meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Good Fight

George Packer on the War in Ukraine

The Good Fight

Yascha Mounk

News

4.7963 Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2022

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

George Packer is a journalist, author, playwright, and a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he recently published a piece on Ukraine's meaning for the liberal world and American interests. In his books, from The Unwinding to Our Man, he has chronicled the disintegration of America’s social fabric and the polarization of its politics. His latest book is Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal.  In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and George Packer discuss the dire choices facing the Ukrainian people, how the liberal democratic societies of the world can respond, and which historical analogues can help us navigate today’s uncertainty. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community  Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by John Taylor Williams, and Brendan Ruberry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Sign up to the economist for in-depth

0:03.0

expert analysis of world events,

0:05.0

and topics ranging from business and culture

0:08.0

to science and technology.

0:10.0

You'll get the weekly digital edition,

0:12.0

online only articles,

0:13.6

curated newsletters on politics, the markets, science, culture and China.

0:18.0

And full access to The Economist Podcast Plus.

0:21.0

The Economist is Independent Journalism for Independent Thinking.

0:25.6

Go to Economist.com and get your first month free.

0:29.2

If it's clear that Ukrainian society is resisting and will continue to resist and has not been broken,

0:39.6

if this is not the occupation of France, but more like the occupation of Warsaw then I think we

0:46.9

owe it to them to give them a chance to defend themselves and to resist even if

0:51.7

that means our weapons are contributing to the killing and the destruction.

0:56.0

It's one of those terrible choices where you will not have clean hands no matter what you choose.

1:02.0

And now the good fight with Yasha Monk.

1:10.0

Well, the event that intelligence analysts had predicted for many months really did come to pass.

1:19.0

Vladimir Putin decided to wage a brutal war on Ukraine.

1:27.0

As you're listening to this, this big country of 14 million people which has been thrust in the center of history

1:36.9

so many cruel times in the past is being assaulted by Russian missiles and soldiers and it is putting up a surprisingly brave and

1:48.5

courageous fight for its survival. It is far too early to know the outcome of this conflict.

1:59.4

The most likely scenario remains that Russia's willingness to use brute force will turn Ukraine into a kind of vassal state and be the beginning of a renewed Russian Empire.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Yascha Mounk, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Yascha Mounk and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.