Sven Etienne Peterson
@Sven_Etienne
Followers
1,017
Following
226
Media
405
Statuses
1,930
History, futurism, geopolitics, power • Byline @palladiummag @TheNatlInterest
Joined September 2021
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
D-Day
• 644269 Tweets
Normandy
• 412283 Tweets
Game 1
• 379908 Tweets
Bannon
• 320813 Tweets
Pakistan
• 301125 Tweets
Macron
• 266635 Tweets
England
• 188526 Tweets
#PakvsUSA
• 162640 Tweets
Cricket
• 151759 Tweets
Nazis
• 142916 Tweets
WWII
• 124822 Tweets
Jill
• 113579 Tweets
$GME
• 111207 Tweets
Celtics
• 109313 Tweets
Super Over
• 66527 Tweets
#EuroDebateRTVE
• 50233 Tweets
Mali
• 47117 Tweets
Grealish
• 39967 Tweets
Irene Montero
• 36484 Tweets
Amir
• 35592 Tweets
Dr Pepper
• 32853 Tweets
Pepsi
• 25486 Tweets
対象作品
• 24862 Tweets
Universidad Nacional
• 22242 Tweets
Samantha
• 20902 Tweets
#SVGala14
• 15723 Tweets
Gromit
• 15414 Tweets
Numanice
• 12761 Tweets
Government of National Unity
• 10397 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
I am very pleased to have contributed to this brief on Yandex.
Moscow remains the only city in Europe where you can hail a self-driving taxi, and produced the only company capable of outcompeting Google Search in the free market.
Subscribe to
@bismarckanlys
to learn why.
Yandex is both Russia's Google and Russia's Uber—both of whom it beat in free market competition at home.
Despite political encroachment from the Kremlin, it remains a functional company.
Read the new
@bismarckanlys
Brief here:
1/n
6
18
135
1
4
27
Many American elites have a Qing Dynasty-level of arrogant obliviousness to the outside world.
CEO of Palantir:
"Why is there no tech scene in China or Russia?"
"There are no software companies!"
"You've got to have a free, open, meritocratic, diverse, intellectually curious
���We think these things that are happening across college campuses are a sideshow. No, they are the show.”
“If we lose the intellectual debate, you will not be able to deploy any army in the West, ever.”
#Palantir
CEO Alex Karp at
#SCSPAIExpo2024
336
317
1K
54
136
854
I just got out of the US government's first (in a coming series) webinar on "The Decolonization of Russia".
Some quotes and highlights:
25
80
444
A small research project I did on demonstrated language use of Ukrainians on social media (Instagram). I calculated the percentage of what language posts were in each of Ukraine's oblasts.
Overall, results displayed a higher use of Russian than Ukrainian.
24
63
255
It is always amusing to watch the spectacle of Americans and Brits reacting when they constantly relearn that they are referred to as "Anglo-Saxons" by neighboring civilizations.
It is a multilayered phenomenon.
15
38
251
The discussion was seen as "outside mainstream DC discussions."
'Russia has traditionally escaped from being seen as a "colonizer" due to Western academia's sympathy for the Soviet Union.'
2
8
147
The comments section was probably the most interesting part.
(Vast majority of questions went unaddressed, due to time)
3
8
137
Many view India as being the "next China", and implicitly something that could one day rival the world's greatest states.
The reality is that, in many ways, India has much more in common with the EU than it does with China or the US.
18
17
139
'It's not russophobic, but a fact that Russian policies have erased the cultures of various ethnic minorities for centuries.'
3
6
123
Speaker: 'Ukraine is fighting for its existence like my forefathers fought Imperial Russia. "We lost, but I hope Ukraine wins. Glory to Ukraine"'
Host: "Героям слава"
11
1
120
'While the West also engaged in colonial behavior, its moral authority rests on the fact that it widely discusses its past injustices as opposed to Russian society.'
8
5
119
There was a lot of talk about Circassia especially.
'Circassia was a prosperous and vibrant nation "like Ukraine", until cultural erasure by Russia.'
5
4
116
'Problematic that the Global South is still sympathetic to Russia despite Moscow's "exclusion of People of Color from the former Soviet space."'
3
3
115
I've been talking to a lot of South Africans recently.
Many people in the US and Europe will be caught off guard by something that will inevitably occupy a central place in household conversation, political fault lines, and culture war a few years from now.
5
13
110
"Decolonization is about listening."
'This webinar serves as a space where we can hear the voices of "those who experienced the trauma of living in the USSR."'
3
1
106
THREAD 🧵of MAPS of the ongoing 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine:
1
36
106
Germany was celebrated by speakers as a model example of how future Russian society should look. ("Tolerance, inclusion")
German-Polish relations were seen as a model for future relations between Russia and its future break-away states. ("Dignity, equality")
6
2
104
The style of the new capital of Egypt is quite remarkable. Celebration of ancient symbols, antique identity, with a highly modern, clean, and authoritative presentation.
