I have discovered a very good way to learn about a topic is to read about something related – the topic serves as a foundation or is always in the background. For example, a good way to learn about the rise of the Nazis in the inter-war period in Germany is to read about something else that happened in Germany during the same time period. I had this experience with Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts.

A consistent day-by-day reading of Kevin Williamson in the National Review provides very, very, good insight into the inner workings of our society. From an article published today:

When they rail against capitalism, automation, trade, and the like, they resemble nothing so much as those hominids at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey, shrieking hysterically at something that is simply beyond their comprehension. A social machine is different from an ordinary mechanical one, but you can still throw sand in the gears.

You should read today’s article: The Social Machine in full.