The Pete Quiñones Show Reading Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together' w/ Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson - Part 86
Nov 15, 2025
Dr. Matthew Raphael Johnson, a researcher and former history professor specializing in Russian political ideology, joins for an insightful discussion on Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together.' They delve into the rise of anti-Semitism post-Revolution, examining Lenin's strategies to combat it as a counter-revolutionary threat. The conversation also covers the socio-economic realities faced by Jewish communities during Soviet rule, including the NEP's impact on commerce and the ensuing resentment. Johnson's analysis sheds light on the intertwining narratives of Marxism and Jewish participation in revolutionary movements.
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Comfort In Repetitive Wartime Footage
- Matthew Raphael Johnson describes obsessively rewatching Rhodesian Bush War and Congo mercenary footage while sick as a personal comfort ritual.
- He says this habit helped him research and finish a book on the Russo-Ukraine war despite feeling unwell.
Anti‑Semitism Framed As Counter‑Revolution
- Johnson highlights Lenin's repeated claim that anti-Semitism equals counter-revolution, showing a political conflation of ethnicity and treason.
- He argues this framing created pressure to suppress criticism and masked the fact Jews dominated many Soviet organs.
Perception Of Jewish Dominance Fueled Backlash
- Solzhenitsyn and contemporaries noted Soviet officials portrayed anti-Jewish sentiment as an organized counter-revolutionary campaign.
- Johnson says exiles understood Jewish involvement in punitive organs made many enemies and fueled such perceptions.
