Rafe Meager (they/them)
@economeager.bsky.social
Aspiring wastrel, applied econometrician. At http://rachaelmeager.com for bayes, dev econ and meta science. Also at http://rottenandgood.substack.com for writing, art, death and emotions. Gay academic nonbinary weirdo, cursed to be serious in life.
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
I think this is a point from @economeager.bsky.social post that we may read but not take to heart, especially wrt ASSA. Lots of stories of bad behavior on a large scale, but we all rarely exercise what we have to make the profession a better place every day
It's from a 1989 appearance at UCLA, with two themes Lorde repeated often:
1. Power as free-floating, personal, & open to being steered
2. Empowerment as grounded in self-scrutiny & capacity-building: "find out what it is, learn to use it"
Everyone has relative power. Only some use it.
1. Power as free-floating, personal, & open to being steered
2. Empowerment as grounded in self-scrutiny & capacity-building: "find out what it is, learn to use it"
Everyone has relative power. Only some use it.
January 5, 2026 at 1:38 PM
I think this is a point from @economeager.bsky.social post that we may read but not take to heart, especially wrt ASSA. Lots of stories of bad behavior on a large scale, but we all rarely exercise what we have to make the profession a better place every day
jupiter in the southern sky just unreal at the moment
January 5, 2026 at 1:24 PM
jupiter in the southern sky just unreal at the moment
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
It's from a 1989 appearance at UCLA, with two themes Lorde repeated often:
1. Power as free-floating, personal, & open to being steered
2. Empowerment as grounded in self-scrutiny & capacity-building: "find out what it is, learn to use it"
Everyone has relative power. Only some use it.
1. Power as free-floating, personal, & open to being steered
2. Empowerment as grounded in self-scrutiny & capacity-building: "find out what it is, learn to use it"
Everyone has relative power. Only some use it.
January 5, 2026 at 6:46 AM
It's from a 1989 appearance at UCLA, with two themes Lorde repeated often:
1. Power as free-floating, personal, & open to being steered
2. Empowerment as grounded in self-scrutiny & capacity-building: "find out what it is, learn to use it"
Everyone has relative power. Only some use it.
1. Power as free-floating, personal, & open to being steered
2. Empowerment as grounded in self-scrutiny & capacity-building: "find out what it is, learn to use it"
Everyone has relative power. Only some use it.
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
Audre Lorde on the personal political power of each of us:
"Power that is not used is dangerous, because power is never quiescent, it’s never neutral. If I do not use my power, however relative it is, if I do not find out what it is and learn to use it, someone else is using it."
"Power that is not used is dangerous, because power is never quiescent, it’s never neutral. If I do not use my power, however relative it is, if I do not find out what it is and learn to use it, someone else is using it."
January 4, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Audre Lorde on the personal political power of each of us:
"Power that is not used is dangerous, because power is never quiescent, it’s never neutral. If I do not use my power, however relative it is, if I do not find out what it is and learn to use it, someone else is using it."
"Power that is not used is dangerous, because power is never quiescent, it’s never neutral. If I do not use my power, however relative it is, if I do not find out what it is and learn to use it, someone else is using it."
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
the lens flare of Accepting Your Homosexuality!!
January 5, 2026 at 12:30 AM
the lens flare of Accepting Your Homosexuality!!
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
personally I think we should put adults in charge of important things like countries
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 4:21 AM
personally I think we should put adults in charge of important things like countries
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
"Success clearly drives you insane. I’ve been on social media long enough that I’ve seen people who get too popular driven mad by their own bullshit, huffing their own paint — and it would be one thing if this was just posters, or media, or artists, but this also destroys academics."
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:27 PM
"Success clearly drives you insane. I’ve been on social media long enough that I’ve seen people who get too popular driven mad by their own bullshit, huffing their own paint — and it would be one thing if this was just posters, or media, or artists, but this also destroys academics."
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
it's also always worth pointing out that Ariely has actually not faced any consequences.
January 4, 2026 at 2:32 PM
it's also always worth pointing out that Ariely has actually not faced any consequences.
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
"When you can get along in the world, you start to have a vested interest in thinking that the status quo is good, since, after all, you are successful, and, of course, you work hard, so what could be more fair."
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:28 PM
"When you can get along in the world, you start to have a vested interest in thinking that the status quo is good, since, after all, you are successful, and, of course, you work hard, so what could be more fair."
i get by with a little help from my friends
The more focused meagersplanation is that he hates harvard for not fully returning his love for harvard
January 4, 2026 at 2:16 PM
i get by with a little help from my friends
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
The global right is the rape party and the center left DEMANDS to be given the cuck stool
Darren Jones is asked if the US bombing Venezuela & abducting its leader was lawful
Jones says he won't give a view on the action & he goes on to say its not up to politicians to make judgements on international law. Phillips points out thats exactly what they've done on Ukraine
Jones says he won't give a view on the action & he goes on to say its not up to politicians to make judgements on international law. Phillips points out thats exactly what they've done on Ukraine
January 4, 2026 at 1:40 PM
The global right is the rape party and the center left DEMANDS to be given the cuck stool
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
Non-Americans supporting the Maduro ouster are such rubes. Suppose in 2029 POTUS Kamala decides Javier Milei has to stand trial in the US for the crypto scam. She fires missiles at Buenos Aires and loads him and his sister on a helicopter. How can you oppose that if you support outsing Maduro?
