Lachlan McDonald
@lachlanmcdonald.bsky.social
🇦🇺 Economist working in international development | Consultant @WHO & @WorldBank | PhD @RMIT | @ODI_global fellow | Previously @RBAinfo
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Just an honest labor statistician collecting the data, crunching the numbers, and reporting them fairly, and definitely not an extremist ideologue with an axe to grind, unshackled from respect for the law or political norms.
August 14, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Just an honest labor statistician collecting the data, crunching the numbers, and reporting them fairly, and definitely not an extremist ideologue with an axe to grind, unshackled from respect for the law or political norms.
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
To elaborate a bit on why inviting Putin to Alaska for talks on ending the war without Zelensky (or European allies) represents, among many other things, the death of US diplomacy 🧵1/
No, he’s not giving Putin Alaska, but he is giving Putin a huge gift: the legitimacy of touching down on US soil at the invitation of a US president. A reward for the full-scale invasion of a sovereign, democratic country that the United States and its European allies support.
Putin is COMING TO THE UNITED STATES? Even by Trump 2.0 standards, this is beyond belief. U.S. diplomacy is dead.
August 8, 2025 at 11:39 PM
To elaborate a bit on why inviting Putin to Alaska for talks on ending the war without Zelensky (or European allies) represents, among many other things, the death of US diplomacy 🧵1/
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
For another comparison, there's also an aerial view from a similar perspective, though at lower altitude since it's from a drone photographer, here on Facebook from 2019: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
The drone photo is closer to 31.5057, 34.4619 whereas the plane photo is closer to the coast.
The drone photo is closer to 31.5057, 34.4619 whereas the plane photo is closer to the coast.
August 1, 2025 at 7:35 PM
For another comparison, there's also an aerial view from a similar perspective, though at lower altitude since it's from a drone photographer, here on Facebook from 2019: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
The drone photo is closer to 31.5057, 34.4619 whereas the plane photo is closer to the coast.
The drone photo is closer to 31.5057, 34.4619 whereas the plane photo is closer to the coast.
This momentum is now unstoppable; other G7 nations to follow and Australia (hopefully) soon. Macron's global leadership on the issue should also net him the Peace Prize, which will be a thoroughly enjoyable outcome given Trump's pathetic desperation for one.
Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters.
Read more: cnn.it/45dPVWO
Read more: cnn.it/45dPVWO
July 30, 2025 at 10:04 PM
This momentum is now unstoppable; other G7 nations to follow and Australia (hopefully) soon. Macron's global leadership on the issue should also net him the Peace Prize, which will be a thoroughly enjoyable outcome given Trump's pathetic desperation for one.
This is why they won't let journalists film from the air. What a disgrace.
A massive crowd of Palestinians surrounding aid trucks is visible in July 26 SkySat imagery from @planet.com near the so-called Morag Corridor at 31.3104, 34.2822 in southern Gaza.
July 26 video from Ibrahim Alsallout on Instagram showed the crowd from the ground: www.instagram.com/p/DMkmVvNo6n...
July 26 video from Ibrahim Alsallout on Instagram showed the crowd from the ground: www.instagram.com/p/DMkmVvNo6n...
July 29, 2025 at 5:56 AM
This is why they won't let journalists film from the air. What a disgrace.
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
If Australian hat speech laws are insufficient to protect Jewish Australians, then they're insufficient to protect any minority and need amending.
Giving preference to one (powerful) minority over all others would be disgraceful.
www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/antisem...
Giving preference to one (powerful) minority over all others would be disgraceful.
www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/antisem...
Antisemitism Envoy Plans to Make All Australians Complicit in Gaza Genocide
The antisemitism envoy’s plan to eliminate the manufactured ‘antisemitism crisis’ involves silencing voices that are critical of atrocities perpetrated by the Israeli state.
www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au
July 16, 2025 at 6:39 AM
If Australian hat speech laws are insufficient to protect Jewish Australians, then they're insufficient to protect any minority and need amending.