Fits in with many trends from Erdogan, Putin, Xi, etc.
5
14
83
@AveEuropa1
@kamilkazani
Kaliningrad is actually a pretty nice place compared to the rest of Russia. A sizeable number of wealthy Muscovites move there and renovate old German homes. The wealthier parts of Kaliningrad now feel/look like Germany.
1
3
78
@vtchakarova
@elonmusk
@Tesla
If Elon isn't already regretting his decision, he will be. Germany does not want to be a technologically advanced society.
7
2
78
Interesting to see that Greeks and Germans have had a history of contention long before debates about fiscal policy in Brussels.
Greek laborers brought to Nazi Germany "caused more trouble than any other group" and "argued quite openly that Germany was about to lose the war."
5
14
74
That is the very rapidly growing call in South Africa for the independence of the Cape.
This leading to violence is not off the table.
In any case, expect to see conversation about South Africa's post-apartheid failure sweep the Western world when the Cape makes its move.
1
5
70
The EU produces less technological innovation than Japan, an older society about a quarter of its size.
4
18
73
@HaDeMeBr1
Google Search in Turkey. Turkey is a level playing field for search since there isn't state-level support for a particular search engine there. Indicator that Turkey probably wont be the last location where Yandex outcompetes Google.
8
0
68
2024 set to be quite a year:
- US presidential election
- Russian presidential election
- UK general elections
- Ukrainian presidential election
- EU Parliament election
- Indian general elections
- Taiwanese presidential election
- South Africa general election
5
11
62
A lot of the movement's direction currently depends on how SA's elections go in 2024. If the ANC retains power, expect increase in independence sentiment. If ANC falls below 50% and forms a coalition with the radical EFF, expect dramatic increase in independence sentiment.
1
2
61
Despite making up only 1% of the Laotian population, ethnic Chinese effectively control around 99% of the Laotian economy.
4
10
59
@bbalkus
Germany, the UK, and Switzerland all have very weak tech scenes.
I take your word that he is familiar with the Chinese tech scene.
I still just have to disagree with him that China and Russia's tech scene is not actually competitive or substantial (obviously Russia's less so)
7
1
61
Regions oversaturated with analysts:
- Russia
- China
Undersaturated:
- France
- India
- Africa
5
3
60
I will personally be very interested to see how Elon Musk responds to this as it goes down.
2
1
56
@Andr3jH
@mattparlmer
Tbf it also works if one makes the argument for 1945 after the Soviets emerged from the steppe and conquered most of Europe.
3
0
57
Languages found in samples were overwhelmingly limited to Russian and Ukrainian; English was negligible. Results also reflected the stereotypical Russian East/South vs Ukrainian West divide.
4
4
54
First time in 8 years.
This is a major strategic victory for Russia.
0
13
52
Societies that refer to the US and UK as "Anglo-Saxons" demonstrate their position outside of the Anglo-American cultural sphere. Societies that often use this term (French, Russian) feel equal to, and independent from, Anglo-Saxon civilization.
3
0
52
Despite Western panic over Russia's moves in Ukraine, the fact that China and India have both remained neutral (if not even somewhat supportive) demonstrates a major foreign policy success by Moscow.
Russian calculus here is linked to a certainty of relative Western decline.
2
10
46
This is where some Americans begin to take offense, as the term "Anglo-Saxon" pulls away the curtain and reveals a blinding light to Americans who would continue to dream up a fantastical identity severed from the past.
2
1
46
An underreported vibeshift is occurring in Alsace.
While seemingly unlikely for many decades, I think Alsace will ultimately prove the most successful part of mainland France to develop and nurture its regional identity.
2
10
45
Each time should offer a chance for all Anglophone peoples to ask themselves, if they aren't Anglo-Saxons, then who is?
The past is not dead. Its not even past.
4
2
47
The return of history has reached South Africa.
My new piece on the gaining momentum of the Cape independence movement for
@CataloniaGlobal
Special thanks to
@MiquelVilam
11
20
49
Many English-speakers view it as comedic, strange, and even offensive. Perhaps like the reaction an animal would have if it learned the taxonomic name used to refer to it by human scientists.
1
1
43
Also important to note that Instagram is a social media site used mostly by young people (overwhelmingly 18-34). Facebook, with an older demographic, reports that about 75% of Ukrainian users use the site with a Russian-language interface.
2
1
45
The seemingly archaic nature of the term "Anglo-Saxon" also reveals much. French and Russian society feel a profound connection to their own ancient pasts. Putin's latest speech: Russia is a "thousand-year-long" civilization.
2
1
44
However, when compared against each other, my data contrasted with other surveys about the "native language" of Ukrainians, demonstrating a far higher use of Russian.
