Politics
Craig Berry on the political economy of the Oasis reunion and working class nostalgia:
This is folk music, at its best and truest. Stood in a field with your arms around the lads who bullied you at school singing about Sally needing to wait is pretty much the same as singing about dead relatives in a County Mayo pub while your pissed uncle plays the fiddle.
I was never really into Oasis, but this is a very interesting take on the economic and political undercurrents surrounding the group’s lasting popularity.
On Marshmallow Longtermism
Cory Doctorow – writing for Locus Mag and using the Stanford marshmallow experiment as an allegory – tears down the inherent flaws of the conservative premise that self-discipline is a determining factor on someone’s chances in life:
On average, the kids who “fail” and eat the marshmallow rather than waiting and doubling their haul were poorer, while the “patient” kids were from wealthier backgrounds. When the “impatient” kids were asked about the thought process that led to their decision to eat the marshmallow rather than holding out for two, they revealed a great deal of future-looking thought…The adults in these kids’ lives had broken their promises many times: Their parents would promise material comforts, from toys to treats, that they were ultimately unable to provide due to economic hardship.
Conversely, those kids who were able to delay their gratification for double the reward came from wealthier homes:
Which means that the “patient” kids weren’t demonstrating “self-control” – rather, their willingness to wait for a second marshmallow reflected a charmed life in which adults came through with the goodies they promised. That same charmed life saw those subjects enrolled in the best schools, backstopped by tutors and college application consultants, significant parental financial contributions to excellent postsecondary education, and smooth entry into the job market.
Self-discipline and delayed gratification are virtues worth developing in all humans. Our planet and future generations depend on it. But it can only be done when people are on equal footing stable enough to allow for that development.
Someone is cruising Pittsburgh’s downtown and North Side neighborhoods to tag fresh piles of dog excrement with political paraphernalia and the Pittsburgh City Paper needs some answers:
I wasn’t expecting to nearly step in bedazzled dog doo on my way to Le Gourmandine. It was a bizarre sight: nearly fresh canine excrement with little flags donning the phrases “TRUMP DUMP” and “Trumpin’ ‘n Dumpin” stuck into the turds with toothpicks and topped with patriotic sprinkles. So many questions.
How will Project 2025 impact the things you care about? 25and.me is an innovative website that lets you select areas of interest. Then it breaks down exactly how it will effect those areas, with page number citations. It’s extremely well done and worth a share.
This #DNC roll call is lit.