Here are the timestamps. Please check out our sponsors to support this podcast. Transcript: lexfridman.com/john-mearsheimer-transcript 0:00 - Introduction & sponsor mentions: - Notion: notion.com - ExpressVPN: expressvpn.com/lexpod to get 3 months free - InsideTracker: insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off - Eight Sleep: www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings - AG1: drinkag1.com/lex to get 1 month supply of fish oil 1:29 - Power 24:43 - Hitler 42:09 - Russia and Ukraine 1:38:22 - Israel and Palestine 2:39:13 - China 3:21:34 - Life and mortality
Hey Lex, very interesting guest. But I was wondering if you'd ever do something similar like Todd Howard or John Carmack again? John Romero, Sandy Petersen and American McGee would all make great guests. As an IT guy and (old school) gamer, I'd be very interested in hearing from guys like that. Or Richard Garriott, Ed Boon, Chris Avellone, Ken Levine, Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, Warren Spector, Sid Meier, ... Or some of the Japanese guys if language makes it possible like Shinji Mikami, Suda51, Hideo Kojima, Yu Suzuki, Toshihiro Nagoshi, ... And of course Miyamoto-san himself.
Loved this guys intellectual honesty. Instead of disagreeing outright, he will go "well, in order to make that argument, you have to argue for X". This kind of devils advocism is really important to honest discourse imo.
Finally Lex has someone on in regards to foreign policy who isn’t a neocon. It’s about time, there’s so many other world views for foreign affairs that have been missed.
Probably to gather intelligence on who agrees with him. People get pushed out of the media for having these thoughts, Norman Finkelstein was pushed out of his University, and now congresswoman Rashida Talib was censured. There really is no free exchange of ideas in the US. Look what happened to James Traficant and Cynthia McKinney. Everytime I see Netanyahu on TV I can't stop thinking of A Clean Break and all the US soldiers that were physically and psychologically harmed by the Iraq war. I have to keep telling myself there are plenty of people who oppose him.
@@scottkeller8890Man that was crazy "Hey let my find the most Pro-Isreal political advisor around to talk about Gaza" And only a couple of months after he went to the West Bank and talked to Palestinians face to face. That was straight up slimey
Please bring back John Mearsheimer for another four hours IMMEDIATELY! Wow you two, I can't express in words how much I loved this conversation, and am eternally grateful for expanding my perspective on so many things!
Really I find his nonsense hard to take .. for example he still continues with this NATO forced putin to invade .. Was he out when putin told the world ukraine was Russian.. Sounds to me like Nato or no nato putin wanted ukraine back for Russia.. which by the way is the reason other neighbouring countries are asking to join nato not being asked to join .. Sweden and Finland weren't forced to join they joined because they were worried about putin . He seems to conveniently ignore this fact
The way John Mearsheimer explains his arguments is so easy to follow, I felt like the three hours went by too fast. What a wonderful intellectual and human being.
Lex, what I love about your range of speakers is that they trigger me to ask myself, “What do *I* think about this subject,” rather than passively listening to a speaker who echos my preexisting thoughts.
00:00 🌍 John Mearsheimer emphasizes the importance of power in international relations and how states seek power for survival due to the absence of a higher authority in the global system. 02:33 📈 Power in international relations is largely determined by population size and wealth, with these factors underpinning a state's strength. 05:31 🌐 Anarchy in international politics refers to the absence of a higher authority above states, leading them to maximize relative power for survival. 09:26 🤝 Nations strive for power to ensure security, not necessarily aggression, driven by historical examples like the Century of National Humiliation in China. 12:26 🌐 Realism versus liberalism in international relations: Realists focus on power, competition, and war as instruments of statecraft, while liberals have more optimistic views, emphasizing aspects like democratic peace theory, economic interdependence, and institutions for peaceful coexistence. 16:44 🏛 Democratic peace theory suggests that democracies tend not to fight each other due to shared norms and values, while realists argue that structural dynamics, not democracy, drive state behavior. 18:45 💰 Economic interdependence theory posits that economic ties between nations deter war, yet realists assert that security concerns often override economic interests in conflicts. 19:44 📜 Liberal institutionalism proposes that rule-based institutions can promote peace, contrasting with realist notions that survival trumps prosperity in critical situations. 23:13 🤔 Realist divisions include structural realists (focus on system) vs. human nature realists (emphasis on individual psychology) and within structural realism, the distinction between offensive (seeking power) and defensive (maintaining power) realists. 25:11 🌐 Structural considerations heavily influenced Nazi Germany's aggressive behavior, highlighting the interplay between structural factors and individual leadership (e.g., Hitler's "will to power"). 27:07 🇩🇪 Factors like resentment over the Versailles Treaty played a role in Hitler's rise to power, showcasing the complex interplay between historical grievances, individual psychology, and international conflicts. 28:02 🌐 Hitler's rise to power was influenced by factors such as resentment, economic depression, and his ability to pull Germany out of the Great Depression. 30:31 🌍 Structural elements drove significant historical events, like Hitler's actions in World War II, but history is multidimensional, involving various aspects beyond mere individuals. 31:56 🛠 Realism in international relations theory answers key questions about security competition and great power wars but doesn't explain every aspect, like the specifics behind events like the Holocaust. 34:24 🤔 Hitler's decisions in World War II had resistance internally within Germany, especially concerning the invasion of Poland and France, contrasting with the less oppositional decision to invade the Soviet Union. 36:29 🏹 Hitler's strategy involved various axis points in different directions during World War II, emphasizing the importance of different approaches and target regions. 39:27 🔍 Soviet Union's fierce resistance against Nazi Germany was driven by the genocidal nature of the adversary and the understanding that surrender meant death, motivating them to fight fiercely. 42:27 🕊 Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 wasn't necessarily about conquering all of Ukraine, but primarily a response to NATO expansion into Ukraine, as evidenced by negotiation attempts to end the conflict soon after it began. 48:11 ⚔ NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine, despite Russia's objections, significantly contributed to the conflict and tensions between Russia and the West. 51:31 🌍 The West's strategy aimed to make Ukraine a pro-Western democratic state within NATO and the EU, which clashed with Russia's security concerns and led to a dire situation. 52:57 🛡 Putin doesn't aspire to recreate the Soviet Union but prioritizes Russia's security, particularly regarding NATO's proximity to Russian borders. His primary concern is to prevent NATO expansion into Ukraine. 56:24 🌍 Putin faced a challenging period of national humiliation for Russia, and it took time to rebuild the country's strength. 57:51 🛡 The US held significant power from 1989 to 2017, remaining the strongest global player. 58:49 🇷🇺 Russians' historical experiences with invasions make them sensitive about Ukraine's proximity to their border. 59:18 🌐 Strategists need empathy to understand others' perspectives in international politics. 01:00:14 🤝 Putin's perception of NATO expansion differs from the US's benign view, impacting their reactions. 