When the industrial revolution was peaking in England, workers were smashing the machines. There were earlier more isolated instances of industrial sabotage, but from 1811 to 1817 English workers organized and smashed with such ferocity that at one point more British soldiers were facing off against their own working class than Napoleon’s French army, with [...]
The Original Bitcoin Paper
I’ve never re-posted someone else writing here before but this is a special occasion—Bitcoin is now worth over $1,000 each. Is it a bubble? Probably, but that’s besides the point. The rapid rise in price has gone alongside a growing rate of acceptance. Bitcoin seems poised to dramatically change the way we interact with money. [...]
Revolutions: Naxilites
Communist rebels taking over huge swaths of land in India may sound like a forgotten chapter of the Cold War, but it’s not. Communist militias are now active in 20 of India’s 28 states, control hundreds of small villages and the government describes the Maoist/Naxalite insurgency as the biggest internal security threat the nation has [...]
From Idealism to Cynicism at FEMA
I worked for FEMA on an elite, mobile, language needs team after Superstorm Sandy. I wanted to help but the internal work culture shocked me into cynicism.
An Insider’s Critique of FEMA (One Year After Sandy)
Re-posting for the one year anniversary (29 Oct) of Super Storm Sandy. The original posting created a bit of stir within FEMA and many employees sent me anonymous messages of support. One of the anonymous messages from an employee: Hey, man. I just wanted to let you know that your essay/diary/blog post is making waves- [...]
Travel During Political Upheaval
Political upheaval can cut away all the fat and get at the soul of a foreign place.