Kyle Montanio

I'm an environmental economist who researches econ pedagogy to make learning economics marginally less dismal.

My pipe-dream is to write a fantasy novel/economics textbook, which is getting closer to reality every day.

#economics #teaching #sustainability #equity #FantasyNerd

Profile pick is me smiling in front of a whiteboard with economics gibberish -- cause econ makes me happy.

Background is nothing cause I'm technologically challenged and haven't figured out how to change it.

Public Key

npub10s54n9wdlyt2488jlartpkmv29kh78cl5wp9czqnr0y7j5w2fmgs333v3k

NIP-05 Address

FantasticalEconomics_at_geekdom.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs8c22ejhxlj942nne0734smdk9zmtlru068qjupqf3hj0f289ya5gpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qndf5q2

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relay.mostr.pub

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npub10s54n9wdlyt2488jlartpkmv29kh78cl5wp9czqnr0y7j5w2fmgs333v3k

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Last Notes

2024-09-23 14:24:34

Another debunked idea still pushed in mainstream #economics is that capitalism leads to democracy - some even go as far to say capitalism is a necessary condition of democracy.
This is just cold-war era propaganda that still occasionally shows up in econ classrooms to this day. If anything, unfettered free-market capitalism almost necessarily devolves into oligarchy, rather than bolstering democracy, as the biggest companies in the world are showcasing well as we speak.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/23/amazon-tesla-meta-climate-change-democracy

2024-08-31 13:37:20

"Free market" is the most misused #econ term I've seen on here. A "free market" has nothing to do with a lack of competition, or free from price gouging, or free from externalities; it's solely about being free from government intervention.
A free market will (almost always) lead to market concentration and powerful firms that use their market power to extract the most from consumers and the environment. This is exactly why wealthy business owners push so hard for it.
#economics #TeachEcon

2024-08-30 14:01:09

When Dana Bash asked #Harris about Trump's comments about her racial identity she responded:
"Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please."
Bash: "That's it?"
Harris: "That's it."
I'd score those responses a solid 10/10.
#Harris2024

2024-08-13 17:16:16

#LawFedi question: is there any legal obligation for social media companies to remain within a semblance of politically neutrality (looking at you X/Twitter)?
Is there precedent related to it and/or laws in the works that speak to this? Does it differ substantially based on where a company is located and/or operates?
I've been seeing a lot of posts about the government stepping in to stop Musk's blatant hands on the political scales, but don't get the sense it has legal authority to do so.

2024-08-13 15:17:34

“Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable.”
- Milton Friedman
A doctrine to sow #capitalism may also seed our salvation. Are we ready for when #ClimateChange solutions become politically inevitable?

2024-08-10 13:57:13

No matter how smart you think you are, you cannot control the mob once it is roused. It takes on a will of its own and will just add likely pillage those who summoned it as those it was intended to pillory.
The GOP thought they could control the MAGA movement it spawned, now it controls them. Now with Joe Rogan - a pivotal mouthpiece for the MAGA mob - all but endorsing RFK Jr., things are going to get even more interesting.
And by interesting, I mean chaotic scary.
#USPolitics

2024-07-31 15:19:41

Capitalism's greatest trick was stealing so much of our time that we cannot imagine living without the 'conveniences' it sells back to us.

2024-07-29 21:33:44

Hey fellow white dudes!
There is still time to sign up for and attend the #WhiteDudesForHarris event tonight at 8pm Eastern.
They've got Pete Buttigieg and Mark Hamill on the docket to speak in support of #Harris2024.
#VoteBlue #Harris
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv8CbvFVggb-D6bQ1-oPUNULwk6f1qzkjufYGIWFiCQ0Z8RA/viewform

2024-07-24 12:38:48

A graph that should be headline news everywhere.
#ClimateChange
https://www.axios.com/2024/07/23/earth-hottest-day-record-set
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/841/500/686/645/745/original/969dc54279e8f27f.png

2024-07-23 17:32:45

- reply

@npub189n…satx
That is great to hear. These last couple of days have given me more hope than I've felt in a long while and it's largely because of stories I hear like this.

