Renee Marlin-Bennett
LightNews LightNews
banner
Renee Marlin-Bennett
@rmarlin-b.bsky.social
220 followers 480 following 130 posts
Political Scientist | IR Theory & Global Politics of Information | Power*ing* and the dark side of soft power | https://www.marlin-bennett.com/ | Salzburg Global Fellow | Amateur dancer, singer, & cook.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Here's the abstract.
September 21, 2025 at 2:49 AM
4. Explaining comparative advantage: www.wto.org/english/thew... 6/8
Comparative advantage This is arguably the single most powerful insight into economics. Suppose country A is better than country B at making automobiles, and country B is better than country A at making bread. It is obvious (the academics would say “trivial”) that both would benefit if A specialized in automobiles, B specialized in bread and they traded their products. That is a case of absolute advantage. But what if a country is bad at making everything? Will trade drive all producers out of business? The answer, according to Ricardo, is no. The reason is the principle of comparative advantage. It says, countries A and B still stand to benefit from trading with each other even if A is better than B at making everything. If A is much more superior at making automobiles and only slightly superior at making bread, then A should still invest resources in what it does best — producing automobiles — and export the product to B. B should still invest in what it does best — making bread — and export that product to A, even if it is not as efficient as A. Both would still benefit from the trade. A country does not have to be best at anything to gain from trade. That is comparative advantage. The theory dates back to classical economist David Ricardo. It is one of the most widely accepted among economists. It is also one of the most misunderstood among non-economists because it is confused with absolute advantage. It is often claimed, for example, that some countries have no comparative advantage in anything. That is virtually impossible. Think about it ...
April 3, 2025 at 5:41 PM
It's going to be another face-palming day.
Washington Post Headline: USDA tries to reverse mistaken firing of bird flu response workers.
February 19, 2025 at 2:54 PM
I asked Gemini AI to check my grammar and style. It came back with a pep talk, too.
January 20, 2025 at 7:53 PM
New book or article title? Sounds excellent. Does it have a 2x2?
A 2 by 2 table. The rows are "shit" and "no shit." The columns are labeled "role of rationality." The first column is "bounded rationality if you are lucky" and the second column is "F**k no LOL."
January 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib on X:
See new posts Conversation Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib @afalkhatib A common theme in the plight of the Palestinian people is the unforgivable failures of Palestinian leadership over the decades: reject deals and say no, only to make a bad losing bet and want what could have been achieved, obtained, or received before. It’s important to remember that a viable deal was on the table, regardless of what revisionist academics try to convince you of: a clear pathway to Palestinian Statehood that included the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. What Yasser Arafat did by not accepting the 2000 Camp David proposal was a crime against the Palestinian people, for which there has never been any accountability. Similarly, Hamas in the 1990s and 2000s rejected the Two-state solution, only to ultimately realize that Palestinians would be lucky to even receive that, particularly after the October 7 disaster. Time and again throughout Palestinians’ contemporary history, their leadership and that of some Arab countries, particularly during the Pan-Arabism of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, a Palestinian State could have been established, and attention could have been paid to nation-building, instead of pursuing fantasies around the destruction of Israel. It pains me greatly that so many Palestinians, both in Palestine and in the diaspora, are woefully unaware of this history and think the entirety of our problems are solely and exclusively the result of Israeli policies. It’s time for a rejuvenated and pragmatic Palestinian narrative that accounts for the consequences of disastrous leadership and acknowledges the inevitability of Israel’s continued existence and the need to live in peace and prosperity next to the Jewish State. That does not negate the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and freedom, for both peoples’ futures are intricately intertwined.
December 6, 2024 at 4:50 PM
#academicsky, Is anyone else as exhausted as I am this semester? I don't even want to work hard writing the final exam. This may not work, but if it does, my life will be that much easier.
Description of an optional assignment of submitting suggested questions for the final exam.
December 4, 2024 at 4:09 AM
An interesting post on the other site from Einat Wolf:
December 1, 2024 at 7:24 AM
It is horrible that so many aid workers have died in this conflict. But I have 2 comments. 1. Hamas brutally attacked Israel. Israel has responded brutally. This is a brutal war *between* Hamas and Israel. To state that the war is only about Israel brutally attacking Gaza is a lie of omission.
An @trtworld post, circulated on @news-feed.bsky.social, referring to "Israel's brutal war on Gaza."
November 22, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Exactly how many Gazans did vandalism save today?
I don't think a single Trustee was convinced to divest by this. Civil disobedience is not free speech, and it comes with consequences (Civ Dis 101). I vote to expel the culprits. It's dumb to think paint in B'more will improve Palestinian lives.
Marble pillars at the entry of Gilman Hall, JHU Homewood campus, the oldest building of the University, have been defaced with "free Gaza" and other similar messages in paint. Marble pillars in the breeze-way on the JHU Homewood campushave been defaced with "free Gaza" and other similar messages in paint.
November 20, 2024 at 9:39 PM
Cover story from this month's The Atlantic magazine. I really do not want to read this.
Atlantic magazine cover for March 2024 has the look and feel of a Yiddish newspaper front page with headlines like "AN ERA OF ACCEPTANCE & ACHIEVEMENT IS IN DANGER" and titles in Yiddish, as well.
March 12, 2024 at 5:16 PM
The Houthis' pro-Hamas effort to erase Israel means the Jews would have to go back "home" to where they came from. So I guess they're excited for the return of descendants of Yemeni Jews who emigrated to Land of Israel under Turk, British, & Israeli control. Who knew the Houthis missed the Jews so?
Picture of Ofra Haza in Yemenite Jewish headdress.
January 15, 2024 at 1:29 AM
Two Jewish holidays are especially political. Passover celebrates a key constituting moment of the nation. Chanukah celebrates the successful fight to re-establish Jewish national sovereignty. The oil miracle is a fun myth, but the complicated fight for independence & communal security resonates now
Archeological find of a Hasmonean coin in Jerusalem.
December 8, 2023 at 4:50 AM
There is a lot to worry about. There always is, especially given our current political and physical environments. But this morning I saw an amazing butterfly. The cell phone camera picture does not do it justice. It was huge, brilliant orange and black -- a monarch perhaps. Seeing it was a gift.
September 30, 2023 at 2:41 AM