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Conrad Copeland

@conradcopeland.bsky.social
1.6K followers 610 following 226 posts

Economist interested in macro, trade, int econ, econ hist | UCL researcher | formerly OBR, UBristol, NYU, Columbia, UBC | Drinker of tea, particularly green | 🇨🇦 -> 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026
"There are economists who study numbers, and then there are economists who ask what the numbers are hiding. Opoku-Agyeman has built her work around that distinction." WOW. 🥹 Grateful to The IMPACT Magazine for the kindest profile of #TheDoubleTax and me. Black-owned media FTW. #blacksky
theimpactmagazine.com
The Cost of Being a Black Woman in America Is More Than a Pay Gap: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman Is Measuring the Double Tax
There are economists who study numbers, and then there are economists who ask what the numbers are hiding. Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman has built her work around that distinction. A doctoral candidate …
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 26/09/2026
I disagree with much of this by @modernlockey.bsky.social, but I think the points he makes tell us something interesting about the shortcomings of the Starmer project and the problems that Labour faces today.
futureoftheleft.substack.com
What is politics for?
Do we still live in a material world?
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The dichotomy between ‘material’ and ‘cultural’ concerns is false. It misses the very fundamental point that rights are material concerns of a person. There is nothing more material than personal security, the right to a family existence, and expression without fear of retaliation.
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Polling Canada @canadianpolling.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
To hell with the Americans, as 72% say we should have a closer relationship with the EU, even if that means a less close relationship with the US
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
while the British Academy is using partial randomisation on its small grants -- and awarding more women/and POC researchers than ever before -- UKRI is feeding your painstakingly-developed proposal into an AI. But it's okay because they then get *two* AIs to debate whether you get the money.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This whole fiasco (and frankly all recent US trade policy) reveals a fundamental misunderstanding by Trump (and seemingly within the US government) about how trade works: countries do not ‘buy’ goods from other countries sg.news.yahoo.com/trump-says-u...
sg.news.yahoo.com
Trump says US will keep buying Canadian potash, Belarus would sell at lower price
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 () - US President Donald Trump, asked on ‌Tuesday about a potential deal ‌to purchase potash from Belarus, said the US ​would continue buying from Canada but Belarus would like...
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sometimes I wonder if realists live in the same reality as the rest of us. They look at social science ideologically, not empirically, and it shows They simply cannot escape their own priors on the US, China, the EU, global cooperation, and black box states foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/08/c...
foreignpolicy.com
The World’s Only Real Hope of Maintaining Order
A proposal for a new international system that is at once centralized and regionalized.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Not enough people are talking about this. The risk these ‘mistakes’ pose is far too great. How many of these close calls need to happen before we rein this in?
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Not only have realists been wrong on every prediction up until this point, now that a US administration is actually starting to implement some of their disastrous ideas they are either crying foul (“no, not like that”) or lamenting the outcome as “unfortunate” foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/19/r...
foreignpolicy.com
Realism Is Unrealistic
How useful is a theory about power that consistently fails to explain what the world’s most powerful country does?
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Relocation is one of many long-overdue reforms for the IMF and other international institutions
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
“…now folks like Kenney are shocked, absolutely shocked, to find that their own membership has been radicalized by a deliberate and concerted attempt to radicalize them.” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/09/09/o...
nationalobserver.com
The Conservative civil war has only just begun
Pierre Poilievre practises a form of digital-first, anger-driven politics that nearly took him to the pinnacle of Canadian politics. Now it might be about to drag his entire political movement down.