2024-07-22 23:57:30

If you haven't seen the Mastodon-specific way to donate to the #Harris campaign, I suggest you check it out!
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mastodon-for-harris
Pleasantly surprised to see the lack of information they request - no address nor email is required to donate - so you don't even need to worry about being placed on a donor list to receive endless requests in the future.
#USPolitics #VoteBlue

2024-07-22 22:36:19

I'm teaching a Law and Economics course for the first time next semester, so I'm following the liability of #CrowdStrike with interest.
Who will bearthe cost of this, perhaps, billion dollar disruption? Who should? Do their contracts shield them from liability?
If anyone from #LawFedi (or anyone with expertise, really) has any insights, I'm all ears!
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/21/business/crowdstrike-outage-cost/index.html
#TeachEcon #Economics

2024-07-22 20:27:49

Every single Democrat who was floated as a possible challenger to #Harris2024 - California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro - have expressed support for her.
Even Joe Manchin has said he will not run against her.
Harris has been "anointed" by popular demand seen from those within the system and the massive, unprecidented grass-roots fundraising. Aka democratically chosen.
#USPolitics

2024-07-22 13:19:19

All y'all thinking Americans will vote for Harris are delusional. Do you even know that she eats on her pizza??
"The Vice President's pizza came with anchovies, her go-to topping."
-Axios
That's a deal-breaker if I've ever seen one.
(By that I mean I'm super stoked on #Harris2024 and hope I don't hear other silly reasons not to support her to defeat the party of fascist misogynistic rapists.)
#USPolitics #USPol

2024-07-19 00:04:27

For the love of all that is good on the left, if Biden drops out this weekend (which is likely) can we please all agree to rally behind whoever Democrats decide on?
Biden supporters, it doesn't matter if you think it's a bad move or not. Go with the new ticket, and go hard for it.
Others, it doesn't matter if this ticket is not your top choice. Go with the new ticket, and go hard for it.
No, we won't all get everything we want, but maybe we can avoid the worst for all of us.
#USPolitics

2024-07-17 14:51:04

Musk is claiming Neuralink will "give people superpowers" and you should actually believe him.
Pretty soon these devices will give people the power of mind control. Like people with power being able to control the minds of the rubes who willingly stuck these chips into their brains kind of superpowers.

2024-07-12 12:34:29

I don't always see #TaylorSwift cross my news feeds, but rarely am I disappointed when she does.
"In a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont, Taylor Swift’s openness about her struggles with body image and disordered eating has been found to positively influence her fans’ attitudes and behaviors towards these issues."
https://www.psypost.org/psychology-study-sheds-light-on-taylor-swifts-impact-on-fans-body-image-and-disordered-eating/

2024-07-11 21:04:04

- reply

@npub1sac…apc0
Clearly you just aren't assuming the right things. At long as you pretend 4ish utterly unrealistic things, markets are super efficient!

2024-07-08 15:59:57

Literal Nazis march through Nashville. Newsworthy event, right? ... Right?
CNN? Washington Post? New York Times? Where the hell is your coverage of this?
Would it help if you framed it as radicals breaking Georgia's anti-mask ban? Cause I know I've seen you post stories about that when it's for a cause other than white supremacy.
#USPolitics
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/751/668/057/890/025/original/97abd7815a5bc1cd.png

2024-07-07 18:57:15

"Watch in horror as our hero blindly chooses faith over logic!"
Now, I'm not much of an art aficionado, but I sense this piece is making a subtle political statement.
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/746/579/277/035/331/original/cd763b3b02a31c9b.jpg

2024-07-03 01:21:59

My wife called me a radical leftist for the first time today, thanks Fediverse.
And because I know it's hard to figure out sarcasm, I just want to be clear this is not it. Conversations here have definitely pushed me further left, and I'm better for it.
Genuinely, thank you.

2024-06-29 13:06:55

- reply

Luna has broken her hunger strike! She now acknowledges wet food - which many cats call "the good stuff" - is, in fact, not poison.
She is still not happy about not having her crunchy kibbles, but at least she is not going to wither away. Less than two weeks, cat, til you can have them again. You can make it.
#CatsOfMastodon

2024-06-27 19:53:27

"Make no mistake, today's decision is a power grab."
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor
It's sad just how many recent decisions this could be referencing...

2024-06-19 15:27:26

While applying for permission to add PayPal-like payment options, X revealed drastic losses in revenue that could only be guessed at since Musk took the company private.
"In the first six months of 2023 — the first full year in which Musk controlled the company — X's revenue fell by nearly 40 percent from the same period the prior year. The company brought in $1.48 billion during that time period. Furthermore, X lost $456 million in the first quarter of 2023."
https://mashable.com/article/twitter-x-revenue-falls-x-payments-plans

2024-06-18 18:57:16

Huh...
Nuerodivergent burnout would seem to be a better explanation for the 3 and 3/4 years of utter unproductivity between finishing my course work and buckling down to finish my PhD dissertation that I have been attributing to lazyness and depression.
Looking back, I definitely check off 11/11 symptoms. Interesting.
#TheMoreYouKnow
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/mentalhealthresources/autism-and-burnout-glypb

2024-06-10 17:00:30

If it isn't clear yet, the fight we need to be having is against the far-right, not each other.
I don't give a shit if we disagree on specific policy, goals or (most commonly) the best way to achieve them. We need to figure out how to work together to fight the very very scary common enemy that is quickly growing in power.
Make friends, make coalitions, make temporary alliances. Cause whatever progress you want to achieve will not happen with a fascist takeover of our world.
#Politics

