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On this week's program, we share with you “China, Russia, Europe, and the U.S.: New World Disorder?”, a virtual conversation with Professors Marc Blecher (Political Science) and Ron Suny (History) that was hosted on Thursday, March 13, 2025 by the Oberlin Club of Washington, D.C. The fundamental remaking of the post-World War II settlement—American supremacy in the capitalist world, Soviet domination of the state socialist one, and China's radical rise after a century of crisis—began to unravel five decades ago, a process that is now completing. But, in Slavoj Žižek's poetic gloss of Antonio Gramsci, “The old world is not yet dead, the new world is not yet born. It is a time of monsters.” Professors Blecher and Suny sketch some of the major tectonic forces at play, both within each pole and also among them on the international chessboard, and explore the implications. Marc Blecher is the James Monroe Professor of Politics and East Asian Studies at Oberlin College. His specialty is Chinese politics, and he also teaches Asian politics and political economy, Marxian theory, and comparative politics. His most recent books are Class and the Communist Party of China, 1921-1978, Class and the Communist Party of China, 1978-2021, Politics as a Science: A Prolegomenon, and The Making of China's Working Class: A World to Lose. Marc is now the most senior member of the Oberlin faculty, having taught since 1976. He recalls that Ron Suny became his first friend when he arrived on campus and remains his best friend. Marc expresses pride in holding the James Monroe professorship, noting that Monroe was an Oberlin alum, a member of the Oberlin faculty, a member of Congress, and an important abolitionist. When on campus you can visit the historic Monroe home which is located next to the Conservatory. Ronald Grigor Suny is the William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of History and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Michigan and Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History at the University of Chicago. His intellectual interests have centered on the non-Russian nationalities of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, particularly those of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia). Ron taught at Oberlin College from 1968-1981 and is the author of Stalin: Passage to Revolution, “They Can Live in the Desert But Nowhere Else”: A History of the Armenian Genocide, and The Revenge of the Past: Nationalism, Revolution, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union. Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org
Ron Suny joins Ben for a conversation about the Armenian Genocide. Ron, one of the world's foremost experts on the history of the Armenian genocide, explains why the Ottoman government tunred on its Armenian subjects during World War I and the methods it used to carry out this atrocity. He also explains why, in spite of the evidence, recognizing this as genocide remains a political hotspot both internationally and within modern Turkey, and why it is important to remember tragedies even when doing so makes us uncomfortable. Dr. Ronald Grigor Suny is the William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan and Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History at the University of Chicago. He is the author of numerous books, including “They Can Live in the Desert But Nowhere Else:” A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015). This is a rebroadcast of RTN #92, which originally aired on April 23, 2018. In 2019, the both houses of US Congress recognized the Armenian Genocide. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
When President Biden recognized the Armenian Genocide, he split from his predecessors who shied away from recognizing the genocide. Although the ethical imperative of this recognition is clear in academia, it may disrupt political factors and lead to unforeseen consequences. In this episode, Joe chats with Ron Suny, a well-renowned professor of history and political science. Listen to learn more about Hrant Ding, Ankara's interpretation of the genocide, and the cultural gap between Armenians and the Armenian diaspora, particularly with Americans. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Anniversaries are funny things. Sometimes, as with the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, they are accompanied by a flood of discussion and debate. Other times they are allowed to pass in silence. The hundredth year anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians has gotten somewhat lost amidst the outpouring of books about the war. Still, we’ve seen a small number of excellent historical studies, mostly focused on the memory of the event. Ron Suny’s recent book ‘They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else’: A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015) offers a different kind of contribution. Suny offers a deep history of the Armenian genocide. It is simultaneously a careful explication of how and why the Armenians were killed and a carefully-reasoned engagement with the prevailing attempts to explain the genocide. It’s a book everyone who cares about the genocide needs to read. Suny writes well and has an eye for quotes both pithy and grim. He fits well into the new imperial turn of historiography, seeing the emergence of the nation as a locus of identity that competed with and threatened more traditional, imperial states (for those of you interested in this, see my interview with Mark Levene). And he masters the tricky task of balancing narration and analysis. It’s a wonderful addition to our knowledge of the genocide, 100 years on. It well deserves to reach a wide audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anniversaries are funny things. Sometimes, as with the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, they are accompanied by a flood of discussion and debate. Other times they are allowed to pass in silence. The hundredth year anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians has gotten somewhat lost amidst the outpouring of books about the war. Still, we’ve seen a small number of excellent historical studies, mostly focused on the memory of the event. Ron Suny’s recent book ‘They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else’: A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015) offers a different kind of contribution. Suny offers a deep history of the Armenian genocide. It is simultaneously a careful explication of how and why the Armenians were killed and a carefully-reasoned engagement with the prevailing attempts to