In the country, the sounds of birds, wind and silence are typical. It is easy to imagine the din and chaos of the world being far away. That’s why I like living here.
But as I explain in today’s column (gift link), the world isn’t going away. The price of fuel in my van is linked to the war in Iran. Drone technology spurred along by the war in Ukraine is rapidly changing the very nature of warfare. In fact, there are no longer any borders in war, nor does money and power guarantee military victory.
That got me thinking about Minnesota’s place in the world. We are dead center of a continent that hasn’t had to worry about invasion in a very long time. To keep it that way, we’ve got to get serious about changes happening in this not-so-small world.
One huge change is that war is now carried on the same technology that will deliver our Amazon packages.
Read “Is Minnesota ready for the age of drone warfare” in the Monday, June 8, 2026 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