2024-06-06 20:22:10

Don't threaten Tesla shareholders with a good (and strategically sound) time...
"Tesla CEO Elon Musk could leave if $56 billion pay package not approved, shareholders warned"
Seriously, where is the downside? The next CEO will likely not have a negative brand value with liberals (aka the ones who buy electric vehicles) and fewer AI microchips will be diverted to X.
And that's in addition to not having to give $56 billion to a wealthy egomaniac!
https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/6/24173064/tesla-board-chair-warn-elon-musk-leave-pay-shareholders

2024-06-06 00:12:19

Colorado joins four other states (California, Illinois, Maryland and Minnesota) in banning book bans!
This new bill also:
- makes the names of people trying to ban books public record.
- protects library workers from "the whims of politicians or the demands of the public."
Things like this make me proud to be a Colorado resident.
https://bookriot.com/colorado-passes-anti-book-ban-bill-for-public-libraries/

2024-06-05 14:57:32

Just finished Neil Howe's "The Fourth Turning is Here" and 10/10 would not recommend.
Howe uses historical trends to make deterministic predictions about the future - a dubious proposition at best - based on 80ish year generational cycles of which he has only 6, a tiny sample size, to draw trends from. One of those doesn't even fit his grand pattern he argues for.
1/4

2024-05-28 09:58:04

You've probably heard that many people *think* inflation is still much higher than it actually is, but did you know that people have changed the definition of inflation (and didn't tell us economists)?
Inflation no longer seems to mean "rising prices" but, instead, "high prices". So 'inflation' can be high even as prices fall, the thought of which gives me a hell of a headache...
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/26/inflation-definition-evolution-high-prices
#econonics #inflation

2024-05-22 19:40:04

I’ve never been accused of having a way with words. I have always been more drawn to math, hence economist.
That said, I gave a speech today asking our administration to drop charges related to the #StudentProtests that I am quite proud of.
I am sharing it here for anyone who would like to hear my perspective as a member of the faculty who has witnessed and been arrested alongside students at one of these protests you have heard so much about.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zfqpLJxZEIIIKMb6PihcPL5yluNhRBucAC_aZQf9qFc

2024-05-14 14:04:12

Almost 20% of US public schools are more than 90% non-white.
"As the U.S. marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Friday, American public schools are growing more separate and unequal even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever."
"The resegregation of America's public schools coincides with the rise of charter schools and school choice option," (almost as if this was the intent of charter schools).
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/14/school-segregation-brown-eudcation-ruling-70th

2024-05-13 23:51:52

"I will keep wasting money until you pay me more."
- Elon Musk, probably.
"Tesla now spends ad money to influence shareholders approval of Elon Musk’s $55B payday"
https://electrek.co/2024/05/13/tesla-spends-ad-money-influence-shareholders-approval-elon-musk-55b-payday/

2024-05-13 18:30:23

- reply

@npub1psd…9sr7
Yikes. Sorry to infuriate.
You are correct, no one got sucked out of a plane. All the fatalities have come from planes crashing to the ground.
Take care.

2024-05-13 18:17:45

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@npub1psd…9sr7
Hard to keep customers when they keep getting sucked out of doors at 40,000 feet.

2024-05-13 13:48:29

We really need to rethink our capitalistic obsession of running things like a business. Cutting costs to increase profits obviously doesn't make sense in areas of education, healthcare, public utilities, and prisons, to name just a few.
Hell, Boeing is making a strong case that it doesn't even make sense for businesses to be run like a business, much less these public goods...
#economics

2024-05-11 13:04:07

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" I find myself more in agreement with Chief Clay. I think the threshold for police action at universities should be relatively high – level (3) or perhaps even (4). That is because civil disobedience is in part persuasive and in part disruptive. But police action is only coercive and dialogue-ending. So, threshold of disruption should be high in order to warrant the coercive termination of deliberation."

2024-05-11 12:53:19

Highly recommend this read on the permissibility of campus protests.
"As a scholar of deliberative democracy, I cherish most of all universities’ core values of reason and dialogue. Those values are most important when they are under the strain of intense and passionate disagreement. That’s when we have to do our level best to keep talking and try even harder to listen to and understand one another. Massive police action is the end of that reason and dialogue."
https://ash.harvard.edu/articles/campus-protests-and-police-force-an-ethical-framework/

2024-05-06 14:05:27

"Student protests against injustice generally age pretty well and efforts to criticize or crack down on them tend not to."
- John Oliver
Just something worth remembering as we continue to form (or solidify) our feelings towards the #Gaza protests.
It may also be worth remembering that we can and should be willing to change our views. Please don't feel locked in to your initial reaction (a bias we are all susceptible to) especially on emotional and complex topics.
#Palestine #Israel

2024-05-03 19:48:46

As tensions rise over protests and foreign policy, please remember we don't need to 100% agree to be on the same side.
Far-right fascists are mobilizing and authoritarian countries are weaponizong the #Gaza war to weaken democracy. These are far bigger threats than the fellow liberals who happen to have come down on the other side of this complex and highly-emotional topic of #Palestine and #Israel.
Good people can and do disagree, so it may be helpful to tone down the angry rhetoric.

