@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

FantasticalEconomics

@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social

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 #TeachEcon #sustainability #DoughnutEconomics #degrowth

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

Background is my dog, Freya, who is derpily sticking her tongue out while passed out.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

Free_Press, to news
@Free_Press@mstdn.social avatar

BREAKING NEWS 🚨

The Parliament of Lithuania has given their Prime Minister the go-ahead to send troops to Ukraine as part of a training mission.

The Prime Minister of Lithuania is awaiting Ukraine's permission.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@Free_Press

How should we interpret this news of Lithuania planning on sending troops to Ukraine for a training mission?

Is this a sign that the war is about to extend beyond the borders of Ukraine? Is this just a show of support without much meaningful change?

In general, are we at a point where we should want NATO to be drawn into the war or is that just a fast route to Armageddon?

These are the questions I have after seeing this news...

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

"AI Ethics Surpass Human Judgment in New Moral Turing Test"

With everything going on, this does not shock me. Human judgement seems like a pretty low bar right now...

https://scitechdaily.com/ai-ethics-surpass-human-judgment-in-new-moral-turing-test/

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@GhostOnTheHalfShell

Yeah I haven't looked into the specifics of what the Moral Turing Test are.

I imagine philosophers must have some (at least somewhat) reasonable scales and methods to quantify what moral answers are, at the very least.

Whether the LLM actually is doing better moral reasoning or happened to be able to trial-and-error its way to what the researchers wanted to see, I definitely don't have the expertise to say!

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Good people can be tricked into believing awful things.

In a world of weaponized disinformation (highlighted in The Atlantic article), maybe a little compassion for people who believe differently is called for.

We can and should talk through our disagreements to, hopefully, come to a deeper understanding. While we do, please recognize that you, in fact, may be wrong and also that others may be genuinely good, yet misguided.

Kindness is need not be a scarce resource.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/06/china-russia-republican-party-relations/678271/

FantasticalEconomics, to Israel
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

has halted two arms shipments to .

"It is the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that the U.S. has stopped a weapons shipment intended for the Israeli military."

I would hope those on the left recognize this as a tangible improvement in US policy in the region. We can certainly want more and think this is not enough while also recognizing the progress (much of which is likely stemming from the recent pushback and protests).

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/05/israel-us-ammunition-shipment-hold

FantasticalEconomics, to Palestine
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

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 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 and .

Good people can and do disagree, so it may be helpful to tone down the angry rhetoric.

laprice, to random
@laprice@mastodon.social avatar

Musk blowing up one of the most successful business units of his struggling flagship company because he got pushback from a female executive is just hilarious.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@laprice

I don't think I have heard this... Any details on what the pushback was?

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@laprice

I wonder if he is still carrying that sink around to warn people about what is about to happen to the price of the stock...

Thanks for sharing the article! None of that shocks me one bit.

"Sources familiar with the matter describe a difficult situation at Tesla right now. Uncertainty, confusion, and frustration are the main feelings going around the offices."

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@thepoliticalcat

So, I am pretty pro-drug, in general. But when the effects can be seen rippling throughout the entire economy (much less within companies someone owns), I also support some kind of intervention.

At the very least, this seems like it should be information shareholders should have access to this information!

@WhippoorwillSong @laprice

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@thepoliticalcat

That's certainly true. It's hard to imagine many other people getting away with the stunts he's pulled.

@WhippoorwillSong @laprice

Karstan, to random
@Karstan@urbanists.social avatar

I'm obviously not the arbiter on what is or isn't antisemitic hate speech. But I keep seeing vague claims that the protests have been making antisemitic chants, etc. I can't find any details on these supposed chants.

Clearly antisemitism is bad and wrong. But is this just one of those cases where anti-zionism is being mislabeled? Or is there seriously a problem with antisemitism in these protests?

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@Karstan

Much probably comes down to how you define it. If you believe "from the river to the sea" is antisemitic, then absolutely.

I am not fully sure about the history (though I have looked into it a little) and can see arguments on both sides. That said, all of the people, the students, I have talked to seem to be using it a support of Palestine rather than an attack against Jewish people.

But it lives in the gray area where one can interpret it whichever way fits their views, it seems.

shoq, to random
@shoq@mastodon.social avatar

I have to say, the restraint these cops have been showing when clearing these campuses surprises me (thus far). But Alex Wager’s silly performance last night tried to make them sound like storm troopers run amok because “they were wearing full riot gear.” That’s what cops have been wearing in situations like this since the 1970s.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@shoq

Agreed. While being arrested at the Denver protest I complemented the officers on their professionalism for not escalating the situation.

