This paper examines the significance of foresight and active forecasting as integrative frameworks for strengthening defense capability. Using Ukraine as an illustrative example, the study demonstrates how these approaches provide a nuanced understanding of current security challenges and enable the anticipation of future scenarios – both essential for effective strategic planning and state-level decision-making.
The influence of foresight on the formation of self-defeating prophecies in the context of active forecasting and its role as a management tool capable of public policy adjustment are considered. Examples of NATO Strategic Command and DARPA leadership experience of improving the effectiveness of defense plans using this methodology are considered.
The authors discuss various approaches to the use of foresight in the field of defense, including open and confidential options, as well as their possible outcomes in a confrontational international environment. Particular attention is paid to the need to take into account the disinformation factor. The study confirms that foresight as an active forecast is a powerful tool that can significantly improve the state's defense capability and provide a strategic advantage in a rapidly changing international security situation. Read more

Films seem to be an essential form of entertainment in modern society, but as the literature review shows, the film industry is involved in subtle distortions of cultural, religious, and political ideas. Regardless of whether films are publicly or privately funded, there are many creative ways to influence or alter perceptions, to educate audiences, to stir irrational fears, and swiftly promote certain ideologies. Therefore, this study examines the socioeconomic narratives present in the Blade Runner film series and their connections to economic theories. The research aims to analyze the portrayal of capitalism, socialism, Malthusianism, Social Darwinism, and ecologism within a dystopian context, focusing on themes such as wealth distribution, labor exploitation, technological disruption, and environmental collapse. Using a qualitative methodology, the study employs socioeconomic content analysis, more specific thematic coding, discourse analysis, semiotic interpretation, historical contextualization, and audience reception assessment. The findings indicate that Blade Runner embodies Malthusian concerns about overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation. The films portray capitalism as a system that reinforces social stratification, in which technological advances serve the interests of elites while deepening the oppression of the working class. Immigration is framed as a destabilizing force, rooted in historical anxieties about cultural identity and economic competition, rather than being recognized for its real contributions to cultural exchange and economic growth. Furthermore, the films invoke the myth of the noble savage, suggesting that salvation lies in an outsider who remains untainted by capitalist corruption. Through a socioeconomic analysis of the Blade Runner series, this study highlights Hollywood’s influence in shaping dystopian fears and critiques of contemporary economic systems. Read more