Yuri Bezmenov on Subverting Subversion

Yuri Bezmenov of the How to Subvert Subversion Substack discusses…well, subverting subversion. What’s that about? And who is Yuri? Well…”Yuri” nom-de-plumed himself after the famous “Russian subversive.” He explains:

1983 was the year before the real Yuri Bezmenov gave his famous speech about ideological subversion. It was also the year that Yuri Sr. arrived in America. Many immigrants who came in the 80s lament how much the country has deteriorated since then. I recently bought a copy LIFE Magazine’s 1983 Year in Review at a garage sale. The stories and advertising were captivating, aspirational, and beautiful. They reflected a bold, confident nation. Since then, many brands and images have been “reimagined” with demoralization and subversion. What were your memories of 1983? Who wouldn’t want to go back to this vibe?

I wouldn’t mind going back to a 1983 vibe. Speaking of that era…on the plane back to Morocco, after a three-week visit to the US, I watched an extraordinary movie set in the late 70’s and early ’80s, The Iron Claw, which I hope to review at some point…

Extract from this interview:

“I started the Substack called How to Subvert Subversion about two and a half years ago. And it was a tribute to the original Yuri Bezmenov, who you mentioned was a KGB spy who then defected to Canada and the US, and then in 1984 gave his famous speech outlining the steps of ideological subversion. He talked about demoralization, destabilization, crisis, and then normalization, where you take an all-powerful empire like the United States in 1984 and you weaken it from within to the point where it collapses in on itself. Instead of the James Bond hot wars and all those Hollywood type of scenes, you've essentially subverted the citizens to accept a communist or anarcho-tyranny type of rule.

“So that's a quick background on him. And then with my substack, I try to talk about those themes, essentially viewing the world as it is now through his lens. What would he say today? And I'm also coming from a place where I have been inside the bowels of many of these demoralized institutions. I went to a demoralized Ivy League school, as I like to call it. I have worked for some of these corporations, and I've also lived in a deep blue city for a while. So I've been in those conversations i've been in the rooms where you see the the leftist commissars say these absurd things. Now we're reaping what they've sowed, and all the the bad ideas the bad policies are having a direct impact every day.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kevinbarrett.substack.com