The Burning Archive

If the West is fighting a war for democracy versus autocracy in Ukraine, as Jo Biden says, and if, as many experts think, Russia is slowly winning the war in Ukraine, then does that mean democracy is losing the war in Ukraine? Has the USA gambled with Western Democracy by provoking a war in Ukraine? It has been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the Burning Archive has been covering the Russia-Ukraine-NATO war ever since. In this special episode marking the anniversary, Jeff Rich discusses: his personal reaction to the war and the mainstream consensus on the war  views of leading expert on democracy, John Keane, on whether this is a war between democracy and autocracy, and  why he chose to speak out on the podcast to offer his alternative view on the war, in support of many experts who see this war as provoked by NATO's Eastward Expansion.  How secure is the future of democracy in the societies of the West? That is the question on today's Burning Archive. You can read Jeff Rich's recent article, 'The Grand Illusions of the West in Ukraine published on John Menadue's Pearls and Irritations journal. Please subscribe to Jeff Rich's free weekly newsletter at jeffrich.substack.com. You can also sign up to support the Burning Archive and receive exclusive bonus content there. Please also subscribe and check out the additional videos at @theburning archive YouTube Channel You can buy my latest book, From the Burning Archive at this Amazon affiliate link and at other retailers.

What is life as a bureaucrat really like? The stories of bureaucrats in the arts, the media and politics are rarely written by bureaucrats. They are views of outsiders or the views of retired top bureaucrats who do not want to rock the boat. Bureaucrats don't write essays, not if they are minor government officials. They don't make podcasts... except on The Burning Archive. Listen to this insider's account of what life as a thinking and writing bureaucrat is really like. Join my FREE  WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at jeffrich.substack.com Subscribe to my YouTube Channel @theburningarchive. And you can my latest book, From the Burning Archive via Amazon and other online retailers.

Join me on a journey through the creative process of how I wrote and published my poetry book. How I, despite being a very, very minor government official, wrote and published my collected poems, and how these poems reflect on my personal experiences, cherished poets, and the meaning of history. How poetry and history belong together in the imagination. You will discover how this poet hidden within a government official drew inspiration from poetic traditions from around the world, and weaved together the threads of his own story with the broader stories of history. You will hear firsthand how this artist found his voice and put his words to paper, and you will hear the poet read from five of his poems. Whether you're a fan of poetry, a student of history, or simply curious about the creative process and the past, this episode of The Burning Archive is a must-listen. So, grab your headphones and join us for an insightful and inspiring journey through one man's journey to write a poetry book that is personal, historical and universal. You can buy the collected poems discussed on this podcast, Gathering Flowers of the Mind at this Amazon affiliate link. Please join my FREE weekly newsletter at jeffrich.substack.com, and gather some flowers from my mind.

How did I transform from frustrated, very minor government official to independent author? I tell the story of how my recent book, From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments slowly took shape through notes, poems, a blog, a podcast then finally a polished, published collection of essays. I talk you through all the steps I took to write and to self-publish the book, and give you some insights into the themes and essays contained in the book. Is there any other podcast that mentions Maurice Blanchot, Jordan Peterson, John Berryman and Felipe Fernandez-Armesto in the one package? You can buy From the Burning Archive at Amazon via these affiliate links - e-book or paperback. Or from other retailers such as the Australian store, Booktopia. Please subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter at jeffrich.substack.com, - Just click here - and you will get weekly glimpses into the multipolar world and my multifaceted mind. Thanks for listening. Thanks to Ghosthack.de for upgrading my SFX, and to the great Franka Potenta for the briefest snippet from 'Running Three', Run Lola Run soundtrack. I wish I was a hunter...

