Tom Barson
@tbarson49.bsky.social
Retired global IT services director. Hopeless eclectic with weaknesses for economics, history, philosophy of science, geopolitics, mathematics, and music. East Lansing, MI
Reposted by Tom Barson
“Fifty years from now, you will want to be able to look in the mirror and know that you did what you thought was right, in every part of your life. At the end of the day, your integrity is all you have.” Jay Powell www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Baccalaureate remarks by Chair Powell at the Princeton University Baccalaureate Ceremony
Thank you, President Eisgruber, for the opportunity to speak here today. Congratulations to the Princeton University class of 2025 on the tremendous achievemen
www.federalreserve.gov
May 25, 2025 at 7:24 PM
“Fifty years from now, you will want to be able to look in the mirror and know that you did what you thought was right, in every part of your life. At the end of the day, your integrity is all you have.” Jay Powell www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Might one reason be that the US mainly exports that light Texas crude? (I've been told that the US mainly refines heavy oil and exports the higher-priced light stuff. If that's the case, then tariffs could have a big impact. Customers can't buy if they can't sell.)
Despite Trump’s assertions, drill baby drill simply isn’t happening — drillers have started shedding rigs.
My @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social Chart
My @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social Chart
May 8, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Might one reason be that the US mainly exports that light Texas crude? (I've been told that the US mainly refines heavy oil and exports the higher-priced light stuff. If that's the case, then tariffs could have a big impact. Customers can't buy if they can't sell.)
"To believe that we live in a fallen world is to disgrace every one of our forebears who worked to give us a better future."
Noah Smith puts paid to the oldest cultural criticism trope in the universe. @noahpinion.blogsky.venki.dev
www.noahpinion.blog/p/you-are-th...
Noah Smith puts paid to the oldest cultural criticism trope in the universe. @noahpinion.blogsky.venki.dev
www.noahpinion.blog/p/you-are-th...
You are the heir to something greater than Empire
Our golden age lies in our future, not our past.
www.noahpinion.blog
April 25, 2025 at 2:45 AM
"To believe that we live in a fallen world is to disgrace every one of our forebears who worked to give us a better future."
Noah Smith puts paid to the oldest cultural criticism trope in the universe. @noahpinion.blogsky.venki.dev
www.noahpinion.blog/p/you-are-th...
Noah Smith puts paid to the oldest cultural criticism trope in the universe. @noahpinion.blogsky.venki.dev
www.noahpinion.blog/p/you-are-th...
Short and to the point by @shadihamid.bsky.social
BTW, a quick search will get you to the defense fund sites for Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
BTW, a quick search will get you to the defense fund sites for Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | The dangerous pattern in Trump’s targeting of student activists
The administration doubles down on criminalizing criticism of a foreign country.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 18, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Short and to the point by @shadihamid.bsky.social
BTW, a quick search will get you to the defense fund sites for Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
BTW, a quick search will get you to the defense fund sites for Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Reposted by Tom Barson
Georgia O’Keefe says good morning.
April 13, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Georgia O’Keefe says good morning.
Go fast and break things.
Hours ago, @politico.com revealed that DOGE is working with DHS on automating mass deportation efforts — likely explaining why many US citizens, green card holders, and even a Canadian (in Canada) got threatening emails last night terminating “your parole” and telling them to leave the US in 7 days.
April 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Go fast and break things.
Sure, Oren Cass is a noted (old-style) Republican policy guy. But an "economist"?
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/o...
Opinion | ‘I Hope I Am Wrong, but I Am Pretty Pessimistic’: Four Economists Dissect Trump’s Tariffs
The most dramatic effort to remake the post-World War II trade system was underway — until it wasn’t.
www.nytimes.com
April 12, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Sure, Oren Cass is a noted (old-style) Republican policy guy. But an "economist"?
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/o...
“It looks as if Lenin thinks nationalism has more affective/unifying pull, that is, revolutionary potential, than class. This despite the fact that class conflict may well be one of the grounds that is one of the sparks that leads to revolt.”
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/nation-cla...?
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/nation-cla...?
Nation > Class in Lenin on Imperialism.
One reason why J.A.
digressionsimpressions.substack.com
April 10, 2025 at 11:34 AM
“It looks as if Lenin thinks nationalism has more affective/unifying pull, that is, revolutionary potential, than class. This despite the fact that class conflict may well be one of the grounds that is one of the sparks that leads to revolt.”
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/nation-cla...?
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/nation-cla...?
Note that this isn't economics, or even "political economy". Only in a pure great power conflict "game" could you possibly justify the assertion that the least-loser "wins" via an implicit claim that less is more.
When people write that US is losing with tariffs, they fail to understand the nature of the game the US is playing. It is playing a lose-lose game, but that game makes sense if the US thinks that China will lose more, and thus in relative sense US will be up. Absolute losses do not matter as such.
April 8, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Note that this isn't economics, or even "political economy". Only in a pure great power conflict "game" could you possibly justify the assertion that the least-loser "wins" via an implicit claim that less is more.
It can be both, stupid.
Yes! Of course the state of the economy matters to all kinds of voters, but unless your opponent wipes out 10% of the stock market in two days (ooops!) right before the election you just need to come to grips with the actual cultural views of the electorate.
