How Trump and Putin Destroy the Power They Claim to Restore | Sarah Paine

YouTube · Guest appearance on The Global Gambit · Watch/Read

• The world is in a profoundly unstable period, akin to the 1930s, due to the end of “the long peace,” the rise of reckless leaders, and a generational lack of appreciation for the institutions that prevent global conflict.
• Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is a “pivotal error” with no return, placing Putin personally and Ukraine existentially on “death ground” (Sun Tzu), which galvanizes fierce resistance.
• Putin’s “unlimited objective” to erase Ukrainian culture makes his war unfeasible, while Ukraine’s “limited objective” to defend its home is feasible, ensuring they will never give up. Russia’s isolation also places it at China’s mercy due to China’s greater economic power.
• Institutions often serve crucial “negative objectives” by preventing disasters (e.g., US aid preventing regional war, regulations preventing fires); their value is hard to prove, but dismantling them risks unfolding catastrophes.