Karthik Sankaran
@rajakorman.bsky.social
Bay Area US. Aging macro expat. Cheap lunch guy. 1st to ever rhyme Duce and Juche. Neoliberal peacenik. Has Herder immunity. Virulent vector of dad jokes. 1/3 each phlegm, spleen & dad humors.
Pinned
“The months since April 2 have clarified the multiple contradictory desires of the Trump administration vis-a-vis its position in the global economic hierarchy.”
@rajakorman.bsky.social on Trumponomics, dollar diplomacy, and multipolarity
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/mon...
@rajakorman.bsky.social on Trumponomics, dollar diplomacy, and multipolarity
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/mon...
Monetizing Primacy | Karthik Sankaran
Trumponomics, dollar diplomacy, and multipolarity
www.phenomenalworld.org
I threw everything in here—the dollar, bonds, the future of the defense umbrella, the insistence on centrality, stablecoin, why centrality is not always strength, the evolution of US & global (r,g ) dynamics, and a shoutout to Steven Solomon. But no dad jokes alas.
The 1848 Revolution was destined to fail in Germany as one could hardly expect a Burgerliche Gesellschaft to emerge from a Frankfurter Nationalversammlung.*
*Banger.
*Banger.
November 12, 2025 at 8:05 PM
The 1848 Revolution was destined to fail in Germany as one could hardly expect a Burgerliche Gesellschaft to emerge from a Frankfurter Nationalversammlung.*
*Banger.
*Banger.
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
Also pterosaurs! And of the tetrapods, birds, bats, and pterosaurs all started with a similar body plan but adopted entirely different methods of turning a limb into wings.
Uh, is that super related. I don't know m it's neat though.
Uh, is that super related. I don't know m it's neat though.
November 12, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Also pterosaurs! And of the tetrapods, birds, bats, and pterosaurs all started with a similar body plan but adopted entirely different methods of turning a limb into wings.
Uh, is that super related. I don't know m it's neat though.
Uh, is that super related. I don't know m it's neat though.
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
Whenever the Justice League crosses the multiverse to meet the Avengers, let's just say members Batman, Blue Beetle and Hawkgirl shouldn't be surprised to encounter an institutionally similar team despite wildly different origins.
This may not be an accurate analogy, but the fact that insects, bats, and birds all got wings independently maybe suggests we should not overthink/overextrapolate the similarity of initial conditions supposedly needed to reach certain social, political or economic outcomes?
November 12, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Whenever the Justice League crosses the multiverse to meet the Avengers, let's just say members Batman, Blue Beetle and Hawkgirl shouldn't be surprised to encounter an institutionally similar team despite wildly different origins.
From my QI colleague Dan Ford on the Civil War in Sudan. inkstickmedia.com/the-fall-of-...
The Fall of El-Fasher: Sudan’s Civil War Enters a New Phase
After the paramilitary RSF seized Darfur’s last government-held city, civilians face mass atrocities, while the UAE’s backing highlights the international stakes in Sudan’s fractured conflict.
inkstickmedia.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
From my QI colleague Dan Ford on the Civil War in Sudan. inkstickmedia.com/the-fall-of-...
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
the crab bauplan evolved like five times
November 12, 2025 at 3:57 PM
the crab bauplan evolved like five times
This may not be an accurate analogy, but the fact that insects, bats, and birds all got wings independently maybe suggests we should not overthink/overextrapolate the similarity of initial conditions supposedly needed to reach certain social, political or economic outcomes?
November 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This may not be an accurate analogy, but the fact that insects, bats, and birds all got wings independently maybe suggests we should not overthink/overextrapolate the similarity of initial conditions supposedly needed to reach certain social, political or economic outcomes?
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
With the proviso that I know nothing about this, is the good news that chips from say 4 years ago are really good at doing a lot of AI gruntwork also the bad news that the difficulties for other countries of having 4 year-old chips (or their domestically made equivalent) less of a big deal?
November 11, 2025 at 11:29 PM
With the proviso that I know nothing about this, is the good news that chips from say 4 years ago are really good at doing a lot of AI gruntwork also the bad news that the difficulties for other countries of having 4 year-old chips (or their domestically made equivalent) less of a big deal?
This Friday!
Very excited that on November 14 at 2PM EST, I will moderate a webinar on N. American integration featuring Susan Helper, former Chief Economist at Commerce, Arturo Sarukhan, former MX ambassador to US, & Flavio Volpe, head of CA auto parts manuf. assoc. Join Us!!
quincyinst.org/events/the-u...
quincyinst.org/events/the-u...
The USMCA Review: What Future for North American Economic Integration?
We discuss the future of the USMCA.
quincyinst.org
November 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This Friday!
Argued couple years ago that way to trade the role of CN economy in the world has been to buy the DM beneficiaries of CN’s disinflationary impact or structural monopolies with a regulatory/tech moat against CN competition. So Q is if US AI has a Deep one?
open.substack.com/pub/sankaran...
open.substack.com/pub/sankaran...
November 12, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Argued couple years ago that way to trade the role of CN economy in the world has been to buy the DM beneficiaries of CN’s disinflationary impact or structural monopolies with a regulatory/tech moat against CN competition. So Q is if US AI has a Deep one?
open.substack.com/pub/sankaran...
open.substack.com/pub/sankaran...