India is emerging as one of the most important powers in the world, and is demanding change in the world order on behalf of the Global South.   In 2023 India became the largest country by population in the world, surpassing China. It is now the third largest economy by PPP in the world. It has growing soft power, based on its ancient, rich and diverse cultures. It is the world's largest democracy, and was for many years the leader of the non-aligned movement. All that is missing is a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.   With America in decline, has India become the world's best hope as the true leader of the free - and fair - world?   Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @theburningarchive for more geopolitics, history, books and mindful living. I try to teach how history can help us all live well in a time of global crisis.   You can buy my new book From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments 2015-2021 - https://amzn.to/3Bsq2EI.   You can check out all my content here - https://linktr.ee/burningarchive.

Is the Ukraine War the start of World War Three? Has World War 3 already begun. How do we make sense of the war in Ukraine in a big-picture historical perspective?  There have been many news stories, many podcasts and many channels looking at the unfolding events in Ukraine from day to day. In this series, however, Jeff Rich steps back from the daily news cycle, and sets out common historical narratives about the war in Ukraine.  In this podcast Jeff Rich sets out five alternative histories of the war, that reframing how the conflict is part of a global conflict between great states.  By telling the story of this war differently to conventional accounts repeated in the mainstream media, we all might find our way back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, before it is too late.   Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @theburningarchive for more history, culture and geopolitics, and some reviews of the best history books.  You can buy my new book From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments 2015-2021 - https://amzn.to/3Bsq2EI.   You can check out all my content here - https://linktr.ee/burningarchive.  #Russia #Ukraine #history #geopolitics #war #NATO #narrative #ww3

Is the Ukraine War the start of World War Three? Has World War 3 already begun.  French historian and anthropologist Emmanuel Todd made headlines by saying World War Three has already begun. What did he mean and was he right?   How do we make sense of the war in Ukraine in a big-picture historical perspective? There have been many news stories, many podcasts and many channels looking at the unfolding events in Ukraine from day to day. In this series, however, Jeff Rich steps back from the daily news cycle, and sets out common historical narratives about the war in Ukraine.  By seeing the truth and errors in all these narratives we are more likely to find our way back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, and to live at peace with all the cultures that enrich this world.  Emmanuel Todd's interview in Figaro Vox is here https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/monde/emmanuel-todd-la-troisieme-guerre-mondiale-a-commence-20230112  There is a English language summary of his interview at Unherd - https://unherd.com/thepost/emmanuel-todd-world-war-iii-has-already-begun/  My summary of Todd's Lineages of Modernity is here: https://theburningarchive.com/2020/02/16/emmanuel-todds-lineages-of-modernity/  My videos on Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at Valdai in 2022 referred to later in the episode is here https://youtu.be/XEj6MshsmjQ  Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @theburningarchive for more history, culture and geopolitics, and some reviews of the best history books. You can buy my new book From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments 2015-2021 - https://amzn.to/3Bsq2EI.   You can check out all my content here - https://linktr.ee/burningarchive.  #Russia #Ukraine #history #geopolitics #war #NATO #narrative #ww3

