“One the one hand, our economists treat human beings as rational actors making choices to maximize their own economic benefit. On the other hand, the same companies that hire those economists also pay for advertising campaigns that use the raw materials of myth and magic to encourage people to act against their own best interests, whether it's a matter of buying overpriced fizzy sugar water or the much more serious matter of continuing to support the unthinking pursuit of business as usual in the teeth of approaching disaster.”
― The Long Descent: A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age
― The Long Descent: A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age
“Surely by now there can be few here who still believe the purpose of government is to protect us from the destructive activities of corporations. At last most of us must understand that the opposite is true: that the primary purpose of government is to protect those who run the economy from the outrage of injured citizens.”
― Endgame, Vol. 1: The Problem of Civilization
― Endgame, Vol. 1: The Problem of Civilization
James’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at James’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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