The Lenin statue in Seattle is privately owned, displayed, and maintained; the city can't unilaterally make it go poof. However, it is frequently the target of additional decoration: during some Easters (not all), Lenin sprouts floppy bunny ears (but, sadly, no fluffy cotton tail on his butt, mainly because the statue does not show his butt); during Halloween, he gets an inflatable pumpkin head; at Christmas, he gets a special Christmas crown; any other time, he gets whatever some artist takes the time to express which is almost always not positive for Lenin. And yes, he has rightfully received his share of blue and yellow paint. I almost forgot his blood-red hands. It sure is fun to see what appears on that statue. I'm waiting for him to get a clown face.
I was in Kyiv in the mid 1990s and saw a statue of Lenin and wondered why it was still standing. I noticed that Vladimir Ilyich was pointing at a Fried Chicken restaurant. They should relocate the Seattle statue to outside of a KFC
Since Garry does not have it posted on his Substack, I wanted to comment on his interview with Jim Acosta. I think there are clarifications and additions that need to be made.
First, with regard to Trump as dictator, if you consider that he has created a unitary executive in which he is personally in charge of EVERY aspect of that Branch; that both houses of Congress (controlled by the GOP) have abrogated their two primary responsibilities - legislation, and advise and consent - completely to Trump; and that Trump (despite Mr. Acosta's comment) has ALREADY defied the courts - including his own Supreme Court, which effectively renders the Judicial Branch largely moot - then Trump is already a dictator of sorts, since he either controls or ignores all three branches of government.
Second, re the media, while it is true that "State control" of media does not necessarily mean only one Sate-sponsored news source - or even a few sources all "friendly" to the regime (OAN, Newsmax, Fox, Breitbart, Washington Times, The Hill et al) - there is still (for now) an active and lively opposition media in force. Yes, threats are being made (though even Trump's own FCC seems unwilling (for now) to literally remove licenses and shut down opposition media), but we still have both national and local opposition media. (Support your local media!!)
In this regard, a quick comment on Mr. Acosta's (and Garry's) comments on State media in Russia and the dearth of opposition media and information. I know quite a few people living in Russia right now, and they tell me that Russians are getting PLENTY of "Western" information by "getting around" certain rules and regs, and the State's attempts to prevent outside information from coming in. In actual fact, Russians have far easier access to "opposition" (and simply non-Russian) media and information than perhaps even Mr. Acosta and Garry realize. And while Russia certainly has a large percent of MAGA-like "brainwashed" citizens, they also have a larger dissent movement (admittedly mostly underground for now) than most people realize.
Third, The Sanders/AOC "tour" has been bringing in thousands of people to each rally - including rallies in VERY "red" cities and States. And with GOP members not willing to attend town halls to confront their constituents, Democratic leaders are stepping in - and being WELCOMED by MAGA members. As well, there are an increasing number of individual videos being made by MAGA members who regret their vote. Sadly, they only do so when one of Trump's policies personally affects either them or someone they love. But at least there is MAGA backlash to some of Trump's policies - and it is growing.
In fact, MAGA is being hit hardest right now by the tariffs - whether it is auto workers in Michigan, farmers in the heartland (which is MAGA country), or dock workers on the near-empty docks at major ports. In this way, Trump is undermining his own base - again, at an increasing rate, even if it does not look to US like that.
Finally, the bad news, as Garry has implied several times, Trump needs only the flimsiest of excuses to impose martial law, and potentially cancel the 2026 elections. He is already wildly flouting the Emoluments Clause, and is also flagrantly violating the Posse Comitatus Act. So as Garry has said, we cannot put anything past him; he could easily slip into full dictator mode, invoke martial law, and cancel the 2026 elections.
THIS is the greatest concern right now prior to mid-2026. And we need to do everything we can - personally, via our elected officials, via protests, etc. - and, yes, by trying to join with the increasing percentage of MAGA members who are finally seeing the light, and have actual respect for the Constitution, democracy and rule of law. Right now, Trump is putting as many "shiny objects" as he can in the mix, to prevent us from focusing on what truly matters. We need to ignore those shiny objects (at least for now), and focus entirely on the Constitution and saving democracy and the rule of law. Otherwise, nothing else will matter.
Thank YOU, Mr. Kasparov (and the General). I especially appreciate deep dives on video! There is so much nuance displayed when one can SEE as well as hear (or read) the content being presented. It feels so much deeper and more comprehensive in this format.
I so appreciate learning from you and your guests. Although I come from a military family, I came of age in Berkeley in the sixties and will always be a “flower child” at heart, however, both my fathers (biological one volunteered during WWII and died before we met, and stepfather, who fought in Korea and Viet Nam) taught me to look more deeply into the way they saw things. Now in my old age, I continue to learn! And have deep respect for those who honor their oaths as military personnel.
