Real life Angus from “Ferdinand”

“Capitalism kills” Not with… #M4A #ProgressiveTax #Regulations #Unions #PublicGoods #SafetyNets #NordicModel

Universal (Single Payer) Health insurance is needed now. #M4A #MedicareForAll #PublicGood #SafetyNet #NordicModel #Econsky

U.S. Food Spending Middle 20% ‘84-‘23 (max range available) Food at Home Food Away from Home Income After Taxes 1984 1,927 (11.3%), 1,222 (7.2%), 17,068 2019 4,422 (8.3%), 3,084 (5.8%), 53,123 2023 5,756 (8.6%), 3,234 (4.9%), 66,606 This is better, not worse. (Missing 2024-2025 #s) #Econsky

Many “facts” are true but exaggerated. If mean food was 23.02% of mean disposable income in 1947, 11.21% ‘23 but 9.47% ‘20, it is up. But food at home is much less so; there is more food away from home. & types of food spending is also not equal over time. The last 50 years is lowest ever. #Econsky

The goal isn’t a “more equal society.” It is at minimum being paid enough to pay all needs & at maximum being paid the actual full value of your labor. As it has always been, people are paid the lowest possible that an employer can manipulate someone to take. #Inequality #LivingWage #Econsky

This makes sense if food wasn’t a long-term declining % of disposable income. Food at home is not up; but a historical low. #Econsky

That would be second worst all-time after The Great Depression. Unlikely. 35-50% is much more likely. #Econsky

When did political polarization worsen? Part 2 Party over policy. Ideologic values over specific policy. www.pewresearch.org/politics/201...

When did political polarization worsen? This shows it improved to the least in recent history around The Great Depression, ~1929, slowly worsened to ~1990 & polarization has been pulled sharply by extremism after; the last ~35 years (though this is truncated.) legacy.voteview.com/political_po...

Hearing opposing views checks bias, exposes blind spots, tests beliefs, improves decisions & keeps democracy healthy by ensuring no view goes unchallenged. It makes us AND outcomes of our ideas better. #NoBias #FactsNotOpinions

Communism abolishes market prices, but planners can’t match prices’ dispersed-knowledge function. Without real prices, allocation fails, causing shortages, waste & stagnation. Communism lacks a workable coordination mechanism. 1/

Anger solutions: Engage in low-arousal activities. (Yoga, breathing) Check your causal attributions. (External to the person instead of “they are bad.”) Gather new information: What don't I know? Consider your actions. #AGoodPlace

Excellent. False causal attributions make more anger & venting doesn’t work but worsens. 15 mins youtu.be/A6hzHov7Kng?...

None of us should be promoting more bias & more division.

You are not a tiny drop in a vast ocean, but an entire ocean put into one drop. (?) #AGoodPlace

You’re making a strawman & simply promoting bias & division. Spencer Cox wants to end demonizing groups & tribalism, advocating for a choice to move away from hatred & use open discourse to have leaders represent ALL the people WHILE denouncing acts on HIS SIDE.

Surely, Feeding America is flawed but it is a 4/4 star & 95/100% charity by www.charitynavigator.org Criticize the 5% lacking ideal, but it is one of the top GOOD charities. The hypercriticism here is abhorrent.

Poorest 10% equivalized spending 2024 per person per day (Norway was 165% U.S.) Norway $42.48 Denmark $35.30 Iceland $33.85 Finland $31.50 Sweden $26.45 United States $25.81 #Inequality #PublicGoods #SafetyNets #ProgressiveTaxation #NordicModel #Econsky

How business is done in real life by Mr. Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) #Econsky youtube.com/shorts/CUpfe...

@startswithabang.bsky.social Understanding quantum mechanics. youtube.com/shorts/jGHk6...

"If your country opens a Department of War and closes the Department of Education then you live in a shithole." -𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝟿𝟾%

In an NPR interview, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox says he’d like to work with progressives in the “abundance” movement who talk of a more active and effective government.

Blackbird was based on Bach #MusicSky #TheBeatles youtube.com/shorts/OamF7...

Utah’s Spencer Cox on NPR: “We keep thinking if we just win this election, we’ll never have to work with those people. And the Constitution says that we will always have to work with those people. That’s that’s how this gets done. We have to build coalitions.” youtu.be/eQazNnpPAeM?...

Rescued animals seeing their humans again. #AGoodPlace youtube.com/shorts/In8gn...

Moms! youtube.com/shorts/0s40L...

