Riley Waggaman: A view from Russia | Tom Nelson Pod #252

Edward Slavsquat is a moniker sometimes used by Riley Waggaman, an American writer and journalist who has lived in Russia for close to a decade. He has contributed to many websites, including Anti-Empire, Russian Faith, Brownstone Institute, Unlimited Hangout, and Geopolitics & Empire. He worked for Press TV, Russia Insider, and RT before going solo. In this interview, Waggaman discusses his decade-long experiences in Russia, particularly focusing on media, censorship, and political climate. Waggamann touches on Russia's approach to climate change, digital IDs, and CBDCs, while also providing insights into the impact of the Ukraine conflict on both Russian society and broader geopolitics. He concludes by reflecting on the surreal and challenging times but emphasizes finding value in everyday life and personal fulfillment. 00:00 Introduction to Riley Waggamann's Journey in Russia 01:15 Navigating Free Speech and Censorship in Russia 02:57 Riley's Podcasting Experience and Audience 04:25 Russia's Stance on Climate Change 08:13 Media Landscape in Russia 17:10 Digital Payments and Biometric Technology in Russia 21:44 Central Bank Digital Currency and Economic Challenges 29:26 Public Perception of the Ukraine Conflict 30:56 Local Indifference and Global ESG Trends 31:22 Russia's ESG Initiatives and Global Influence 34:29 UN Consensus and Russia's Stance 35:36 C40 Cities and Russia's Global Position 40:17 Putin's Image and Russian Politics 45:41 The Ukraine Conflict: Perspectives and Challenges 49:01 The Economics of War and Global Implications 57:49 Reflections on War and Hope for the Future https://edwardslavsquat.substack.com/ https://x.com/RileyWaggaman ========= AI summaries of all of my podcasts: https://tomn.substack.com/p/podcast-summaries My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/tomanelson1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL89cj_OtPeenLkWMmdwcT8Dt0DGMb8RGR X: https://twitter.com/TomANelson Substack: https://tomn.substack.com/ About Tom: https://tomn.substack.com/about