Itai Sher
@itaisher.bsky.social
Economics and Ethics, UMass Amherst
Hey at least I am young at heart
December 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Hey at least I am young at heart
What does a neoclassical economist listen to?
December 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
What does a neoclassical economist listen to?
Insofar as there is anything to this, I don’t think it’s a good thing.
November 24, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Insofar as there is anything to this, I don’t think it’s a good thing.
I thought this was a good statement from the other site.
November 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I thought this was a good statement from the other site.
Talk about doubling down and attacking a strawman.
Is it incoherent and an anathema to academic freedom to want a reasonable diversity of views?
Certainly if you are seeking the truth, you want to be open to different perspectives.
www.aaup.org/seven-theses...
Is it incoherent and an anathema to academic freedom to want a reasonable diversity of views?
Certainly if you are seeking the truth, you want to be open to different perspectives.
www.aaup.org/seven-theses...
October 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Talk about doubling down and attacking a strawman.
Is it incoherent and an anathema to academic freedom to want a reasonable diversity of views?
Certainly if you are seeking the truth, you want to be open to different perspectives.
www.aaup.org/seven-theses...
Is it incoherent and an anathema to academic freedom to want a reasonable diversity of views?
Certainly if you are seeking the truth, you want to be open to different perspectives.
www.aaup.org/seven-theses...
An excellent response by MIT’s President Sally Kornbluf rejecting the Trump compact.
Other universities should do the same.
Other universities should do the same.
October 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
An excellent response by MIT’s President Sally Kornbluf rejecting the Trump compact.
Other universities should do the same.
Other universities should do the same.
I thought this was a good post from the other site.
October 5, 2025 at 11:30 AM
I thought this was a good post from the other site.
I should add that the wording associated with institutional neutrality in the Trump compact is vague and could be interpreted as much stronger than what is ordinarily understood by the policy, muzzling professors and preventing them from criticizing the government.
ht @annmlipton.bsky.social
ht @annmlipton.bsky.social
October 4, 2025 at 8:04 PM
I should add that the wording associated with institutional neutrality in the Trump compact is vague and could be interpreted as much stronger than what is ordinarily understood by the policy, muzzling professors and preventing them from criticizing the government.
ht @annmlipton.bsky.social
ht @annmlipton.bsky.social
I support institutional neutrality if autonomously adopted by universities.
But making it a condition for preferential access to federal funding is very problematic. It effectively requires universities to avoid criticizing the government to be prioritized for support.
But making it a condition for preferential access to federal funding is very problematic. It effectively requires universities to avoid criticizing the government to be prioritized for support.
October 3, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I support institutional neutrality if autonomously adopted by universities.
But making it a condition for preferential access to federal funding is very problematic. It effectively requires universities to avoid criticizing the government to be prioritized for support.
But making it a condition for preferential access to federal funding is very problematic. It effectively requires universities to avoid criticizing the government to be prioritized for support.
The Financial Times isn’t doing so well in its “critiques” of economics.
The author doesn’t seem to know enough about the topic to say anything useful.
But there seems to be a market for these kinds of vague broad brush criticisms.
The author doesn’t seem to know enough about the topic to say anything useful.
But there seems to be a market for these kinds of vague broad brush criticisms.
September 27, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The Financial Times isn’t doing so well in its “critiques” of economics.
The author doesn’t seem to know enough about the topic to say anything useful.
But there seems to be a market for these kinds of vague broad brush criticisms.
The author doesn’t seem to know enough about the topic to say anything useful.
But there seems to be a market for these kinds of vague broad brush criticisms.
The article implies Ezra Klein doesn’t “understand what liberal and egalitarian values are.” That’s a bit much. Does anyone really believe that?
And the icing on the cake is that it closes by chiding him about sanctimony.
And the icing on the cake is that it closes by chiding him about sanctimony.
September 24, 2025 at 2:36 PM
The article implies Ezra Klein doesn’t “understand what liberal and egalitarian values are.” That’s a bit much. Does anyone really believe that?
And the icing on the cake is that it closes by chiding him about sanctimony.
And the icing on the cake is that it closes by chiding him about sanctimony.
It’s really damaging when you have Democrats mimicking the power plays of Republicans.
It allows Republicans to say “it’s all power, just depends on who you use it against.”
We ought to be more principled and just not support government retaliation against companies for speech.
