John McLaren

@johnmclaren.bsky.social

2.3K followers 850 following 1.6K posts

Economist, classical music nerd, and family man.

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Economics 44%

Political science 23%

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John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · Apr 4

I'm seeing a huge spike in interest in tariffs from people who normally don't work in the economics of international trade. Here are a few useful things to know about them. (1/14)

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1h

I'd say that Mao is a pretty good analogue. Amartya Sen makes a great argument that millions died during the manufactured famine of the Great Leap Forward because no-one locally wanted to send bad news to the regional party heads and no-one at the regional level wanted to send bad news to Mao.

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1h

(Heh heh heh.)

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 2h

(I see what you did there.)

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 4h

Very much the same thing.

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 7h

The hero we need, not the hero we deserve.

Rory Stolzenberg @rorystolzenberg.bsky.social · 19h

Greenwood: vhbexternalfiles.blob.core.windows.net/vmr/vmr-076-...

Afton: vhbexternalfiles.blob.core.windows.net/vmr/vmr-076-...

Evaluation Criteria: vhbexternalfiles.blob.core.windows.net/vmr/vmr-076-...

Overview image: snapdatab2.seekbeak.com/teams/G6DMkX...

Overview of all the route options in the individual pdfs, with ~3 options per segment

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 8h

Never forget his previous hall-of-fame dumb comment, on a Dyson sphere to power data centers in twenty years! These guys really are dumb.

bsky.app/profile/josh...

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Aug 20

I had not heard until yesterday that OpenAI's Sam Altman has repeatedly said that in the next couple decades we'll be building a Dyson Sphere to surround the entire solar system and harvest the energy of the Sun for next level super intelligence. This is only slightly less absurd to

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 8h

I’ve now seen this post with my own eyes but I still can’t believe it’s real.

How could he think this?

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 8h

Mind you, I think we already had some excellent candidates! But Tom is of course great.

Reposted by John McLaren

Andy Orban @andyorban.bsky.social · 9h

Hey Cville Council, just take them all down

DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 18h

' Eyes off Eugene organizer Ky Fireside said the discovery supports the oversight issues that community members have been talking about for months.

“The police don't have control over these devices,” said Fireside. “The company has control over it.” '

#deflock #surveillance #alpr #flocksafety

Data shows Flock tracked Eugene vehicles weeks after the city asked it to stop

Some Flock cameras in Eugene may have been online several weeks after the city ordered them to be turned off.

www.klcc.org

Reposted by John McLaren, Jon Green

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 9h

Former Rep. Tom Perriello, a Virginia Democrat who won his sole term in a huge 2008 upset, unexpectedly announces campaign against GOP Rep. John McGuire. Trump carried the current version of #VA05 56-43, but it could look a lot different if Democrats convince voters to approve a new map this spring.

Tom Perriello For Congress Launch Video

YouTube video by Tom Perriello

www.youtube.com

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 17h

I see what you mean, and I don’t think I would have guessed that it was Mahler. On the other hand, the tone is really not that different from the drinking song in Das Lied Von der Erde.

Reposted by John McLaren

Rory Stolzenberg @rorystolzenberg.bsky.social · 19h

Reposted by John McLaren, Timothy D. McBride

Congressman Bobby Scott @bobbyscott.house.gov · 1d

Every House Democrat has signed a discharge petition to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

We only need a few House Republicans to join us and save health care for millions of Americans.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 6d

Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans pay for health insurance will expire in less than a month.

Households will probably face spiking insurance costs next year if a bipartisan deal can’t be reached.

Health insurance costs could spike, as bipartisan ACA deal looks less likely

With a ticking clock and no clear bipartisan path forward, extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies is becoming more challenging.

www.washingtonpost.com

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, I was a bit annoyed when an aide said: "Shall we put a pin in it for today, sir?"

One the other hand, I thought this was a wonderful line given to Garfield that sounded legit:

"I have been known to deprecate war, but if it comes to my door, it will find me at home."

Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 1d

They're using the confinement box, one of the most horrific methods of CIA torture in the post-9/11 black sites, against migrants now. This is the direct result of the lack of consequences for the architects of the torture program. Either there will be criminal penalties for this or it will expand.

Torture Techniques from CIA Black Sites Were Used at Alligator Alcatraz

Amnesty International, interviewing migrant detainees, identifies use of the confinement box. There can be no denying it is a torture prison

www.forever-wars.com

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, and I think it's important to get a virgin to portray Bolsonaro, because of his purity.

Reposted by John McLaren, Bryan D. Jones, David Darmofal

Kevin Morris @kevintmorris.bsky.social · 1d

New from Michael Miller and me at @thejop.bsky.social: Evidence that, in most areas that were affected by the decision, the Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act in 2013 (Shelby County v Holder) increased the racial turnout gap. A thread...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

Reposted by John McLaren

cvilledems.bsky.social @cvilledems.bsky.social · 1d

We were going to say something about stopped clocks, but you can probably figure it out.

bluevirginia.us/2025/12/audi...

Audio: Fmr. VA Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Conservative Republican Who Served in the Military, Says What Hegseth et al Are Doing Is a “War Crime” IF It’s a War, “Straight-Up Murder” If It’s Not a War

In stark contrast to lawless, sadistic, unAmerican U.S. Senators like far-right-Republican Tom Cotton (who insanely said "the first strike, the second strike, and the third and the fourth strike on Se...

bluevirginia.us

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent!

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1d

Wow. Did not know about this. Thank you. Does seem like something Katrina could do something about!

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 1d

Is this currently illegal? Or is it just not available at Costco?

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 2d

Next time!

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 2d

We were on some country roads yesterday. They were really scenic in the fog!

A line of trees across a snowy field, barely visible through the snowy fog.

John McLaren @johnmclaren.bsky.social · 2d

Hey, pixelate that thing.

Reposted by John McLaren

cvilledems.bsky.social @cvilledems.bsky.social · 2d

The world watches and shakes its head in horrified disbelief.

Reposted by John McLaren

Delegate Katrina Callsen @katrinacallsen.com · 2d

Thank you to everyone who joined me, @creighdeeds.bsky.social, and @cvilledems.bsky.social for cookies and convo. Appreciate all the input before we head to Richmond next month!