I fully disagree with the call to have cops break up the peaceful protests, but also think we need to give credit to the individuals we see doing the best they can given the situation.

Most of these cops also don't want to be breaking up student protests. I hope those further on the left keep that in mind.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@shoq

That's fair. I am not sure I agree with that definition (even if it is what is set in law) as I think you can disrupt things in a peaceful way.

But you are fully right that it comes down to definitions and is a complex problem of weighing rights/wants of different groups. I certainly do not hold a grudge when folks come down to a different answer to that calculation!

FantasticalEconomics, to Economics
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

“the way bubbles work is structurally identical to Ponzi schemes—what a coincidence!—and indeed it’s another amazing coincidence how much the entire capitalist economy resembles in its basic structure either a Ponzi scheme or a bundle of Ponzi schemes.”

― Kim Stanley Robinson, New York 2140

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

It's so interesting how many people seem to point to images of altercations of cops and protestors as evidence the protests are not peaceful - helmeted cops have been bonked on the head by plastic water bottles, after all.

I also know economists get things wrong by simplifying human behavior into math equations, but bear with me here.

Protesters alone = non-violent
Protesters + cops = violent

It seems strange to draw the conclusion here that the protests are violent. Math doesn't add up.

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

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.

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Who else could use some good news?

"Transgender health care must be paid for by state insurance, says an appeals court" in rulings on cases from West Virginia and North Carolina.

Not sure it'll stand the test of time (or further appeals) but i'll take the win while we have it!

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/29/1247896150/transgender-health-insurance-west-virginia-north-carolina-appeals-court

FantasticalEconomics, to Palestine
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

This is the facial expression of an academic reflecting on if this the proudest moment of his life and deciding, yes, in fact it certainly is.

Thank you to the courages students across all these protests standing up for what they believe is right. I don't agree with everything they say, shout, or stand for, but I will fight for their right to do so.



FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

The Covid pandemic sucked (and continues to suck) and it was sometimes hard to find the silver lining. This is getting even harder as many of the bright spots seem to be rolling back from DEI to remote work and policing to immigration.

The progress in these areas seemed shortlived, if not entirely ephemeral.

https://www.axios.com/2024/04/28/2020-trends-reversed-pandemic-dei

gerrymcgovern, to random
@gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green avatar

“As a society, we have to admit that, despite 50 years of knowledge about the dynamics of the collapse of our life support systems, we have failed to initiate a systematic change to prevent this collapse. It is becoming increasingly clear that, despite technological advances, the change needed to put us on a different trajectory will also require a change in belief systems, mindsets, and the way we organize our society.”

https://tomdispatch.com/eco-collapse-hasnt-happened-yet-but-you-can-see-it-coming/

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@scottmatter

Really like the term "structure-agecy paradox" . Captures it nicely; I'm surprised I haven't come across it before.

And I think there are scales of blame roughly proportional to our individual impact. Yes, everyone who drives is to blame, but not nearly to the extent of the billionaires and BigOil who not only produce an absurdly disproportional amount of carbon but also weild their power to prevent change.

@largess @GhostOnTheHalfShell @gerrymcgovern

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

The world is complex, the issues surrounding the campus protests are no exception. But much of it can be paired down to a simple preference ranking:

Peaceful protestors protesting for peace >?< Private property

By and large, these protests are demanding schools divest from weapons companies profiting from the war; their only crime - prior to police arriving, at least - is setting up tents on campus quads.

You don't actually need to fully agree with every protester to support them.

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Important question: when have large-scale student movements been on the wrong side of history?

I may be biased by my progressive leanings (no, scratch that, I'm definitely heavily biased by them) but it seems like we can reliably look to the young to see the direction we should be moving.

I don't care where you stand politically or your views on the fucked up situation in Gaza, everyone should be standing up to loudly support the rights of students across the globe to protest.

Full stop.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@i_gvf

I'm far from an expert on that example, but I'm not getting the sense it was student-led in any sense.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@i_gvf

During a revolution, some students took part (and did arguably bad things) is very different from student-led, in my book.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@BernieDoesIt

You are totally right. I forgot it's all about the US, which is silly cause I live here and see/hear that mentality all the time.

I must be getting old to forget such an important truth ;)

@i_gvf

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@i_gvf

The question in question was: "when have large-scale student movements been on the wrong side of history?"

For your argument to hold water, you need to make a solid argument for how the revolution in question is good representation of a large-scale student movement.

@BernieDoesIt and I are not yet convinced.

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