https://blog.zacharyrethorn.com/ en Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:54:41 -0500 https://blog.zacharyrethorn.com/2026/09/04/from-derek-thompson-the-state.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:54:41 -0500 http://zacharyrethorn.micro.blog/2026/09/04/from-derek-thompson-the-state.html <p>From <a href="https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-monks-in-the-casino">Derek Thompson</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>The state that once poured concrete for public parks now licenses gambling platforms. The country that regulates a lemonade stand will let an 18-year-old day-trade options on his phone. In short: The first half of the twentieth century was about mastering the physical world, the first half of the twenty-first has been about escaping it.</p> </blockquote> <p>The role of the environments and defaults can&rsquo;t be overstated here.</p> From [Derek Thompson](https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-monks-in-the-casino): >The state that once poured concrete for public parks now licenses gambling platforms. The country that regulates a lemonade stand will let an 18-year-old day-trade options on his phone. >In short: The first half of the twentieth century was about mastering the physical world, the first half of the twenty-first has been about escaping it. The role of the environments and defaults can't be overstated here.