West Gold

The Idea Of The West

Andrew Kaufmann | Mere Orthodoxy | 10th September 2025

The "West" is a recent construct, first articulated clearly by French philosopher Auguste Comte in the 1820s. It gained meaning in the 1890s as a justification for colonial expansion, and then further traction from the "East vs West" narratives of the Cold War. Its assumed connections to liberal democracy, via inheritance from Ancient Greece and the Renaissance, are not borne out by the historical record (2,000 words)

Nomido is the Browser's daily word game. Play today's before it's gone!

The Myth of “Risk-Free” Gold

Giselle Figueroa de la Ossa | Sapiens | 9th September 2025

Gold is seen as a risk-free asset. A safe harbour in a volatile market. But it is only risk free for those managing the investment portfolios. The people who mine and refine it expose themselves to unsafe industrial practices as well as the violence and smuggling that afflicts the gold supply chain. Poor attempts to incentivise ethical production and end "dirty" gold have, arguably, made matters worse (2,100 words)