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
i also don't think it explains mexico that much? like sure there were monarchies but i'm not aware of any dishes like rendang that were specifically developed for royal feasts
November 12, 2025 at 5:40 AM
i also don't think it explains mexico that much? like sure there were monarchies but i'm not aware of any dishes like rendang that were specifically developed for royal feasts
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
counterpoint: m.youtube.com/watch?v=6y73...
Nothing too Tough | The Backyardigans
From Save the Day Notice: Unavailable in America. Absent: Austin #TheBackyardigans #NickJr #Nickelodeon Blocked by Viacom. Music: - Nothing too Tough Social Media: - https://twitter.com/stornschure - https://forums.rctgo.com/user-32818.html - https://twitch.tv/stornschure - https://steamcommunity.com/id/stornschure2020 Stornschure - 2022
m.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:28 AM
counterpoint: m.youtube.com/watch?v=6y73...
The Doordash index citation is proof that the administration is serious about delivering.
November 12, 2025 at 1:04 AM
The Doordash index citation is proof that the administration is serious about delivering.
Reposted by Karthik Sankaran
Given the way this site hates burrito taxis making DoorDash into a bootleg BLS/Fed is darkly funny
November 12, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Given the way this site hates burrito taxis making DoorDash into a bootleg BLS/Fed is darkly funny
Here is the best song from my favorite show that I used to watch with my kids. And its topical. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvQ-...
Uniqua Stops a Robot on a Rampage! w/ Austin | The Backyardigans
YouTube video by The Backyardigans - Official
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Here is the best song from my favorite show that I used to watch with my kids. And its topical. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvQ-...
With the proviso that I know nothing about this, is the good news that chips from say 4 years ago are really good at doing a lot of AI gruntwork also the bad news that the difficulties for other countries of having 4 year-old chips (or their domestically made equivalent) less of a big deal?
November 11, 2025 at 11:29 PM
With the proviso that I know nothing about this, is the good news that chips from say 4 years ago are really good at doing a lot of AI gruntwork also the bad news that the difficulties for other countries of having 4 year-old chips (or their domestically made equivalent) less of a big deal?
The Wurst is full of passionate intensity.
Rod Dreher putting on a hot dog costume as he sits down to type this out..
November 11, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The Wurst is full of passionate intensity.
Because we are all piling on the hapless guy (and because this is a twofer for me), do you remember when Noah thought Acemoglu invented state capacitu?
November 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Because we are all piling on the hapless guy (and because this is a twofer for me), do you remember when Noah thought Acemoglu invented state capacitu?
I’m no accountant but I think one way to raise Return on Equity when Return on Assets is constant or falling is by issuing more debt?
November 11, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I’m no accountant but I think one way to raise Return on Equity when Return on Assets is constant or falling is by issuing more debt?
James Bond:Jason Bourne::Art Rock:Punk.
November 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
James Bond:Jason Bourne::Art Rock:Punk.
There ain’t no way to hide from Leyen eyes.
EU to set up a new spy unit under Ursula von der Leyen
"The move is opposed by senior officials at the EU’s diplomatic service, who fear it will duplicate the unit’s role and threaten its future"
"The move is opposed by senior officials at the EU’s diplomatic service, who fear it will duplicate the unit’s role and threaten its future"
EU to set up new intelligence unit under Ursula von der Leyen
Body to collate material from national agencies and improve its operational use
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:21 PM
There ain’t no way to hide from Leyen eyes.
How about Option 3?
November 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
How about Option 3?
One hallmark of a good society is that is wary of consigning people to serial hellish experiences of making decisions with huge consequences while typically being on the wrong side of information asymmetry.
Trump: "I want the money to go into an account for people where they buy their own health insurance. It's so good. The insurance will be better. It'll cost less. Everybody is gonna be happy. They're gonna feel like entrepreneurs. They're actually able to go out & negotiate their own insurance"
November 11, 2025 at 12:38 AM
One hallmark of a good society is that is wary of consigning people to serial hellish experiences of making decisions with huge consequences while typically being on the wrong side of information asymmetry.
I’m glad to see the Treasury Secretary agrees with my view that one of the great things about crypto is the ability to stop people out of currency positions over weekends when not even Auckland is in the office.
‘Bitcoin Never Shuts Down’: U.S. Treasury Secretary Marks Anniversary, Needles Democrats
Scott Bessent marked the white paper’s anniversary by lauding bitcoin’s resilience and contrasting it with Washington gridlock, rekindling debate over Treasury’s crypto stance.
#btc #crypto #news
Scott Bessent marked the white paper’s anniversary by lauding bitcoin’s resilience and contrasting it with Washington gridlock, rekindling debate over Treasury’s crypto stance.
#btc #crypto #news
‘Bitcoin Never Shuts Down’: U.S. Treasury Secretary Marks Anniversary, Needles Democrats
Scott Bessent marked the white paper’s anniversary by lauding bitcoin’s resilience and contrasting it with Washington gridlock, rekindling debate over Treasury’s crypto stance.
www.coindesk.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I’m glad to see the Treasury Secretary agrees with my view that one of the great things about crypto is the ability to stop people out of currency positions over weekends when not even Auckland is in the office.