First Derivative [46]
corporatism—blockchain — fourth estate — soulful urbanism — elite secession — Silicon Beijing — Russian espionage — Burkean Batman — American identity
The 100-year capitalist experiment that keeps Appalachia poor, sick, and stuck on coal by Gwynn Guilford (Quartz): “‘the nation’s leaders continue to expect the business cycle to buoy growth, failing to grasp… increasing inequality in wealth, income, opportunity, and health have cannibalized the very demand needed to sustain it.” Highly recommend you read in full — TK
The Blockchain Man by Taylor Pearson (Ribbonfarm): “ Whyte saw the central values in American life shift away from the rugged individualism that had characterized the nation since its founding, towards a collectivist ethic” A great society-level analysis of blockchain contra corporatist collectivism — TK
My Life as a New York Times Reporter in the Shadow of the War on Terror by James Risen (The Intercept): This was always my biggest criticism of the Obama admin. Either way, strongly recommend to understand one reporter’s experience of the US nexus of media, accountability, security, and politics. Very gripping — TK
Cryptoasset Valuations by Chris Burniske (Medium): Best thing I’ve read on approximating cryptoasset valuations — TK
New Urbanism of the Soul by Rod Dreher (The American Conservative): “Moreover, when we ceased to design and construct buildings in a pattern-language tradition based on human nature, we created places that were harder to love. James Howard Kunstler calls this ‘the geography of nowhere.’”
Revolt of the Rich by Mike Lofgren (The American Conservative): Polemical but persuasive — TK
Chinese Workers Abandon Silicon Valley for Riches Back Home by David Ramli and Lulu Yilun Chen (Bloomberg Businessweek): “‘You’re just working as a cog in the huge machine and you never get to see the big picture. My friends back in China were thinking about the economy and vast social trends,’ he said.”
The Secret History of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco by Zach Dorfman (Foreign Policy)
Heroism and Realism in Christopher Nolan’s Batman by Bradley J Birzer (The American Conservative): Birzer is a much bigger fan of The Dark Knight Rises than I am but an interesting interpretation nonetheless. SPOILERS — TK