Giving preference to one (powerful) minority over all others would be disgraceful.
www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/antisem...
Giving preference to one (powerful) minority over all others would be disgraceful.
www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/antisem...
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
The same Elon Musk who did a Nazi salute, backed a neo-Nazi party, made Nazi jokes, posts anti-semitic memes and re-engineered his Grok to spew anti-semitic bile?
She has no idea, genuinely.
She has no idea, genuinely.
Antisemitism envoy praises Elon Musk's X for using AI to 'root out hate'
Australia's antisemitism envoy has praised how platforms like Elon Musk's X are using AI to fight hate — days after X's AI bot Grok was taken offline for antisemitic posts.
www.crikey.com.au
July 11, 2025 at 3:33 AM
The same Elon Musk who did a Nazi salute, backed a neo-Nazi party, made Nazi jokes, posts anti-semitic memes and re-engineered his Grok to spew anti-semitic bile?
She has no idea, genuinely.
She has no idea, genuinely.
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
It is not possible to be this ignorant.
Antisemitism envoy praises Elon Musk’s X for using AI to ‘root out hate’ www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/11/a...
Antisemitism envoy praises Elon Musk’s X for using AI to ‘root out hate’ www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/11/a...
Antisemitism envoy praises Elon Musk's X for using AI to 'root out hate'
Australia's antisemitism envoy has praised how platforms like Elon Musk's X are using AI to fight hate — days after X's AI bot Grok was taken offline for antisemitic posts.
www.crikey.com.au
July 11, 2025 at 1:38 AM
It is not possible to be this ignorant.
Antisemitism envoy praises Elon Musk’s X for using AI to ‘root out hate’ www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/11/a...
Antisemitism envoy praises Elon Musk’s X for using AI to ‘root out hate’ www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/11/a...
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
I guess what I want to know is why existing anti-vilification and other measures aren’t sufficient to deal with anti-semitism. Why do we need a special category?
July 10, 2025 at 6:02 AM
I guess what I want to know is why existing anti-vilification and other measures aren’t sufficient to deal with anti-semitism. Why do we need a special category?
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
We sent @hooks.bsky.social to Greenland and he came back with a story about imperial folly, the return of the 19th century, and just what Donald Trump and his cronies are really up to there. It's the best thing I've read about Trump's second term newrepublic.com/article/1947...
Real Men Steal Countries: Inside Trump’s Absurd Greenland Obsession
An underdressed reporter journeys across icy, barren Greenland—and into Trump’s bored, nineteenth-century brain.
newrepublic.com
May 15, 2025 at 6:47 PM
We sent @hooks.bsky.social to Greenland and he came back with a story about imperial folly, the return of the 19th century, and just what Donald Trump and his cronies are really up to there. It's the best thing I've read about Trump's second term newrepublic.com/article/1947...
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Me getting rid of all the gazillionaires after they upload their brain to the metatriX or whatever
April 28, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Me getting rid of all the gazillionaires after they upload their brain to the metatriX or whatever
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
These are the kind of memes currently circulating on Chinese social media.
Trump bringing manufacturing back to America…
Trump bringing manufacturing back to America…
April 8, 2025 at 8:03 AM
These are the kind of memes currently circulating on Chinese social media.
Trump bringing manufacturing back to America…
Trump bringing manufacturing back to America…
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Trump’s whopping great tariffs on the tiny African nation of Lesotho sum up the full madness of the scheme.
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
April 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Trump’s whopping great tariffs on the tiny African nation of Lesotho sum up the full madness of the scheme.
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
On Trump's tariffs, it's errors all the way down.
AEI's Kevin Corinth & Stan Veuger show how mistaken use of retail vs. trade elasticities raised "retaliatory" rates 4x:
www.aei.org/economics/pr...
Trump could fire folks, announce the fix, and limit the damage. Would be less wrong...
