Putin On The Blitz

Is it time to get serious about war with China?

By

Fred Kagan, senior fellow at AEI and director of the Critical Threats Project, makes his long awaited Remnant debut in today’s delectably nerdish discussion of Ukraine and Taiwan. After kicking things off with a deep dive into the state of the war in Ukraine, Jonah and Fred explore Russia’s military disorder, the influence of Soviet history on Russia’s modern military, and the origins of Putin’s ideology (no, he doesn’t just hear voices in his head). Stay until the end to hear some thoughts on Taiwan’s importance to American interests and our position on the world stage. Hint: It’s a pretty big deal.

Show Notes:

– Fred’s page at AEI

– AEI’s Critical Threats Project

Create a free account
Access additional articles and newsletters for no cost, no credit card information needed. Continue ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN
By
Comments (73)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. SeanM76

    I didn't get a chance to listen to this episode until today. I thought this was one of your better episodes in a long time. I want to hear more about Ukraine it is kind of fading to the background which truly worries me.

    Collapse
  2. Ethan M

    Glad for the deal so I could get behind the paywall again. Good to be back.

    Really, REALLY good episode. In the course of a whole episode there are going to be divergences with my opinion and different points of emphasis but it's nice when someone knows their stuff so much comes in, and the isolating and sharpening points of distinction is nice when so many podcasts get pulled towards the poles of agreement or disagreement.

    When you've written and talked about Asia/Indo-Pacific stuff it's really good. If I can be a big enough jagoff to ̶g̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶s̶u̶g̶g̶e̶s̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ offer hopes, Kevin Rudd and Shashi Tharoor both know their stuff cold and have senses of humor that could play well off of yours. Both also seem longshot-y but regardless you could do a lot more Asia stuff before hitting diminishing returns.

    Collapse
  3. Avatar photo
    C C Writer

    The last few minute got cut off on my tablet. Was able to play them on my desktop. I don't use any apps; I just play it from the web page.

    Collapse
  4. Avatar photo
    David.M.Max

    This was a really excellent podcast. Kagan makes some points that I wish would get more play in the press -- especially the incredible dangers that are posed to global security and non-proliferation if we allow nuclear blackmail to win.

    Collapse
  5. Avatar photo
    Dr. Livesey

    Fantastic title. Oh, and the podcast was great, too. Invite Kagan back, often and for lengthy visits.

    Collapse
  6. Tim McElrath

    What a great podcast. Fascinating guest and discussion. Downloaded and shared, including with good friends who were missionaries in Ukraine. And I’m also a faithful Telegraph Ukraine pod listener.

    Collapse
  7. Avatar photo
    Dave T

    Fred Kagan has a truly delightful voice.

    Collapse
  8. Avatar photo
    Seth B

    Though I lack the time to write anything of substance here, I feel compelled to note that this was an excellent discussion. Much appreciated, Jonah.

    Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    Reading451

    What an absolutely fabulous episode. Loved it all and please have Kagan back again soon. Learned a lot.

    Collapse
  10. Avatar photo
    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    Truest statement in a Remnant podcast this year: Mr. Goldberg's recognition that he's been remiss in not having Dr. Kagan on previously.

    Worth the price of admission: Dr. Kagan's statement that the weapons we're giving Ukraine were bought by us to defeat the Russians — and that's what they're doing.

    Regarding Guam: On July 21, 1944, my father, Ensign James D. Dyer, Jr., USNR, commanded a Higgins boat from the fast attack transport USS Zeilin (APA-3) landing Marines from the First Provisional Marine Brigade at Agat Beach. The beach was inside a lagoon surrounded by coral reef, and as at Tarawa, the Higgins boats (LCVPs) couldn't get across that reef. There was only one entrance to, and one exit from, the lagoon, and the boat commanders were told to use those. "Won't the enemy have zeroed in artillery on those spots?" asked the junior officers during the briefings. "Don't worry," they were told, "between air strikes and naval bombardment, there will be no remaining Japanese artillery anywhere near Agat Beach."

    This assurance turned out to be misplaced. The Japanese artillery was dug into rock cliffs, and after the first series of boats trying to enter the lagoon were obliterated at the choke points into and out of the lagoon, my father and the other boat commanders were directed to dump their Marines on the reef, into water above their heads, in full gear — from which point they were expected to make it to the beach many dozens of yards away across the lagoon. Many didn't.

    My dad wasn't much on movies, but a few years before he died, he did go see "Saving Private Ryan" in the theaters. He liked it. I asked him how much his experience at Agat Beach resembled the opening scenes of the movie. He said, simply, that the movie got it exactly right. I asked him how many times he made the trip from the Zeilin to the reef that day. He shook his head and said that's all he had done, all day, under fire continuously.

    Now there's a national park site — and yes, that's the United States National Park Service — commemorating the resulting landing site and the recapture of Guam, an American Territory, from enemy hands. Link: http://npshistory.com/brochures/wapa/gaan-point-2012.pdf

    Collapse
Load More