Weekly Reads for 21 November 2014

This week’s weekly reads include a look at Obama’s immigration policy, $3 gasoline, the truth about Anonymous, Klinsmann and the US soccer world, and more. Read and enjoy!

Transcript: Obama’s immigration speech – – “But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it. Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their wages good wages benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.” The Washington Post

Jurgen Klinsmann vs. the Future of American Soccer « – “In 2014, Jurgen Klinsmann put the finishing touches on the transformation of the United States men’s national team into some sporting version of The Hunger Games. No one died, except for perhaps Landon Donovan’s ego, but the German World Cup winner imposed a vision in which no player’s spot on the squad or in the lineup is ever safe. In Klinsmann’s mind, the previous iterations of the team were happy-feely groups hanging out in Mister Rogers’s neighborhood, complacent and content with the status quo. That needed to change.” Grantland

The Persistent Myth of the Narcissistic Millennial – “In his pop-psychology book The Narcissist Next Door: Understanding the Monster in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed—in Your World, published in September, author and Time editor at large Jeffrey Kluger argues that the popularity of the “selfie” is just one way that our culture is becoming more narcissistic. In fact, he says, narcissistic behaviors today aren’t just more accepted; they’re celebrated. “We’ve become accustomed to preeners and posers who don’t have anything to offer except themselves and their need to be on the public stage,” he says. The egocentric antics of figures like Donald Trump or Kim Kardashian, for example, make our own narcissistic proclivities seem more palatable by comparison, and social media only instigates the desire for attention. Facebook, to a narcissist, can be like an open bar to a drunk.” The Atlantic

The ‘Truth’ Behind The Female Soldier Fighting ISIS – Digg – “They call her Rehana, but that’s likely not her name. She’s been dubbed the Angel of Kobane, though no one knows if she’s still in that Syrian town. What is true is this young woman unwittingly became a key social media front in the battle for Kobane. Kurdish and Islamic State supporters continue to clash on Twitter and elsewhere to promote and smash her legend. Many online news sites have gone along for the ride. This is the story of the creation of the online legend of Rehana — and why it can never be killed.” Digg

Modern Day Segregation in Public Schools – “Proponents of tracking and of ability-grouping (a milder version that separates students within the same classroom based on ability) say that the practices allow students to learn at their own levels and prevent a difficult situation for teachers: large classes where children with a wide range of different needs and skill levels are mixed together. In many districts, the higher-level instruction in “gifted and talented” or advanced placement classes is what keeps wealthier families from entirely abandoning the public school system.” The Atlantic

$3 gasoline: Drilling for oil brought down prices. – “Back during the 2012 election, when Republicans like Newt Gingrich were busy assailing President Barack Obama over high gas prices and promising to open up America’s coasts to offshore oil rigs galore, the liberal response was mostly dismissive. It was impossible, many argued, for the United States to drill its way to lower gas prices.” Slate

The Truth About Anonymous’s Activism | – “Anonymous has no more transcended the limits of conventional society than the proto-techno-utopian communes of the 1970s. Commune dwellers cloaked sexism in romanticized ideas of “natural” gender roles” The Nation

Obama’s Drone War – “Last year, in a speech at the National Defense University, President Obama acknowledged that American drones had killed civilians. He called these incidents “heartbreaking tragedies,” which would haunt him and those in his chain of command for “as long as we live.” But he went on to defend drones as the most discriminating aerial bombers available in modern warfare—preferable to piloted aircraft or cruise missiles. Jets and missiles cannot linger to identify and avoid noncombatants before striking, and, the President said, they are likely to cause “more civilian casualties and more local outrage.”” The New Yorker