

Reading Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together' w/ Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson - Part 77
Oct 8, 2025
Dr. Matthew Raphael Johnson, a researcher specializing in Russian history, joins to delve into Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together.' They explore the post-war popularity of the 'Protocols,' debating their credibility as a manifesto and their impact on right-wing ideology. Johnson highlights how these forgeries hindered genuine discussions about Bolshevism and the challenges Jews faced in fragmented states post-WWI. Their conversation uncovers the complexities of Jewish survival strategies amidst rising nationalism and the ideological shifts among émigrés.
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Cat Catches Bird At Home
- Matthew Raphael Johnson describes his cats catching a bird in his house and releasing it back to safety.
- He uses the story to illustrate pets learning predatory behavior and household dynamics.
Why The Protocols Gained Traction
- The Protocols were a crude journalistic forgery and stylistically unlike contemporary Jewish leadership writings.
- Their success reflected popular fears linking Bolshevism to Jewish influence rather than genuine scholarship.
Forgery Reveals Its Makers
- Matthew Raphael Johnson argues the Protocols' language and errors reveal non-Jewish authorship and poor understanding of Jewish intellectual style.
- He warns the forgery nevertheless echoed existing critiques and thus resonated despite being dishonest.