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The smartest things written about the world this week.

You’re Not Supposed to Understand the Federal Reserve — Adam Davidson, New York Times Magazine

Agreed. But a word of warning: If politicians can politicize the work of the Supreme Court, they can certainly do the same with the Federal Reserve, where consequential decisions are made in private and announced in public.

How Stephen Harper’s Islamophobic Gambit Backfired and Lost Him the Election in Canada — Matthew Yglesias, Vox

Ironic that Harper tried to make the case that Canada should change immigrants rather than allow immigrants to change Canada in an election against Justin Trudeau, whose father made the exact opposite argument a crucial part of Canada’s political identity. Pierre Trudeau’s “mosaic” lives on.

Why is the American Military So Bad at Teaching Others How to Fight? Fred Kaplan, Slate

It may also be that Americans are short-sighted enough to expect others to fight like Americans.

Is Eastern Europe Any More Xenophobic Than Western Europe? — Heather Horn, The Atlantic

There is xenophobia in every country in the world, but some of the Europeans fearful of the impact of the migrants have much more practical concerns, worries that can and should be frankly addressed by Europe’s elected leaders. That’s as true in the east as in the west.

The Doctor — James Verini, The Atavist

Thankfully, some are still willing to try to change the world one wounded human being at a time.

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