I read stories on The Atlantic‘s website sometimes, but rarely read the physical magazine. I found a copy in my building’s mailing room’s recycling bin. I guess a neighbor with a subscription didn’t feel like reading this month’s issue. Here’s the issue in particular online.

The articles tended to be intellectual, left-leaning or full anti-Trump, but largely portraying either victimhood or implying solidarity with or support for the downtrodden.

The back had an ad for Rolex. Inside I noticed a few ads promoting flying to self-indulgent or elite things, like programs for college-bound kids to pad their transcripts and travel agencies offering luxury vacations. Ads tell you about readers since advertisers don’t want to waste their money.

The magazine felt aspirational, for rich people whose polluting and depleting caused poverty and instability to feel they were the good guys. I have no doubt that had I picked up its right-leaning equivalent I’d see a similar pattern, so I’m not talking partisanship nor judgment. Just describing what I think I see: rich people being out of touch. Or something about America’s dominance hierarchy.

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Rolex (full page, back cover)

Charity for donating your inheritance (two-page, inside front cover)

Destination book festival to fly to (full page)

“Soft biotics”, I think selling having robotics installed in your body (full page)

Great books summer program to fly kids from sixth grade to twelfth grade to Europe, to pad their college transcripts (full page)

Travel agency promoting flying to Costa Rica and Central America (full page)

Destination art gallery show in St. Moritz. I had to look it up. I thought it was the Caribbean but it’s in Switzerland (full page)

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I’m not sure if the following was an ad. It says “Ad council” on the page, so maybe a public service announcement?

American Lung Association (full page)

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