2024-05-03 15:49:28

If voting doesn't matter, why are the wealthy wasting their time on it?
Upset that progress isn't happening fast enough? I am with you. Voting is just one part of making the change we want to see in the world, but an important one.
#Politics #VoteBlue
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/377/923/152/819/113/original/485197c932cc2e83.png

2024-05-02 14:34:19

We live in a magical world. Seriously. Our mere belief can change the workings of the world around us.
Stop believing in the value of money? Money loses its value.
Stop believing our votes count? Poof goes democracy.
There are nefarious agents working to errode the belief on which democracy depends. Don't let these dark authoritarian conjurers win.
I implore you, stay vigilant and do your part to keep the magic of democracy in our world; it truly is better than the alternatives.

2024-04-30 23:20:17

Remember folks, "rubber bullet" is a misnomer.
"Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are a type of baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component." - Wikipedia
It is more accurate to say "Riot police are shooting students with rubber-coated-metal-bullets."
I know that doesn't roll off the tounge very nicely, but that's ok 'cause it probably shouldn't.

2024-04-30 14:33:23

You cannot consume your way out of an overconsumption problem.
#degrowth

2024-04-29 15:10:55

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@npub19fc…ay3c
It's pretty telling when people value private property rights over students right to protests on their campuses.
Utterly unshocked that is the message and tone cnn chose to go with.

2024-04-16 22:36:27

(Neoliberal) Evonomic Theory: the pursuit of profits will ensure resources are put to their most efficient use, best meeting the needs of society.
Capitalism in Practice: potato-chip-holster-boots.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/16/pringles-crocs-swicy-chips
#economics #capitalism #TeachEcon
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/283/269/923/406/027/original/994645cb00e04a6a.png

2024-04-15 18:28:59

Anyone who says we cannot afford to stop climate change is lying to you.
A new study estimates that a 20% reduction in CO2 will cost a whopping 2% of GDP.
Shuuttering companies that have the highest CO2 per economic impact (rather than merely focusing on most CO2) helps lead to these large restrictions at incredibly reasonable costs.
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-emissions-economic-loss.html
1/2

2024-03-23 16:47:21

Claudia Goldin is the most recent winner of Nobel Prize in #Economcs and the first women to win it for her solo work. She has dedicated her career studying things her mostly-male peers were comfortable ignoring: women in the workplace.
She is a wonderful example of why diversity matters. She has made the field a better by expanding the focus beyond what wealthy white men care about and, in doing so, is helping make the world a better place.
https://time.com/collection/women-of-the-year/6691521/claudia-goldin/
#WomensHistoryMonth

2024-03-22 22:20:53

Prosecute the bastards for murder!
#BigOil is already being sued in civil court for hiding information about the dangers of fossil fuels, which they've known about for decades.
A new proposal soon to be published in the Harvard Law Review argues we should up the ante and take these companies to criminal court as well. Everything from racketeering, reckless endangerment and even homicide may be on the table.
Most excellent.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/21/fossil-fuel-companies-homicide-climate-deaths-lawsuit
#ClimateChange #FossilFuel

2024-03-20 16:22:38

Prevention is (almost always) cheaper than treatment, and homelessness does not break this rule.
Economists recently used a randomized control trial to estimate the effectiveness of giving households on the brink of homelessness cash to prevent it, $2000 on average.
The results of this temporary assistance were a 73% reduction in the risk of homelessness after one year and that each dollar spent generated $2.47 in benefits to the community.
#economics #poverty
https://news.nd.edu/news/targeted-prevention-helps-stop-homelessness-before-it-starts/

2024-03-19 15:31:39

365 straight days of record-breaking ocean temperatures.
One full year.
Frog and boiling water metaphor.
#ClimateChange should be scaring the shit out of everyone, which we need to convert into action. And by action, I mean voting at the ballots, voting with our wallets, and genuinely doing every small bit we can to change our economic and political systems that are destroying the life-sustaining biological system we all depend upon.
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/19/weather-ocean-temperatures-record-warmth

2024-03-17 15:54:11

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@npub1fhl…eu96
Just an FYI, you do need to put in a legit Indiana zip code when you fill out the form. Also, you need to have at least one attachment. So there is minimal prep work to fuck with their system. Here is my response:
"This is quite literally the scariest thing I've seen as a teacher, and I teach in China half the year. It's well-known that Chinese students will rat out teachers for covering things The Party doesn't want covered, but this takes things to a new level."
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/111/824/497/090/328/original/7073fb258635d90a.jpg

2024-03-12 02:24:41

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@npub1dsw…lq7h
Fully agree.
I'm just not sure how likely those groups are likely to change their behavior, which is also incredibly sad.

