How to Adapt in an Era of Algorithm Warfare

Source: Foreign Policy
by Anne Neuberger

“Innovative, low-cost weapons have destroyed sophisticated military systems that can be dramatically costlier to build and operate. Russian warships costing tens of millions of dollars have succumbed to semi-autonomous Ukrainian sea drones costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even cheaper commercial drones have not only destroyed million-dollar tanks but have also performed missions that were once only possible with advanced military helicopters. Countering these drones can drain the defender’s coffers. … The barrier to entry for sophisticated, high-impact warfare is collapsing with the global availability of cheap, powerful, and adaptable commercial technology. This new reality leaves policymakers and citizens grappling with a set of profound challenges. Countries are confronting central issues around these novel strategic asymmetries and how to control the proliferation of advanced weapons when they are built from commercial components.” (02/26/26)

https://archive.is/FabLo

Thomas L. Knapp

Democrats in four states seek to bar ICE gang members from future civil service jobs

Source: The Guardian [UK]

“Supercharged by billions in dollars from Congress, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has hired thousands of new officers to carry out Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign in an effort it has likened to ‘wartime recruitment.’ In several states, Democratic lawmakers want applicants to think twice about taking part. Bills introduced in recent weeks in the legislatures of at least four Democratic-led states would impose long-term consequences on new ICE employees by rendering them ineligible for jobs in law enforcement, public education, and, in their most expansive form, the entire state civil service. None of the proposals has been signed into law, and potential legislation may face legal challenges.” (02/26/26)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/democrats-bar-ice-employees-civil-service-jobs

Thomas L. Knapp

What causes stagflation?

Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak

“In a market economy, a producer exchanges his product for money. He then exchanges the received money for the products of other producers. Alternatively, we can say that an exchange of something for something takes place by means of money. Things are, however, not quite the same once money is generated out of ‘thin air’ because of the expansionary central bank policies. Once money out of ‘thin air’ is employed, it sets in motion an exchange of nothing for something. This amounts to a diversion of resources from wealth generators to the holders of the newly generated money. In the process, wealth generators are left with fewer resources at their disposal, which in turn weakens their ability to grow the economy.” (02/26/26)

https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/02/what-causes-stagflation/

Thomas L. Knapp

The Only True Nuclear Protective Shield Is Global Disarmament

Source: Common Dreams
by Klaus Moegling

“The use of key security policy terms in public discourse is intended to suggest facts that serve to calm people down. However, there are many reasons for concern that could also trigger peace forces. Political scientist and historian Herfried Münkler called for a European atomic bomb as early as 2023. There is currently an increasingly heated debate about whether Germany should seek refuge under France’s nuclear protective shield in view of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The leader of the Social Democrats in the European Parliament, Katarina Barley, also raised the issue of acquiring nuclear bombs as part of European armament in 2024. The German and French heads of government, Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron, are also paving the way for talks on European nuclear armament and the extension of France’s nuclear umbrella, according to Merz in his speech at the Munich Security Conference in early 2026.” (02/26/26)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/no-nuclear-protective-shield

Steve Trinward

France: Court sentences Iranian woman to a year in prison for social media posts

Source: France 24 [French state media]

“A French court on Thursday sentenced Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari to one year in prison for justifying terrorism. Esfandiari, 39, was arrested in France last year over comments she is accused of having made on social media, including on Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. She was sentenced to four years, of which three are suspended, the judge said, citing ‘the nature of the acts and their seriousness.’ … Some observers see Esfandiari as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations with Tehran for the release of French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been held in Iran since May 2022.” (02/26/26)

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260226-france-sentences-iranian-woman-to-one-year-in-prison-for-justifying-terrorism

Thomas L. Knapp

Don’t Expect a Refund for Your Tariff-Inflated Expenses

Source: Jacobin
by David Sirota

“With Donald Trump’s tariffs being ruled illegal, the government may be on the hook for up to $170 billion in refunds. Because Amazon helped conceal how much tariffs raised consumer prices, it will be easier for companies to hoard refunds for themselves.” (02/26/26)

https://jacobin.com/2026/02/tariffs-refunds-trump-bezos-amazon/

Thomas L. Knapp

The new age of the foreign mercenary

Source: spiked
by Tom Bailey

“While developed nations are investing in military hardware, they increasingly lack the manpower for any future, high-intensity conflict. They could employ conscription, but these are also ageing societies. They have shrinking youth cohorts – the very demographic historically relied on in high-intensity conflict. At the margins of the war in Ukraine, we can see how the two sides are trying to cope with this reality – through the recruitment of foreign soldiers.” (02/26/26)

https://archive.is/iigzx

Thomas L. Knapp