Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Malcolm Rutherford

@captmal.bsky.social

100 followers 120 following 52 posts

Historian of economics. I work on the history of American economics, and institutional economics. Recent interests include the “scam economy” that I think needs more attention and the history of African Americans in the discipline of economics.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 27

Since when can an EO take away a clearly specified constitutional right? Can the next Democratic President pass an EO eliminating gun rights?

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 23

Carney should strongly condemn the unprovoked attack on Iran. Unjustified by US intelligence, Trump got conned by Bibi. Again!

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 22

Netanyahu manipulated Trump perfectly.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 18

So Trump abandoned the G7 to plant a couple of flagpoles.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 15

Tod is the most boring military parade I have ever seen. Troops shambling by and then a single tank followed at a distance by another tank. Wonder who was in charge of that.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 14

Sloppiest marching I have ever seen. How about a little snap?

1 1

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 8

Can’t wait for Trumps big beautiful pile of s**t to hit the fan. Which possible catastrophe do you think will happen first?

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 4

Why can’t news outlets get the difference between the deficit (annual) and the debt (total) into their heads. It’s not that hard.

#econsky

1 7

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Jun 1

I stopped posting in advance of a trip to the US. But that got canceled so now I am back.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 6

More on the scam economy—it is thriving at least!

#econsky

www.cnn.com/2025/04/02/a...

Global scam industry evolving at ‘unprecedented scale’ despite recent crackdown | CNN

Hundreds of men and women stand in rows, divided by nationality, in the courtyard of a white-walled compound, flanked by armed guards in fatigues.

www.cnn.com

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 6

If you want to set the rules it would be good if you or someone in your administration knew a bit of international trade economics instead of this sh*t Navarro is peddling.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 6

Lesotho began making and exporting jeans to the US as a direct result of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (2000) that took duties off certain imports from Africa. Now Lesotho faces 50% tariffs! Nothing like consistent decision making!

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 5

Maybe they should raise their own food standards to those of Europe and Canada. Firing all the food safety people doesn’t help either.

1 4

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 4

That’s what I plan. I also have a nexus card.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 4

So every grant from a government agency has to “support the president’s agenda”? No other criteria allowed?

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 3

Oops. I’m supposed to go to U of Richmond for the HES conference in late June to give a paper on the first generation of African American PhDs in Economics. Wondering if I should go. My topic is kind of DEI!

4 13

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 3

Needs a house vote too!

Reposted by Malcolm Rutherford

hi, no thanks @hmmvryintrstng.bsky.social · Apr 2

james surowiecki has discovered where the completely fabricated trump tariff rate has come from for each country

"...for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us."

Just figured out where these fake tariff rates come from. They didn't actually calculate tariff rates + non-tariff barriers, as they say they did. Instead, for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us.

So we have a $17.9 billion trade deficit with Indonesia. Its exports to us are $28 billion. $17.9/$28 = 64%, which Trump claims is the tariff rate Indonesia charges us. What extraordinary nonsense this is.

460 5.4K 13K

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 2

You know it’s quite hard for governments to make things better quickly, but easy for them to make things worse real fast.
#econsky

2 9 55

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 2

Unfortunately propaganda works.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 1

And as a savings vehicle it is subject to a lot of sudden variation. So one with a substantial amount of risk compared to others.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 1

As a speculative asset it is not a substitute for money or something that is ever going to be popular for making regular transactions. Gold or stocks and shares are not money substitutes and neither is bitcoin.

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Apr 1

Bitcoin is a speculative asset.

3 1

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Mar 30

To be viable a stand alone Canadian car industry would have to export a lot of cars!

2 6

Malcolm Rutherford @captmal.bsky.social · Mar 30

But— no not Mexico!