Reading List #17 (Patreon)

It's probably because Cardi's video questioning where her tax money goes was more entertaining and gripping, but this essay barely got shared on my timeline. I find it interesting that both capitalists and anti-capitalists alike shared Cardi's video, using it to bolster their respective arguments that big governments are bad and that America is evil. Cardi is rich now, so her taxes were shocking because she probably expected to get to keep more of her earnings. But she's still rich as fuck and I'm sure the government didn't take more than 40%.... like they do with other wealthy people who could afford to be taxed a little more. Now as for what the tax money goes towards, that definitely needs to be reformed. As detailed in this article by Phillip Bump, most tax money goes towards social security, healthcare, the national debt, and the military. Without being an extremist who screams that taxes are evil (I like paved roads, public libraries, and the fire department thankyouverymuch), I do believe tax money should be used more on education and community services that Cardi mentioned at the end of the video. But do I feel bad that a woman who went from being a thousandaire to a millionaire overnight has less millions than before and who will likely recoup her losses over the next few months? A woman who doesn't live off paycheck-to-paycheck wages and has access to accountants and investments that will reward her with plentiful dividends? Nah. 

Read Length: Short

2) We Beat Mark Zuckerberg In Hawaii, And We Can Beat Him In Washington (Kaniela Ing) 3/23/2018

This is an inspiring take on combating obnoxiously wealthy people like Mark Zuckerberg by Hawaiian House Rep, Kaniela Ing. He also calls Facebook an unregulated monopoly, which went frighteningly hand in hand with the next article on this list. 

Read Length: Short

3) Facebook and Cambridge Analytica: What You Need to Know as Fallout Widens (Kevin Granville) 3/19/18

If you want a visual breakdown of this scandal, click here for Vox's recollection of events. 

Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Trump’s 2016 election campaign, gained access to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users. The firm offered tools that could identify the personalities of American voters and influence their behavior.

Read Length: Medium

4) Black Women in White America: A Documentary History (Edited by Gerda Lerner) 1972

A literal tome of treasures. This volume has tons of primary source material for anyone studying black history or black women. Some passages I already read before, but a lot of it was new. I'll be incorporating a lot into future projects. 

Read Length: Book, 614 pages

5) Making Profits on the Captive Prison Market (Eric Markowitz) 9/4/16

Though first released in 2016, this article is still relevant. As long as prison continues to be profitable, people (particularly black ones) will continue to be locked away into them. 

Read Length: Short

6) 18 Common Logical Fallacies and Persuasion Techniques (8/25/17) (Christopher Dwyer)

Out of the 18 fallacies listed, one in particular reminded me of my pure hatred for ideological extremists:

The Black-or-White Fallacy is the provision of only two alternatives in an argument, when there are actually more options available. That is, numerous ‘shades of grey’ are also possible, but are not addressed.

Read Length: Medium 

7) How a New Senate Bill Will Screw Over Sex Workers (Tina Horn) 3/27/18

Multiple sites that allowed consensual sex workers to screen potential clients (and therefore avoid danger) have now stopped doing so, after the senate passed this controversial bill.

"This legislation will drive demand into the street corners, the back alleys," explains Paul. "It will stifle meaningful discussions on education and safety, perpetuating the very problems they hoped to resolve."

This misguided bill is headed to Trump's desk soon. 

Read Length: Medium 

8) Google Has a Striking History of Bias Against Black Girls (Dr. Sufiya U. Noble) 3/26/18

Bias in tech is real and now I need Dr. Noble's book. 

Not only are African Americans underemployed at Google, Facebook, Snapchat and other popular technology companies as computer programmers, but also jobs that could employ the expertise of people who understand the ramifications of racist and sexist stereotyping and misrepresentation and that require undergraduate and advanced degrees in ethnic, Black/African American, women and gender, American Indian, or Asian American studies do not exist.

9) Voices of School Shooting Survivors  (Multiple Authors via VICE)

Heartbreaking. Terrifying. Unfathomable. There are 16 total essays, I didn't read all of them because they drove my anxiety through the roof.