01:02:47 💔 Prospects for a meaningful peace agreement in Ukraine appear dim, frozen conflict likely. 01:04:55 🤔 Direct talks between Zelensky and Putin might have a sliver of a chance without US involvement. 01:08:30 💡 Potential solutions involve Ukraine's neutrality and accepting Russia's territorial gains. 01:13:02 🕊 Trust issues from failed agreements hinder the possibility of successful negotiations. 01:17:58 🔄 Removing Putin won't likely lead to a more peaceful resolution in Ukraine; a replacement might be more hardline. 01:20:36 🎙 Asking Putin direct, specific questions might reveal insights into his perspectives and intentions. 01:24:38 🚀 Deterrence Strategy: Mearsheimer argues that possessing nuclear weapons serves as a powerful deterrent, especially for weaker nations like Ukraine against potential adversaries. 01:25:36 🌍 NATO and Ukraine: Mearsheimer criticizes NATO expansion and argues against bringing Ukraine into NATO, foreseeing its destruction. He suggests that stability in Europe is better served by avoiding such actions. 01:26:35 💣 Nuclear Weapons Use: In a MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) world, Mearsheimer discusses the potential use of nuclear weapons for manipulation of risk and as a demonstration effect. He explains historical Cold War scenarios and speculates on Russia's potential use in a conflict with Ukraine. 01:32:28 🌐 Rapid Escalation: The conversation delves into the terrifying dynamics of nuclear weapon use in the modern age, considering the fast-paced nature of news, social media, and how a small demonstration of power can lead to unpredictable and catastrophic consequences. 01:38:34 🇮🇱🇵🇸 Israel-Palestine Conflict: Mearsheimer attributes the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attack to the ongoing Israeli occupation. He discusses the diminishing prospects of a two-state solution due to increased Israeli resistance and loss of interest, emphasizing the need for peace in the region. 01:46:52 🕊 Conflict and Leadership: Mearsheimer dismisses the notion that those in power benefit from conflict, asserting that Israeli leaders prefer submission over resistance. He underscores the importance of achieving a two-state solution for lasting peace.
Hard topics, light hearted final moments, then the Plato quote to sum. I really enjoyed it all and found value in so much of the discussion. You do a great job Lex.
Harder when people ignore Nazi Baathism, the basis for Arab governance. Pan Arabism was started in the 30's by Nazis in the ME. Actual swastika wearing Nazis laid this ground work and nobody wants to talk about Mufti and Nazi policy of PAN ARABISM.
No offense to Lex, but his knowledge about 20th century world-affairs is EXACTLY why humanities academics warned about overassignment to a handful of STEM fields that have no room for electives. The system produces “highly-specialized” -units, and that’s not nearly so glamorous as it sounds.
It's intentional. The system was created by elites who want people to be just smart enough to keep the lights on but not smart enough to ask questions like "well, should we be powering the lights with fossil fuels--even if it entangles us in the middle east--or for that matter, do we need to be powering these proverbial lights 24/7 or can we maybe embrace a more moderate way of doing things?" These are not questions that society's elites want their workers asking. They want their workers to put in their 40 hours, then go out and buy useless consumer crap, and otherwise stay "in their place." It's not an accident. It's quite intentional. The most wealthy and powerful people in this country are not going to empower the working class with the intellectual tools of their own liberation. As one senior Reagan advisor said, "We are in danger of creating an educated proletariat. And that is dynamite!" What did Reagan do? Gutted education subsidies, which led to the current student loan debt peonage system we have today, which amounts to a work contract. People are too busy paying down student loans that they will never be able to pay off to challenge the status quo. And that is the intention. And schools are going to prioritize the Business Department and STEM programs over the humanities because of who controls the purse strings. It's all quite intentional.
One premise behind the podcast is that it is the Artificial Intelligence podcast, bringing in historians and others partially to assess approaches to power, so that AI, with its unavoidably elite control, would proceed in as enlightened a way as possible, George Washingtons as opposed to Stalins and so forth, but, as a very advanced STEM guy, he has a vested interest in the projects continuing. I don't think his individual grasp on world affairs is too bad, but this vested interest comes through from time to time.
@@johnrussellherbert6035 you know, poker players have been working on the cutting edge of AI for the past 15 years… and Lex doesn’t appear to know very much about that - either. I’ve never heard someone who actually understood what AI is (or could be) anthropomorphizing and forgetting that humans have control of what we give to a calculator. It’s all a grift, my man.
Mearsheimer owes me a full night's sleep--which I lost as a result of listening to this interview into the morning. Worth every minute. It's funny how you can forget what it's like to listen to or read a thinker who has knowledge, wisdom and the rare ability to communicate clearly.
Westetn liberal demicracies were the drivers of all conflict post-cold war. African countries are still trying to extracate themselves. Institutions of state in the West are all money controlled. Power pyramid is ultimate goal, as financial net can spread endesly. Once the expansion slows down, or countries become imune to penetration, the pyramid implodes. It is kept inflated by generating a trillion every hundred days. The theory of democracy in the conditions of hyper-financialization, does not hold water. At present, testing Russia and China, as small pray is no longer sufficient. The hope lies in internal reforms that eliminates or balances the relations between financial and real economy. Nothing is hopeless. But itvwill take knowledge and determination.
Lex, I'm continually impressed with your ability to have belief in humanity and the way you conduct yourself in these discussions. You are definitely one of a kind. Having people of exactly opposite views without you showing preference and bias is really applaudable.
@@kabanenko5319 НАТО хочет контролировать чёрное море чтобы создать экономическую блокаду России, Виктория Нуланд с послом США в Украине Джефри Пайеттом раздавали "печеньки" на майдане (госперевороте) Украины видео можно найти на ютуб, условиями вступления были проведение декоммунизации в Украине это значит никакого присутствия русских и русскоязычных, отказ от православия и церквей с их служащими священники, попы, прихожане, снос всех советских строений, памятников, мемориалов. Запрет празднования праздников православных и дня победы 9 мая как в России но взамен праздновать победу Европы во второй мировой. Ну это основные а так там много чего😊😊😊
@@yyyy12344 Ukraine renewed SUPER ACTIVE talks about it after Crimea annexion at the start of 2014. Wtf r u talking about? Ukraine has been trying to join NATO since 2014 not after zelensky election victory
I love how lex has a soft voice and remains totally calm, allows the hosts to talk without interruption and asks great questions 💗 just like Nima alkorshid and Danny boy hiaphong, I love youze guys ❤🎉
Mearsheimer is probably one of the most realistic analyst of global geopolitics, especially with the Russia-Ukraine War. Really look forward to his participation in more podcasts across platforms
He's antisemetic to a degree . He hides a lot of truth that would support Israel . He's leaving the door open for Biden to turn his back on Israel . We better acknowledge the fact that Islam wants to eliminate all other religions faiths . If Israel falls , the authoritarian regimes will take down democracy one country at a time and they will do it as an alliance of dictatorships .