How do we make sense of the war in Ukraine in a big-picture historical perspective? There have been many news stories, many podcasts and many channels looking at the unfolding events in Ukraine from day to day. In this podcast, however, Jeff Rich steps back from the daily news cycle, and sets out six common historical narratives about the war in Ukraine. By seeing the truth and errors in all these narratives we are more likely to find our way back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, and to live at peace with all the cultures that enrich this world. Leave a comment below or vote in the poll - Are there any of these narratives that you have changed your mind on as a result of this video? The six narratives are: The Struggle for Ukrainian National Independence The Ukrainian Civil War Democracy vs Autocracy (World War Two, again) Cold War Two The Anti-Russia War The Russian Empire Strikes Back Key histories, videos and texts referred to in the discussion (with links to where you can view or buy) are Serhi Plokhy, Lost Kingdom A History of Russian Nationalism from Ivan the Great to Vladimir Putin (2017) (https://amzn.to/3XlcqE3), The Gates of Europe: a History of Ukraine (2016) (https://amzn.to/3IWgjLf) Nikolai Petro The Tragedy of Ukraine: What Classical Greek Tragedy Can Teach Us about Conflict Resolution (2022) https://amzn.to/3HcbSL3 Glenn Diesen (@GDiesen1) @theduran discussion with Nikolai Petro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2IdIbCREuk Niall Ferguson on Cold War Two https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-10-23/cold-war-2-with-china-and-russia-is-becoming-ww3-niall-ferguson and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kJrnLln2Ug Joint Article of Russian and Chinese Ambassadors to United States on Democracy http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/dshd/202111/t20211127_10454275.htm (Also published in National interest, note Qin Gang is now Foreign Minister of China) President Vladimir Putin (Russia), New Year Address to Nation 2023, is an example of the Anti-Russia War narrative  (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70315) Here Putin says, ‘For years, Western elites hypocritically assured us of their peaceful intentions, including to help resolve the serious conflict in Donbass. …The West lied to us about peace while preparing for aggression, and today, they no longer hesitate to openly admit it and to cynically use Ukraine and its people as a means to weaken and divide Russia.’ Dominic Lieven on Putin’s nostalgia for empire and the status of the soliviki Short Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG8L-BytAlw Full discussion https://youtu.be/QkXZYqWJX6k Please subscribe to my podcast and YouTube channel @theburningarchive for more history, culture and geopolitics, and some reviews of the best history books. You can buy my new book From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments 2015-2021 - https://amzn.to/3Bsq2EI. You can check out all my content here - https://linktr.ee/burningarchive. #Russia #Ukraine #history  #geopolitics #war #NATO #narrative

What will the Russia-Ukraine-NATO War be known as in the history books? How do we make sense of this event, and how do we avoid losing our heads by getting sucked into the contending narratives of the war. "If there is just one thing I would ask all listeners to do it is to reflect on the stories, the histories of this conflict in Ukraine that you are being told and you are telling yourself, and try to find the truth in at least one alternative history. Only that way can we find our way back to dialogue and diplomacy. Only that way can we face the reality of this war." This video/podcast places the Ukraine conflict in a broader historical context. Is this the start of World War II, or are there other models and stories from history that provide a better framework to compare with events of today? And how can we as ordinary citizens deal with the contending narratives about the war and its history? While there are many channels that cover the daily news and updates on the war in Ukraine, this podcast/channel takes a step back and sets out a clear narrative of the war in Ukraine that involves Ukraine, Russia and NATO, principally the USA. This episode is the third in a three-part playlist reviewing the war in Ukraine in 2022. It is being released in three instalments over the next five days. Parts 2 and 3 will discuss 12 alternative narratives or histories of the war and its links to the emerging multipolar world. The video is also available as a podcast on Spotify, Apple and other platforms. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @theburningarchive for more history, culture and geopolitics, and some reviews of the best history books. You can buy my new book From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments 2015-2021 - https://amzn.to/3Bsq2EI. You can check out all my content here - https://linktr.ee/burningarchive. Leave me a comment below. What narratives about the Russia-Ukraine War have cast a spell on you? You can also listen to this video as an audio podcast when on the move on Spotify or your preferred podcast player. #Russia #Ukraine #history #geopolitics #war

This podcast asks who is winning the war in Ukraine - Ruussia, NATO or Ukraine? It assesses four dimensions of the conflict - military war, economic war, information war and diplomatic struggle. How are these conflicts shaping the emerging multipolar world order? While there are many channels that cover the daily news and updates on the war in Ukraine, this video takes a step back and sets out a clear narrative of the war in Ukraine that involves Ukraine, Russia and NATO, principally the USA. The podcast is the second in a three-part series reviewing the war in Ukraine in 2022. The third podcast will place the conflict in a broader historical context. Is this the start of World War II, or are there other models and stories from history that provide a better framework to compare with events of today. This video will be released on 16 January 2022. Please subscribe to my podcast and YouTube channel @theburningarchive for more history, culture and geopolitics, and some reviews of the best history books. You can buy my new book From the Burning Archive: Essays and Fragments 2015-2021 - https://amzn.to/3Bsq2EI. You can check out all my content here - https://linktr.ee/burningarchive. #Russia #Ukraine #history #2022 #geopolitics