January 4, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Non-Americans supporting the Maduro ouster are such rubes. Suppose in 2029 POTUS Kamala decides Javier Milei has to stand trial in the US for the crypto scam. She fires missiles at Buenos Aires and loads him and his sister on a helicopter. How can you oppose that if you support outsing Maduro?
incredible view of jupiter in gemini in sydney tonight
January 4, 2026 at 1:39 PM
incredible view of jupiter in gemini in sydney tonight
I just want to point out how this all has the air of sexual conquest; that’s not coincidental but rather core to fascism as a project
A post by the spouse of a key White House adviser (Stephen Miller)
January 4, 2026 at 1:26 AM
I just want to point out how this all has the air of sexual conquest; that’s not coincidental but rather core to fascism as a project
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
"HOW CAN THESE PEOPLE CALL THEMSELVES ACADEMICS"
Indeed... 🤯
Indeed... 🤯
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:28 PM
"HOW CAN THESE PEOPLE CALL THEMSELVES ACADEMICS"
Indeed... 🤯
Indeed... 🤯
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
“A lonely-eyed jukebox”, ladies and gentlemen.
to be honest half the reason i wrote this post is that about a year ago i wrote this sick series of disses on drake and i got tired of having them buried on my hard drive but i needed a vehicle worthy of them
January 3, 2026 at 5:51 AM
“A lonely-eyed jukebox”, ladies and gentlemen.
if anyone wants my novel about an abusive, incestuous 16th century family of minor nobility set in an alt-historical semi-pagan version of england hmu. it's kind of hilary mantel meets david lynch. and also gay so there's the heated rivalry angle now.
Someone in Australian publishing should be reaching out to Rafe. This is raw but astonishingly good.
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
January 3, 2026 at 5:46 AM
if anyone wants my novel about an abusive, incestuous 16th century family of minor nobility set in an alt-historical semi-pagan version of england hmu. it's kind of hilary mantel meets david lynch. and also gay so there's the heated rivalry angle now.
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
I enjoyed (insofar as one can enjoy something so sobering) Meager’s latest missive, and cackled at the Drake bits. And having only read the Headley Beowulf, I must now seek out the others!
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:35 AM
I enjoyed (insofar as one can enjoy something so sobering) Meager’s latest missive, and cackled at the Drake bits. And having only read the Headley Beowulf, I must now seek out the others!
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
Someday when I have tenure I too will tell young people to fix my problems
January 3, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Someday when I have tenure I too will tell young people to fix my problems
to be honest half the reason i wrote this post is that about a year ago i wrote this sick series of disses on drake and i got tired of having them buried on my hard drive but i needed a vehicle worthy of them
January 3, 2026 at 1:12 AM
to be honest half the reason i wrote this post is that about a year ago i wrote this sick series of disses on drake and i got tired of having them buried on my hard drive but i needed a vehicle worthy of them
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
which other Bayesian econometrician is going to tell you about the appearance of “self help” in an earlier Beowulf translation?
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:12 AM
which other Bayesian econometrician is going to tell you about the appearance of “self help” in an earlier Beowulf translation?
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
This is very good and worth a read, wherever you land.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 10:46 PM
This is very good and worth a read, wherever you land.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
it was obvious stone was like this the way he spoke about abortion and gay marriage, i dunno why that immediately didn't clue people in as to how far to the right he was
I was wondering why their is so much random racist discourse on Somalis on the TL rn but oh it’s election season for governor rn lol
January 2, 2026 at 1:14 PM
it was obvious stone was like this the way he spoke about abortion and gay marriage, i dunno why that immediately didn't clue people in as to how far to the right he was
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
“When you hear about abuses of power, you should feel disgusted. That is what disgust is for. If you no longer feel disgusted, that is not wisdom or cleverness. Something has gone very wrong.” @economeager.bsky.social on academia and how it’s (not) dealing with Epstein and others abuses.
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
rottenandgood.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:29 PM
“When you hear about abuses of power, you should feel disgusted. That is what disgust is for. If you no longer feel disgusted, that is not wisdom or cleverness. Something has gone very wrong.” @economeager.bsky.social on academia and how it’s (not) dealing with Epstein and others abuses.
Reposted by Rafe Meager (they/them)
“I cannot describe to you how enraging it is to look to well-established, reputable, publicly altruistic people to seek to understand how to use power, fame, and influence responsibly only to discover that for the most part this question, or this agenda, has never occurred to these people at all.”
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:43 AM
“I cannot describe to you how enraging it is to look to well-established, reputable, publicly altruistic people to seek to understand how to use power, fame, and influence responsibly only to discover that for the most part this question, or this agenda, has never occurred to these people at all.”