4
2
42
One interesting finding was that almost all forms of grassroots advertising or marketing (thus excluding paid advertising registered with Instagram itself) was in Russian. Perhaps when profit is put on the line, Ukrainians still chose to use Russian?
2
1
43
Naturally, societies that have internalized a long and ancient cultural lineage project a similar conceptualization unto others, including to those that claim novelty and universalism, thus clashing with American self-identity.
1
0
41
Quite interesting and strange to read
@GerardAraud
describe Barack Obama as "rational, cold, and assured of the superiority of his intelligence."
"Secretive, modest, and reserved in a country where that is rare."
'Even the British didn't succeed in piercing his armor.'
4
9
43
My data more closely resembled pre-2014 voting patterns, such as the 2010 presidential election. This probably indicates Ukrainians are using Russian (+getting information from Russian language sources) at much greater levels than what they claim as their native language.
1
0
40
Adolf Hitler believed Berbers, Kurds, and Ataturk were "Germanic." (c. January 1942)
5
1
41
English-speaking societies are some of the most open and pluralistic today, but they have largely become so while refusing to acknowledge the deeper historical lineage that produced them.
1
1
40
The post Cold War Middle East had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced architectural marvels, breakthroughs in biotech, massive investment in AI.
In Europe, they had brotherly love, 70 years of democracy and peace. What did that produce?
Now, all eyes are on the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is leading in architecture, Israel in biotech, UAE in A.I.. And it’s because they have cultivated a genuine desire in enhancing their human capital, which the US totally forgot, underestimated, and some want to destroy.
6
5
42
9
8
40
Russian accounted for 50% of all posts in the entire country. This is higher than Ukrainian, which was still used by less than half of the population despite efforts to strengthen Ukrainian language use since 2014.
2
3
40
Abundance of questions about evacuation of pets, as well as of those using local Ukrainians for surrogate pregnancies. So much so, that these were the first two questions answered in the Q&A.
Is that what the American community in Ukraine values most?
2
4
35
Is humanity ready for archeo-futurist cloud cities on Venus?
1
11
34
This is, by global standards, strange, given that English-speaking nations like the UK, US, Canada, Australia, share a truly deep cultural bond that is directly descended from the Anglo-Saxons, especially in the form of the language they use every day.
1
0
38
Data about self-declared language knowledge from VK in 2015 also reflect similar results to my Instagram data. The fact that such data comes 6 years old from a site with an expected Russian bias raises questions on how much language use has really changed.
3
2
38
In many ways, French and Russian identity feels closer to the structure of Roman identity. There is a primacy of cultural markers: language, philosophy, spirit; they are civilizational in their view of themselves and of foreigners.
2
1
39
This does not seem confirmed but, if true, this would clearly point toward a coming annexation of Belarus by Russia.
Such a move would make an annexation of large parts of Ukraine more likely.
1
12
33
This has led many Americans and British citizens to distance themselves from identification with the heritage of the states and civilizations they live in. Many, especially in the US, would find identification with Anglo-Saxons bewildering.
1
1
33
Likely that the West will passively greenlight a Turkish invasion of Kurdistan in exchange for Sweden and Finland in NATO.
Will be somewhat hard to accept for the ideologically-minded.
The world is becoming increasingly realist.
3
13
33
Domestic popular opinion on the war is unlikely to play any effect on Putin's future if it also serves to bolster his position among the Russian security elite.
War is the health of the state. Putin's power inside of Russia is increased by this war in nearly all outcomes. If the reports of general surprise are true, the next chapter of Russian politics will be purges of those that don't fall in line. An anti-Putin coup is very unlikely.
29
41
382
2
7
31
Germanic Europe remains the wealthiest part of the continent, with the notable exception of the UK.
2
3
31
Over 50% of foreign fighters for Ukraine are reportedly from the Anglo world.
0
10
31
Britain is more likely than Russia to Balkanize this century.
4
1
29
People laugh at this, yet it is a signal that South Africa's neighbors are smelling blood and preparing to capitalize on the country's decline.
Taken with Cape and Zulu independence movements, increasing potential for Mandela's project to end like Yugoslavia.
3
9
28
It is a 21st century civilization that was not built from scratch. It was crafted from a mosaic of events that altered history: not only in 1945, 1865, 1815, 1776, 1485, 1215, 1066, but also in 5th century Britain.
1
1
27
@DanielBerman2
I understand your sentiment but its important to remember that 2/3rds of the population there are not Black and, anecdotally, I must say that among those with whom I have spoken, Coloureds were more likely than Whites to tell me they would be willing to fight violently if needed.
0
0
28
Sometimes it takes an outsider, someone with fresh eyes, to tell the truth.
Foreign leaders will refer to Washington and London as "Anglo-Saxon" for many years to come.
1
0
26
This would be a move somewhat akin perhaps to the incorporation of Bavaria into the German Empire, which was also achieved through war with a third party.
