TLP Weekend Edition (June 15-16, 2024)
What we're reading, watching, and listening to this weekend.
📖 “Halfway Between Kyoto and 2050: Zero Carbon Is a Highly Unlikely Outcome,” by Vacliv Smil. Nicely formatted version of Smil's recent report, provided by the Fraser Institute. Read this. You will never be able to think about the climate issue again in quite the same way. Smil's irrefutable empirics will expand your consciousness (without substances!)
📚 The Invention of Marxism: How an Idea Changed Everything, by Christina Morina. Marxism was really created by a series of thinkers who weren't Marx. In this brilliant book, Morina cover the lives and thought of nine key figures who helped forge what we think of as Marxism: Karl Kautsky, Eduard Bernstein, Rosa Luxemburg, Victor Adler, Jean Jaures, Jules Guesde, Georgi Plekhanov, Peter Struve, and VI Lenin. Pick your fave! Bernstein looks pretty darn good in retrospect.
📊 Election forecasts. It’s that time in the presidential cycle when the election forecast models kick into gear. The Economist has a nice one that incorporates tons of current polling data plus “fundamentals” related to economic indicators and historical patterns. 538 is also back with its model including polling, economic numbers, and demographic data. Both forecasts currently show Trump narrowly winning in 2024.
🎸 La Question, by Françoise Hardy. The famous French pop star passed away this week with tributes pouring in from music critics and legends alike—across all types of music. This 1971 album best captures her signature sound with a stripped down accompaniment of acoustic guitar and bass.
⚽️ UEFA European Football Championship, venues across Germany. The German hosts crushed Scotland in the tournament opener yesterday, and this weekend brings a ton of ace matchups including Spain vs. Croatia and Slovenia vs. Denmark (which TLP will be watching in Copenhagen ahead of a second Metallica show at Parken Stadium.)