Sam B. (he/him)
@sbarbour.bsky.social
Community college econ instructor; music nerd
This passage from Ezra Klein's interview with Ben Shapiro seems like an exactly wrongheaded view of religion, but also a fair representation of American conservatism - it's basically "good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people."
September 17, 2025 at 4:31 AM
This passage from Ezra Klein's interview with Ben Shapiro seems like an exactly wrongheaded view of religion, but also a fair representation of American conservatism - it's basically "good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people."
I'm glad she's standing up for herself. Every economist in the country should stand behind her.
August 20, 2025 at 10:06 PM
I'm glad she's standing up for herself. Every economist in the country should stand behind her.
There's some part of me that kind of supports this...? But mostly I'm just amused at the sheer naivete. Like, in what world are employers giving up the leverage of providing access to health care?
June 4, 2025 at 7:04 PM
There's some part of me that kind of supports this...? But mostly I'm just amused at the sheer naivete. Like, in what world are employers giving up the leverage of providing access to health care?
Douthat in today's Times pretends to be unaware of the double standard of judgement on politicians in this country.
Glad to know I can still be shocked, I guess?
Glad to know I can still be shocked, I guess?
May 31, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Douthat in today's Times pretends to be unaware of the double standard of judgement on politicians in this country.
Glad to know I can still be shocked, I guess?
Glad to know I can still be shocked, I guess?
Read NYT Douthat's interview w right-wing influencer Jonathan Keeperman, found it unsettling. Dude cites Bronze Age Pervert as an important 21st century thinker.
Riddle me this, oh right-wingers: are leftists worthy foes or barbarian scum? We can't be both.
Riddle me this, oh right-wingers: are leftists worthy foes or barbarian scum? We can't be both.
May 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Read NYT Douthat's interview w right-wing influencer Jonathan Keeperman, found it unsettling. Dude cites Bronze Age Pervert as an important 21st century thinker.
Riddle me this, oh right-wingers: are leftists worthy foes or barbarian scum? We can't be both.
Riddle me this, oh right-wingers: are leftists worthy foes or barbarian scum? We can't be both.
It's weird to me that my first thought on seeing this was "oh, Noah Smith will be so pleased."
May 2, 2025 at 5:39 PM
It's weird to me that my first thought on seeing this was "oh, Noah Smith will be so pleased."
I had to LOL at this paragraph from John Ganz's latest substack - I remember the "non-conformist conformist" from the 1990's, when we all started trying to one-up each other with the obscurity of our cultural references whilst aligning our interests with someone marginally "cooler" than ourselves.
March 14, 2025 at 2:19 PM
I had to LOL at this paragraph from John Ganz's latest substack - I remember the "non-conformist conformist" from the 1990's, when we all started trying to one-up each other with the obscurity of our cultural references whilst aligning our interests with someone marginally "cooler" than ourselves.
It's hard to take this op-ed seriously - like, I've been hearing the drumbeat of "gov't bad, markets good" my entire adult life. Does anyone believe that voters can intervene in business practices through their elected representatives?
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
March 10, 2025 at 9:18 PM
It's hard to take this op-ed seriously - like, I've been hearing the drumbeat of "gov't bad, markets good" my entire adult life. Does anyone believe that voters can intervene in business practices through their elected representatives?
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Happy Slavery-Established-in-Texas Day.
March 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Happy Slavery-Established-in-Texas Day.
This is real bad.
February 18, 2025 at 1:20 AM
This is real bad.
What album could you play over and over on a seven hour road trip?
January 11, 2025 at 3:12 AM
What album could you play over and over on a seven hour road trip?
Whoop, there it is.
January 10, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Whoop, there it is.
The "listen to the people" trope bugs me. Most Americans feel like nobody is listening to them most of the time. There does not exist a policy agenda that could change that.
January 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The "listen to the people" trope bugs me. Most Americans feel like nobody is listening to them most of the time. There does not exist a policy agenda that could change that.
I think this is a really useful frame for the "we need to listen to ordinary people" arguments. Like, why is it a non-starter in policy circles to discuss the redistribution of wealth and income?
December 1, 2024 at 8:53 PM
I think this is a really useful frame for the "we need to listen to ordinary people" arguments. Like, why is it a non-starter in policy circles to discuss the redistribution of wealth and income?
Interesting piece on gentrification in the Logan Square neighborhood (Chicago), where I lived a couple of years. TLDR: people with higher incomes consume more housing, so keeping things affordable means building more and bigger units.
open.substack.com/pub/pencilli...
open.substack.com/pub/pencilli...
November 25, 2024 at 4:11 AM
Interesting piece on gentrification in the Logan Square neighborhood (Chicago), where I lived a couple of years. TLDR: people with higher incomes consume more housing, so keeping things affordable means building more and bigger units.
open.substack.com/pub/pencilli...
open.substack.com/pub/pencilli...
The classic supply-side, trickle down model returns. Maybe this time it will work?
November 19, 2024 at 4:03 PM
The classic supply-side, trickle down model returns. Maybe this time it will work?
The migration must be substantial: progressives are being shamed for leaving Xitter.
November 14, 2024 at 3:54 PM
The migration must be substantial: progressives are being shamed for leaving Xitter.
Democrats were afraid congestion pricing would lose them votes, so they nixed the plan at the absolute last minute, lost the election anyways, and now they're busily trying to bring it back before the results of that loss make the plan impossible. WTF!?
November 13, 2024 at 10:20 PM
Democrats were afraid congestion pricing would lose them votes, so they nixed the plan at the absolute last minute, lost the election anyways, and now they're busily trying to bring it back before the results of that loss make the plan impossible. WTF!?
Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on $326 billion in cash because it can't find any suitable investments.
November 2, 2024 at 3:24 PM
Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on $326 billion in cash because it can't find any suitable investments.
Why is Noah Smith taking Elon Musk seriously on the subject of fiscal policy?
October 31, 2024 at 5:44 PM
Why is Noah Smith taking Elon Musk seriously on the subject of fiscal policy?
From a brilliant meditation on the film "The Red Shoes" (1948), about ballet academia, and addiction to work by @economeager.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
October 28, 2024 at 1:57 PM
From a brilliant meditation on the film "The Red Shoes" (1948), about ballet academia, and addiction to work by @economeager.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
I remember when I first applied to get into this site feeling like it's where all the cool people are.
September 19, 2024 at 9:06 PM
I remember when I first applied to get into this site feeling like it's where all the cool people are.
The assumption that cities are run by leftists strikes me as absurd - I've lived in SF and Chicago and neither is especially leftist.
But here Bret Stephens rejects the (entirely reasonable) idea that city govts tend to favor property owners.
But here Bret Stephens rejects the (entirely reasonable) idea that city govts tend to favor property owners.
September 16, 2024 at 2:12 PM
The assumption that cities are run by leftists strikes me as absurd - I've lived in SF and Chicago and neither is especially leftist.
But here Bret Stephens rejects the (entirely reasonable) idea that city govts tend to favor property owners.
But here Bret Stephens rejects the (entirely reasonable) idea that city govts tend to favor property owners.
They put the sign up over summer - I thought I was just an instructor. Brings out the imposter syndrome something fierce.
August 27, 2024 at 10:15 PM
They put the sign up over summer - I thought I was just an instructor. Brings out the imposter syndrome something fierce.
If you see this, post an image you saved because it made you laugh.
August 13, 2024 at 8:50 PM
If you see this, post an image you saved because it made you laugh.