Chomsky said the same exact thing as Mearsheimer about Zalinsky and Putin were negotiating for peace first three weeks and it is the United States to blame for the war they insisted Zalinsky not negotiate
I think he’s able to communicate the principles of power in Geo-politics, but I completely disagree with his assessment of Ukraine; he seems willfully ignorant of the corruption which belies the cleptocractic Russian state. NATO isn’t an existential threat, it’s just a scape-goat for a short-man with a napoleonic complex. They have resources, and can offset that necessity of a large population with a couple thousand nukes…Putin wants Ukraine, because he is a looter. Nothing more than a nuclear bully. As far as I’m concerned, mearsheimer is running cover for putin through his intellectualism. Garbage.
@@wotiluvabsolute nonsense .. 24 Feb putin was calling the Ukrainian government nazis who needed to be replaced , he sent a chechen assassination team to kill zelensky.. Yet you think weeks later he and zelensky were having peace talks . I listened to this guy about 9 months ago . He was even then giving it all about how ukraine was about to be overrun then . Guess what , he was wrong . Definitely gives a pro putin argument in his analysis at least did 9 months ago
What a great dialogue. An hour in, you can see that Professor Mearsheimer is having way more fun talking with Lex than doing one of his usual Q&A sessions after a lecture. And the interjected visuals---maps, graphs, and especially the quotes from the Minsk Accords liars---added immensely. Phenomenal podcast.
While I agree with a lot of what Mearsheimer said it has to be pointed out that there were a few things he avoided any discussion of. . 1) During the HOLODOMOR (1931 - 1932) Russia starved 2 Million Ukrainians to death. 2) At no point in this article is MEARSHEIMER particularly critical of Putin. In fact he concistently describes Putin in a positive light. 3) Putin's actions protect Him and his Oligarch buddies at a huge cost to the Russian and Ukrainian people. . MEARSHEIMER has a very selective blindness. .
@@CBCPROPAGANDAas much as you might like him to insult Putin more, none of those things are actually necessary to discussion of the fields Mearsheimer specializes in. Also, Please show where he describes Putin in an unequivocally positive light outside of calling him a mostly rational actor.
@@CBCPROPAGANDA well, you’re saying that Mearsheimer somehow needs to be critical of Putin to get his unrelated points across. What those criticisms should be, you don’t say what they are or why they’re relevant. It reads to me like you’re suggesting Mearsheimer needs to temper his analysis of Putin being mostly rational in the field of international relations, by insulting his personality or his policies inside of Russia (which I doubt Mearsheimer agrees with).
@@mysteryman6918 MEARSHEIMER managed to discuss Russian-Ukreaine politics for more than an hour WITHOUT once mentioning the HOLODOMOR. Isn't that just a tiny bit suspect ???
Rational, there isn't much rationale about John's reasoning except his realy weak understanding of the Russian Imperial project. He doesn't speak languages, his understanding of the second world war is poor. He doesn't understand that it was stated by an alliance of Russia and Germany is poor. He always omits to mention that Russia tried to invade France around 1800 before Napoleon invaded Russia, that Rusdia attacked Sweden before Sweden, he forgets that Russia wanted free hands to attack the Nordic countries before Russias ally Germany, turned on Russia. One thing is super clear, Russia is constantly aggressive and a threat to Europe. We need to defend ourselves from. We should let Russia, Iran and North Korea for their own way of living, but we should always know that we need to prepar to defend against their dreams of colonial expansion into our land and culture. John, your understanding of this process is so poor that I feel ashamed on your behalf.😢
Geopolitics isn’t rational… it’s in American interest to stop Russia and other expansionist countries… that’s rational for an American. For Russia, they may think it’s rational to invade there neighbors for there specific goals… “rational” is just a word thrown around when geopolitics is almost all grey with very little black and white.
@@ThePetthoHe omits?? He doesn't mention Russian imperial past at all because in today's context it doesn't really matter. Realism is an actual and far more comprehensive theory that exactly explains why nations do the things they do. If realism didn't matter, America would have allowed Ukraine to have its nukes. USA always wanted to use Ukraine as a pawn to destabilize Russia, which is why it was left denuclearized and weak. And if Russia was so colonial, it would have attacked Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia when they were becoming NATO states, it didn't.
@@deoxlogius Putin extremely clear with his neo-colonial perspective. He is constantly referring to Russias right to rule its neighbors in all communication based on Russias historical colonial expansion. The only written demands from the Russian foreign minister from the 17th of December 2021 explicitly stated that Russia must have the right to control the foreign policies of all European states that wasn’t members of NATO before 1997. That Russland must be the only nuclear power in central and Eastern Europe and with legal mandate to attack any opposing countries within our outside NATO. When he invaded Ukraine he did that in a room with Peter the great, Katharine the great and Alexander the IiI. Those are the tyre most aggressive and expansionistic tsars of Russia. He is crystal clear on Russias rights to expand The Tucker Carlsson interview, where he even blamed Poland for the Second World War that Russia and Germany actually started together. He has so far started five wars to expand Russian colonial rule and territory during his time in office, killing hundreds of thousands of humans. The list of evidence for Russias colonialism is endless, how on earth are you able to miss his intensions and his goals? USA has also started wars but never with the clear intent of annexation and ethic cleansing like Russia does.
As someone whose main focus is on power dynamics and how power enforces the currents of life, John Mearsheimer is really interesting to listen to. He has a unique style when approaching such subjects, with an unapologetic attitude that helps get his point across.
Eh not really. He claims to be a realist and views the world through power politics, and yet when asked about specific situations he just gives his personal political opinions.
He criticizes NATO expansion and Isreal’s brutality, yet he sounds so perfectly justified when talking about containing China and disallowing China to reunify.
Stephen Kotkin talks about the Fed's role somewhat, on this podcast, though he could be hypothetically called an apologist for the Western-led order, so he admits a little on these things, rather than emphasizing them.
" …if that’s your definition of antisemitism, it’s taken an important term and stretched it to the point where it’s meaningless “ . That’s a great way to put how Israel and the US government is using the term
one of Israels greatest achievements is conflating any criticism of the state with criticism of the Jewish people at large and selling that notion successfully to the world since its inception... from a marketing standpoint its shear genius while simultaneously being utterly callus in its implementation..
Although I'd agree that the meaning of antisemitism has been stretched, nonetheless unqualified support for the Palestinian cause including groups like Hamas that requires the extermination of Jews is indeed anti-Semetic, advocates genocide and reprehensible. I'd recommend that people be careful who they support... It's possible to believe you're supporting a just cause but carelessly ally with someone who advocates or purposely does barbaric and inhumane acts. Do you or others really believe in inhumane acts on others and justify it in any way?
