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Weekend Reads: July 6th, 2018
The Fourth of July, Laser Rifles, and Universal Basic Income
The Things They Carried: Items Confiscated from Migrants in the Last Decade
Laura M. Holson | The New York Times | Shared by Tyler Cowen
Tom Kiefer, who worked as a janitor at a Customs and Border Protection center in Arizona until 2014, gathered tens of thousands of items confiscated from illegal migrants and thrown out by agents. He created “El Sueño Americano” (The American Dream), a collection of photographs exhibited at museums and galleries across the US
‘What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?’ by Frederick Douglass
Dave Zirin | The Nation | Retweeted by Alex Tabarrok
Dave Zirin encourages Americans to read Frederick Douglass’s famous 1852 speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” which expresses frustrations, “between the words ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’”
China Brings Star Wars to Life With ‘Laser AK-47’ That Can Set Fire to Targets a Kilometre Away
Stephen Chen | South China Morning Post | Shared by Tyler Cowen
A new laser rifle created by China and powered by a rechargeable lithium battery could change the way weapons are manufactured.
Google Is Building a City of the Future in Toronto. Would Anyone Want to Live There?
Nancy Scola | POLITICO Magazine | Shared by Tyler Cowen
Is Google’s new smart city something out of a bright, innovative future or an Orwellian nightmare? Nancy Scola takes a look at Quayside, Google’s experimental city in Toronto.
Two Family Businesses: One Wins, One Loses in US Tariff Fight
Ruth Simon | The Wall Street Journal | Retweeted by Veronique de Rugy
In this profile, Ruth Simon highlights two businesses: one a family-owned Ohio steelmaker and the other a family-run maker of steel chains in St. Louis. She details how the trade conflict is impacting the US economy.
Benefits of the American Revolution: An Exploration of Positive Externalities
Jeffrey Rogers Hummel | EconLib | Tweeted by David Beckworth
Jeffrey Rogers Hummel argues that there were at least four specific benefits of the American Revolution that helped America become more free and prosperous.
San Francisco Restaurants Can’t Afford Waiters. So They’re Putting Diners to Work.
Emily Badger | The New York Times | Tweeted by Jason Fichtner
This profile of San Francisco restaurants depicts how one of America’s most expensive cities is changing the economics of everything: commercial rents, labor costs, and restaurant workers—who are being priced out by the expense of housing.
After Universal Basic Income, the Flood
Simon Sarris | Medium | Retweeted by Peter Boettke
Simon Sarris discusses his objections to a universal basic income and explains how this policy proposal would mathematically break down.
We Need a Dramatic Rethinking of US Foreign Policy
Jerrod Laber | ArcDigital | Retweeted by Christopher Coyne
The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) grants legal justification for US foreign intervention. Jerrod Laber argues that a recent proposal to modify the AUMF would make conflict more likely around the globe.
Through the Looking Glass at Concordia University
Terry Newman | Quillette | Tweeted by Robert Graboyes
Terry Newman discusses her experience as a graduate student at Concordia University and how she perceives the evolution of intellectual debate in the classroom.