First Derivative [57]
first Derivative [57]
April 6, 2018
How to change the course of human history
by David Graeber and David Wengrow (Eurozine)
Human history here means our past, not the future. A thought-provoking essay on the “conventional” story of human development and its connection with misguided searches for the “origins” of inequality. If you liked Sapiens or are interested in inequality or anthropology, you’ll enjoy this—TK
Hannah Arendt on the Time She Met W.H. Auden
(Literary Hub)
A Saudi Prince’s Quest to Remake the Middle East
by Dexter Filkins (NYer)
MBS came up on fD over a year ago but his stock has risen dramatically since then. A look at his recents actions. Key topics: Qatar, state religion, war in Yemen—TK
Why the racial future of America hinges upon Asian Americans
by Wesley Yang (Tablet)
A thought-provoking piece from one of my favorite writers—TK
A Proper Accounting of Glass-Steagall
by Daniel D. Leger (American Affairs)
“The big four U.S. banks continue to grow in size despite penalties, fines, and declining returns on capital… In many ways, having fewer and larger banks serves the interests of the government and the banks… no limitation on the size of their assets, coupled with an implicit bailout guarantee.”
Avoiding the Cicero Trap
by Bruce Fein (TAC)
“The United States is at the precipice of ruination. We are there not because 'real statesmen' have failed to surface like a Deus ex Machina. We are there because we have dishonored Madison’s wisdom and the Constitution’s separation of powers in favor of endless, gratuitous, presidential wars and limitless executive power”
For Trump and his generals, ‘victory’ has different meanings
by Greg Jaffe (WaPo)
Beyond Trump, a good piece on how we measure progress in our military engagements and what would even qualify asvictory in the battlefields where we find ourselves engaged—TK
When Terrorists and Criminals Govern Better Than Governments
by Shadi Hamid, Vanda Felbab-Brown, and Harold Trinkunas (The Atlantic): The NYT has a great article about this in more detail—TK
Integration from Within
by Adrian Vermeule (American Affairs)
“What is to be done? My answer is that the state will have to be reintegrated from within, by the efforts of agents who occupy strategic positions within the shell of the liberal order. Less Benedict, more Esther, Mordecai, Joseph, and Daniel — and, as we will see, St. Cecilia and St. Paul.”
Utah’s ‘free-range parenting’ law said to be first in the nation
by Meagan Flynn (WaPo)
ABOUT fD
fD is a weekly newsletter focusing on signal insights and deep trends in ideas, technology, politics, economics, foreign affairs, culture, philosophy, and more. The goal is to deliver content and analyses that matter beyond the present moment.
I hope you enjoy. Questions and comments always welcome (just respond to this email)—TK
EPHEMERA
Saw Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). Enjoyed both. Everybody is now the 5th Linklater movie I've seen, not counting Waking Life (2001), which I had to turn off halfway through.