Lets not get the facts too twisted here for the longest time right up until this latest attack the Israeli State apparatus saw Hamas as an effective tool in the prevention of a Two state solution something they themselves were also utterly opposed to behind closed doors Most of the time, Israeli policy was to treat the Palestinian Authority as a burden and Hamas as an asset. Far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich, now the finance minister in the hardline government and leader of the Religious Zionism party, said so himself in 2015. According to various reports, Netanyahu made a similar point at a Likud faction meeting in early 2019, when he was quoted as saying that those who oppose a Palestinian state should support the transfer of funds to Gaza, because maintaining the separation between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. to follow your own logic this tacit support by the Israeli government of Hamas makes them inherently antisemitic..... @@tonysu8860
Too bad they come so few & far between😮 If only our brothers, our neighbors & the rest out there could be exposed to & enlightened with such a decent, proper conversation between 2 bloody adults for goodness sake 😮 it's such a shame we are so propagandized isn't it people? My God we ALL KNOW we've GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT 💪🙏✌️
Lex Fridman’s “objectiveness” also lets his guests control the narrative to whatever extent they desire. He doesn’t push back on misinformation. He’s a phony. Terrible interviewer at that. Imagine having John Mearsheimer and you bring up Elon Musks’s foreign policy opinion. What an idiot.
Mearsheimer is not objective in the slightest. He is a child of the Cold War. He can only think in terms of imperial interests of the USA, Russia, China. He treats all other countries, especially those in the historical sphere of Russian influence, as pawns, subjects of the game played by the big players. It's absolutely repugnant and as a Pole I find it hard to be reduced to a minion who has no say which side I want to align with. Mearsheimer grants no voice, no independence to Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states. We are independent nations with a proud history. Mearsheimer can't tell us who we should ally. If we prefer the US over Russia (and it's obvious why we prefer the US), then Mearsheimer should f*ck off and shut up.
I gotta say... This has to be one of my very favorites. I could listen to this guy talk all day! Woke up to this playing and couldn't go back to sleep because it was so interesting. 3 hours later...
Mearsheimer is probably the foremost authority on foreign relations in the US, and he says that no one in the US government has ever asked his opinion or advice about anything.
Too bad he wants to maintain US hegemony in this world and is agaisnt a multi polar world. He wants the US to dominate China, as a chinese i can't accept that view. Wont happen anyway, The US is too weak, its a declining power.
@@juliensorel5535 While I agree with a lot of what Mearsheimer said it has to be pointed out that there were a few things he avoided any discussion of. . 1) During the HOLODOMOR (1931 - 1932) Russia starved 2 Million Ukrainians to death. 2) At no point in this article is MEARSHEIMER particularly critical of Putin. In fact he concistently describes Putin in a positive light. 3) Putin's actions protect Him and his Oligarch buddies at a huge cost to the Russian and Ukrainian people. . MEARSHEIMER has a very selective blindness. .
@CBCPROPAGANDA 1) I don't think it is reasonable to expect him to discuss everything in every interview 2) Putin is the man who saved Russia from destruction by the West. It is not his job to save the world. I have read two biographies, both written by men who are opposed to him and to Russia, and I have great respect for him. 3) I don't think that you have read much of anything relating to the things you speak so knowingly about. 4) Do you actually expect people to give your views precedence over Mearsheimer's? If you do, you are completely delusional. How many books have you written on this topic?
A pleasure to listen. The rhetoric, the willingness to hear each other, the logic beyond proving his point not for the sake of being right but for the search of truth. Thank you Lex for making it possible and thank you professor Mearsheimer for bringing some light in such a dark scenario.
His whole application of his own theory is completely incoherent. He says states always seek to expand their power and control but when asked if Russia does the same he says that would be ridiculous and Putin only acted because threatened. What a lolcow
@@Max-ww7iz He’s saying that Putin from his own perspective views NATO expansion as a threat to his nation. Putin then takes an opportunity to attack and expand under the guise of a national security threat. It’s still expansionist it’s just a bit deeper than that.
@@galaxypanda1288 pretty stupid then to bring all neighbours (🇫🇮🇸🇪🇺🇦) into Nato considering that Nato-Expansion wasn't even on the table. Which he himself acknowledged when he said it was denied by 🇫🇷🇩🇪 in 08. (And it was put even further under the table because of the 2014 war Putin started, as Nato won't admit anyone with ongoing territorial conflicts) So not only incoherent and not applying his own theory but also denying basic factual reality
People don't want to hear different opinion, they just want to listen someone else confirming their own opinion. Freedom of speech is hard. Thank you Lex for your sacrifice to freedom of speech. You bring hope, love and opportunity to grow to all people who listen to you. At the same time, I am worried about you. After having this brave professor as your guest, I wouldn't be surprised if they cancel you. I love you, you beautiful human, you are not alone. In collective unconscious we are all one.
Your very first sentence is exactly the weakness in democracy... how can democracy be optimal if the majority of voters are uninformed and incapable of making a good decision... if the majority is flawed then the result of the popular vote will only mirror the flaws of society.
Just curious, why do you think his views could be considered controversial? The things he was saying were pretty much on point with how I’ve always viewed things. Maybe the only small exception is I guess I would be considered, in his terms, a human nature realist. He kept saying ‘the system’ but what system? If he’s referring to the tribalism of having individual countries to me that’s still human nature.
Your point about different opinions is well taken, taidasun. I attempt to consume a balanced diet of opposing views and avoid living in an echo chamber. There are, however, a few holes in Professor Mearsheimer's reasoning and assessments. Plenty of food for thought.
Oh no its nothing to do with "different opinion". This old man is just ignorant and delusional. He knows about Russia hmmm almost nothing pressing that Russia is like united states but on the other side of the planet. Im telling you this as russian who live his whole life in moscow
Thank you, Alex, for having someone as knowledgeable yet humble as Professor John Mearsheimer. This meeting was very useful for me and I learned a lot from it. Words are not enough to thank you.❤
Mearsheimer has an incredibly discerning mind. I'm continually impressed by the caliber of guests and the quality, nuance, and intellectual depth, of conversations on your channel, Lex. Lex is a fantastic interviewer on account of his intellectual humility. He doesn't seem intent on pushing a particular narrative, but lets his guests speak freely, something rarely seen in mainstream media these days.
On the basis of comments like these, I suppose I'll listen to see if his style of argument changes under questioning. The last time I listened carefully to a whole Mearsheimer lecture (related mainly to Ukraine/Russia), it seemed like all the critical argument points boiled down to "trust me" assertions of causality. I realize that old guys with huge resumes are more entitled to pontificate more than the rest of us, but when it comes to big policy conclusions, I prefer some due diligence on the evidence front.