Great piece from the Center for Politics arguing that realigmment on race and cultural issues, not economics led to the white-working class moving away from the Democratic Party.
centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/...
centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/...
April 4, 2025 at 11:36 PM
It can be both, stupid.
Today's WaPo "Fact Checker" surveys the economists cited in the USTR post on "Reciprocal Tariff Calculations". Congrats to glennkessler.bsky.social for laying bare this fraudulent analysis.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Analysis | Trump White House cited economists for its tariff formula. They pan it.
Economists say the administration’s formula fails to take into account whether conditions change.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Today's WaPo "Fact Checker" surveys the economists cited in the USTR post on "Reciprocal Tariff Calculations". Congrats to glennkessler.bsky.social for laying bare this fraudulent analysis.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
In the "It's an ill wind..." dept., @delong.social reminds us that if a bot has replaced Navarro, Hassett, Bessent & Co, Liberation Day might be a net win.
FWIW, I ran the "Reciprocal Tariff" formula past DeepSeek, which quickly replied that it was nonsense.
braddelong.substack.com/p/tariffs-by...
FWIW, I ran the "Reciprocal Tariff" formula past DeepSeek, which quickly replied that it was nonsense.
braddelong.substack.com/p/tariffs-by...
Tariffs by Chatbot: Trump’s Trade Policy as AI-Generated Farce
Trump’s tariff regime isn’t just wrong—it’s mathematically incoherent, diplomatically corrosive, and economically catastrophic...
braddelong.substack.com
April 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM
In the "It's an ill wind..." dept., @delong.social reminds us that if a bot has replaced Navarro, Hassett, Bessent & Co, Liberation Day might be a net win.
FWIW, I ran the "Reciprocal Tariff" formula past DeepSeek, which quickly replied that it was nonsense.
braddelong.substack.com/p/tariffs-by...
FWIW, I ran the "Reciprocal Tariff" formula past DeepSeek, which quickly replied that it was nonsense.
braddelong.substack.com/p/tariffs-by...
Per Dominick Preston, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude all recommend or endorse the laughable "reciprocal tariffs" formula.
FWIW, when I gave the formula to DeepSeek, it quickly replied that it was nonsense.
www.theverge.com/news/642620/...
FWIW, when I gave the formula to DeepSeek, it quickly replied that it was nonsense.
www.theverge.com/news/642620/...
Trump’s new tariff math looks a lot like ChatGPT’s
ChatGPT may be the White House’s latest economic advisor.
www.theverge.com
April 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Per Dominick Preston, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude all recommend or endorse the laughable "reciprocal tariffs" formula.
FWIW, when I gave the formula to DeepSeek, it quickly replied that it was nonsense.
www.theverge.com/news/642620/...
FWIW, when I gave the formula to DeepSeek, it quickly replied that it was nonsense.
www.theverge.com/news/642620/...
What I find disappointingly incomprehensible is that every word in this piece doesn't go without saying. But since apparently they don't, thank you, Keker, Van Nest & Peters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/o...
Opinion | For God’s Sake, Fellow Lawyers, Stand Up to Trump
The time has come to defend the oath we took when we became officers of the court.
www.nytimes.com
March 30, 2025 at 3:30 PM
What I find disappointingly incomprehensible is that every word in this piece doesn't go without saying. But since apparently they don't, thank you, Keker, Van Nest & Peters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/o...
Reposted by Tom Barson
Peter Navarro goes full Orwell on Fox News Sunday: "The message is that tariffs are tax cuts."
March 30, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Peter Navarro goes full Orwell on Fox News Sunday: "The message is that tariffs are tax cuts."
Nice
My email to the Columbia alumni office this morning. I encourage other alumni to send a similar message.
March 29, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Nice
Reposted by Tom Barson
I've never seen anyone windmill on a violin before, but I'm certainly looking forward to it. Happy Friday -Scott
March 21, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I've never seen anyone windmill on a violin before, but I'm certainly looking forward to it. Happy Friday -Scott
One grim fact is that there is no essential connection between the modern research university and the values of liberal democracy other than, as (recall) Michael Polanyi noted, that they can have the same enemies.
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/on-the-pre...
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/on-the-pre...
March 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
One grim fact is that there is no essential connection between the modern research university and the values of liberal democracy other than, as (recall) Michael Polanyi noted, that they can have the same enemies.
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/on-the-pre...
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/on-the-pre...
Substance, substance, substance.
@ezrakleinbot.bsky.social @davidshor.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/o...
@ezrakleinbot.bsky.social @davidshor.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/o...
Opinion | Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won
The Democratic pollster David Shor walks through what voter data reveals about the 2024 election — and how the American electorate is shifting.
www.nytimes.com
March 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Substance, substance, substance.
@ezrakleinbot.bsky.social @davidshor.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/o...
@ezrakleinbot.bsky.social @davidshor.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/o...
Reposted by Tom Barson
Reposted by Tom Barson
1/🧵 Judges across ideological lines are ruling against Trump at strikingly similar rates (84% liberal, 86% centrist, 82% conservative). This isn't partisan opposition to Trump—it's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution.
March 18, 2025 at 9:32 PM
1/🧵 Judges across ideological lines are ruling against Trump at strikingly similar rates (84% liberal, 86% centrist, 82% conservative). This isn't partisan opposition to Trump—it's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution.