Cuba, Drone Target, Cassowaries, Vote-Buying, Capitalism

On The Island Of Anomie

Juan Orlando Pérez | Medium / El Estornudo | 26th March 2016

A sad portrait of Cuba, seen from within, “Every morning in schools students yawn out the national anthem. The newspapers celebrate national holidays, the mail is delivered, universities hand out diplomas and medals, and those opposing the government are diligently arrested and beaten. It is the nation that has broken, while the state continues to function with slothful normality” (1,170 words)

I Am On The US Kill List

Malik Jalal | Independent | 12th April 2016

“I am on the Kill List. I know this because I have been told, and because missiles have been fired at me four time. I am extraordinarily fortunate to be alive. I am in England this week because I decided that if Westerners wanted to kill me without bothering to come to speak with me first, perhaps I should come to speak to them instead. Please stop terrorizing my wife and children” (1,110 words)

A Natural History Of Walter Rothschild

Jacob Mikanowski | Awl | 11th April 2016

“Some men shoot tigers. Some men love bears. Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Conservative MP, heir to one of the greatest banking fortunes in history, and collector of the largest zoological collection ever amassed in private hands, had a specific and incurable addiction to cassowaries”. Why the fascination? Perhaps in part because they were strange, enormous birds; and he was a strange, enormous man (2,600 words)

How To Buy A Delegate

Ed O'Keefe & Matea Gold | Washington Post | 10th April 2016

Donald Trump and Ted Cruz will fight “a bidding war” for votes at the Republican convention. Donors are allowed to give “unlimited sums” to get favoured candidates elected — and how better to do so than by giving thousands of dollars to delegates? Anti-bribery laws “probably” forbid delegates from sell their votes openly, but even that is not clear-cut. In any case, delegates “will live like kings” (1,500 words)

The Limits Of Capitalism

Albert Wenger | World After Capital | 11th April 2016

Capitalism fails the digital economy for three main reasons. Capitalism relies on price signals; but where you have zero marginal costs you have no rational prices. Capitalism thrives (in theory, at least) on competition; but the digital economy is governed almost everywhere by power laws which bend towards monopoly. Finally, and fatally, capitalism “acts to preserve the interests of capital over those of knowledge” (1,250 words)

Video of the day: Rock, Paper, Scissors

What to expect:

Animated short against bullying. Rock, paper and scissors can help one other (1’00”)

Thought for the day

A nation is a detour to get to six or seven great men, and then to get around them
Friedrich Nietzsche