracy movement, which also used that language. The Chinese actually... came to this conclusion a long time ago.