explain the genocide. It’s a book everyone who cares about the genocide needs to read. Suny writes well and has an eye for quotes both pithy and grim. He fits well into the new imperial turn of historiography, seeing the emergence of the nation as a locus of identity that competed with and threatened more traditional, imperial states (for those of you interested in this, see my interview with Mark Levene). And he masters the tricky task of balancing narration and analysis. It’s a wonderful addition to our knowledge of the genocide, 100 years on. It well deserves to reach a wide audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anniversaries are funny things. Sometimes, as with the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, they are accompanied by a flood of discussion and debate. Other times they are allowed to pass in silence. The hundredth year anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians has gotten somewhat lost amidst the outpouring of books about the war. Still, we’ve seen a small number of excellent historical studies, mostly focused on the memory of the event. Ron Suny’s recent book ‘They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else’: A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015) offers a different kind of contribution. Suny offers a deep history of the Armenian genocide. It is simultaneously a careful explication of how and why the Armenians were killed and a carefully-reasoned engagement with the prevailing attempts to explain the genocide. It’s a book everyone who cares about the genocide needs to read. Suny writes well and has an eye for quotes both pithy and grim. He fits well into the new imperial turn of historiography, seeing the emergence of the nation as a locus of identity that competed with and threatened more traditional, imperial states (for those of you interested in this, see my interview with Mark Levene). And he masters the tricky task of balancing narration and analysis. It’s a wonderful addition to our knowledge of the genocide, 100 years on. It well deserves to reach a wide audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anniversaries are funny things. Sometimes, as with the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, they are accompanied by a flood of discussion and debate. Other times they are allowed to pass in silence. The hundredth year anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians has gotten somewhat lost amidst the outpouring of books about the war. Still, we’ve seen a small number of excellent historical studies, mostly focused on the memory of the event. Ron Suny’s recent book ‘They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else’: A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015) offers a different kind of contribution. Suny offers a deep history of the Armenian genocide. It is simultaneously a careful explication of how and why the Armenians were killed and a carefully-reasoned engagement with the prevailing attempts to explain the genocide. It’s a book everyone who cares about the genocide needs to read. Suny writes well and has an eye for quotes both pithy and grim. He fits well into the new imperial turn of historiography, seeing the emergence of the nation as a locus of identity that competed with and threatened more traditional, imperial states (for those of you interested in this, see my interview with Mark Levene). And he masters the tricky task of balancing narration and analysis. It’s a wonderful addition to our knowledge of the genocide, 100 years on. It well deserves to reach a wide audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anniversaries are funny things. Sometimes, as with the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, they are accompanied by a flood of discussion and debate. Other times they are allowed to pass in silence. The hundredth year anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians has gotten somewhat lost amidst the outpouring of books about the war. Still, we’ve seen a small number of excellent historical studies, mostly focused on the memory of the event. Ron Suny’s recent book ‘They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else’: A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015) offers a different kind of contribution. Suny offers a deep history of the Armenian genocide. It is simultaneously a careful explication of how and why the Armenians were killed and a carefully-reasoned engagement with the prevailing attempts to explain the genocide. It’s a book everyone who cares about the genocide needs to read. Suny writes well and has an eye for quotes both pithy and grim. He fits well into the new imperial turn of historiography, seeing the emergence of the nation as a locus of identity that competed with and threatened more traditional, imperial states (for those of you interested in this, see my interview with Mark Levene). And he masters the tricky task of balancing narration and analysis. It’s a wonderful addition to our knowledge of the genocide, 100 years on. It well deserves to reach a wide audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anniversaries are funny things. Sometimes, as with the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, they are accompanied by a flood of discussion and debate. Other times they are allowed to pass in silence. The hundredth year anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians has gotten somewhat lost amidst the outpouring of books about the war. Still, we’ve seen a small number of excellent historical studies, mostly focused on the memory of the event. Ron Suny’s recent book ‘They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else’: A History of the Armenian Genocide (Princeton University Press, 2015) offers a different kind of contribution. Suny offers a deep history of the Armenian genocide. It is simultaneously a careful explication of how and why the Armenians were killed and a carefully-reasoned engagement with the prevailing attempts to explain the genocide. It’s a book everyone who cares about the genocide needs to read. Suny writes well and has an eye for quotes both pithy and grim. He fits well into the new imperial turn of historiography, seeing the emergence of the nation as a locus of identity that competed with and threatened more traditional, imperial states (for those of you interested in this, see my interview with Mark Levene). And he masters the tricky task of balancing narration and analysis. It’s a wonderful addition to our knowledge of the genocide, 100 years on. It well deserves to reach a wide audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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