Trenton Woodcox
@trentonwoodcox.bsky.social
MTU Grad. Policy wonk. Abundance agenda. Optimist. Books, games, & anime. Views are my own.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
There is NO SUBSTITUTE for moderation. This is the lesson every single website and community on the internet has to learn, over and over. If you let weird bad-faith freaks proliferate on your site, they will destroy it. Here on Bluesky, those freaks are almost all on the left. You need to BAN THEM.
September 2, 2025 at 5:15 AM
There is NO SUBSTITUTE for moderation. This is the lesson every single website and community on the internet has to learn, over and over. If you let weird bad-faith freaks proliferate on your site, they will destroy it. Here on Bluesky, those freaks are almost all on the left. You need to BAN THEM.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
If you were writing a new constitution and wanted to have some kind of anti-gerontocracy laws baked in, how would you structure them? I’d probably do ‘maximum age at end of full term being run for is 75’ to be eligible for the ballot.
September 2, 2025 at 1:07 AM
If you were writing a new constitution and wanted to have some kind of anti-gerontocracy laws baked in, how would you structure them? I’d probably do ‘maximum age at end of full term being run for is 75’ to be eligible for the ballot.
A proper starship is a railgun with a skyscraper built around it.
August 29, 2025 at 1:55 PM
A proper starship is a railgun with a skyscraper built around it.
The big red Social Security button almost certainly ought to be pressed, but alas, career suicide remains unpopular
August 28, 2025 at 7:13 PM
The big red Social Security button almost certainly ought to be pressed, but alas, career suicide remains unpopular
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
The AI is not going to be shut off. Stop deluding yourselves, engage with the world as it is.
August 20, 2025 at 10:13 PM
The AI is not going to be shut off. Stop deluding yourselves, engage with the world as it is.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
"While I support the intent to accelerate housing development, I cannot in good conscience support any legislation that might actually do that."
There was a brief window, when ED 1 was still in its original form, when I thought Los Angeles might finally have a mayor who was somewhat serious about addressing the housing and homelessness crisis. My bad!
August 20, 2025 at 11:14 PM
"While I support the intent to accelerate housing development, I cannot in good conscience support any legislation that might actually do that."
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
Real wages went up for virtually everyone, which means things were getting more affordable and the economy was getting better for most people.
right I'm glad in the aggregate wages went up but the reality was things getting more expensive for everyone, it wasn't a great economy for many people
August 19, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Real wages went up for virtually everyone, which means things were getting more affordable and the economy was getting better for most people.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
Truly being “pro-family” means ensuring access and cost of care - including IVF - never stands in the way of someone choosing to start or grow their family.
Trump breaking his promise about something as important as this might not be surprising, but it is cruel.
Trump breaking his promise about something as important as this might not be surprising, but it is cruel.
August 14, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Truly being “pro-family” means ensuring access and cost of care - including IVF - never stands in the way of someone choosing to start or grow their family.
Trump breaking his promise about something as important as this might not be surprising, but it is cruel.
Trump breaking his promise about something as important as this might not be surprising, but it is cruel.
We really should clean the Statue of Liberty. The original, unoxidized copper color looks much better than sun-bleached green.
August 13, 2025 at 8:24 PM
We really should clean the Statue of Liberty. The original, unoxidized copper color looks much better than sun-bleached green.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
I don’t think I have ever publicly criticized any Presidential nominee before.
But E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.
He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats.
But E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.
He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats.
August 11, 2025 at 11:19 PM
I don’t think I have ever publicly criticized any Presidential nominee before.
But E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.
He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats.
But E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.
He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
It's pretty lame how we designed every US city such that, if you take one wrong step, you get hit by a two tone high-speed machine and die.
August 12, 2025 at 1:12 AM
It's pretty lame how we designed every US city such that, if you take one wrong step, you get hit by a two tone high-speed machine and die.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
this is part of the article i'm writing rn but there are so many problems that come down to the fact that nobody actually remembers what the past was like
we're 30 years into a consistent downward trend in crime rates and yet Americans think every year is worse than the last
we're 30 years into a consistent downward trend in crime rates and yet Americans think every year is worse than the last
August 12, 2025 at 1:56 AM
this is part of the article i'm writing rn but there are so many problems that come down to the fact that nobody actually remembers what the past was like
we're 30 years into a consistent downward trend in crime rates and yet Americans think every year is worse than the last
we're 30 years into a consistent downward trend in crime rates and yet Americans think every year is worse than the last
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
the thing is, AI is awesome in the older sense. it should make you uncomfortable. it facilitates insane politics, it wipes out creative industries, and you shouldn't date it and it shouldn't be your doctor or therapist. but constant minimizing and denial doesn't help and grates more than a little
Lol.
Look, I appreciate this stuff. The anti AI crowd is obnoxious, and you *should* antagonize them, and it makes me laugh which is really what everyone should want.
Look, I appreciate this stuff. The anti AI crowd is obnoxious, and you *should* antagonize them, and it makes me laugh which is really what everyone should want.