Thanks for your valuable insights on the American political and geopolitical scene Experts on authoritarian movements have said the US is at Stage 3 of 5 in advancing the country towards a dictatorship and moving to Stage 4 Your words will help Americans wake to the threat So this is where we are at with a 21st Century Nazi cult
The far right in the US has had a long history of its association with dictators with punishment and suppression of universities due to their left wing tendencies JD Vance who has surrounded himself with far right high tech billionaires eg Musk and Theil, has said that these universities with large endowments need to be punished by taxation for the simple reason that they don’t conform to the radical right wing fascist rhetoric Vance has also asserted in an interview that dissenting companies need to feel economic pain Perhaps this is why so many wealthy companies are trying to curry favor with the current Nazi regime, calling for extraconstitutional solutions with aggressive and robust behavior Frequently Vance has said that the country is in a late republican period meaning the days of democracy are over and we need to move to a dictatorship As his friend Curtis Yarvin has said Americans need to get over their “dictatorphobia” https://bit.ly/3BrXePA and https://bit.ly/3BlFKEk
This is a guy who is vice president and would be the Nazi nominee for the president in 2028
the largest statute of Lenin in the world is a joke. It is in a small park where people laugh and play on it.Art is meant to get areaction. Why do people worship false gods like Trump?
I would appreciate more analyses of present and potential futures for Ukraine. I fear that even if Putin died today, there would be no end to the Russian imperialist desire. I am not a student of Russia, so I don't have a good understanding of what a good life for Russia would be when they give up their centuries-long imperialism.
Why limit the poll choices to just one in each category? Why not make it possible to choose more than one? Or even add another category for "all of the above?"
I rarely watch videos on substack but Garry is exception. Although I think its possible to make video podcast with more intellectual or competitive people rather than that young CEO. I think more people interested your podcast more than writing because your image associate with pure intellect rather than writing. I cant read text from Kasparov because his association is not writer for me, But I can listen because he is Garry. though you need people like you in that podcasts. I am sure many people have similar perspectives and I represent them here
You may have answered this elsewhere, but to what degree is Putin’s expansive nationalism popular with the Russian elite and greater Russian population and to what degree do Russian elites just want to keep the money and power they derive from being part of Putin’s regime?
The Lenin statue in Seattle is privately owned, displayed, and maintained; the city can't unilaterally make it go poof. However, it is frequently the target of additional decoration: during some Easters (not all), Lenin sprouts floppy bunny ears (but, sadly, no fluffy cotton tail on his butt, mainly because the statue does not show his butt); during Halloween, he gets an inflatable pumpkin head; at Christmas, he gets a special Christmas crown; any other time, he gets whatever some artist takes the time to express which is almost always not positive for Lenin. And yes, he has rightfully received his share of blue and yellow paint. I almost forgot his blood-red hands. It sure is fun to see what appears on that statue. I'm waiting for him to get a clown face.
I was in Kyiv in the mid 1990s and saw a statue of Lenin and wondered why it was still standing. I noticed that Vladimir Ilyich was pointing at a Fried Chicken restaurant. They should relocate the Seattle statue to outside of a KFC
Since Garry does not have it posted on his Substack, I wanted to comment on his interview with Jim Acosta. I think there are clarifications and additions that need to be made.
First, with regard to Trump as dictator, if you consider that he has created a unitary executive in which he is personally in charge of EVERY aspect of that Branch; that both houses of Congress (controlled by the GOP) have abrogated their two primary responsibilities - legislation, and advise and consent - completely to Trump; and that Trump (despite Mr. Acosta's comment) has ALREADY defied the courts - including his own Supreme Court, which effectively renders the Judicial Branch largely moot - then Trump is already a dictator of sorts, since he either controls or ignores all three branches of government.
Second, re the media, while it is true that "State control" of media does not necessarily mean only one Sate-sponsored news source - or even a few sources all "friendly" to the regime (OAN, Newsmax, Fox, Breitbart, Washington Times, The Hill et al) - there is still (for now) an active and lively opposition media in force. Yes, threats are being made (though even Trump's own FCC seems unwilling (for now) to literally remove licenses and shut down opposition media), but we still have both national and local opposition media. (Support your local media!!)
In this regard, a quick comment on Mr. Acosta's (and Garry's) comments on State media in Russia and the dearth of opposition media and information. I know quite a few people living in Russia right now, and they tell me that Russians are getting PLENTY of "Western" information by "getting around" certain rules and regs, and the State's attempts to prevent outside information from coming in. In actual fact, Russians have far easier access to "opposition" (and simply non-Russian) media and information than perhaps even Mr. Acosta and Garry realize. And while Russia certainly has a large percent of MAGA-like "brainwashed" citizens, they also have a larger dissent movement (admittedly mostly underground for now) than most people realize.