2024-03-11 23:52:27

The NAACP has had enough of DeSantis' anti-DEI policies and are encouraging Black athletes to boycott Florida schools.
"This is not simply about sports; it’s about acknowledging and advocating for the rights and supports of Black students within educational environments.”
We'll see if sports (and the millions of dollars of revenue they bring in) will be the Achilles heel of these studies e on universities in the name of combatting 'wokeness'.
https://thehill.com/homenews/race-politics/4524394-naacp-florida-university-boycott-dei/
@npub1t7d…h3ud

2024-03-11 14:58:35

You probably know about the growing mental health crisis and that US schools are struggling to fill the school counselor shortage. But instead of (costly) mental health professionals, have you considered the better option of tackling this crisis, god?
Well even if you haven't, rest assured that red states have! There is a growing push to instill chaplains (who don't require any expertise nor training in mental health) in public schools.
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/11/chaplains-in-schools-movement-florida-texas
@npub18x5…z5lv #education

2024-03-09 18:02:24

It's official, this was the warmest winter in record for the continental US!
And "five of the 10 warmest winters on record in the US have occurred in the last 20 years as winter has become the fastest-warming season for nearly 75% of the country."
This is leading to economic hatdships for areas and industries that depend on snow and ice, not to mention the worsening drought.
#ClimateChange is here and we are just beginning to experience the woes it will cause.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/weather/winter-warmth-record-climate/index.html

2024-03-08 14:33:51

- reply

@npub1lxt…wnka
Your reasoning is lacking, severly, and it's only overshadowed by your massive prejudice.
Leave me be before you make a bigger fool of yourself.
@npub1yq6…3w8k

2024-03-08 14:30:17

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@npub1lxt…wnka
Leave the conversation and leave me alone with that nonsense. Check your biases and irrational fears on your way out.
"Fourth, the vast majority of Muslims oppose violent extremism and terrorism, and,
Fifth, religion is only one of many factors that lead to instability and violence in largely Muslim states... but it does not represent the core values of Islam and many other far more material factors help lead to the rise of extremism."
https://www.csis.org/analysis/islam-and-patterns-terrorism-and-violent-extremism
@npub1yq6…3w8k

2024-03-08 14:16:24

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@npub1lxt…wnka
Yikes. That took a sharp turn towards Islamaphobia.
If we applied that logic--'get rid of the group because we think some individuals will do bad things'-- to everyone, we'd have no one left. (Which the non-human species wouldn't mind, I guess.)
Not to mention the world war that would likely start by declaring that 25% of the global population are terrorists.
I can safely say I have another thing I know with confidence: that idea is awful.
@npub1yq6…3w8k

2024-03-07 14:43:13

The #Gaza war (or genocide) is a case study in polarization. People cherrypick facts that allign with their views and present them confidently, without support. Whether civilian casualties are over 95% or closer to 50% seems to be determined by folks sentiment towards #Israel and #Palestine.
I'm far from ignorant, but all I've been able to piece together with any certainty is the situation is fucked up. How is everyone else so damned confident they know what's going on and the right solution?

2024-03-05 22:38:09

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@npub1gze…sfhs
It's an easy choice.
The guy who is doing his best in a brutal, awful, terrible situation vs the guy who wants to kill everyone in Palestine.
This really needs more attention and will, hopefully, help folks realize how much worse the situation can get after the 2024 election...

2024-03-04 12:58:27

Tenure is the next battleground of the culture war.
Tenure rates at US universities have been declining (24% in 2021from 39% in 1987), which the GOP aims to speed up.
"The existence of tenure makes the system really slow to change, and maybe that’s even an additional rationale for having it, which is we don’t want these institutions changing on the whims of local leaders. We want these institutions and faculty targeting truth-finding."
https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4498350-republican-attacks-college-tenure-higher-education/
@npub1t7d…h3ud @npub18x5…z5lv

2024-02-29 19:40:35

I was today years old when I learned that US schools are more segregated today than they were in 1968.
Racial segregation due to racist policies (like red lining) and reinforcing economic conditions (like school funding tied to property taxes) ensure a system of oppression that is, in many ways, getting worse.
For more info, check out: Beverly Daniel Tatum's book: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
or this shorter read: https://devtechsys.com/insights/2021/02/26/racial-integration-of-schools-in-the-united-states/
#BlackHistoryMonth
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/112/016/423/815/987/935/original/231af64819c635b2.png

2024-02-13 15:00:34

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@npub1g0t…tvm4
Pointing to the insurance industry is also a great way to convince the climate-denying folks in your life to rethink things.
Insurance is one of the least "woke" industries. Showing people how they are making real, observable changes based on climate risks makes it much harder to discount what's happening.
Even those mostly immune to facts may start seeing the light if presented in the right way!

