Stephen Kotkin, a renowned historian known for his insights on Stalin and Chinese communism, dives deep into the complexities of China's political landscape. He discusses the CCP's fear of color revolutions and the implications of Gorbachev’s reforms. Kotkin evaluates the challenges of maintaining control in authoritarian regimes and the dual nature of leadership, citing the importance of empathy in navigating US-China relations. He also presents reasons for cautious optimism about future diplomacy despite escalating tensions.
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insights INSIGHT
Xi's Focus
Xi Jinping's main focus is preventing a Soviet-style collapse of the CCP.
He emphasizes this at the Central Party School and studies the Soviet collapse extensively.
insights INSIGHT
Communism's Threat
The main threat to communism is communism itself, as the party's monopoly is its strength and weakness.
Political reform can lead to the unraveling of the system, as seen with Gorbachev.
insights INSIGHT
Limits of Liberalization
While economic liberalization is possible, the CCP's need for control limits it.
Accumulation of private wealth creates power that could threaten the party's monopoly.
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This book provides a street-level account of what Stalinism meant to the masses of ordinary people who lived it. Kotkin argues that Stalinism offered itself as an opportunity for enlightenment and a new civilization based on the repudiation of capitalism. The book depicts a wide range of life, from blast furnace workers to families struggling with housing and services, and examines the relationship between the state's ambitions and the dreams of ordinary people. It is thematically organized and closely focused, signaling a new stage in the writing of Soviet social history.
Master of the Senate
Robert A. Caro
Master of the Senate is the third volume in Robert Caro's biography series, The Years of Lyndon Johnson. The book focuses on Johnson's rapid ascent in the U.S. Congress, especially his time as Senate majority leader from 1949 to 1960. It explores how Johnson transformed the Senate through his political acumen, manipulating Senate rules, building coalitions, and securing legislative victories. The book also delves into Johnson's battle to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957, his relationships with other senators, and his strategies for maintaining power within the Senate. It provides a comprehensive look at how legislative power works in America and Johnson's role in shaping the Senate into a more effective legislative body.
Uncivil society
Stephen Kotkin
In 'Uncivil Society,' Stephen Kotkin and Jan T. Gross explore the sudden collapse of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989. The book examines the political and economic factors that led to this implosion, using case studies from East Germany, Romania, and Poland. It argues that the collapse was primarily due to the bankruptcy of the ruling class, rather than the rise of civil society or organized opposition.
Armageddon Averted
Stephen Kotkin
In 'Armageddon Averted', Stephen Kotkin provides a detailed analysis of the Soviet Union's collapse, attributing it to internal reforms initiated by leaders like Gorbachev rather than external pressures. The book explores how these reforms led to the system's demise and why the collapse occurred with minimal violence. It also examines the post-Soviet landscape and its implications.
The Governance of China
Xi Jinping
The organizational weapon
Philip Selznick
The Organizational Weapon is a seminal work that analyzes the strategies and tactics used by Bolsheviks to infiltrate and control organizations. Its insights have been applied beyond communist contexts, offering valuable perspectives on how various political and extremist groups infiltrate and manipulate organizations for their own purposes. The book remains a significant contribution to social science and history, providing enduring insights into organizational dynamics and political influence.
Stephen Kotkin is a legendary historian, currently at Hoover, previously at Princeton. Best known for his Stalin biographies, his other works include Uncivil Society, Magnetic Mountain, and Armageddon Averted.
Our discussion on China is far-ranging yet in-depth — we manage to pack in:
The two dominant subjects taught at the CCP’s Central Party School;
Kotkin’s assessment of the main threat to Communism — what “Communism with a human face” means, and why Gorbachev’s reforms ultimately destroyed Communism in the USSR;
Why the CCP fears color revolutions more than, say, NATO expansion — and why Xi snapped on Hong Kong in 2020;
The twin components of Marxism-Leninism: anti-capitalism + anti-imperialism;
And an understanding of Lenin’s “commanding heights,” and what China’s commanding heights are today;
The case for optimism about US-China relations, despite — or because of — the recent ratcheting up of tensions;
Why Kotkin believes a US-China Cold War is both good and necessary;
How the US can get on the diplomatic “front foot”;
Making sense of Reagan’s foreign policy — how he was both a “movement conservative” and a “dealmaking conservative.”
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