Reading
Things I've read and found insightful. In case you're interested in what shapes how I think.
What's Our Problem?
by Tim Urban
To the Person Sitting in Darkness
by Mark Twain
Twain's 1901 essay is a savage critique of American imperialism in the Philippines and Western powers' colonial exploitation disguised as "civilizing missions." He skewers the gap between democratic ideals and imperial practice—the way powers frame conquest as benevolence.
This is as relevant as ever. Watch how great powers justify intervention in Ukraine, Venezuela, and the Middle East. The language has evolved—"spreading democracy," "humanitarian intervention," "responsibility to protect"—but the pattern Twain identified remains: powerful nations wrapping strategic interests in moral language, claiming to liberate while consolidating control. Whether it's Russia's "denazification," America's regime change operations, or various powers' Middle East interventions, the person sitting in darkness is still being sold the same story. Twain saw through it 124 years ago. We should too.