It allows Republicans to say “it’s all power, just depends on who you use it against.”
We ought to be more principled and just not support government retaliation against companies for speech.
September 23, 2025 at 5:17 PM
It’s really damaging when you have Democrats mimicking the power plays of Republicans.
It allows Republicans to say “it’s all power, just depends on who you use it against.”
We ought to be more principled and just not support government retaliation against companies for speech.
It allows Republicans to say “it’s all power, just depends on who you use it against.”
We ought to be more principled and just not support government retaliation against companies for speech.
Are there any precedents for a President making major unsubstantiated medical claims that could affect public behavior like this?
The only other case I know of (but less serious) is Trump’s claim about hydroxychloroquine for Covid.
The only other case I know of (but less serious) is Trump’s claim about hydroxychloroquine for Covid.
September 22, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Are there any precedents for a President making major unsubstantiated medical claims that could affect public behavior like this?
The only other case I know of (but less serious) is Trump’s claim about hydroxychloroquine for Covid.
The only other case I know of (but less serious) is Trump’s claim about hydroxychloroquine for Covid.
A good post from the other site
September 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
A good post from the other site
One irony of this post, in which Trump complains about being impeached over nothing, is that the post itself, demanding prosecution of his political enemies, is impeachable.
September 21, 2025 at 2:16 AM
One irony of this post, in which Trump complains about being impeached over nothing, is that the post itself, demanding prosecution of his political enemies, is impeachable.
The best thread I have seen on tonight’s events
September 18, 2025 at 3:08 AM
The best thread I have seen on tonight’s events
Meanwhile the AAUP’s advice to academics
September 18, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Meanwhile the AAUP’s advice to academics
I don’t like the advice that the AAUP issued here.
Maybe some of the advice is good.
But a bunch of it is basically saying, “be quiet. Be afraid.”
Maybe some of the advice is good.
But a bunch of it is basically saying, “be quiet. Be afraid.”
September 18, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I don’t like the advice that the AAUP issued here.
Maybe some of the advice is good.
But a bunch of it is basically saying, “be quiet. Be afraid.”
Maybe some of the advice is good.
But a bunch of it is basically saying, “be quiet. Be afraid.”
The causal analysis in this article is so weak. As far as I can tell this is the paragraph that most clearly lays it out?
Was it the way media portrayed the right that brought us Trump or something more fundamental?
I think probably the latter.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Was it the way media portrayed the right that brought us Trump or something more fundamental?
I think probably the latter.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
September 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The causal analysis in this article is so weak. As far as I can tell this is the paragraph that most clearly lays it out?
Was it the way media portrayed the right that brought us Trump or something more fundamental?
I think probably the latter.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Was it the way media portrayed the right that brought us Trump or something more fundamental?
I think probably the latter.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Trump administration is flat out lying.
They are making completely baseless claims about the involvement of left wing groups in violence against conservatives.
It’s completely disgraceful and it’s dangerous.
They are making completely baseless claims about the involvement of left wing groups in violence against conservatives.
It’s completely disgraceful and it’s dangerous.
September 15, 2025 at 9:11 PM
The Trump administration is flat out lying.
They are making completely baseless claims about the involvement of left wing groups in violence against conservatives.
It’s completely disgraceful and it’s dangerous.
They are making completely baseless claims about the involvement of left wing groups in violence against conservatives.
It’s completely disgraceful and it’s dangerous.
The rhetoric in the second paragraph is authoritarian. We need to recognize it for what it is.
This "plan to restore civil order" and "campaign to disrupt domestic terror networks in all fifty states" sounds like a call to turn the US into a police state.
This "plan to restore civil order" and "campaign to disrupt domestic terror networks in all fifty states" sounds like a call to turn the US into a police state.
September 12, 2025 at 6:42 PM
The rhetoric in the second paragraph is authoritarian. We need to recognize it for what it is.
This "plan to restore civil order" and "campaign to disrupt domestic terror networks in all fifty states" sounds like a call to turn the US into a police state.
This "plan to restore civil order" and "campaign to disrupt domestic terror networks in all fifty states" sounds like a call to turn the US into a police state.
Reminds me of how sometimes people make a technical argument when there is a much more fundamental conceptual point.
September 8, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Reminds me of how sometimes people make a technical argument when there is a much more fundamental conceptual point.