01 / recommendation
Likes Seville and the Atlantic. Likes Philip in the Mediterranean.
“I like Chaunu’s Seville and the Atlantic much more than I like Braudel’s Philip in the Mediterranean.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with Tyler / episode intelligence
Stephen Kotkin on Stalin, Power, and the Art of Biography
Speakers in the public record
Claim mix
evaluation 9recommendation 1prediction 1
Evidence policy
Every row below preserves an exact excerpt. Identified speakers are linked; unresolved voices are labeled and excluded from people counts.
Claim ledger
The useful parts, with receipts.
11 published records
02 / evaluation
The problem with arguments like that, Tyler, is that I got into fights in the schoolyard when I was his age. People beat me up because I was a half Catholic, half Jew at a Catholic school.
“The problem with arguments like that, Tyler, is that I got into fights in the schoolyard when I was his age. People beat me up because I was a half Catholic, half Jew at a Catholic school.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
03 / evaluation
He loved Chekhov the most because the heroes in Chekhov were not the only main characters — also the villains, and Stalin would remark that Chekhov’s villains were credible.
“He loved Chekhov the most because the heroes in Chekhov were not the only main characters — also the villains, and Stalin would remark that Chekhov’s villains were credible.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
04 / evaluation
One percent, meaning that the people who couldn’t farm themselves, individually or as a household, as a family — they went into collectives voluntarily because they were incapable of managing on their own.
“One percent, meaning that the people who couldn’t farm themselves, individually or as a household, as a family — they went into collectives voluntarily because they were incapable of managing on their own.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
05 / evaluation
The Soviets were interested in cybernetics because it was about more efficient ways of gathering and using information — the planned economy at core, which was a fantasy, never a reality.
“The Soviets were interested in cybernetics because it was about more efficient ways of gathering and using information — the planned economy at core, which was a fantasy, never a reality.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
06 / evaluation
You have these four partitions, two of which happened — Korea and Indochina — both of which led to war, and two partitions that didn’t happen, one because the Communists won in China, and one because the Communists got nowhere near power in Japan.
“You have these four partitions, two of which happened — Korea and Indochina — both of which led to war, and two partitions that didn’t happen, one because the Communists won in China, and one because the Communists got nowhere near power in Japan.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
07 / evaluation
I learned how power works in everyday life, and how the language that you use, and the practices like denunciation that you enact or partake in, help form those totalitarian structures, because the secret police are not there every minute of every day, so what’s in your head?
“I learned how power works in everyday life, and how the language that you use, and the practices like denunciation that you enact or partake in, help form those totalitarian structures, because the secret police are not there every minute of every day, so what’s in your head?”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
08 / prediction
, China, become much more interested in the water sources of Siberia, ironically, the resource we think least about.
“, China, become much more interested in the water sources of Siberia, ironically, the resource we think least about.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
09 / evaluation
From a purely ecological point of view, I think dull would be almost a criminal appellation for Siberia.
“From a purely ecological point of view, I think dull would be almost a criminal appellation for Siberia.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
10 / evaluation
It was a one-company town, one-industry town. They had a gigantic integrated steel plant, and they had next to no pollution controls because they had installed pollution controls, but they didn’t use them because it lowered their output, and they were paid and got their bonuses based on quantitative output.
“It was a one-company town, one-industry town. They had a gigantic integrated steel plant, and they had next to no pollution controls because they had installed pollution controls, but they didn’t use them because it lowered their output, and they were paid and got their bonuses based on quantitative output.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
11 / evaluation
That’s why I said totalitarianism is using your agency to destroy your own agency. That means denouncing your neighbors, being encouraged to denounce your neighbors for heresies, and participating in that culture of denunciation, which loosens all social trust and social bonds and puts you in a situation of dependency on the state.
“That’s why I said totalitarianism is using your agency to destroy your own agency. That means denouncing your neighbors, being encouraged to denounce your neighbors for heresies, and participating in that culture of denunciation, which loosens all social trust and social bonds and puts you in a situation of dependency on the state.”
- Speaker
- Stephen Kotkin
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler