Angry Planet Google’s Former CEO Is Dancing in Ukraine
Dec 19, 2025
Ben Makuch, an investigative journalist specializing in national security, shares his unique experiences from Ukraine. He recounts a surreal moment of spotting Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, dancing in Kyiv while discussing war technologies. Makuch explores how Ukraine has become a testing ground for modern warfare and highlights the shift of Silicon Valley tech executives towards defense tech. He also delves into the human suffering, propaganda tactics, and the complexities of military innovation in the ongoing conflict.
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Ukraine As A Modern War Laboratory
- Ukraine functions as a live laboratory for testing modern warfare technologies, especially drones.
- The conflict supplies unique operational data that defense firms and states crave.
Hollowed-Out Arms Production Capacity
- Western industrial capacity for mass-producing cheap weapons has atrophied since the Cold War.
- That hollowing leaves the U.S. ill-prepared for total-war mass production compared with rivals like China.
Data As Strategic Bargaining Chip
- Ukraine is hoarding operational combat data as strategic leverage with Western militaries.
- That dataset covers strikes, sensors, weather and angles needed to make systems effective.