2024-02-09 14:49:01

I've been on Mastodon for a bit over a year, which is my first social media experience since deleting Facebook a decade or so ago. I never thought I'd enjoy social media, so this has been a pleasant surprise.
Here is a list of folks who I'd like to thank who helped make that happen and well worthy of a #FollowFriday
@npub1muj…p74g
@npub19fc…ay3c
@npub1qzc…yetl
@npub1xxe…zxth
@npub1cgs…0c0v
@npub1gmx…atcq
@npub18ue…x887
@npub1nu9…l6r5
@npub1zva…e2q5
@npub189n…satx
@npub1uwt…p8lz

2024-02-06 23:31:47

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@npub1gmx…atcq
"Fuck anyone limiting women's rights."
It's interesting that I both completely agree with this sentiment while also wanting to stress: please don't (litterally) fuck anyone limiting women's rights. We want those fuckers to die out, not reproduce.
--------
On a more serious note, great work pushing folks away from Walgreens. It's meaningful work and every but helps. Thank you.

2024-02-05 19:40:35

"We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news." - John Ehrlichman (Nixon administration)
'Color blind' laws are notoriously easy to design to target race.
#BlackHistoryMonth

2024-02-04 18:51:47

"Black renters face a disproportionate share of evictions. Less than one in every five renters in America is Black (18.8%), but over half of all eviction filings are against Black renters (51.1%)."
While it is now illegal not to rent to someone based on race, it is widely acceptable to discriminate based on past evictions--who are disproportionately Black women.
Securing fair housing for all is essential for social justice.
https://evictionlab.org/who-is-evicted-in-america/#:~:text=Black%20renters%20face%20a%20disproportionate%20share%20of%20evictions.,eviction%20than%20any%20other%20group.
#BlackHistoryMonth

2024-01-23 16:08:24

Why are we so addicted to #growth? Is growth a necessary feature (or flaw) of #capitalism?
In short, yes. One of the causes is our financial system that promotes and depends on increasing growth. Without growth, how can we pay off the ever-rising debt that even the wealthiest, most prosperius countries keep piling on?
We need to design systems (political, economic, etc.) to break this reliance, this addiction to growth.
https://www.axios.com/2024/01/22/us-national-debt-gdp
#Degrowth #economics

2024-01-16 13:40:46

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@npub19fc…ay3c
I think you landed on 2/3 of it. Drugs, especially hallucinogens, also amplify the headspace of the person using them.
Even in s safe place with good people, if you go into it pissed, scared, paranoid or the like you are (likely) going to have a bad time, mmk.

2024-01-12 17:00:21

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@npub15th…6nvx
I agree with all your points except the first. How does participating in US democracy (voting for the lesser evil), necessarily reinforce capitalism?
Regardless of if you vote, one of them wins and capitalism remains.
All those other efforts (which I wholly support and agree are better at changing the system than voting) can be done in addition to voting and still have at least as good an effect. (If GOP wins, all those other things get harder.)
@npub1a60…6zga

2024-01-09 16:39:06

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@npub19fc…ay3c
Yeah, but like an AI assisted alphabet soup that is trying to make you buy things.

2024-01-03 23:35:42

"Reducing #inequality is essential in tackling #ClimateCrisis, researchers argue."
Not only do the richest have a disproportionate impact on the environment, the relatively poor (even in incredibly wealthy societies like the US) lack the time and money to invest in sustainable actions that often have large initial costs.
Reducing inequality can help promote climate friendly behavior from both the wealthy and poor while also improving well-being for many.
#economics
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-inequality-essential-tackling-climate-crisis.html

2024-01-03 14:35:16

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@npub16kg…hh7t
That still sounds awfully reactionary. You just want a stronger reaction, which is fair and I agree with it.
You're initial claim though does not seen to fit with your actual policy you are recommending here.
(Also, I don't appreciate the attack claiming my argument was a straw man, particularly as that is not how straw men are used. People set up straw men to knock them down to make the dust they are supporting seem more reasonable. This is genuinely trying to find your position.)

2024-01-03 14:25:44

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@npub16kg…hh7t
What action would you suggest the US take to be active rather than reactive? A premptive strike on Russia? On Iran?
The whole idea that the US should (or even can) set the music for the entire world to dance to is highly problematic on many levels. If you agree that is not the kind of "leading" we would want, then you have to accept "leadership" must also have reactive elements.
Sometimes leadership is reacting as best you can to changing, difficult situations.

