The Rest Is Politics: Leading 104. Timothy Snyder: How will the US election result impact Ukraine?
8 snips
Oct 28, 2024 
Timothy Snyder, an esteemed historian known for his expertise on Eastern European history, joins the conversation. He delves into how European history can illuminate current global conflicts and the impact of the upcoming US election on Ukraine. Discussing the moral stakes of the Russia-Ukraine war, he highlights the importance of NATO and EU influences. Snyder warns of the dire implications of political turmoil in the US for democracy, foreign policy, and the foundational values that uphold global governance.
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Post-Soviet Optimism
- Snyder's time at Oxford during the fall of the Soviet Union shaped his worldview.
- He observed a naive belief that economic solutions would automatically lead to positive political outcomes.
WWII and the Holocaust
- World War II was primarily about Eastern Europe, and the Holocaust largely occurred there.
- Common understandings of these events often lack this crucial Eastern European context.
Killing at Close Quarters
- Face-to-face killing, prevalent in the Holocaust, reveals the banality of evil.
- Seemingly normal people can adapt to horrific acts through conformism and shifting norms.
