Simon Lester
@simonlester.com
Founded WorldTradeLaw.net & ChinaTradeMonitor.com Non-Resident Fellow @bakerinstitute.bsky.social
Trade Policy feed: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xqzu2eazvxb5fohoc4nap33y/feed/aaab5ctu4u4fc
Trade Policy feed: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xqzu2eazvxb5fohoc4nap33y/feed/aaab5ctu4u4fc
Why do so many people want to pretend Trump has non-interventionist instincts? Where does this pretending get us? Just be honest about what his foreign policy views are and argue against them. Sheesh.
January 5, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Why do so many people want to pretend Trump has non-interventionist instincts? Where does this pretending get us? Just be honest about what his foreign policy views are and argue against them. Sheesh.
I confess that I did not anticipate the direction this headline was going
January 5, 2026 at 2:49 PM
I confess that I did not anticipate the direction this headline was going
From the other site, this is an interesting post on the Heritage to AAF staff exodus
December 23, 2025 at 3:28 PM
From the other site, this is an interesting post on the Heritage to AAF staff exodus
US Trade Rep. Greer's statement to Congress on USMCA renewal provides some support for the view that Mexico's recent tariff increase on non-FTA partners (including China) was carried out in response to US demands.
ustr.gov/sites/defaul...
ustr.gov/sites/defaul...
December 17, 2025 at 11:54 PM
US Trade Rep. Greer's statement to Congress on USMCA renewal provides some support for the view that Mexico's recent tariff increase on non-FTA partners (including China) was carried out in response to US demands.
ustr.gov/sites/defaul...
ustr.gov/sites/defaul...
Dueling free trade shirts, from @scottlincicome.bsky.social and @rajakorman.bsky.social. Now I just need the one @mcopelov.bsky.social wears to complete the set!
December 17, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Dueling free trade shirts, from @scottlincicome.bsky.social and @rajakorman.bsky.social. Now I just need the one @mcopelov.bsky.social wears to complete the set!
Also: "China’s trade surplus was declining before high U.S. tariffs were imposed, and it has soared since then"
December 16, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Also: "China’s trade surplus was declining before high U.S. tariffs were imposed, and it has soared since then"
They are still mad about Colin Kaepernick exercising his free speech rights.
December 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
They are still mad about Colin Kaepernick exercising his free speech rights.
Most of this article is behind a paywall, but based on the part I can see, there's no doubt she should have been fired.
December 12, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Most of this article is behind a paywall, but based on the part I can see, there's no doubt she should have been fired.
Good luck navigating 27 national tech regulatory regimes.
December 6, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Good luck navigating 27 national tech regulatory regimes.
People seem very concerned by algorithms, and I agree that algorithms can be a problem and should generally be avoided, but I think there are much better approaches to this than a social media ban for teens.
wapo.st/4rMnkCD
wapo.st/4rMnkCD
December 5, 2025 at 1:24 PM
People seem very concerned by algorithms, and I agree that algorithms can be a problem and should generally be avoided, but I think there are much better approaches to this than a social media ban for teens.
wapo.st/4rMnkCD
wapo.st/4rMnkCD
Yes, how can we go back to the carefree 1980s when no one worried about anything 🙃
December 2, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Yes, how can we go back to the carefree 1980s when no one worried about anything 🙃
Some people are still invested in the "Donald could be a Dove" theory. At this point, it's hard to imagine anything that will get them off this. I mean, he may not be a hawk in the traditional ways, but he's still wildly hawkish.
November 29, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Some people are still invested in the "Donald could be a Dove" theory. At this point, it's hard to imagine anything that will get them off this. I mean, he may not be a hawk in the traditional ways, but he's still wildly hawkish.
It's been asked many times, but what did people think the "mass deportation now" signs meant?
November 29, 2025 at 1:29 PM
It's been asked many times, but what did people think the "mass deportation now" signs meant?
I understand why people are excited about this poll, but for a midterm reality check, here are some party favorability numbers. 😬
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I understand why people are excited about this poll, but for a midterm reality check, here are some party favorability numbers. 😬
Can the right and left "populists" unite around a platform of confederate flags and vigorous antitrust enforcement, or whatever it is Stoller is imagining here? I'm skeptical!
November 22, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Can the right and left "populists" unite around a platform of confederate flags and vigorous antitrust enforcement, or whatever it is Stoller is imagining here? I'm skeptical!
I have little confidence these new cookie rules will be effective, but it would be nice if the EU could fix the problems they caused with constant cookie preference clicking.
November 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I have little confidence these new cookie rules will be effective, but it would be nice if the EU could fix the problems they caused with constant cookie preference clicking.
In honor of more publications showing the bad judgement to publish Hanania, I thought I would point people to his (not exactly surprising!) take on Larry Summers.
November 18, 2025 at 5:03 PM
In honor of more publications showing the bad judgement to publish Hanania, I thought I would point people to his (not exactly surprising!) take on Larry Summers.
On this Simon Bazelon popularist thing, I'd be surprised if their poll questions were well-designed, but even if they were, most of the areas where the Democrats are supposedly unpopular involve positions that most Democratic politicians don't hold, so problem solved I guess.
November 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
On this Simon Bazelon popularist thing, I'd be surprised if their poll questions were well-designed, but even if they were, most of the areas where the Democrats are supposedly unpopular involve positions that most Democratic politicians don't hold, so problem solved I guess.
The White House thinks the decline in US exports of education services is good and is celebrating it. 🙄
November 17, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The White House thinks the decline in US exports of education services is good and is celebrating it. 🙄
You hear this sort of thing a lot from Democrats critiquing the Democratic party, but unless they offer specifics on what language or policies they have in mind, it's hard to know what to do with it.
November 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
You hear this sort of thing a lot from Democrats critiquing the Democratic party, but unless they offer specifics on what language or policies they have in mind, it's hard to know what to do with it.
People need to realize their ideas about past "middle class prosperity" are mostly nonsense.
November 9, 2025 at 12:22 AM
People need to realize their ideas about past "middle class prosperity" are mostly nonsense.
Apparently @economist.com has an AI tool called SCOTUSbot that it used to analyze the IEEPA tariff cases, and while I like the predicted result, I'm not convinced this adds any value.
November 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Apparently @economist.com has an AI tool called SCOTUSbot that it used to analyze the IEEPA tariff cases, and while I like the predicted result, I'm not convinced this adds any value.
Rick Scott has weighed in to provide some more details on the Trump health plan that won't work.
November 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Rick Scott has weighed in to provide some more details on the Trump health plan that won't work.
With the caveat that Winsome Earle-Sears seemed like a candidate engineered by a top team of political scientists to lose this election, 57%-42% is ... wow.
November 5, 2025 at 11:52 AM
With the caveat that Winsome Earle-Sears seemed like a candidate engineered by a top team of political scientists to lose this election, 57%-42% is ... wow.
All eyes will be on the statewide races in VA (and NJ), but on the other site Dave Wasserman tells us to look at the Virginia House races too (not sure how quickly we will get those results).
November 4, 2025 at 11:48 PM
All eyes will be on the statewide races in VA (and NJ), but on the other site Dave Wasserman tells us to look at the Virginia House races too (not sure how quickly we will get those results).