[KMF2026] World on Fire? – Prof Stephen Kotkin

‘The cloud is an idiotic metaphor’. The cloud isn’t in the ether, it is cables, satellites, and data centers. All of these are vulnerable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMjDmYqykNI

“Enough Is Enough” Conservatives Demand Hearings on Trump-Putin Alliance

Reporting with multiple sources says Musk went to the Whitehouse with a plan to limit the connectivity of Ukrainian drones to satellites. The connections worked on the drones full speed when the drones flew into the EU, but didn’t work in Ukraine, making it seem that the connectivity was intentionally slowed for Ukraine. Musk said the Whitehouse had the say not him. The slowdown happened right as Trump was pressuring Ukraine publicly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVeGIZOqZCg

James Martin Memorial Lecture: ‘Is Europe losing the future?’ with Paul Krugman

Europe isn’t doing nearly as bad as productivity statistics and GDP per capita imply. European productivity growth has been about equal to growth in most of the United States except California. European Lower GDP per capita is largely driven by more vacations.

https://www.youtube.com/live/yYITJnqWkz0?is=9jdlF4QJY9vUj_KJ

China Found Something Better Than Oil

Industrial policy has worked for China. It gained China its dominance on refined rare earths and magnets. A dominance China has used to choke other countries, including the United States. And this doesn’t only strangle economies, but militaries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXLGV0Sj0n8

Gen. Hertling Reveals the Staggering Damage Trump Is Hiding in Iran

The damage to the US military in Iran is higher than the Defense Department is saying.

A public execution is what tyrannical regimes do to instill fear into their people. While this will be in the military justice system, by the US government killing someone, and intentionally showing it to the world, they are saying that they can come for you too, this is what will happen to you if you defy us. It’s a way to say violence against our enemies is okay, and if you challenge the regime, you will die. It gives a public nod to the acceptability of violence. Taking steps in the direction of tyranny is bad. If an execution is warranted, let’s do it in private, then calmly report the results of justice, not give a gory public display of state violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9rauNIaa2k

Zelensky Defies Trump, Strikes Putin Where It Hurts Most

Trump tariffed India for buying Russian oil, and now Trump is buying Russian diesel, which is a form of refined oil. He has turned the United States into a hypocritical country with no principles, who no one should trust because no words, no deal, means anything. The country has always had to look out for itself, but the repeated backing out of deals, including ones made by Trump, the repeated economic and military aggression, and the naked unprincipled hypocrisy has turned the United States into an asshole country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xr1750x7tU

We Need to Talk About This

The US military may be in deep shit if a new drone war starts. Inertia, bureaucracy, and fear of making the wrong choice are limiting the American military’s adaption, and this could lead to many many more dead Americans if the US gets into a modern drone war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vh722jvM58

What is Russia Planning in Kaliningrad?

Russia is playing aggressive games with NATO while also currently invading its neighbor.

For example, a Russian helicopter flew into Poland and then returned home. If Poland had shot it down, it’s likely that the helicopter could have flown into Russian territory before the missile hit, meaning Russia would misleadingly claim that it was an attack on Russian soil even though the helicopter was fired upon while in Poland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLvWYBITn8M

China Thought Nobody Would Notice

China’s covert ops are penetrating many countries, including the United States. Fifty percent of US counterspy efforts are against China. China likes to threaten Chinese living in the US to help their operations, if they don’t obey, the CCP will harm their family members still in China.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEU5NYnDfB0