There are multiple layers to this spectacular, and (I believe) historic, interview. Having just watched it, I will try to separate them.
Firstly is the self-presentation of Tucker Carlson, archetypal preppy interviewer who dares to ask, courteously but directly, burning questions on very politically sensitive topics. Spurned by his television network employer of years, he starts up his own network and—lo and behold—it thrives! Encouraged by his success with bad boy politicians such as former President Trump, our fearless reporter flies to Russia (against US and EU opposition) with the aim of interviewing their villain of a president.
This layer is on the surface. It’s not untrue; it’s just not the whole story.
Next is the presentation of President Putin. Far from the pantomime figure in red tights and black cloak with horns on his head, he is presented as suave, genial, intelligent and masterly. Take a look:
In contrast, Carlson looks like a bright schoolboy subjected to public debate by the Headmaster, not realising he’s outmatched and being treated very gently—so as not to embarrass him.
This layer is complicated: to the unintelligent, or at least uneducated, it may appear that Carlson is really grilling Putin who is avoiding answering clearly and concisely with his historical circumlocutions. This view may be also more popular in America. To those who understand European history, it is apparent that Putin is turning somersaults as he dives—and Carlson is wetting his toes then getting completely out of his depth.
The body language supports the latter view. Look:
It’s not just Carlton’s constant frown; it’s everything. At the beginning of the interview, Putin removes his watch and places it on the small table where they have their drinks, Carlson his notes, and Putin will lay a bound folder of historical evidence. He rubs his wrist as if putting himself at ease to chat with a friend—but the meaning of the gesture is twofold: Putin controls not just this space but this time, it is his to grant or not; lying on the table he can glance at it without being rude to his foreign guest.
The next layer is paradigm shift. Despite Carlson’s apparent surprise at what Putin has to say (in this interview of over 2 hours, he only starts to directly address the first question at around 40 minutes in) the audience is treated to an erudite—Carlson calls it “encyclopaedic”—discourse on political influences on East European historical boundaries over much of the last millennium. The interviewer occasionally reinforces the message with “so you’re saying that…”.
And the message is clear:
- Ukraine is a child of Mother Russia
- The war was started by Ukraine and is being prolonged by the USA
- Putin is reasonable
The deeper layer is that it’s a set-up. The subject isn’t the past history or the present war (which is over; some people just haven’t realised that yet and as Putin says “it would be funny if it weren’t so sad”); it’s the future of world government, genetic engineering and AI. This layer is also complicated: in one view it’s the unipolar versus the multipolar world (Carlson actually says “multipolar” at one point and Putin joins in); in another, the debate about BRICS and the dollar is just a sideshow—everyone’s onboard with the programme. Everyone who’s rich and powerful that is.
There is one apparently discordant note and (at least) one flat out lie. The journalist will be released but now follows a heartfelt Please Mr Putin Let Him Come Home campaign from small towns all over America. This will serve to distract from the forthcoming volte-face in DC and Kiev, and to humanise this villain who, by being interviewed by Clark Ken Carlson, is justified by the faith Americans place in celebrities.
(The lie is the omission of any mention of pogroms inflicted by multiple saintly Czars against the Jews, and atrocities by valiant comrades against the Germans—civilian and soldier alike.)
Nobody likes Nazis (apart from Nazis) and de-Nazification does sound like something that any hygienic state should do with some regularity. So when Russia effectively reabsorbs Ukraine before granting some of it autonomy under AI, it will look like liberation. Instead of a return to serfdom.
This multilevel interview has nothing whatsoever to do with Ukraine. That’s just the pretext. It’s edge-of-the-seat predictive programming for the next step in transhumanism. Uncle Putin advises his wavy-haired nephew that we need to regulate human-computer interactions via implants—because that Elon character, well there’s just no stopping him. Says the President of Russia to the representative of the Free Press of We The Rich People.
Buckle up folks, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride to freedom!
Photos are screenshots from The Vladimir Putin Interview: https://tuckercarlson.com/the-tucker-carlson-interview/
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