0
4
22
While the global predominance and seeming universalism of Anglo-American identity has crafted a different way of seeing the world for its participants, this doesn't negate the validity of perceiving it as an Anglo-Saxon civilization.
1
0
26
Mass literacy is a tradition that grew out of Protestant Christianity, and one that spread first among the Germanic-speaking peoples of Europe.
It is one of the most important factors explaining Western global dominance since 1700.
Some literacy maps throughout history:
5
2
27
French foreign policy has become increasingly focused on the Mediterranean in recent years. What is this about, and where is it going?
Very happy to have just published this in-depth piece with the help of the great team
@palladiummag
4
5
25
Quite an interesting day today regarding the continuing trend toward polarization and instability in the US.
Texas Republicans have adopted a new platform that denies the legitimacy of Biden's government, and openly calls for a referendum on secession.
5
3
22
A small research project I did on demonstrated language use of Ukrainians on social media (Instagram). I calculated the percentage of what language posts were in each of Ukraine's oblasts.
Overall, results displayed a higher use of Russian than Ukrainian.
24
63
255
2
0
23
Finally, some drama and a send off at the end of the webinar. I did not expect the US embassy webinar chat to resemble YouTube comments, but perhaps that is what the digital age means more of going forward.
0
1
20
From a sociological perspective, this contemporary macro-culture extends across all people who actively engage in and contribute to this English-speaking space.
1
0
24
Very hard to read about the reign of Tsar Nicholas I (r. 1825-55) and not think about Putin.
I don't think there is another Tsar that more closely resembles Putin's time in the Kremlin.
2
3
24
The USSR developed a pretty sizeable number of infrastructure projects aimed at surviving a nuclear war.
The doomsday bunker in the Soledar Salt Mines in Ukraine has 20k Maxim guns, 500k PPShs, 1.5 million AKs, and millions of other weapons. It also has its own air and power systems, and enough food stockpiled for two months of siege.
9
14
169
5
3
23
The threat of losing history can be a powerful force, many will rise and die to protect it.
Yet, as
@SamoBurja
and
@benlandautaylor
argue, the real challenge comes in maintaining this energy over time.
Most knowledge of the past slips away silently.
1
5
23
Fascinating that 40% of German companies still actively use fax machines and the Bundestag only ceased using them last year.
Angela Merkel communicated throughout her administration using a pneumatic tube system (not a joke).
5
2
19
Britain is going all out on a campaign to usurp CEE from both Russia and the EU.
According to a source at Davos, Boris Johnson is lobbying hard to create “a new system of political, economic and military alliances - alternative to the European Union.”
8
7
20
Had probably my most memorable Uber driver a few days back in Ukraine:
1
5
22
Georgians rioted for 4 days after Khrushchev's anti-Stalin 'Secret Speech' in 1956, completely shutting down the entire city of Tbilisi.
Admiration of Stalin was most pronounced among younger generations of Georgians.
2
2
22
France did impose its language on Europe from 1951-1995.
Few remember this, but even British members of the European Parliament were speaking French in Brussels for decades.
1
2
21
In an article for
@palladiummag
, I argued that France's future is in the Mediterranean, which is stirred by a growing tendency of discord within the traditional "Franco-German couple".
Recent events have further reflected this phenomenon in quite interesting ways.
3
4
20
I have made some drafts of what Putin's intended geopolitical outcomes of this war may be:
3
4
19
He then turned on a playlist of Waffen SS marching songs, and fervently agreed when I asked him if he liked Stepan Bandera. He told me that he did not support Nazism, however, but did feel that their music conveyed “the spirit of the warrior” well.
1
8
16
"Either we figure out a way to make capitalism more congenial to family formation and high birth rates, or the system looks likely to shake itself to pieces."
Great article by
@philippilk
3
5
19
@lijukic
Having discussions with my supervisor about what my 20,000 word twitter thread will be about.
0
0
20
Few Greeks actually left to work in Germany, and they expressed more anti-German sentiment than many other occupied populations.
0
1
20
Quite interesting that the Germanic and Slavic peoples spread far to the east and west of the globe, even to the point of meeting each other again in Alaska.
However, in Europe, their point of contact has barely changed despite countless wars over the past millennia.
1
1
19
Indians will probably find themselves more naturally poised to fare well in an increasingly globalized world given the insane levels of domestic diversity within their own societies.
2
1
16
As Mao once said, "everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent."
3
4
18
Fascinating that Khrushchev liberalized art in the Soviet Union until visiting an "avant-garde" exhibition that appeared as a result in 1962.
On seeing the art, he exploded with anger, describing the works as "dog shit."
Art would be resubject to tight control from then on.
1
2
18
I'm in Krakow for the first time and it would not be an exaggeration to say that I am hearing almost more Russian than Polish on the street.
4
2
18