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 05/09/2026
UN votes to put more accurate Africa on the map
irishtimes.com
UN votes to put more accurate Africa on the map
UN adopts new world map that shows Africa’s true scale, US only country to vote against ‘superfluous’ resolution
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 02/09/2026
Dutch central bank moves gold bars out of New York over ‘geopolitical unrest’ ft.trib.al/dpjubIo
ft.trib.al
Dutch central bank moves gold bars out of New York over ‘geopolitical unrest’
DNB prefers London over the US city, pointing to better ‘tradeability’ of bullion
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I wonder if seeing troops on the streets will encourage the AEA to stand up for the “thousands of economists from around the world” it uses to bolster its reputation. How many colleagues will be denied visa’s or risk being detained by holding it in DC? Global economics needs to be accessible to all
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This and the lack of any breadth of knowledge whatsoever are the biggest differences I noticed in undergrads in the UK vs Canada
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Oh look, another @economist.com hit-piece against someone who questions the value of AI. This time with a special feature of pretending Noah Smith has credibility
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Devolved Election Projections @devolvedelections.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Our new Scottish Indy Calculator is out today in the @scotnational.bsky.social, move the sliders to shift party supporters and demographics one way or the other. devolvedelections.co.uk/scottish-ind... www.thenational.scot/news/2646638...
thenational.scot
New interactive polling tool maps how Scottish independence can be won or lost
A NEW polling tool which maps out how Scottish independence could be won or lost has been launched ...
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Only in the UK could speakers of the most dominant language in world history imagine they are threatened because some people want/enjoy being able to speak other languages in addition to English…
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
This is pretty rich coming from the leader and party that ran an election campaign on rolling over for the US nationalnewswatch.com/2026/08/09/c...
nationalnewswatch.com
Conservatives tell Carney to show 'backbone' as trade team heads back…
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Using government-linked companies to further imperial aims needs to be resisted. Companies need consequences when they take illegal action. Greenland must protect its conservation areas and its sovereignty 🇬🇱 www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Greenland issues ‘strong warning’ as Trump-linked oil firm prepares to drill
Island’s government says no approval given after Greenland Energy brings kit ashore for exploratory drilling
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Alcohol bans should all stay in place until tariffs are fully lifted. The feds need to be stronger on this. Fiddling with supply management, starting to sell US alcohol in government stores, and refusing to think about energy are not the way to approach Trump.
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Katherine T. Tyson @katherinettyson.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
This warrants a national investigation and media reporting
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
But sure, it wasn’t about intimidation…
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
This would be an excellent move. Codifying rights and powers in the UK and preventing whims of parliament from changing the fundamental rules of the game would do a lot to modernise the UK’s political institutions www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Devolution plans strengthen case for written UK constitution, says Burnham
PM argues for codified model of decentralisation that would fundamentally change centuries-old workings of state
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Jo Michell @jomichell.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Piketty's fundamental observation that r>g means rising wealth to income ratios remains incontrovertable because it's just accounting. Since Capital in the 21st Century we've had another decade of r >> g, so even if shares of wealth remain constant, wealth to income ratios have to rise.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
What’s up with NDP voter proportions being so similar to CPC voter proportions on wanting to be part of the US? Are they ok?
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Katherine T. Tyson @katherinettyson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Baroness Casey demonstrates internalized ableism here She can’t handle a reality that her health conditions could make her disabled because it’s a “bad” thing Disabled people can sit down for an interview Disabled people do work Disabled people do live The whole review is called into question
thetimes.com
‘Even I would qualify as disabled’: Baroness Casey calls for tough questions on welfare
Baroness Casey of Blackstock, who is leading a review of social care that will conclude by 2028, says nation must ask ‘who should we be looking after, and how’
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
What I think it actually shows is that criticism should add value: 1) criticism without offering an alternative policy is unhelpful 2) pretending to be ignorant of the issues is unserious (“what problem is this even solving”), especially when the cost of living crisis is so prominent
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This is exactly the wrong direction to go Senators (if we must have them) should only be for secondary scrutiny. They should be kept away from actual politics and influence as much as possible People want fewer avenues for influence peddling, not more www.hilltimes.com/2026/07/17/s...
hilltimes.com
Senate approves changes to ethics code and guidelines to allow political fundraising, loosen gifting rules - The Hill Times
A Senate committee and the Red Chamber approved changes to the ethics code and guidelines only weeks before Prime Minister Mark Carney announced four new Senators, two of whom are partisan figures.