@@wolfpants All Mescheinheimer has been doing for the last 2 years is trying to hide the fact that his teaching is incredibly wrong, as the war in Ukraine has shown.
Please bring Prof. Stephen Kotkin and Prof. John Mearsheimer to your podcast for a debate. I think it will be extremely informative and interesting two see opposing views (especially on the Russia-Ukraine front) collide!
It would be a fun debate indeed. Though, I doubt Kotkin would have much of a chance against Mearsheimer. Kotkin seems to argue that Russian politics has a long thread of autocratic rulers dominating the scene, which is true enough, but that has nothing to do whether or not NATO expansion into Ukraine presents an existential security dilemma to Russia. It does, that is undeniable. The length of the border would be cost prohibitive to defend. Furthermore, the ability of NATO to amass a first strike arsenal with sufficient capabilities to neutraliser Russia's second strike capacity, which would obviate their nuclear deterrent, would be a real possibility. Based on that, it does not matter who was Russia's leader, anyone would respond by preventing NATO from checkmating them.
I was thinking the same thing during this entire interview. Mearsheimer makes some good points but I find he is a bit of an apologist in favour of Russia. Kotkin would have some good counter points here.
I’m just a nobody and have only a cursory understanding of Russian geopolitics, but I don’t see how NATO is a threat to Russia in terms of aggression. NATO is a defensive organization, and from what I can tell about its European members, they want no to do with a war, especially one of first strike into Russia of all places. If anyone is scared it’s Western Europe of Russia. I disagree with this guy on Putin as well…I think Putin is just a Russian Mob thug who wants more power…..I don’t think he’s dumb at all…but a mob thug nonetheless ….but what do I know….just kinda wanted to discuss and see what other people are thinking.
@@memeticist NATO is a defensive alliance. First Strike? It would never happen because ALL members must vote on it including Turkiy. NATO does not have a history of unprovokingly attacking its neighbors over the last 200 years. But there is one country in the region that does. That being said the US is a dangerous country, in fact you could argue they have been the most violent nation since WWII with military actions/presence in almost every country on the planet. However, there is an ENORMOUS difference between NATO and the US. Everyone in NATO has an equal vote. Putin considers NATO an existential threat? Too bad; deal with it. I'm Canadian. I consider the US with their gun culture, China with their political interference in our elections, India who assassinated a Sikh activist on Canadian soil to be an existential threat. But what can we do about it? We have to live with it.
I've listened to Mearsheimer maybe couple of dozen times now......this was the most funfamental in the elucidation of his position because of the long length. Lex did a reasonable job in the questioning, even if occasionally on the naive side (which is fine, no judgement). The strength of Lex is fundamentally the length of conversation he encourages, ne rarely interjects, and he has people of opposing views. Now that's a pretty strong list of positives in my mind. Top episode. Will probably be one of the most important in its influence.
I did cringe a bit when Lex asked or had some naive views. I was thinking are you seriously that blind etc but yeah I get it. Super cool interview. One thing I wanted to ask or know is why everyone assumes super powers want to eat each other? Could there be a country or culture (China) who wants to be powerful but also allows others to grow and fosters a peaceful coexistence. I guess that's maybe naive too.
Naive, yes, but Lex also has a bias.... which was very, very obvious when he interviewed that Russian ambassador several months ago: one of his rare poor interviews. John has set his fairness needle straight with this exchange....
Occupation??? You mean like every country in the world. The only difference with the Israelis is they were too kind hearted not to kick the Arabs out once after beating them in war after war. There are millions of refugees all over the world, who left this year. The Palestinians are the only ones the world cares about, because no one agrees to take them in. That includes 22 Arab and another 30 non Arab Muslim countries. Why? Because they start terror organizations and try to overthrow the local government. Israel is the only country where a large group of Palestinians live with full rights. The only reason the West Bank and Gaza were not treated like people us because the Palestinians there did and do what they tried to do in Jordan and Egypt, violently overthrow the local government. Those countries put them down with startling, immense violence. (See Black Friday.) If you want more facts, rather than fake news buzz words, see TravellingIsrael, Benny Morris, Douglas Murray.
Please also make podcast with John about some other interesting conflicts that is happening around the world which are forgotten such as in Myanmar, Africa and SA. Would love to hear his perspective, love it! You guys questioning and responses made perfect matches.
@@JohnDoe-hh7eo Exactly. This assumption should have been challenged. JM makes an assumption of "occupation" that shows where he stands. What about the Balfour Declaration, the Six days war, the Yom Kippur war, the declaration of Israel as a state with a right to exist? Palestine has never been declared as a nation with sovereign rights to this land. Using the term "occupation" shows that he thinks it is their land.
@@jsfranks840Interesting, don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions, he is who he is for various reasons including his rigorous fact checking and analysis. Also, he is only looking at this from an IR perspective. Passing judgment is not his style. If you want a deeper dive into that history you should probably read Dershowitz, Pappe, and Finkelstein. And by the way you should read them with full impartiality. Then go into the facts, which are other very prominent and influential Israeli historians. But I warn you, it is not a pretty story. Which is why, the present situation is much more complicated than the surface of emotions. The level of ramifications that this event and possible future political settlement might have is not going to look well for Israel. I think the only solution to avoiding putting up face now is to prolong this war beyond the stretch of time, which means the total destruction of the palestinian civilian population. Again, very bad for Israel and all the positive things it can represent for the community and the region. In my opinion, this is an epic failure from their side. And I understand that you can argue that this is the PA or PLO’s mistake. However, you should be reminded that they have had and have no real power to go to a negotiating table. The government of Israel is enormously more powerful and mighty. Hamas has firecrackers if compared to the military capacity of the IDF.
I wish it actually was a more of a discussion, as I hoped Lex would ask more about some of more contradicting or incorrect points he makes, but certainly a much more interesting dialogue than on some obscure channels Mearsheimer often goes to.
@@mb-bp1eb Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like Lex was resonating with what he was saying, given his nationality. Might be why he either chose not to or simply doesn't recognize the discrepancies.
@@jtzoltan Maybe not glaring, but I feel like he always talks about israeli side neglecting the 2 state solution which I don't believe is correct. Unlike the Netanyahu there were many jewish leaders who actually accepted the 2 state solution while arab side refused and attacked. The palestinians are just too crazy to deal with and basicaly all arab states in the region in last 50 years either expelled them or were destabilised by them like Lebanon. As someone from middle/eastern europe I just dont share his admiration for Putin and Russia. (some americans from that era just have that romantic idea :) They can not be trusted and nothing apart violence, lies and missery ever came from that part of the world.. but that can be just my genetics and family experience from last 100 years :) Then again - lot of things he says makes sense. He made interesting point about the ukraine nukes, but I guess that Ukraine was such a mess back then that both West and Russia just did not feel like letting those 800 nukes laying around :) Also.. I feel like he gives more credit to russian millitary power than it deserves lately (but who knows) and ignores that people in eastern europe, Poland, Ukraine, Balkan, Baltic and Finland actually have something to say about where they stand - Im not sure if that cold war bipolar logic still aplies.
