The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep: Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship under Yeltsin and Putin

May 2016

Past Event

The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep: Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship under Yeltsin and Putin

Past Event

Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters

May 20, 2016

May 2016

Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Read Transcript

Speakers:

Kevin Klose

Professor, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism and former president, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Carl Gershman

President, National Endowment for Democracy

Robert Amsterdam

Founding Partner, Amsterdam and Partners

Hudson Senior Fellow David Satter is known in Russia for having written that the apartment bombings in 1999, which were blamed on Chechens and brought Putin to power, were actually carried out by the Russian FSB security police.

In his new book, __The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep: Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship under Yeltsin and Putin__, Satter tells the story of the apartment bombings, Boris Yeltsin’s role presiding over the criminalization of Russia, and Putin’s rise to power. As the threat represented by Russia becomes increasingly clear, Satter’s description of where Russia is and how it got there will be of vital interest to anyone concerned about the dangers facing the world today.

On May 20, Kevin Klose, the former director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Carl Gershman, the head of the National Endowment for Democracy; and Robert Amsterdam, a prominent international lawyer, joined Satter to discuss the book. Charles Davidson, executive director of Hudson's Kleptocracy Initiative, moderated the conversation.

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

North American Energy Preeminence Forum

Featured Speakers:

John Desjarlais

Lisa Baiton

Thomas J. Duesterberg

Julia Nesheiwat

Rachel Ziemba

Paul Dabbar

Robert Asselin

George Christidis

Brian McCormick

Christopher Sands

Steve Myers

Michael Catanzaro

Moderators:

Brigham McCown

Heather Exner-Pirot

Jamie Tronnes

Pumpjack in a field with snow covered mountains in Alberta, Canada. (Michael Interisano/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

North American Energy Preeminence Forum

Join Hudson and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute for a daylong conference with energy and security experts, industry representatives, and policymakers. The forum will discuss how Washington and Ottawa can work together to leverage emerging technologies and North America’s abundant energy resources to build energy security and limit authoritarian states’ influence in global energy markets.

Featured Speakers:

John Desjarlais

Lisa Baiton

Thomas J. Duesterberg

Julia Nesheiwat

Rachel Ziemba

Paul Dabbar

Robert Asselin

George Christidis

Brian McCormick

Christopher Sands

Steve Myers

Michael Catanzaro

Moderators:

Brigham McCown

Heather Exner-Pirot

Jamie Tronnes

Learn More

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

The Myth of American Inequality

Featured Speakers:

John P. Walters

Senator Phil Gramm

US flags fly in front of the White House on October 3, 2024. (Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images)

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

The Myth of American Inequality

At Hudson, Senator Gramm and Hudson President and CEO John P. Walters will discuss how economic statistics suggest cohesion rather than divergence among Americans, and why this cohesion is likely to continue.

Featured Speakers:

John P. Walters

Senator Phil Gramm

Learn More

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Addressing Threats to Digital Rights in Hong Kong

Featured Speakers:

Olivia Enos

Ambassador Derek Mitchell

Anouk Wear

Yaqiu Wang

Joey Siu

An electronics shop employee in Hong Kong on October 18, 2017, looks at television sets showing a news report on China's President Xi Jinping's speech at the opening session of the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly Congress. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Addressing Threats to Digital Rights in Hong Kong

Join Hudson for an expert panel event that will discuss Hong Kong Watch’s latest report, Invisible Decline: Violations of Digital Rights in Hong Kong and Their Impact.

Featured Speakers:

Olivia Enos

Ambassador Derek Mitchell

Anouk Wear

Yaqiu Wang

Joey Siu

Learn More

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Competing with China on Critical Minerals

Featured Speakers:

Mike Gallagher

James Litinsky

An aerial view of the Mountain Pass mining facility in California. (MP Materials)

November 2024

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Competing with China on Critical Minerals

Hudson’s Mike Gallagher will host James Litinsky, chairman and CEO of MP Materials, to discuss the role of these vital resources in PRC-US competition and what Washington can do to emerge victorious.