5LL #61 - Trains, New Optimism, Protest Songs, Malcolm X, How It's Made

Union Station
David A. Banks, Real Life
The history of the train — once a symbol of capitalism, now socialism — contains lessons for nationalizing digital infrastructure
Progress and Its Discontents
Jason Hickel, New Internationalist
The world has never been better. From global poverty to inequality between nations, all the indicators are showing progress. This is a comforting narrative – popularized by the likes of Bill Gates and Steven Pinker. But is it true? Jason Hickel examines the rise of this so-called ‘New Optimism’.
It's A Brave New World. Why Is Our Protest Music Stuck in the Past?
Chris Richards, The Washington Post
These are wild and anxious times for our wild and anxious planet. So why do the most visible protest songs of the Trump era feel so inert?
Reflections On Malcolm X
Oren Nimni and Nathan Robinson, Current Affairs
What we can learn from him and his legacy…
Upper-Crust Free TV
Kate Wagner, The Baffler
How It’s Made is the only show that depicts labor with dignity
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