What is Soviet Union?

Ukraine's geological surveys of critical mineral deposits date from the Soviet era and have not been updated in 30 to 40 years, with the underlying data held by Moscow rather than Kyiv.

“The geographic surveys that sort of outline what's actually there in Ukraine date from the Soviet era and so there haven't been really any updated surveys for you know 30 40 years.”

OPEC's founding was driven by Soviet entry into the oil market and resulting price cuts by international oil companies, not by Western consumer power.

“The way the driver there is actually the Soviet entry into the market, because the response of the international oil companies to that is to lower prices.”

Max Levchin on the Soviet Union's collapse being a surprise to no one who lived there.

“The death of Soviet Union was surprised to exactly zero people because we knew as people who lived there more than most that nothing ever changed for the better.”

Max Levchin explains why the Soviet collapse surprised no one who lived there: insiders knew conditions never improved, so the end was foreseeable even if the timing was not.

“The death of Soviet Union was surprised to exactly zero people because we knew as people who lived there more than most that nothing ever changed for the better.”

The Volhynia massacre is not a unique central trauma for Ukrainians because it is one event among eight waves of mass violence in 15 years, making Polish and Ukrainian memorial priorities structurally incompatible.

“Unlike in Poland, Ukrainians they have suffered a wave after wave of the massive violence which is very close to genocides like a hold like the destruction of the Soviet prisoners of war like a holocaust and then deportation of Polish from Ukraine and Ukrainians from Poland which means eight waves of the extreme violence which is very close to genocides. So it's only in 15 years.”

Freezing a geopolitical problem for 20 years can be a superior strategy to seeking a permanent resolution, because unexpected events such as the Soviet collapse can dissolve the problem entirely.

“We know that there is a long-term problem out there. And sometimes a really good solution is to freeze it for 20 years. just freeze it for 20 years.”

Ukraine experienced eight waves of extreme violence close to genocide within a single 15-year period, including the Holodomor, destruction of Soviet POWs, the Holocaust, and population deportations.

“Which means eight waves of the extreme violence which is very close to genocides.”