While most people watched Chinese variety shows during Chinese New Year, I watched the Putin/Tucker interview. It is a two-hour interview and not for the casual viewer.

Here are my thoughts about the interview:

• The Russian history was probably needed, but could’ve been much shorter. Most US folks probably don’t know about it, and Putin was probably trying to reach out to them.
• I didn’t find Putin’s reasoning for the invasion convincing especially the denazification bits. It feels exaggerated. I am unconvinced and still think the invasion is wrong. Also, if we were to go by Putin’s reasoning, many countries have the right to lay claim to swaths of land that formerly belonged to them!
• Putin is very intelligent – I am surprised people are surprised by this. How did you think he stayed in power?
• Nordstream – it is also true most of the world, esp non-Western countries, suspect the US did it. Again surprised people are surprised by this.
• What Putin said about how the genesis of the Ukraine war has been echoed by a few geopolitical commentators in South-East Asia: Geopolitical incompetence and a bid to retain US hegemony. 
• A lot of the things Putin said is not new to me. So, I am more interested in how the US officials and media are reacting. They’ve been super defensive.
• I surprisingly liked Tucker’s interview style here. US-media interview styles are annoying because they always insert their opinions and agendas in them, are leading and confrontational. They constantly interrupt their interviewees, are rude to them and obviously want to make themselves look “tough” rather than do actual journalism. Much of Western broadcast and print journalism has devolved into this farce, so I was amazed that Tucker, who is one of its greatest offenders, actually let Putin speak and didn’t interrupt. Too often journos liked the sound of their voices too much. 🙄 Context: I was trained by a Canadian interview expert so I know what’s good technique.
• Tucker did not seem to be prepared with the Russian history bits so can’t rebut/clarify Putin’s points, which is a pity. Apparently, while accurate, Putin has spun Russian history to fit his narrative.

Some people complain that we’re giving a platform to Putin’s propaganda. I find that a disturbing argument.

Beneath this remark is the assumption that the United States or the Western world doesn’t produce propaganda. What did you think the rest of the world have been getting? Of course, we get their version of  propaganda!

As a member of “the rest of the world”, I was rather relieved to finally get to hear Putin’s side of the story, no matter how twisted and jarring it may seem  because we’ve been only hearing one side of the story in the English media because the US and the West controls much of it.

After watching the Tucker Carlson interview, I decided to get a different view of Russian history. For that I turned to Konstantin Kissin, a popular political commentator and naturalised Brit originally from Russia:

And from a Russian Youtuber I follow — a younger and more liberal point of view:

Final thoughts

Some folks, mostly US Americans, I noticed, argued that Putin is not worth listening to because he’s obviously evil. I give them that freedom to ignore this interview.

However, I am disturbed by the degree of media illiteracy I’m seeing. People are:

• Only reading and watching journalists whose values they agree with.
• Dismissing information as propaganda, yet consume propaganda from media they approve of.
• Wanting a certain spin to the news that echoes their values rather than challenge them.
• Unable or unwilling to critically think through content that challenges their worldviews.
• Assuming those who do, belong to the “bad side”.

About the last point, I almost immediately received flak for even wanting to watch a Putin interview. Reply guys and gals lectured me about how evil he is (not realising, as a former world news editor, I’m pretty well caught up with his nefarious and shady actions) and how they will never watch anything about him (am not impressed by that declaration; they are essentially telling me they want to stay willfully ignorant.). Okay, I guess.

So much so that I had to write a toot that said: Don’t assume where I stand based on this toot. That would be very reductive and probably wrong.

It’s definitely exhausting to be on the Internet when interviews like Putin’s come along. If I was smarter, I’d stay out of it and just record my thoughts quietly on the blog. But I wanted to see what other people are saying, and sadly, the reaction by some folks are unsurprising. However, did have a good laugh with some who could see the grey like I do.

Perhaps there’s hope for the world after all.