Paolo Sorbello: Kazakhstan Protests Sparked by Inequality, Inflation, & Lack of Representation
Geopolitics & Empire
Geopolitics & Empire
4.2 • 570 Ratings
🗓️ 13 January 2022
⏱️ 36 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Journalist and researcher Paolo Sorbello gives his take on events in Kazakhstan. He says that what is going on has a lot to do with inequality and lack of representation, with inflation and fuel prices being the prime mover. He comments on the effects of the pandemic which have led to millions of unemployed. The scale of the peaceful protests was unprecedented and he believes it is not yet possible to determine the source of the violent protests. He points out the conflicting narratives of the government itself, that of an internal coup and foreign intervention. His response to accusations of “Color Revolution” is “which color is it”? He argues that protestors did not handle the weapons well and that the government put down the violence quickly, which suggests that there wasn’t an organized domestic or external group, although it was strange that authorities allowed violent protestors to move into areas that should have been cordoned off. He thinks Nazarbayev and Tokayev are too wise to provoke such urban violence and believes the status quo will continue. Concerning the future of Kazakhstan, he fears freedoms will be targeted.
Watch On BitChute / Brighteon / Rokfin / Rumble / YouTube
*Support Geopolitics & Empire!
Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com
Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations
Consult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation
**Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors!
Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopolitics
easyDNS (use code GEOPOLITICS for 15% off!) https://easydns.com
Escape The Technocracy course (15% discount using link) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopolitics
PassVult https://passvult.com
Sociatates Civis (CitizenHR, CitizenIT, CitizenPL) https://societates-civis.com
Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics
Show Notes
Kazakhstan’s New Cabinet Features Many of the Same Ministers https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/kazakhstans-new-cabinet-features-many-of-the-same-ministers
Kazakhstan’s Leadership Shows Internal Cracks in Attempts to Restore Public Safety https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/kazakhstans-leadership-shows-internal-cracks-in-attempts-to-restore-public-safety
Websites
Twitter https://twitter.com/PaoloBottleneck
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolosorbello
ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paolo-Sorbello
Global Voices https://globalvoices.org/author/paolo-sorbello
About Paolo Sorbello
Paolo Sorbello is a journalist and researcher living in Kazakhstan. He holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow, where he studied industrial relations in Kazakhstan’s oil sector. He is a Research Fellow at the UniversitĂ Ca’​ Foscari Venezia.
*Podcast intro music is from the song “The Queens Jig” by “Musicke & Mirth” from their album “Music for Two Lyra Viols”: http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The Geopolitics and Empire podcast is joined by journalist and researcher Paolo Sorbelo, |
| 0:05.9 | who lived, was living in Kazakhstan. |
| 0:09.0 | He holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow, where he studied international relations in Kazakhstan's oil sector. |
| 0:15.2 | And he has a research fellow at Cafosari University and Venice. |
| 0:20.6 | How is life, Paolo, in Italy, Kazakhstan, wherever you may be? at Cafosari University and Venice. |
| 0:24.8 | How was life, Paolo, in Italy, Kazakhstan, wherever you may be? |
| 0:27.4 | Hi, Roger. |
| 0:31.1 | I'm in Italy right now on vacation. |
| 0:34.1 | I normally live in Almaty in Kazakhstan. |
| 0:42.4 | And I mean, life was quite tough for the past 10 days, 12 days, just because of the events in the country. Yeah, you, I mean, just crazy, you go on vacation and look what happens. |
| 0:48.9 | And I guess from Italy, you're sipping on some espresso, cappuccinos, and observing events from there. |
| 0:55.5 | Will you be going back to Kazakhstan this year? |
| 0:59.0 | Yeah, yeah, I will be going back. |
| 1:01.3 | That's the place I call home. |
| 1:03.8 | So that's where I'll be going back soon. |
| 1:06.7 | All right. |
| 1:07.1 | So so far, we've been hearing a lot of reports of what's going on in Kazakhstan, |
| 1:12.8 | different narratives, different stories that Kazakhs revolted against the government due to the |
| 1:18.4 | higher energy prices, which I think is in the general background context of a poor economy. |
| 1:24.4 | And we're seeing high inflation right now as well in many countries and I've |
| 1:29.0 | been following food prices because I used to live in Kazakhstan and I over the past two years I've |
| 1:33.5 | been seeing food prices for certain items jump 10% and even to 50%. Some have also said that the |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Geopolitics & Empire, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Geopolitics & Empire and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.