What are the roots of Ukrainian resistance? Why can we describe Ukrainian culture and statehood not as something that exists thanks to favorable circumstances, but as something that has survived and flourished despite oppression and countless obstacles? How does Ukraine’s struggle today fit into the broader global challenges facing democracies? And why is Ukrainian resistance crucial to the survival of democracy in Europe and around the world?
This is the Explaining Ukraine podcast.
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Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine.
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Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en
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SUPPORT:
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.
You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.
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CONTENTS:
0:00 - Intro
1:52 - How does the "culture of despite" translate into everyday practices during wartime?
6:01 - How do Ukrainians maintain culture and self-realization as vital for survival, even as millions of books are destroyed?
11:21 - Does contemporary philosophy truly engage with raw, unfiltered experience, or has it moved too far from it?
14:42 - How does a historian view the birth of powerful ideas and concepts from the depths of horrific circumstances? Marci Shore, a historian, reflects on the tradition of profound thinking emerging from prisons and ghettos, connecting it to the intensity of ideas lived in Ukraine.
20:09 - Why is understanding Ukraine's deep historical ties to the Greek world and the Black Sea crucial to perceiving its current struggle?
28:28 - How does Ukraine's dynamic sense of temporality, driven by a vision for the future, contrast with Russia's nihilistic erasure of both past and future?
35:05 - Has the "faith in progress" poisoned the West, leading to an inability to recognize recurring dangers like new forms of totalitarianism?
37:04 - What is the "moral abyss" facing the United States, and why should Europe be wary of relying on it? Marci Shore issues a stark warning about the moral nihilism she perceives in certain American political figures, urging Europeans to step up.
40:11 - How does Ukraine's "natality" and commitment to creating new democratic rules offer lessons for a disillusioned world? The discussion highlights Ukraine's focus on future-oriented creation and democratic reform as a beacon for global progress.
42:09 - Why is "angelization" of the Russian regime a dangerous fallacy, and what can be learned from Ukraine's asymmetric warfare tactics?
45:57 - In what ways should Europe learn from Ukraine's speed, adaptability, and clear vision for the future?
48:47 - Could Ukraine's post-war society, focused on inclusivity and human dignity, become the new avant-garde for a "sleepwalking" West? Shore envisions a future where Ukraine, having overcome "untime," leads the way in restoring fundamental human values.
51:19 - How can a "balance of fear" be restored in international relations, and why is Russia currently not afraid of the West?