#TeachEcon
AEI's Kevin Corinth & Stan Veuger show how mistaken use of retail vs. trade elasticities raised "retaliatory" rates 4x:
www.aei.org/economics/pr...
Trump could fire folks, announce the fix, and limit the damage. Would be less wrong...
#TeachEcon
April 5, 2025 at 12:56 PM
On Trump's tariffs, it's errors all the way down.
AEI's Kevin Corinth & Stan Veuger show how mistaken use of retail vs. trade elasticities raised "retaliatory" rates 4x:
www.aei.org/economics/pr...
Trump could fire folks, announce the fix, and limit the damage. Would be less wrong...
#TeachEcon
AEI's Kevin Corinth & Stan Veuger show how mistaken use of retail vs. trade elasticities raised "retaliatory" rates 4x:
www.aei.org/economics/pr...
Trump could fire folks, announce the fix, and limit the damage. Would be less wrong...
#TeachEcon
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
It's actually pretty wild that just one guy can collapse the global economy. Seems like a bad system!
April 3, 2025 at 7:46 PM
It's actually pretty wild that just one guy can collapse the global economy. Seems like a bad system!
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Revealed preferences theory suggests that Wall Street executives value their ability to call their subordinates gay at approximately 8 trillion dollars
April 3, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Revealed preferences theory suggests that Wall Street executives value their ability to call their subordinates gay at approximately 8 trillion dollars
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Trump is imposing a 10% tariff on the Heard and McDonald Islands.
The Heard and McDonald Islands are uninhabited.
The Heard and McDonald Islands are uninhabited.
April 2, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Trump is imposing a 10% tariff on the Heard and McDonald Islands.
The Heard and McDonald Islands are uninhabited.
The Heard and McDonald Islands are uninhabited.
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
The standout madness in the general madness are the enormous tariffs on South East Asia which, if these stick, is going to magnify China's sphere of influence. Geopolitical lunacy.
April 2, 2025 at 8:59 PM
The standout madness in the general madness are the enormous tariffs on South East Asia which, if these stick, is going to magnify China's sphere of influence. Geopolitical lunacy.
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
Australian Federal election on 3 May 2025.
Elon Musk has been waiting for this. See his post on X. ⬇️
He will be using X to boost whichever party is most likely to kill net zero.
See next post to understand why, the danger Musk represents to Australia and the world. And how to stop him.
1/3
Elon Musk has been waiting for this. See his post on X. ⬇️
He will be using X to boost whichever party is most likely to kill net zero.
See next post to understand why, the danger Musk represents to Australia and the world. And how to stop him.
1/3
March 28, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Australian Federal election on 3 May 2025.
Elon Musk has been waiting for this. See his post on X. ⬇️
He will be using X to boost whichever party is most likely to kill net zero.
See next post to understand why, the danger Musk represents to Australia and the world. And how to stop him.
1/3
Elon Musk has been waiting for this. See his post on X. ⬇️
He will be using X to boost whichever party is most likely to kill net zero.
See next post to understand why, the danger Musk represents to Australia and the world. And how to stop him.
1/3
Extraordinary. The hegemon is being run by a shudder of predatory clowns.
In 25 years of covering national security, I’ve never seen a story like this: Senior Trump officials discussed planning for the U.S. attack on Yemen in a Signal group--and inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
www.theatlantic.com
March 24, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Extraordinary. The hegemon is being run by a shudder of predatory clowns.
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre.... This is excellent. Every fucking ally including NZ and Oz needs to embracing the same opportunity
Trump is abandoning democracy and freedom. That creates an opening for Europe – and Britain | Jonathan Freedland
Whether it’s sweeping up disgruntled US scientists or rejoining the EU, a bold Starmer must capitalise on Trump’s extremism, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
www.theguardian.com
March 22, 2025 at 7:30 AM
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre.... This is excellent. Every fucking ally including NZ and Oz needs to embracing the same opportunity
Reposted by Lachlan McDonald