2023-12-21 16:59:13

Somebody once told me
This fence was gonna hold me
And keep me in the latge play area
Now she is looking quite irate
Cause I drop kicked her gate
As I made my great escape, oh hell yeah!
Well the tail is waggin and it don't stop waggin
I break all the rules but I ain't ashamed of nothin!
I'm Malinois, you can't keep me in
Cause my brain is smart and I'm on cocaine.
So much to sniff so much to see
Who thought this wood could contain me?
#DogsOfMastodon
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/111/619/457/591/813/220/original/8c3d7135a048fbe5.mp4

2023-12-15 11:45:23

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@npub18p3…03wh
Well funded right-wing "think tanks" and the fact that econ 101 is still, essentially, 'the basics of neoliberal BS' also help the flawed views to persist.
Lots of money and vested interests to fight to get the world to realize neoliberalism is and has always been a tool for the powerful to maintain and grow that power.

2023-12-14 02:36:30

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@npub1gmx…atcq
Is it bad that after this post and that review that I am now much more interested in reading it? It went from 0 (literally never heard of it) to an excited 7 (to find out all the terrible advice and at how it inspired such passionate, and I'm subbing legitimate, antagonism).

2023-12-11 04:47:32

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@npub132h…f594
As an uniformed US person, I'm quickly searching to see if this is a joke or if this Donald Tusk is some combination of the worst of Trump and Musk.
Ok, seems to be real and not a crazy populist/fascist. Phew.
Good on you Poland!

2023-12-07 01:26:23

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@npub1g0t…tvm4
Can you make a quick edit to your post: a mass shooting is when there are at least four victims, but they don't all need to be killed. But your post and alt text make the error.
This obviously does not dimminish the point or intent of the post in any way. The rising mass shootings and corresponding lack of care and attention is scary and sad.
The US is getting used to this as just a part of life, rather than something that can easily be changed with regulation.

2023-12-06 03:16:17

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@npub19fc…ay3c
I think we see violence after this next election that is far more coordinated and widespread than J6, regardless of who wins. I don't think we get to a point where tensions, instability, or polarization decline until we find some way to meaningfully deal with disinformation, particularly in main stream media.
Right now many people on both sides fully believe the other is a threat to democracy and I cannot see improvement until we get back to a semblance of shared reality.

2023-11-18 02:10:59

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@npub1mmf…eknq
Tesla shareholders calling for his removal is a good start, but I wouldn't frame it as Tesla thinking of ousting Musk.
It's great that some big investors are criticizing him and calling for some action, but it doesn't even look like they've gone as far as threatening to divest if no action is taken.

2023-11-18 01:48:20

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@npub1mmf…eknq
I didn't hear about Tesla moving to remove him. That's great news and long overdue!

2023-11-18 01:44:04

Apple "pauses" advertising on #X (Twitter) due to #Musk's #antisemitism and ads if major companies, including Apple, appearing alongside far-right content.
"This could be the start of an advertising exodus."
Let's hope the dominoes keep falling. Targeting X's revenue stream may be more effective than pressuring users to ditch the site, which has been disappointingly slow.
Though the language of advertising "pause" is cause for concern...
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/17/apple-twitter-x-advertising-elon-musk-antisemitism-ads?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&stream=top

2023-11-11 00:24:55

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@npub1xr8…3q0g @npub1ree…s6w0
In severe cases, vaccines and other medical treatments that use mamel products are also off the table.
After COVID vaccines came out, my aunt had to wait half a year before she coud get a straight answer about if the vaccines were safe for her. Doctors' lack of awareness of AGS basically means she has to check for herself about every new medication, in many ways. Luckily she's in the medical profession and has the knowledge/resources to do so.
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/products.html

2023-11-07 01:45:15

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@npub1zdp…vqv8
I think you are missing an important plot twist. Economics isn't related to math at all.
Econ is actually the daughter of Philosophy. It's only fairly recently that she fell in love with the elegant, not-so-simple simplicity of Physics and began believing human nature can be boiled down into equations.
That is when Economics lost it, called herself "Neo-Classical", broke into the house of Mathmatics, terrorized her daughters, and gas-lit everyone into believing she was related.

2023-11-06 23:49:09

John Oliver is sounding a little like @npub1uwt…p8lz , not a bad thing.
Oliver put the rhetoric on abortion being a 'States rights' thing as being “a very nice way of saying it removed decisions from individuals and their doctors, and placed them in the hands of state legislators. And those politicians are now legislating medicine without even a modicum of medical understanding.”
“This is genuinely a case where voting can have an immediate and lasting effect."
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/nov/06/john-oliver-last-week-tonight-abortion-rights
#VoteBlue

2023-09-13 01:00:01

Americans have never been wealthier (ever) and child poverty is dramatically rising.
I'm not sure we are doing this right...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/09/child-poverty-rate-child-tax-credit/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/economy/household-wealth-economy-stocks/index.html

2023-09-09 00:50:44

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@npub189n…satx
Yup.
In China, many think climate change is a US hoax designed to make China less competitive.
Not even kidding.

