Marc Palen
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mwpalen.bsky.social
Marc Palen
@mwpalen.bsky.social
Historian. Editor, The Imperial & Global Forum. Author, Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691199320/pax-economica. New Yorker “Best Books” list 2024. Financial Times “Best Books of 2024.”
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Wow! My book, Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World (@princetonupress.bsky.social), has just been named one of the 'best books of 2024' by @financialtimes.com. Truly honored to be included.

"This book is an excellent counter to contemporary conventional wisdom."

on.ft.com/3CBEMoc
Best books of 2024: Economics
Martin Wolf selects his must-read titles
on.ft.com
Reposted by Marc Palen
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

Today’s ep in our occasional series about momentous political anniversaries with historian @robertsaunders.bsky.social looks at the life & legacy of Margaret Thatcher 100 years on from her birth. What made Thatcher such a distinctive politician?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by Marc Palen
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
November 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
But is there a mouse worthy enough to wear it?
November 27, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Reposted by Marc Palen
"Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to protect and transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries"

One item on the list:

"Canada will impose a global 25% tariff on targeted imported steel-derivative products such as wind towers, prefabricated buildings, fasteners, and wires."
Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to protect and transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries
Canada’s new government has moved quickly to protect and strengthen the sectors most affected by U.S. tariffs – introducing new measures to help workers gain new skills, support businesses as they mod...
www.pm.gc.ca
November 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
For those who enjoy ebooks on Kindle, it seems that 'Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire' is *massively* discounted today down to $1.99 in the US and £7.99 in the UK. Which feels like a pretty good deal really.

US: www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Ri...

UK: www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Wars-Ri...
November 26, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Pro Publica: Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
The company is run by the husband of Noem’s chief DHS spokesperson and has personal and business ties to Noem and her aides. DHS invoked the “emergency” at the border to skirt competitive bidding rule...
www.propublica.org
November 15, 2025 at 2:45 AM
I joined the IMF podcast to discuss trade’s complex historical relationship to globalization, economic crisis, imperialism, and war. www.imf.org/en/news/podc...

@princetonupress.bsky.social
@uniofexeternews.bsky.social
@shafrhistorians.bsky.social
@uoearchhist.bsky.social
@shgape.bsky.social
Marc Palen on Peace Economics and Trade
www.imf.org
November 26, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by Marc Palen
"If business-as-usual policies worked, America would not be reliant on foreign countries for critical minerals, semiconductors and other products that are key for our national and economic security."

@anaswanson.bsky.social goes deep on the new state capitalism.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
$10 Billion and Counting: Trump Administration Snaps Up Stakes in Private Firms
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
“We’ve tried to not have to do it, but we've got direct orders,” the masked ICE agents told them www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/i...
November 25, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Thank you to @carloscorrochano.xyz for the great questions in this interview for @eldiario.es about Pax Economica

@princetonupress.bsky.social @uniofexeternews.bsky.social @uoearchhist.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Thank you to @carloscorrochano.xyz for the great questions in this interview for @eldiario.es about Pax Economica

@princetonupress.bsky.social @uniofexeternews.bsky.social @uoearchhist.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
"El libre comercio era una pieza esencial en su cosmovisión feminista de un mundo sin guerras ni escasez: había alimentos suficientes para todos, siempre que se distribuyeran libre y equitativamente."
November 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Entrevisto en @eldiario.es a @mwpalen.bsky.social, cuyo libro «Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World» (@princetonupress.bsky.social), reconstruye cómo las izquierdas han lidiado históricamente con el libre comercio, con todos sus límites y tensiones. www.eldiario.es/internaciona...
"La guerra comercial abre la oportunidad para que la izquierda redescubra el potencial del libre comercio"
Frente a la idea dominante que lo identifica con el colonialismo y el neoliberalismo, el historiador Marc-William Palen reconstruye en su libro 'Pax Economica' la idea del librecambismo como proyecto ...
www.eldiario.es
November 23, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Judge rules Trump’s DC National Guard deployment was illegal
Judge rules Trump’s DC National Guard deployment was illegal
The judge postponed the impact of her decision until Dec. 11 to give the Trump administration time to appeal her decision.
dlvr.it
November 20, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.

The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
On this important anniversary, see also Adam Smith's powerful article on Gettysburg and American history. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

As ever, we'd love to hear from authors with planned research articles on 19th C American History. Drop us a line!
November 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
"Higher education generated £24bn in export earnings for the UK in 2022-23, far above aircraft manufacturing with £12bn, legal services with £9.5bn and telecoms with £8.8bn."
#HigherEd
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Less than Greggs? Public have no idea of value of top universities, study finds
Belief that snack chain’s revenues exceed those of Oxford’s one of many misconceptions about UK’s HE sector
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Just dropped off copies of my book to all the East Berlin Kita teachers I thanked in the Acknowledgements and I’ve never been so stressed out about peer review in my life.
November 17, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Remember the recent middle-of-the-night apartment building raid where children were dragged outside naked & zip-tied in the street while black & Latino residents were _sorted by race_ and piled into separate vans while their apartments were ransacked & robbed? That raid? So it resulted in 0 arrests.
November 16, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
At some point, for the love of God, will someone ANYONE at long last take the council funding crisis seriously?!?

Because THIS is what will break down a society, not some poor soul escaping incredible dangers, arriving on our shores.
November 15, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Inspired by and grateful for the brilliant colleagues who have been fighting this case
A huge district court victory for the University of California.

District courts find facts. This one found "overwhelming evidence" that the Trump administration has pervasively violated the First Amendment in its efforts to coerce and intimidate the University of California.

News story here—
‘Unlawful coercion’: Trump can’t withhold funds or demand payment from UC, federal judge rules
A federal judge ruled Donald Trump cannot demand that UCLA pay a $1.2 billion settlement that would have restricted academic freedoms.
calmatters.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
What happens when Trump’s trade wars hit a family-owned North Carolina sawmill.

I took a roadtrip recently for @davidgura.bsky.social’s @bloomberg.com Big Take podcast.
www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2...
Big Take: How Trump Tariffs Ended a Small-Town Sawmill - Bloomberg
Understand every aspect of the global economy – and know how to make your next move.
www.bloomberg.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Marc Palen
Congratulations to Dr Marc Palen @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social, following the award of the Elise M. Boulding Prize in Peace History to his book, Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World (Princeton University Press, 2024).

peacehistorysociety.org/phs2025/awards.php
Peace History Society
peacehistorysociety.org
November 13, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Marc Palen
This is bad. Some thoughts from a TAMU faculty member.

gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
Texas A&M Tightens Rules on Talking About Race and Gender in Classes
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:40 AM