Join Victor Davis Hanson for his weekend edition with Sami Winc. They compare Soviet-Finnish War (1939-40) with the Ukraine War, the city-states of Ancient Greece, and examine the the traditional humanist education.
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Hello Victor Davis Hanson,
Thank you for such good interviews. This war in Ukraine makes me lose my stomach. My father with parents from Belarus always would tell me I was a “daughter of a Cossack” when life would get tough, and listening to you protects and informs me in an intellectual and independent way. Thank you for all your work and wisdom you share. I love your steadiness and adventurous spirit with knowledge from a hands on experience.
Stay safe,
Marie
Zelensky’s style (special sauce)may personally rub you the wrong way, but it’s manifestly working for his cause. As a former comedian, I’m sure he’s intensely reading the room every time he speaks and will change tone as his needs and the perceptions of his various audiences change. Also, remember that the more he asks for, the more likely that he’ll get what he really wants as a “concession”. Not all nations and ethnic groups respond the same way to begging (do Swedes beg at all or just go full Northman? Jack! Don’t let Victor see that movie! His Swedish chauvinism will get the better of him and he’ll show up at Hoover in a wolf pelt with a sceax shoved in his belt!) so expect him to have started with what works in Eastern Europe and then to make adjustments in the coming months as his experience with other places grows. People have as much potential for dynamism as the battlefield (unless you’re Aristotle or a Catholic Iredentist).
Hear so much about what education is not. It’s refreshing to finally hear what education is. Love the discussion on inductive, deductive reasonings, arrogant, ignorant, and humble.
A side note, please kindly finish your thoughts, speak clearly, especially on numbers likes dates, century, dollars. There are some poor guys out there like me who hang onto your every word.
I have watched Odysssey of Western Civilization at least twice, and I am still a bit lost with all the dates/century – BC, AC, sigh!!! Sometimes, I tried to calcuate the number of years between 2 dates especially when it crossed BC/AC to confirm my understanding and they don’t always add up.
From an admiring listener and new reader;
I have heard several comparisons of the Ukraine War with the Finnish War of 1939-40, certainly yours on this podcast. The most recent was an article in The Critic by Phillips O’Brien of St. Andrews University.
I offer a few observations that suggest Ukraine may have an advantage over what Finland had.
First, technology: The effective use of technology by Ukraine has increased the asymmetry of this conflict. The available technology is vastly greater and the willingness of NATO to share it is a great equalizer. Russia is fighting WWII with outdated equipment and poorly conceived tactics.
Second, population: Ukraine has more than 10X the population of Finland in 1939, 40+ million v ~3 million.
Third, Focus: NATO is really engaged in this and seems to understand that letting Putin win anything just makes him that much more bold and dangerous. The west was otherwise occupied in 1939. Keeping the arms flowing is the best strategy as you have rightly pointed out.
Fourth, adjacent borders. Supplying Finland in 1939 required resupply with ships. Probably quite feasible, but not nearly as effective as running arms over the Polish border.
Fifth, allies: Not in the conventional sense of nation state allies, but individuals willing to have a go at the Russians. I have seen reports of a whole independent brigade of Belorussians, along with Chechnyans and the US/UK/Canadian veterans.
Your thoughts? Maybe in one of your podcasts.