Learn from the past, look to the future
Weekend Reads for February 28, 2026
Happy Saturday, Ink readers!
We’ve spent the week deep in the discourse around the State of the Union, the continuing revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files, and now the threat of war with Iran — but there’s a lot more to consider. So read along with us and catch up on some of the writing and thinking you might have missed.
In today’s Weekend Reads:
Why are we headed for war with Iran?
What yesterday’s refugees owe today’s
Are hairdressers the key to climate education?
In the fight between Anthropic and the Pentagon, is there a hero?
Where do Donald Trump’s values come from?
Can there be writing without reading?
Why the best time to stop concentration camps is right now
Big tech’s Stepford wives
Do you understand your own language?
When did we learn to pay attention?
Inventing Anthony Bourdain
Homegrown fascism, and homemade resistance
Folk music for the future from Neapolitan singer La Niña
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Why are we headed for war with Iran?
In short, the Trump administration’s war with Iran promises poor returns and high risks. The administration’s impetuous and ill-conceived decisions have made a difficult situation far worse. By militarizing the dispute and threatening the regime’s existence, the Trump administration has made Iran’s leadership—like Saddam Hussein in 2002–2003—more likely to view any concession to the United States as a demonstration of its weakness to its public and internationally. The administration’s rush to military action last summer and saber-rattling this year have not only failed to change the military equation but will also hamper future diplomatic efforts. [Center for American Progress]