Universal healthcare: Projected 68k lives/yr & $450B/yr saved $1 SNAP = $1.5–1.8 in more economic activity Expanded Child Tax Credit: cut SPM child poverty to record 5.2%; after ‘22 change rose to 12.4% Min wage: $1/hr increase = 3-6% lower suicide rates of low-income, less-educated #Econsky

“Addicted to outrage” We are joining “Unhealthy tribes” Spencer Cox “gets it.” 35 mins (2X speed is half that) Thank you @npr.org & @steveinskeep.bsky.social

Median income after taxes & transfers or consumption per day per capita 2025 net inflation & costs between countries. Poverty Lines #Econsky

Median income after taxes & transfers or consumption per day per capita net inflation & costs between top countries, 1980, 1995, 2010, 2025 (pics) U.S., rank, $ per capita after tax & transfer (inflation & cost adjusted) 1980, 2, $47.31 1995, 4, $53.02 2010, 5, $58.55 2025, 5, $70.00 #Econsky

Median income after taxes & transfers or consumption per day per capita 2025 net inflation & costs between countries. Luxembourg Norway Switzerland Austria 5. U.S. Netherlands Germany Canada Belgium Denmark Australia France Finland Sweden U.K. S. Korea Malta Cyprus Ireland Slovenia #Econsky

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack #MusicSky youtu.be/ndnvgBdPms0?...

With MTGs 5 years of service, her monthly pension when she starts collecting (at age 62) is estimated to be about $726.42 per month. I was curious what 5 years of Congressional work yields. #Econsky

Product market regulation (PMR) Competition & pro-competition regulations are vital to foster innovation, business dynamism, productivity, investment & employment. OECD PMR indicators have been the leading metric of pro-competitive regulatory settings. #Econsky #Regulations #NordicModel

PMR 2023 values of the economy-wide indicator. Scale from 0 (most competition-friendly regulatory set-up) to 6 (least competition-friendly) U.S. 36th best of 54 countries. Top 10 Sweden Lithuania UK Ireland Estonia Netherlands Norway Finland Denmark Poland #Econsky #Regulations #NordicModel

“Decline in scores” PIAAC (adult testing) shows that scores are worsening for all age groups too. There is something going on that is not explained by so called “bad Public Schools.” And no, it isn’t aging either. #EduSky #EconSky nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaa...

#MusicSky youtu.be/VOgFZfRVaww?...

Sometimes Bluesky feels like this: youtube.com/shorts/Fozs_...

If “class consciousness” = accepting without question & with forced conformity, it’s not consciousness, but dogma. It’s supposed to reveal power structures, not serve as a loyalty oath. Calling criticism a “failure of class consciousness” turns Marxism into an unfalsifiable religion. #NordicModel

U.S. Unemployment = UP/FLAT Inflation = UP/FLAT Real wages = UP Jobs = DOWN/FLAT #Econsky

“I like blueberry pancakes.” “YOU’RE A WAFFLE-HATER!” (Every day at Bluesky)

Ever wanted to know just what is stereophonic sound on your record player / turntable? Well then, this inner lp sleeve from RCA will tell you all about it!

Labor time needed for each individual to fulfill all basic needs (food, shelter, etc) if all done by self: 60-80+ hours per week. Those complaining of laboring 40 hours (usually mental, not physical labor) for a stored value ($) for needs, miss this fact. We specialized for efficiency & quality.

Humans = animals. Animals = basic needs. Basic needs = filled on whim or future-planning (excess, stored value: profit.) A squirrel gets nuts from labor & hoards excess to buffer the winter. Squirrels shouldn’t steal neighbor’s labor or nuts. Societal rules prevent THIS, not ALL profit. #Econsky

“Property” & “profit” solve resource-allocation problems. “Democracy” solves power problems. It keeps influence dispersed, corrects failures, prevents domination & preserves the freedom to revise the system itself. #Econsky #NordicModel #Regulations #PublicGoods #SafetyNets #FlawedButFixable

Democracy lets citizens mold Property rights: what is owned, how protected & where needs limits/commons Profit rules: taxes, competition policy, safety nets & abuse guardrails Power: Stop the State from being “other” that monopolizes influence Redistribution: Address market failures #Econsky

Democracy determines who controls property rules, profit incentives & enforcement of influence. Property & profit evolve from surplus & need to coordinate scarce resources. Democracy provides mechanism for deciding HOW those systems are constrained, corrected or distributed. #Econsky #NordicModel

“Property” is a coordination tool born of surplus. “Profit” is the surplus signal & incentive that helps allocate scarce, durable resources. Critics target concentrated control but underestimate knowledge, incentive & coordination problems that any alternative must solve. #Econsky #NordicModel