Martijn Konings
@mkonings.bsky.social
Political economist at University of Sydney. Most recent book The Bailout State: Why Governments Rescue Banks, Not People (Polity, 2025). Now working on property and democracy.
This is obviously good news, but Summers' career remains the ultimate illustration of Howard Zinn's simple but profound understanding of the world.
November 20, 2025 at 12:45 AM
This is obviously good news, but Summers' career remains the ultimate illustration of Howard Zinn's simple but profound understanding of the world.
Courtyard lawn finally done but giving off real R&R vibes
November 19, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Courtyard lawn finally done but giving off real R&R vibes
Great piece but missing something, I feel: progressives need to better understand the MAGA mindset not primarily so we can "strategize" more effectively, but as a way to engage our own blind spots (our attachment to the institutions that gave rise to Trump).
lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-mo...
lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-mo...
November 16, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Great piece but missing something, I feel: progressives need to better understand the MAGA mindset not primarily so we can "strategize" more effectively, but as a way to engage our own blind spots (our attachment to the institutions that gave rise to Trump).
lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-mo...
lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-mo...
Omg this is it how didn't we see it - Summers is just executing a perfect plan to become the next Fed chair
prospect.org/2020/07/13/f...
prospect.org/2020/07/13/f...
November 15, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Omg this is it how didn't we see it - Summers is just executing a perfect plan to become the next Fed chair
prospect.org/2020/07/13/f...
prospect.org/2020/07/13/f...
Still reading, but Fintech Dystopia fintechdystopia.com by @profhilaryallen.bsky.social is very good - cuts through all the noise very effectively. Adorno's perfect beach read.
November 14, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Still reading, but Fintech Dystopia fintechdystopia.com by @profhilaryallen.bsky.social is very good - cuts through all the noise very effectively. Adorno's perfect beach read.
This rephrasing by Tooze ("order" --> "ordering") captures so precisely the critical intellectual climate that is emerging in response to the perceived end of neoliberalism. I am mostly on board and it's a good recipe for writing compelling history, but I can't help but have baby/bathwater concerns.
November 13, 2025 at 4:28 AM
This rephrasing by Tooze ("order" --> "ordering") captures so precisely the critical intellectual climate that is emerging in response to the perceived end of neoliberalism. I am mostly on board and it's a good recipe for writing compelling history, but I can't help but have baby/bathwater concerns.
The mysterious force of "secular stagnation" at work...
November 10, 2025 at 9:25 PM
The mysterious force of "secular stagnation" at work...
I like this play on the enshittification concept, but are we just talking about the fact that postwar Keynesianism and social democracy never managed to escape the logic of artificial scarcity and so got caught in playing off insider-outsider logics ...
www.levyinstitute.org/wp-content/u...
www.levyinstitute.org/wp-content/u...
November 9, 2025 at 1:43 AM
I like this play on the enshittification concept, but are we just talking about the fact that postwar Keynesianism and social democracy never managed to escape the logic of artificial scarcity and so got caught in playing off insider-outsider logics ...
www.levyinstitute.org/wp-content/u...
www.levyinstitute.org/wp-content/u...
How I think Minsky would have demolished the secular stagnation thesis:
November 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
How I think Minsky would have demolished the secular stagnation thesis:
It's genuinely strange even the most sober commentators don't see the obvious tension between independence and accountability.
www.ft.com/content/e2db...
www.ft.com/content/e2db...
November 4, 2025 at 11:46 PM
It's genuinely strange even the most sober commentators don't see the obvious tension between independence and accountability.
www.ft.com/content/e2db...
www.ft.com/content/e2db...
November 4, 2025 at 10:49 AM
This is like trying to explain my work on the Federal Reserve to family and they instantly assume I'm channeling Ron Paul.
November 3, 2025 at 9:25 PM
This is like trying to explain my work on the Federal Reserve to family and they instantly assume I'm channeling Ron Paul.
This is just such a truly profound book.
November 3, 2025 at 12:25 AM
This is just such a truly profound book.
From Massumi's theses on contemporary fascism - this is so crucial and so poorly understood.
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
November 1, 2025 at 1:47 AM
From Massumi's theses on contemporary fascism - this is so crucial and so poorly understood.
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
Academia scaling new heights...
November 1, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Academia scaling new heights...
Have any critical social science people read or engaged with this remarkable business book? It's extremely relevant to understanding the logic of the permanent bailout regime but I can't really find any good critical discussion of it.
October 11, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Have any critical social science people read or engaged with this remarkable business book? It's extremely relevant to understanding the logic of the permanent bailout regime but I can't really find any good critical discussion of it.
Political economists always want credit for having predicted past financial crises. I, however, simply want some recognition for the fact that I realized Dr Phil was a fascist when he was still in Oprah's benevolent orbit.
August 11, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Political economists always want credit for having predicted past financial crises. I, however, simply want some recognition for the fact that I realized Dr Phil was a fascist when he was still in Oprah's benevolent orbit.
How is this not decisive, rock-solid evidence that you can't understand contemporary politics without psychoanalysis?
June 25, 2025 at 10:59 PM
How is this not decisive, rock-solid evidence that you can't understand contemporary politics without psychoanalysis?
New article out in Capitalism:
“Making Money Modern: Keynesianism and the Search for Noninflationary Growth” - on the bailout state, rentierism, austerity, MMT, and Minsky’s Keynes.
DM or email if you can’t access but would like a copy!
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
“Making Money Modern: Keynesianism and the Search for Noninflationary Growth” - on the bailout state, rentierism, austerity, MMT, and Minsky’s Keynes.
DM or email if you can’t access but would like a copy!
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
June 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM
New article out in Capitalism:
“Making Money Modern: Keynesianism and the Search for Noninflationary Growth” - on the bailout state, rentierism, austerity, MMT, and Minsky’s Keynes.
DM or email if you can’t access but would like a copy!
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
“Making Money Modern: Keynesianism and the Search for Noninflationary Growth” - on the bailout state, rentierism, austerity, MMT, and Minsky’s Keynes.
DM or email if you can’t access but would like a copy!
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
"superhighway for corruption"
June 19, 2025 at 12:10 AM
"superhighway for corruption"
On continuity of neoliberalism and Keynesianism:
May 31, 2025 at 12:34 AM
On continuity of neoliberalism and Keynesianism:
Test: if you can read this headline without combusting, you're ok.
May 26, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Test: if you can read this headline without combusting, you're ok.
Dear NYT,
I don't think the profits are objectively greater than the outrage; it's just that Trump cares more about the one than the other. It would be great if your headlines could capture such nuance.
Sincerely
I don't think the profits are objectively greater than the outrage; it's just that Trump cares more about the one than the other. It would be great if your headlines could capture such nuance.
Sincerely
May 26, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Dear NYT,
I don't think the profits are objectively greater than the outrage; it's just that Trump cares more about the one than the other. It would be great if your headlines could capture such nuance.
Sincerely
I don't think the profits are objectively greater than the outrage; it's just that Trump cares more about the one than the other. It would be great if your headlines could capture such nuance.
Sincerely
Also, what is this weird styling of Trump's name - I don't think I've ever seen that before. Maga royalism?
May 25, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Also, what is this weird styling of Trump's name - I don't think I've ever seen that before. Maga royalism?
So torn - I try not to buy garbage but I really want to read the whole argument about high top marginal tax rates caused the Great Depression. What to do?
May 25, 2025 at 3:23 AM
So torn - I try not to buy garbage but I really want to read the whole argument about high top marginal tax rates caused the Great Depression. What to do?