2023-08-23 17:37:57

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@npub1qzc…yetl
Great graph to cut through some common greenwashing that emphasizes that the percent of energy coming from renewables is increasing. While technically true, it misses the big picture--the amount of energy we use is, dramatically, unsustainable.

2023-07-08 13:50:57

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@npub1hpc…hjn3
Useful and interesting. I agree flak is a better explanation than a coordinated conspiracy to explain media's collective behavior here.
Any thoughts on what to do about it?
I think this is part of a broader problem of the most extreme (particularly, but not exclusively, in the far right) being able to wild disproportionate power because of how loud and sanding they can be. I think the attack on Target and Bud Light are other great examples of flak--or a close cousin to it.

2023-07-02 14:26:26

I don't think I've done an #introduction here and figured now might be a good time with all the new migrations--welcome new tooters!
I enjoy critical and fact-based discussions on #politcs, #economics, #ClimateChange, #SciFi, #Fantasy and #education.
I often share articles and statistics to support views and value people challenging me to help me see where I'm wrong. Looking to build a community who are willing to challenge the views we hold so we keep progressing.
#VoteBlue @npub1t7d…h3ud

2023-06-24 01:15:28

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@npub15ef…n95r
What a great story arch for The Wagner Group.
Thuggish mercinary unit that wantonly recruits and deploys underprepared prisoner conscriptions turns out to be the anti-hero who is capable of bringing the fight to Moscow--something non-Russians would be unlikely to risk due to threat of nuclear retaliation.
Though, as the article points out, there is still a risk of nuclear rebutal causing some intense tension as we approach the climax while we unexpectedly root for Prighozen!

2023-06-20 16:23:17

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@npub19kr…8m4r
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you implying that because some professions require being in person (doctors, nurses, police, etc.) that everyone should be working in person? Cause that seems like faulty logic to me.
A more pertinent question is for jobs that didn't need to be in person, how does productivity change when working remotely. Most of the evidence I've seen says working from home is more efficient.
https://www.apollotechnical.com/working-from-home-productivity-statistics/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/05/19/while-ceos-blame-remote-work-for-decreased-productivity-heres-the-bigger-picture/

2023-06-08 16:23:48

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@npub1hpc…hjn3 @npub12qs…c057
Don't forget how Rupert Murdoch (and others) aggressively lobbied across the globe to push news into a for-profit business model.
Previously there had been laws and norms that helped ensure news was somewhat trustworthy and not allowed to blatantly make decisions solely on regard to news organizations self interest.
It's not a shock we run into these problems we people have effectively constructed the system to allow and encourage it.

2023-05-21 14:23:18

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@npub15nq…3um8
I liked the article and the clear message: vote, vote, vote!
There are plenty of excuses not to, many of which the powerful amplify to keep us from voting--from explicit voter suppression to giving the sense that votes don't matter. They do.
Republicans are attacking marginalized groups brazenly and openly. Let this be what lights the fuse to overhaul our broken systems that reward the wealthy at the expense of the powerless.
Vote away the hate. Vote away the hypocrisy. Vote.

2023-05-19 13:12:58

Hey folks. This is my first #FollowFriday post and I want to give a shout out to some intelligent posters who I have had interesting, critical, and nuanced discussions with:
@npub1syd…8ayc
@npub1p72…n5w9
@npub18ue…x887
@npub1qzc…yetl
@npub1z4e…jhuf
@npub1syd…8ayc
@npub1hyg…mem5
Consider giving them a follow if you're into that kind of thing!
And thank you all for helping make my transition to Mastodon a positive experience :)

2023-05-15 16:01:40

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@npub178r…qekt
Why even grade?
While it's not for every teacher, class, or school, I've found moving away from traditional grading has reduced stress for me and my students. Or also seems to greatly increase the learning of useful material for many of my students by allowing them to focus on what is most important to them.
10/10 would recommend!
http://wvupressonline.com/ungrading

2023-05-12 13:00:29

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@npub1h55…jfjp
I've been meaning to do this for a while as CNN's reporting has been steadily going downhill. Glad I waited until the "town hall" to reinforce the idea that it was a terrible move for them--even in the profit-maximizing sense.
The more people that stop viewing in the near future, the better!
https://objstorage.f7it.net/masto1/media_attachments/files/110/355/817/814/727/606/original/2bda110a7d9f8fd2.png