Third, The Sanders/AOC "tour" has been bringing in thousands of people to each rally - including rallies in VERY "red" cities and States. And with GOP members not willing to attend town halls to confront their constituents, Democratic leaders are stepping in - and being WELCOMED by MAGA members. As well, there are an increasing number of individual videos being made by MAGA members who regret their vote. Sadly, they only do so when one of Trump's policies personally affects either them or someone they love. But at least there is MAGA backlash to some of Trump's policies - and it is growing.
In fact, MAGA is being hit hardest right now by the tariffs - whether it is auto workers in Michigan, farmers in the heartland (which is MAGA country), or dock workers on the near-empty docks at major ports. In this way, Trump is undermining his own base - again, at an increasing rate, even if it does not look to US like that.
Finally, the bad news, as Garry has implied several times, Trump needs only the flimsiest of excuses to impose martial law, and potentially cancel the 2026 elections. He is already wildly flouting the Emoluments Clause, and is also flagrantly violating the Posse Comitatus Act. So as Garry has said, we cannot put anything past him; he could easily slip into full dictator mode, invoke martial law, and cancel the 2026 elections.
THIS is the greatest concern right now prior to mid-2026. And we need to do everything we can - personally, via our elected officials, via protests, etc. - and, yes, by trying to join with the increasing percentage of MAGA members who are finally seeing the light, and have actual respect for the Constitution, democracy and rule of law. Right now, Trump is putting as many "shiny objects" as he can in the mix, to prevent us from focusing on what truly matters. We need to ignore those shiny objects (at least for now), and focus entirely on the Constitution and saving democracy and the rule of law. Otherwise, nothing else will matter.
Thank YOU, Mr. Kasparov (and the General). I especially appreciate deep dives on video! There is so much nuance displayed when one can SEE as well as hear (or read) the content being presented. It feels so much deeper and more comprehensive in this format.
I so appreciate learning from you and your guests. Although I come from a military family, I came of age in Berkeley in the sixties and will always be a “flower child” at heart, however, both my fathers (biological one volunteered during WWII and died before we met, and stepfather, who fought in Korea and Viet Nam) taught me to look more deeply into the way they saw things. Now in my old age, I continue to learn! And have deep respect for those who honor their oaths as military personnel.
Thanks for your valuable insights on the American political and geopolitical scene Experts on authoritarian movements have said the US is at Stage 3 of 5 in advancing the country towards a dictatorship and moving to Stage 4 Your words will help Americans wake to the threat So this is where we are at with a 21st Century Nazi cult
The far right in the US has had a long history of its association with dictators with punishment and suppression of universities due to their left wing tendencies JD Vance who has surrounded himself with far right high tech billionaires eg Musk and Theil, has said that these universities with large endowments need to be punished by taxation for the simple reason that they don’t conform to the radical right wing fascist rhetoric Vance has also asserted in an interview that dissenting companies need to feel economic pain Perhaps this is why so many wealthy companies are trying to curry favor with the current Nazi regime, calling for extraconstitutional solutions with aggressive and robust behavior Frequently Vance has said that the country is in a late republican period meaning the days of democracy are over and we need to move to a dictatorship As his friend Curtis Yarvin has said Americans need to get over their “dictatorphobia” https://bit.ly/3BrXePA and https://bit.ly/3BlFKEk
This is a guy who is vice president and would be the Nazi nominee for the president in 2028
the largest statute of Lenin in the world is a joke. It is in a small park where people laugh and play on it.Art is meant to get areaction. Why do people worship false gods like Trump?
I would appreciate more analyses of present and potential futures for Ukraine. I fear that even if Putin died today, there would be no end to the Russian imperialist desire. I am not a student of Russia, so I don't have a good understanding of what a good life for Russia would be when they give up their centuries-long imperialism.
A little light moment from the peopole who brought us "What Fits Into Russia."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2xWQr4VaUA
What do you think, after more then three years of war, if Putin disappears, dies or will be killed, will this stop the war?
Why limit the poll choices to just one in each category? Why not make it possible to choose more than one? Or even add another category for "all of the above?"
I rarely watch videos on substack but Garry is exception. Although I think its possible to make video podcast with more intellectual or competitive people rather than that young CEO. I think more people interested your podcast more than writing because your image associate with pure intellect rather than writing. I cant read text from Kasparov because his association is not writer for me, But I can listen because he is Garry. though you need people like you in that podcasts. I am sure many people have similar perspectives and I represent them here
You may have answered this elsewhere, but to what degree is Putin’s expansive nationalism popular with the Russian elite and greater Russian population and to what degree do Russian elites just want to keep the money and power they derive from being part of Putin’s regime?