The Monday Mix (15/03/2021)
Happy Monday,
It’s been a busy day today, during which I nearly forgot to send this email! Thankfully, it didn’t slip my mind. Here’s what I want to share with you this week.
Inside The World of Bitcoin Carnivores
The price of Bitcoin continues to rise and rise. As someone who’s not invested in the asset, it’s interesting to observe those who are. The higher and higher the price goes, the more and more its advocates resemble a cult.
“Bitcoin is going to solve world hunger, it’s going to revolutionise the world and replace a corrupt global financial system.”
If you adhere to their view, this is what will happen. Anyone who tries to provide an alternative is shouted down and ridiculed.
I’ve been trying to understand more about Bitcoin recently, and it was due to this that I ended stumbling across this article, which I think sums up the bizarro-world of cryptocurrency.
Guys solely eating meat and trading crypto. It’s an apt metaphor for the crazy times we live in!
A friend of mine recommended a podcast to me last week, which I found fascinating. It was an episode of Malcolm’s Gladwell’s Revisionist History, which looks at the idea of democratic lotteries.
Instead of the traditional polling we see nowadays, where candidates go on lengthy tours and extoll their virtues, leaders are chosen through a lottery. A similar system was used in ancient Athens.
It may seem bonkers at first, but there are benefits to this method. It broadens the appeal of standing for many people who might otherwise be put off due to lack of funds or a feeling of inferiority. It would also help encourage a more diverse cast of people to become active in politics.
The point made in the podcast is a powerful one. Due to our current democratic processes, we may be excluding people who can make a difference and can develop coherent policy, just because they aren’t great campaigners.
In an age of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, it’s an interesting point to consider. Here’s an article on lotteries, by Fast Company if you want to read more on the issue.
Nobody Likes Lockdown - But They Save Lives
Here in the UK, we’re coming to the end of our third lockdown as the success of the vaccine rollout starts to pay dividends. It’s a cause for celebration, but we shouldn’t forget what happened before.
Since 11 November, when the UK passed the 50,000 mark on the number of deaths, a further 75,000 people have died. A shocking statistic which I’m still trying to get my head around. The level of death has been unbelievable.
What’s worse is at the start of the pandemic, the government here was advocating a herd immunity approach, similar to the one Sweden adopted. Had they done so, the death toll would have been much, much higher. An even more unimaginable figure.
These numbers inspired me to write the above article. Lockdown has been tough, it’s been awful, but there’s no doubt they save lives. The death toll of 125,000+ deaths is hard to wrap my head around. I can’t begin to imagine how I’d feel if that number was even higher.
Book I’m Reading - The Midnight Library
I just finished this book today which was a joy to read. It’s the first fiction book I’ve read in a while and I was very impressed. It’s a profound and moving read. I remember reading about the book earlier in the year and making a mental note to buy it.
I’m glad I did. I can’t recommend it enough. The author, Matt Haig, is now one of my favourite writers and I’ll be devouring as much of his work as I can get my hands on!
Quote I’m pondering
“You can have everything and feel nothing.” - Matt Haig
That’s all for this week. I’ll continue to send the essays I’ve been writing for Ship30for30. Tomorrow is the last day, so the remaining ones will be sent through by next week or the week after.
Though, I’ve signed up for the next cohort in March and April, so more will be on the way. If anyone feels like joining in, here’s the link. If you want to write more and develop a habit, I can’t recommend it enough!
Until next week,
Tom