Launch post

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Thanks for coming. This substack is the place for my writing on conflict and humanitarian issues. I’m going to make a lot of content free for now, but I’ll paywall original reporting and research going forward.

Right now I’m focused on Ukraine with the goal to share stories from people on the ground and highlight issues facing civilians there. I’ve covered Ukraine on and off since early 2014 when the Maidan protests grew into a full-scale revolution and the Russian government invaded Crimea and the Donbas. I’ll always have a soft spot for the country and the people there, so there will be a lot of work here about the war.

Otherwise, there will be reporting and research on other conflicts, especially those that are overlooked, along with some work on the arms industry, including white and black market weapons trades, and private military contractors.

I always try to focus on the human element, which I think is especially important to remember in regards to these “larger” macro stories. Weapons are only weapons because of their capacity to harm and kill people, so when we talk about “defense” companies and arms deals, we have to remember the intended use of these weapons and remember the people who pay the price of their proliferation.

I’m also working out the best way to do a semi-regular live stream to review and discuss interesting material that might not support a standalone story. We’ll probably break content rules for YouTube and Twitch, but I’ll figure it out.

This is all fluid and I know things will evolve going forward. I can say for sure I won’t cover U.S. politics unless its totally necessary for a story, there are plenty of good journalists covering D.C. and honestly I’d rather drive a nail into my frontal lobe than spend any of my time on Earth concerned with the score of the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

Please hit me up with questions, suggestions, etc. I am definitely open to sharing research methods, discussing issues, and the like. Thanks again for coming.

Love ya :)

Dennis