August 12, 2025 at 2:11 AM
the thing is, AI is awesome in the older sense. it should make you uncomfortable. it facilitates insane politics, it wipes out creative industries, and you shouldn't date it and it shouldn't be your doctor or therapist. but constant minimizing and denial doesn't help and grates more than a little
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
I mean it’s straightforwardly miraculous, and people are telling me it’s a parlor trick. if your parlor trick involves transmuting actual iron into actual gold, I think we can probably stop calling it a trick
August 8, 2025 at 1:58 AM
I mean it’s straightforwardly miraculous, and people are telling me it’s a parlor trick. if your parlor trick involves transmuting actual iron into actual gold, I think we can probably stop calling it a trick
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
this site is so ridiculous about AI. “a robot just interpreted the themes in a story at my request. a story it has never seen before. yawn, basically just autocomplete”
August 8, 2025 at 1:54 AM
this site is so ridiculous about AI. “a robot just interpreted the themes in a story at my request. a story it has never seen before. yawn, basically just autocomplete”
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
an Actually good AI product would be a hook into google scholar, where I can tell it "searching only APSR and political behavior since 2010, for studies using panel data to examine the impact of socioeconomic shocks on redistributive attitudes, what is the most common way that...." and get cites
August 4, 2025 at 6:06 PM
an Actually good AI product would be a hook into google scholar, where I can tell it "searching only APSR and political behavior since 2010, for studies using panel data to examine the impact of socioeconomic shocks on redistributive attitudes, what is the most common way that...." and get cites
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
I have pretty bad ADHD. I don't talk about it that much because there's not that much interesting to say. It sucks, I hate it and it makes my life worse and often makes me fall short of my potential. Wish I wasn't like this, but I am, so it's something I gotta deal with. Really not much more to it.
August 4, 2025 at 8:04 PM
I have pretty bad ADHD. I don't talk about it that much because there's not that much interesting to say. It sucks, I hate it and it makes my life worse and often makes me fall short of my potential. Wish I wasn't like this, but I am, so it's something I gotta deal with. Really not much more to it.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
"yeah I'm going through this too, I know it fucking sucks. you're not alone and you're doing better than you think. keep trying your best" isn't really discursively that interesting or compelling or what people most want to hear but it's probably what it's best impressionable people to encounter
August 4, 2025 at 7:59 PM
"yeah I'm going through this too, I know it fucking sucks. you're not alone and you're doing better than you think. keep trying your best" isn't really discursively that interesting or compelling or what people most want to hear but it's probably what it's best impressionable people to encounter
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
really do think the recent kind of idiot polarization on mental health stuff in terms of online between "it's not real and everything is either your fault or a nefarious totally external force" and "you are a precious blameless neurodivergent smol bean" is spectacularly unhelpful and bad.
August 4, 2025 at 7:56 PM
really do think the recent kind of idiot polarization on mental health stuff in terms of online between "it's not real and everything is either your fault or a nefarious totally external force" and "you are a precious blameless neurodivergent smol bean" is spectacularly unhelpful and bad.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
I just want to say “thank you” to the people who turned “Discovery Channel” into “Ghosts and Bigfoot” and “The Learning Channel” into “Granite Countertop Propaganda” for being a guiding light* for me as an owner of an educational media company.
*to run away from.
*to run away from.
July 28, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I just want to say “thank you” to the people who turned “Discovery Channel” into “Ghosts and Bigfoot” and “The Learning Channel” into “Granite Countertop Propaganda” for being a guiding light* for me as an owner of an educational media company.
*to run away from.
*to run away from.
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
the reason that YIMBYism is such a fast growing movement is that we are fundamentally correct in diagnosing the issue and identifying effective solutions
Awesome paper finding huge benefits from relaxing zoning constraints in NYC, even once you account for the big costs of redevelopment
vrollet.github.io/files/city_...
vrollet.github.io/files/city_...
July 26, 2025 at 3:01 AM
the reason that YIMBYism is such a fast growing movement is that we are fundamentally correct in diagnosing the issue and identifying effective solutions
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
There's all sorts of problems with the idea that raising prices for imports will re-shore production (for one, raising prices for parts will hurt domestic production). But if the Trump admin's position is "tariffs don't raise prices for imports" they clearly can't help industry
July 17, 2025 at 12:56 AM
There's all sorts of problems with the idea that raising prices for imports will re-shore production (for one, raising prices for parts will hurt domestic production). But if the Trump admin's position is "tariffs don't raise prices for imports" they clearly can't help industry
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
re: tariff inflation discourse, it's worth mentioning again that if tariffs *don't* raise prices, then there's no way they "incentivize" domestic production
The mechanism by which they're supposed to re-shore industry is by increasing prices for imported goods and reducing trade
The mechanism by which they're supposed to re-shore industry is by increasing prices for imported goods and reducing trade
July 17, 2025 at 12:56 AM
re: tariff inflation discourse, it's worth mentioning again that if tariffs *don't* raise prices, then there's no way they "incentivize" domestic production
The mechanism by which they're supposed to re-shore industry is by increasing prices for imported goods and reducing trade
The mechanism by which they're supposed to re-shore industry is by increasing prices for imported goods and reducing trade
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
Obama is right: the left and the “abundance” agenda are partners, not enemies.
for example, in NYC, the left has supported citywide upzonings while conservative homeowner NIMBY politicians were the main opposition
for example, in NYC, the left has supported citywide upzonings while conservative homeowner NIMBY politicians were the main opposition
July 14, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Obama is right: the left and the “abundance” agenda are partners, not enemies.
for example, in NYC, the left has supported citywide upzonings while conservative homeowner NIMBY politicians were the main opposition
for example, in NYC, the left has supported citywide upzonings while conservative homeowner NIMBY politicians were the main opposition
Reposted by Trenton Woodcox
Reminder: more than 60% of four year institutions let in at least 75% of applicants. A school with an admissions rate of 65% is one of the more selective schools in the country. College admissions shit is entirely elite neuroses about like 100 schools, or total bullshit.
oh, we have some straightforward gutter racism. “the blacks and the browns are the reason white people can’t get ahead” www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
July 12, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Reminder: more than 60% of four year institutions let in at least 75% of applicants. A school with an admissions rate of 65% is one of the more selective schools in the country. College admissions shit is entirely elite neuroses about like 100 schools, or total bullshit.