CMFM – Curating My Favorite Material
A collection of greatest hits in recent articles, podcasts, videos, interviews, and general material for your perusing!
(1) A Brief History of U.S. Intervention in Iraq Over the Past Half Century
It was 15 years ago (to the week) that the image of Saddam Hussein’s statue being toppled in Bagdad was broadcasted around the world. The US had defeated an evil dictator! If only it were that simple.
The video below goes into detail on how the US really took an interest in Iraqi affairs beginning in the 1950’s during the Cold War. The CIA backed Saddam Hussein and installed him as the Iraqi leader to fight communism. The CIA then provided Saddam with weapons, intel, and funded the Iran-Iraq war.
It is only recent history that paints Iraq in such a contrasting light; one in which US troops are sent in to liberate Iraqi civilians from a dictator. I will let you be your own judge, but it is crucial that we all reflect on what our military efforts have produced in the Middle East to date; especially as rhetoric surrounding Syria comes to the forefront.
(2) Learning From the Feynman Technique
Richard Feynman is revered as one of the most prolific thinkers in recent history. A physicist, philosopher, writer, teacher, and more, Feynman is attributed with the development of quantum electrodynamics, earning a Nobel Prize for exploring the relationship between light and matter, solving the Challenger space shuttle disaster, and more broadly, explaining extremely concepts in simple form.
The article below goes into Feynman’s mental model, the one in which he explains how to properly communicate ideas and concepts so that there is optimal understanding. I am a big fan of his, and in applying this model to the real world just ask yourself who you often find the most intelligent person in the room.
Is it the individual using sophisticated words and elaborate, drawn out explanations that sound complex?
Or is it the individual who can explain difficult concepts in simple language and make sure others truly understand?
(3) China’s Role In The Coming Commodities Boom
I have discussed the role of commodities before, yet this podcast goes further into the dynamic that is the major market force driving commodity demand. We are talking about China, folks.
Interestingly, the podcast goes into how the guest experienced a large influx of African students studying in China, and how this is likely a long-term strategy for the Chinese mercantile economy in securing raw materials in Africa for the coming decades.
(4) How To Read Less News But Be More Informed
This concise article lays out some tangible methods to consume less information, yet remain highly informed. It is all about quality over quantity folks, and depending on how intrinsically motivated you are to go down the “rabbit hole”, I think these thoughts on synthesizing information more efficiently are appropriate for practice in everyone’s life. Especially when considering that we live in the information age, where it is all to easy to fall victim to information overload, and remain uninformed.
(5) The Three-Body Problem
Beautifully written piece touching on how we tend to approach markets, and life for that matter.
In short, we do so incorrectly. I am a big fan of both chaos theory and game theory. These theories are what drive machine learning, artificial intelligence and more presently, distributed ledgers and digital assets.
A bit of a longer read, but well worth your time.
