Vladimir Putin: The B-Side (PREVIEW)
Summary
The hosts discuss the Mets' poor season and the new Women's Pro Baseball League before addressing listener feedback on their Russia episode. A listener from Moscow provides context on natalist policies, corrects misconceptions about Russian identity, and clarifies the meaning of "multiracial" in Putin's rhetoric. The episode concludes with a teaser on technatalism, mentioning Balaji Srinivasan and Brian Johnson.
Topics discussed
Mets struggles, Cubs update, and Women's Pro Baseball League
Apology for audio issues and host's recent illness
Intro to mailbag: Tech natalism and Brian Johnson
Listener letter: Growing up in Russia and family policies
Discussion on Russian identity and European ties
Contextualizing the Ukraine invasion and past conflicts
Slavic exceptionalism and US political support for Ukraine
The semantics of 'expat' vs 'immigrant' and racial framing
Russian stereotypes, multiracial definitions, and anti-black racism
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