Play: Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic. In this clever, lovingly made game from 3Division, you take control of the politburo of some anonymous post-World War II Soviet satellite with no industry or capital and attempt to build it into a Marxist worker’s utopia. Turns out running a planned economy is hard as hell, though, and you’ll have to navigate a complex global economic and political simulation as you try to build out supply chains and distribution systems that keep your economy afloat and the capitalist dogs at bay. It’s not going too well for me right now — the massive oil refinement and export system I spent ~40 million rubles to build is rusting away idle thanks to a global petrol glut. – Matt
Read: “The Politics of Resentment,” by political scientist Katherine J. Cramer. This book is an interesting analysis of the political consciousness fueling the growing divide between urban and rural voters. Using Wisconsin as a case study, Cramer's central argument is that the political resentment of rural Wisconsinites toward the “liberal elite” in Madison and Milwaukee played a major role in recent Republican successes in the state, even as their policies failed to meaningfully address the economic hardships faced by many rural residents. – Riley
Listen: to ESG. Today those three letters are an investment philosophy, but 40 years ago they were the name of an all-girl post-punk band from the South Bronx. You might have heard a snippet of their record “UFO,” one of hip-hop’s most-sampled tracks of all time, but their whole oeuvre stands the test of time as a lo-fi, high-energy call directly to the dance floor. – Alex
