“You see, that money should be going to look after our pensioners” My eyes were drawn to the little fleck of foam gathering at the corner of his mouth, dappled white highlighted against the yellow of his teeth and the rosy red of his cheeks. I agreed. Then I thought of all the other placesContinue reading “The Diaspora”
Category Archives: Politics
The Argentina Set
El Fajo It was beyond clear it was time to pay up. The surrounding murmur grew quiet as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a bundle of cash, ten thousand, twenty thousand at least. He held a cigarette in his teeth, the blue smoke curling up and around the brim of his StetsonContinue reading “The Argentina Set”
What Happened to FTX?
Two friends were walking into Town with a barrel of wine. The road was dusty, their walk surrounded by bright fields of yellow flowers. It was mid-July and the sun was warming their backs. “I reckon we could make a decent amount from this you know” said one, patting the side of the barrel. TheContinue reading “What Happened to FTX?”
5 Lessons to Help Save Democracy
Read Time: 5 mins History does not repeat, but it does inform. This is the key takeaway of Timothy Snyder’s book “On Tyranny – 20 lessons from the 20th Century”. Globalization was accelerating in the 1900s and its rise led to complexities that no one could have predicted. These changes were frightening and ever-present. InventionsContinue reading “5 Lessons to Help Save Democracy”
Can you gamble your way to heaven?
It has been argued that the people of France are the best protesters in the world. Since 2018, over 3 million people participated in the Gilet Jaunes movement. The point was to protest against the prices of fuel, cost of living and inequality. They bought the French government to its knees. And more importantly, theyContinue reading “Can you gamble your way to heaven?”
Logical Fallacies
Read time: 2 mins Despite what most people think, Ancient Greeks were avid perfumers. The streets of Athens were infused with the delicate herbal scents of almonds, coriander, bergamot and conifer, steeped in olive oil over many months and liberally applied to skin and hair. Compared to modern chemical and alcoholic perfumes, these scents wereContinue reading “Logical Fallacies”
Part 3: Give me all your money – Crypto versus the State
It was snowing in Ottawa in February. A thin layer of white powder veiled the pavements and gentle flurries drifted down from the grey sheets of cloud covering the sky. People’s breath misted as they spoke, noses reddened by the cold. In Parliament square, hundreds of truck drivers and pedestrians blockaded the streets. The airContinue reading “Part 3: Give me all your money – Crypto versus the State”
Ken Robinson
Read Time: 1 min There is a wonderful story about a 6 year old girl. She was a pain in the neck usually. She was persistently distracted, chit-chatting to the other children, gazing out the window and generally causing trouble. One day however, during a drawing class, she was completely engrossed. Her teacher, fascinated (andContinue reading “Ken Robinson”
Pulp Non-Fiction
Read time: 3 mins At a time where politics is polarised and distrust is at an all time high, it’s good to look back and understand some of the events that have fertilized the chaotic and bewildering landscape we find ourselves in today. The following is a story told by Noam Chomsky about his experiencesContinue reading “Pulp Non-Fiction”
About Smarticles
Smarticles has been developed as an antidote to mindless scrolling. It distills interesting, varied, and insightful knowledge gathered by others into short and easy-to-digest pieces. Lifestyle, psychology, history, politics, science, and many other topics are explored. There are guest authors who add different perspectives and voices, all available in short reads, from 2 – 15Continue reading “About Smarticles”
Smarticles 