@mb-bp1eb yeah I can sympathize with your position: it frusteates me how so many people talk about Israel commiting atrocities without even knowing that prior to any such event, there was just about always a revolt, terror attack, invasion by Arab states that preceded it. They're so awash in one-sided propaganda and don't even know it. I also feel for the Palestinians as people suffering the situation and huper propagandized, though they can't help it due to who's in control there. It seems that the surrounding Arab states just use the Palestinians as an festering open wound for Israel. I personally think the Israelis would have done better to have not gone for an offensive in Palestine after Oct. 7th... I think they could have had so much sympathy while there be so much disgust with Hamas, while all the Hamas apologists would have looked terrible trying to defend those actions... they could have made demands of Hamas that they would turn down, and after exhausting those other mediated options, they could then go for an invasion. I could easily be naive though. As for Russia, my dad is Hungarian. When he was 12, him, his brother, sister and parents escaped to Austria just as the Soviets were closing the borders again after reoccupying Hungary as the 1957 uprising came to an end. I have no love for the Soviet Union nor modern Russia... they destroyed my family, who were minor land holders before the Soviet takeover. I don't think modern Russia is the same as the Soviets, and I don't like the mob influence in their state and cultural problems, but also think they're heavily propagandized against. I find this conflict with Ukraine difficult and feel the Ukrainian people have been crushed and used as pawns in Great Game conflicts. When it comes down to it, I don't blame Russia for it primarily, but the class of people who captured the US government who along with the UK, sabotaged the early 2022 peace talks. The way the US-UK axis exercises influence over Europe is disturbing to me, Germany's economic and political interests have been badly mismanaged and it was sad how they did nothing after the Nordstream 2 sabotage... the Anglo-Americans in my view do not want Germany and Russia to align as it would be a competitor to them who are evidently fixated on maintaining unipolar hegemony in my view. I think many of the things we love about the free West are being dismantled by this same class in Washington and London and the pinnacle elites. I agree with Mersheimer about the Minsk accords being done in bad faith to buy time by NATO, that has been documented. There are some arguments that the Euromaiden Revolution wasn't necessarily a US intelligence backed operation, but I come down on the side that says it was. It's tough because Russia just doesn't have the soft-power to asdress all these subversive, underhanded ploys run by the Anglo-Americans who do have that soft power, so they can do these power grabs and still spin it like Russia was the bad guy... I think Russia could either allow the continual erosion of their interests, and to be surrounded by the US and allies, or they could resort to the military option when other routes fail. I could be wrong though, and have put too much weight on this perspective, so I'm interested to hear other perspectives on it
The quality of guests that Lex is able to bring onto his show is truly outstanding. Even if he never reads this I am thankful that he is able and willing to have these conversations, and then openly shares them freely for our enlightenment.
Lex you're a human, and we all have emotions. I'm so glad you've got the stones to put it out on the internet with wonderful conversations for us all to hear. Thank you. (this is just from your opening monologue)
He rarely interviews people with opposing opinions to be frank. Glad he bought Mearsheimer on, but Mearsheimer is on no side on anything he’s a social scientist in it’s most pure form.
@@jamesr8584 Yes, but he is very open about his bias, and from what perspective he looks at issues. It's the individual viewer responsibility to look for countervailing opinions. And then weigh the arguments.
Just want to let people know, he tends to be on the outer fringe than the consensus view you would get from objective political scientists and historians. He does not give fair representation in many topics he writes about.
53:52 What a wise, intellectually honest answer to this question. I really felt my natural scepticism lower after that, suddenly I clung to every word with the probability that it's honest and accurate. That's a great role model.
Can I answer? I live in Russia and most of us look at this conflict as a confrontation between Russia and the collective West. Ukraine, in our opinion, plays the role of a striking fist. We in Russia (the absolute majority) consider Ukrainians to be a fraternal people, just like Belarusians. Brotherly but deceived people. Over the past 30 years, Ukrainians have changed a lot, they have become different. They betrayed us and our common ancestors. Western Ukrainians and Bandera fans are to blame for this. They managed to spread their view of history, their values and concepts throughout Ukraine. It is sad. In general, people in Russia do not hate Ukrainians, but we will fight with them. For the sake of the peaceful life of the residents of Donbass and Crimea who have not forgotten that they are Russians and have not betrayed the memory of their ancestors. This is short. Thank you.
@@andrarak7383It's a very weird position to have in my opinion. Like, you could fight cultural subversion with culture, education, giving people the theoretical tools to make up their own minds - instead it's physical war. Thousands and thousands of young Ukrainians and Russians dying for a theoretical reason that is based on historical heritage. This arguement is so logically bad that it is insane because it's an arguement that could be used to start wars in almost every place in the world depending on how far back in history you want to go. It's incredibly horrible that people think this is a good reason to kill young people.
Absolutely fantastic. I learned a lot, thought a lot, and enjoyed myself. John has the verve and obvious enjoyment in what he's doing that is infectious. Gratitude!
@@MrCaseydbarnett Don't be foolish.. He's a realist... Your statement, without any facts to support it, makes you sound like a middle schooler. Explain what specifically he said that's not true?
I just started listening to Lex. I believe he is amazing! This is the first one I listened to and I am still blown away. Keep going Lex. We need more people to watch you! Peace and Love Brother!
I found Lex while looking for Tucker and listened to an interesting interview with Tucker. I disagree with The Professor profoundly but his arguments are well reasoned and presented though they are wrong.
@@mrpete2405 can you explain why you profoundly disagree? It would be helpful to understand how the well-reasoned and presented (not to forget highly logical and grounded on facts) arguments are wrong in your opinion.
Excellent guest ! One of the most intelligent level-headed and straightforward thinking people I think I've ever had the privilege of listening to. thank you both ❤
yeah well he's not too smart when confusing genocide vs massacre. Mr. Mearsheimer ignorantly says it's a massacre instead of a genocide. Getting "rid" of a statehood from its own land IZZZZ A GENOCIDE.. DUM DUM
Beautiful Lex, Thank you. As always, listening to your podcast leaves me feeling more humble, more broad minded and compassionate, more holistically educated, and full of love. I especially appreciate the intro in this episode... the power of your love and the love it inspires can change the world. Thank you for pouring your heart and soul into what you do and the deep, meaningful conversations you create. Your work has a huge impact on my life. May love conquer all.
John Mearsheimer is such a gem! He is educating the public by providing such depth of how states operate so we can make better decisions on selecting our leaders.
Thought provoking! Thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. Thankful to be able to acces these high quality and civil discussions for free. Thank you Lex, keep it up 👊
As always, Mearsheimer is a clear, rational thinker and I don't even agree with everything he says, particularly with respect to China. Thanks for hosting him, we can never get enough of his wisdom.
