meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The John Batchelor Show

#RUSSIA: ZERO SUM WARFIGHTING. REBEKAH KOFLER, AUTHOR, "PUTIN'S PLAYBOOK."

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Society & Culture, Arts, News, Books

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

#RUSSIA: ZERO SUM WARFIGHTING. REBEKAH KOFLER, AUTHOR, "PUTIN'S PLAYBOOK."
1917 VILNIUS

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Have you ever wondered what your last meal would be?

0:03.8

Well, I've got the perfect podcast for you.

0:06.7

Desert Island Dishes is a chart-topping podcast where every week I talk to a different guest about the seven dishes that have shaped their life.

0:14.7

And we find out what the last meal they'd choose to eat before being cast off the desert island would be.

0:21.3

This is a show about food, guaranteed to inspire you in the kitchen, but it's also a show about

0:27.0

people and the stories behind the food. Listen to Desert Island dishes wherever you get your

0:32.1

podcast, and remember to hit follow so you don't miss an episode.

0:43.8

Thank you. Remember to hit Follow so you don't miss an episode. This is CBS, I on the World.

0:46.2

I'm John Batchler.

0:47.4

Gordon Chang, at Gordon G. Chang, my colleague and co-host,

0:50.7

and we go to our colleague, Rebecca Koffler,

0:53.3

former DIA intelligence officer, importantly, author of the book, Putin's playbook, Russia's Secret Planet to Defeat America.

1:01.8

And I'm told there's a forthcoming book that takes a look at a playbook by Donald Trump.

1:08.3

However, right now we're going to concentrate on Vladimir Putin.

1:11.0

Rebecca, it's a pleasure to welcome you. I tell a witticism I've learned. This is from the Balkans

1:16.2

about Putin's brain, how Putin thinks. There once was a peasant who lived between two farms

1:22.1

that were well to do. Each of the farms on either side of the peasant had a really good milk cow. The peasant was

1:30.5

discomfited. So he talked to God. They have milk cows. And God said, fine, I understand. It's not

1:38.4

fair. I'll give you a milk cow. And the peasant said, no, no, no, not that. Kill theirs. Rebecca, I'm told that is Putin's brain, zero-zero-sum. Does it match up to your understanding? Good evening to you.

1:54.3

Good evening, John. Pleasure to be here. Yes, this is a very standard joke about the Russian culture. The Russians have always

2:06.6

been jealous of Europe. They looked up to Europe. They thought that Europe is very developed,

2:14.9

very much developed compared to Russia.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

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

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

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.