The Limits of Special Operations Narratives

Earlier this year journalist Ben Makuch caught a glimpse of Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, dancing at a club in Kyiv. It was a surreal moment, a snapshot of a tragic war that the West thinks is defining the future of conflict. Tech executives have flocked to Ukraine, courting the country in an attempt to get at a resource more precious than gold: data. Makuch was just there and has written about what he saw for The New Republic and he’s on the show today to talk about it.

• Some light smoking banter
• Ben’s timeline
• Google’s CEO dancing in a bar in Kyiv
• Ukraine as laboratory for war tech
• The JSOC era is over
• In defense of the majestic American turkey
• The great America vs China speculation
• War, cheaper
• On the actual frontline
• Wheat fields of fiber optic line
• The buzz of the drone
• Life in the bloodlands
• The human suffering of living in Ukraine
• FPV-made propaganda
• “Never underestimate human innovation when it comes to killing other humans.”
• What’s Erik Prince doing in Ukraine?

New York Times on Military Reform

The Medieval—and Highly Effective—Tactics of the Ukrainian Protests

Who Is St. Javelin and Why Is She a Symbol of the War in Ukraine?

‘Cope Cages’ on Busted Tanks Are a Symbol of Russia’s Military Failures

‘Unauthorized’ Edit to Ukraine’s Frontline Maps Point to Polymarket’s War Betting

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