@@tegusentertainment8021 Well sort of, he lays it out pretty much in the interview. Maybe I'm not a "realist" on this, but my own opinion is that somehow the world has to learn to work together else we are all doomed. This means countries giving up autonomy to a considerable degree. If that isn't possible, then I guess we all burn in hell, literally.
@teoriprove-com thank you for the detailed answer and important context. I am well aware of the bias and even a hint of anaware antisemitism with his comments about tribalism. I'm well aware he is an anti zionist, and maybe even antisemite (although not in the very essence of the word), but his viewpoint is still valuable and important to know about. And made me think, which is all you can hope with when hearing someone with opinion that is very different than yours
Great conversation. Lex has mastered his craft, and Maershimer is intellectually honest, a straight shooter, he will give it to you like he sees it, and would care less how you feel about it. I love the pod.
I thought John's thoughts on Putin showed a lot of self-censorship and fear. I'm not sure what he's scared about, whether securing his own wealth or safety, but it was not honest.
He did not even speak about the barbaric savage behavior of Hamas on October 7th, he talks about them like legitimate reasonable people.. it shows how disconnected he is
see what you don't seem to understand is that it isn't that he's disconnected but rather he's coming at this from the perspective of an international relations scholar and IR doesn't give a damn about individual suffering. it may be sad or whatever but go live in the jungle for a year as a prey animal and you'll see that's pretty savage too. go back and read Mearsheimer from the 90's and early 2000's, all the way up to and after 2014. He absolutely called the Ukrainian Invasion based on what was happening at the time. IR has no interest in your feelings only in what is and that's why Mearsheimer and others of his ilk have been vilified by the mainstream but he's not wrong. I challenge you to go back and find something he's said in his past, vast writings that was totally off. and to address your statement: what about the barbaric and savage behavior of Israel, specifically under right wing Netanyahu? You know he purports to make Israel stronger so what the hell happened? Hamas never should have been able to inflict so much carnage in the first place - that's what he was elected to prevent and he failed Israel. Israel needs new management. @@Manbro2006
@@JPragma4657 it depends on the individual view point. Some say Russia's economy is stronger today than it was before the war. They said Russia replenishes its weapons faster than we do. I cannot confirm either of those claims but, one thing I am sure of is that Ukraine has not seen Russia's full blown rage yet, and I hope they never do. I can understand his point of Russia trying to defend its territory by trying to keep NATO away. Or do you think differently?
This is one of Lex's most insightful and interesting podcast. John Mearsheimer is indeed a beautiful mind, I am grateful for the knowledge he shared today!
This gentleman has an incredible level of mastery of the area he chose to specialize in. This is awesome to get the chance to listen to. Great conversation.
Man, I think he is right, Americans do have a problem not being able to put themselves in other peoples shoes! I always figured everyone can do it as we age and gain wisdom, but I can really see it is a problem! Look how we treat each other here! No one ever wonders, "I wonder what this person has gone through and courageously is here to fight another day in this life that can be hard and full of obstacles!" Everything this gentleman said seems so obvious! Scary Times. I just Pray everyday, and keep trying to do the next right thing, and treat others how I expect others to treat me. God Bless Everyone!
Actually this may be the worst since he invited a pootlerite spokesperson and is clueless enough to eat up all he's being fed like a russian peasant ancestor he is.
Why he is clueless! Russia has invaded over 100 countries! Cant believe this guy has no understanding of Russia let alone Europe. Countries wanting to come to NATO is because they don't want to be invaded by Russia.
Well, it could have something to do with his interview partner here 😀That's some actual intellectual who dedicated his life to (political) science coupled with an overwhelming knowledge of history and international relations. There's no comparison to guys like Bezos or Musk. They're simply not in the same league as Mearsheimer.
Such a brilliant interview. I feel my IQ increasing just listening to John Mearsheimer with the breadth of knowledge. Very knowledgeable and skilled interviewer as well. Very easy to watch a video almost three and a half hours in length. Amazing piece of video 🙂
Benjamin Netanyahu: 'America is a thing you can move very easily' : “I know what America is," Netanyahu told a group of terror victims, apparently not knowing his words were being recorded. "America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction. They won't get in their way." “Netanyahu also bragged how he undercut the peace process when he was prime minister during the Clinton administration. "They asked me before the election if I'd honor [the Oslo accords]," he said. "I said I would, but ... I'm going to interpret the accords in such a way that would allow me to put an end to this galloping forward to the '67 borders. How did we do it? Nobody said what defined military zones were. Defined military zones are security zones; as far as I'm concerned, the entire Jordan Valley is a defined military zone. Go argue." Source : Washington Post, Haaretz, Business Insider, etc
400 episodes? Already? Hey, after 400 episodes, I just found Lex Fridman! After the Musk and Mearsheimer interviews, I guess I have a lot of catching up to do! So far, Lex is Rex.
Thank you Lex for this amazing interview ! Thanks for a decent , intelligent, respectful conversation. Thanks for not interrupting your guest and respecting his knowledge, views and opinions.. Subscribed ..
the supporting graphics is a very high level quality improvement. It is not hard to see why Lex is at the top of the interview game. I really appreciate his show for the kinds of interviews he does.
It bothers me that US thinks that they should dominate the South China Sea. Why? What happens there should be decided by people who live in the countries closest to the South China Sea. Imagine if Russia or China were to “dominate” the Carribbean militarily. The US has fought two major wars to dominante Southeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula. Arguably, they lost both wars at great cost.
The US didn't lose the Korean Peninsula. Also, if China takes Southeast China Sea, they will absolutely expand into the Pacific. Read "The Long Game" by Rush Doshi.
He should have just gone straight to "MR" Putin, with compassion, empathy and backbone of course. If you go mearshscheisser, you get basically the pootlerite narrative so you may just go straight to the source instead. With compassion, empathy and BaCkBoNe of course 😂
@@Рашка-у8й so because of Mr mearsheimer's views, lex shouldn't have spoken to him? Is that what you're saying? He should talk to the echo chamber? Listen to yourself dude.
@@neal_rigga90 The scheimer must be either incredibly naïve or more likely - he's pushing Kremlin's agenda - which would mean he's not sharing views but propagandizing for the war criminal regime. His schtick is basically "Everything, all of it is the civilized worlds fault because putin said lets all be friends and also said he want's everybody to be happy but is forced to invade/ send terror drones to a neighboring country because russian speakers are being treated unkindly etc" Even russians know putin's bs stories aren't always to be taken at face value. The scheimer though - quotes the poot left and right like his bible and bases his arguments on said quotes 🤯
I very much enjoyed this interview. Also, I appreciate Lex Fridman’s style of respecting his guest and letting them fully answer his questions. Another thing, Lex Fridman always seems to be prepared but can make room for the unexpected. Lex Fridman is a respectful, courteous, and professional interviewer. I think Lex Fridman may be a bit idealistic and maybe just a bit naive at times, but these are hardly threatening qualities and, as I said, show in small amounts. Dr. Mearsheimer is brilliant and a trove of knowledge. I greatly enjoyed hearing his thoughts in this interview. I may have to read one of his books now.
Замечательный гость и беседа 🤜🤛 На английском языке, было немного сложно слушать, за то узнала много новых слов на английском.) Отличный перевод на русский язык. Благодарю всех причастных!
This has been the most intelligent conversation I’ve heard about the wars we’re navigating. This is the kind of real conversations that can make a difference in this complicated world. As the daughter of a holocaust survivor every cell in me is crying out for all the lives being lost because of pride, miscommunication and dogma. Thank you Lex for creating a platform for these conversations.
In 2004, I was stationed in Tashkent and was watching a television program of a Russian news anchor interviewing a German journalist about the American election coming up. They both lamented that Americans were too stupid to vote for the most powerful man in the world. “The average American does not understand what’s going on in the world and they don’t even care to try and understand. They only worry about themselves.” This apathy, coupled with bad diplomatic and economic policy creates heartache all over the world. I fear they were right. Videos like this one should have millions of views and likes by now. Press on Lex. You are doing an important service to your adopted country.
when it comes down to the problems outward with the world or the problems inward with you and your family…its an easy way to decide to be selfish, a dog eat dog world.
Bulllshiittt, they only have two options democrat or republican So it doesn't matter Just focus on ur and urs family's life and live life Rather than worrying about all these issues around the world that u have no power to solve It's that simple It's just the news channels and RU-vid channels that want ur attention and they find ways to convince u to watch Remember too many really smart people are working day and night just to waste your time by grabbing ur attention Ur attention is ur time and ur time is ur life So u r giving away ur life by consuming all these useless issues (They are of no use for u and ur family)
I absolutely love your commitment to your mission @Lex Fridman ! Thank you for bringing us these conversations! I hope you won't get pushed into one extreme or the other by those who cannot abide a world with nuance.
Unfortunately he is deluding himself when he says we can ever appease the Russians. You'd have to ignore all of Russian history to believe that. Westerners talking like this really are irrelevant. We're like flies buzzing around s shit. The Russians laugh and think how they can manipulate and exploit our heads full of putty living in La La Land.
This old reductionist so-called "realism" is tiresome and simplistic. 1:47: "States are deeply interested in the balance of power". In this new toned-down formula ("deeply interested") it's trivially true: like no shit Charlie. You could also say individuals are interested in power. So what? "States" are made up of people, and people are interested in all kinds of things. In the 60s, young people were interested in rock and roll, getting high, and *opposing* war and power. Does that not influence states? There is no reductionist formula to one value that has broad explanatory power over state actions and policies. Scandinavian people are interested in living in peace in their social democracies. How does "realism" explain that?
This Episode was stellar. Touched on a lot of things I've been chewing on mentally recently. I agree with John a lot, he has outlined the views I have on States and how they interact almost to a T. I really admire Lexs optimism on the human condition and how that can affect States, Governing Bodies, all the way down to Individuals and keep us away from self-destruction. However I think humanity will continue to be an endless meat grinder. Only for the reason that Love takes effort and is a choice. Love takes work, Dedication and Maturity. Hate is inherent, easy to tease out and manipulate, hard to let go of. Love all the work you do Lex! Thank you for having the conversations you do the way you do.
Bit of philosophy right there. Do we all consider these themes? Do we suppress or elevate one or another based on current circumstances, past circumstances or inherent fear of the unknown?
Love is individual, only hate can be a mass phenomenon. Foolish idealism and naivete is the very reason we're having the war in Ukraine, if Europe had treated Russia as the enemy it is from the get go, all those pipelines of Gas would never have been constructed and Putin never would've had the leverage it needed to make him feel secure in his war plans. If Europe hadn't foolishly believed that Wars were a thing of history, none of the European armies would've been neglected quite so badly and we would've had an actual deterrence. War is a function of nature, it will NEVER go away. Thinking that war is some problem to be solved and we're going to build a paradise on earth is naive beyond belief and leads civilizations into dystopian disasters every single time. What you're saying is not enlightened and deep philosophy, but rather a common and foolish emotional platitude that has nothing to do with reality and is dangerous beyond belief.
@@khatack I couldn't agree more. The west let's our enemies walk all over us. I hate it. IMO we need to look nations like china and russia in the eyes and say "I will annihilate your state if you keep poking the bear" I'm having a hard to articulating what I'm trying to say. I don't want war obviously but like we both agree its human nature. The only option is to have the bigger stick and not be afraid fo wack someone when they cross the line.
Amazing episode, John seems like a great person and I appreciate his approach on finding commonalities within disagreement. He is used to being different in his opinion and never puts people down for opposing his thoughts.
If this is your idea of "finding commonalities" I'm sorry for your world view. Realism is brute force power politics where only Russia, China and the USA have any rights and all other nations must do the bidding of those 3 countries when there is a difference of opinion. Mearsheimer's Realism even justifies actions like Putin's invasion of Ukraine if Ukraine wants to join the EU instead of establishing closer relations with Russia. Mearsheimer's Realism justifies autocracy and monarchy and not governance by the individual, or in Mearsheimer's paradigm the non-polar "nobody countries."
@@tonysu8860 I understand your argument, but I appreciate hearing John's perspective as it is well studied and I find that he is very articulate. Understanding more angles can help us solve problems in the world, so even if you don't agree with him, it is important to take his analysis into account. Lex prefaces that he interviews people regardless of their popularity/perspective and I resonate with that since hearing controversial arguments are important to me. John never put down Lex for his opposing views on influential leadership instead of brute force power, and I find that scholarly and intelligent even though you may disagree with him.
@@MikeCasey-rz2bcLex is the interviewer! It’s his show, we’re familiar with his views, but we wanted to hear the views of his guest - without interference - we can make our own judgment then. That’s the mark of a true professional. A guided conversation, asking the questions we wanted the guest to answer. So much more enlightening than listening to a prepared speech, and much less painful than listening to an interviewer with his own strong opinions, which is the case with most of the interviewers on similar podcasts. THEY are not conversations!
@@valtracey6180 You say you're familiar with Lex' views, can you tell me what his views are on the Russia-Ukraine conflict? What are his views on Israel?
@@MikeCasey-rz2bc not specifically! I would have to hear him being interviewed on those specific topics to know that. I’m referring to his views in general, that is all we can know, unless as I said, he is being interviewed himself, or enters into a debate or discussion on the matter. You’ll have to address those questions to Lex directly if you want his views on those specific questions.