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
The New World @thenewworldmag.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
He’s by far the most qualified candidate for the job. If Burnham doesn’t put Ed in No11, he will have weakened himself from the start – just like Starmer ✏️ @jamesrball.com
thenewworld.co.uk
If Burnham doesn’t pick Miliband as chancellor it’ll be his first error
He’s by far the most qualified candidate for the job. If Burnham doesn’t put Ed in No11, he will have weakened himself from the start – just like Starmer
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I really don’t understand the obsession the UK establishment has with getting Scots to cheer for England The King, the PM, numerous ministers? Who cares? It’s just soccer It’s like a weird demand for obeisance that honestly makes ABE funnier www.thenational.scot/news/2628210...
thenational.scot
Douglas Alexander says 'anti-English' Scots should back Argentina in World Cup
SCOTTISH Secretary Douglas Alexander has urged Scots to back England against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, saying Scottish fans should be…
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Jacobin @jacobinmag.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The storming of the Bastille was the opening act in a century-long upheaval that broke with the premodern world and finally put ordinary people in charge of their nation’s destiny. That’s the legacy of the French Revolution.
jacobin.com
Why the French Revolution Matters
The storming of the Bastille was the opening act in a century-long upheaval that broke with the premodern world and finally put ordinary people in charge of their nation’s destiny. That’s the legacy of the French Revolution.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
In economics, we’re plagued by superficial understandings and failure to grasp full context; but IR makes a whole sub-field out of it… I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: IR needs to either stop teaching the Melian dialogue or assign the entire work www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
foreignaffairs.com
The Strong Do What They Can—and Suffer What They Must
What Thucydides really thought about power.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Americans washing their hands of responsibility with hollow excuses is becoming a tired trope at this point Asking Canada to do you a solid while the US gov undermines our economy and threatens our sovereignty? You don’t get solidarity until you clean up your own house. The peak of arrogance
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Octopuses are among the strangest creatures on Earth—right down to their molecules. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
A molecular quirk unique to octopuses makes them better at building proteins
Certain shallow-water species carry a mutation that reduces translation errors and prevents toxic protein buildup
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
The National @scotnational.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
THE FERRET: Scotland's first spaceport on Shetland plans to use the sea as a 'dustbin' to dump tonnes of debris from rockets, prompting claims it could endanger tourism and fishing
thenational.scot
Spaceport’s plan to dump rocket launch debris into Scottish seas
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Someone on here had their students write a paper using Claude and then read them all to the class so they could see how blandly similar they all were
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
"It shows a classic shifting baseline problem," said Dr. William Cheung. "It's really important we have a proper baseline and understanding of the trends, to inform our current actions for conservation and for climate adaptations." @science.ubc.ca @ubccoru.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Kelp forests once covered part of the northern Salish Sea, UVic study finds | CBC News
Research from the University of Victoria shows that an area of the Georgia Strait near Comox and Denman Island was once covered in 5.5-million square metres of bull kelp forests, ten times the amount ...
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Reposted by Conrad Copeland
Katherine T. Tyson @katherinettyson.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Hundreds of thousands have already lost their lives because of USAID cut: millions more expected over the next 4 years. The system rewarded the architect with over a trillion dollars, on a set of companies that produces next to no profit and survive off subsidies. The system is broken.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
“Market expectations are disconnected from fundamentals” is an increasingly common phrase demonstrating the failure of the financial market to correctly price equities The hunt for ever-increasing returns and listings is beyond distortionary. Funds need to be circumscribed and indexes regulated
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Granted, I haven’t seriously looked in a long time, but I haven’t noticed a serious price of analysis come out of these pages in a while
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UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
A new investigation by @ejfoundation.org reveals widespread illegal #fishing, environmental destruction and severe human rights abuses across the global squid industry, one of the world's most poorly governed #seafood sectors. ejfoundation.org/news-media/g...
ejfoundation.org
Global squid fleets exposed: new investigation reveals rampant forced…
The Environmental Justice Foundation exists to protect the natural world and defend our basic human right to a secure environment.
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The court has effectively ruled that severely disabled people are not entitled to the same standards of liberty because they allegedly can't experience it fully. A bizarrely regressive ruling on rights It even implies non-resistance as possible consent: an extremely dangerous view for all victims
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
The Feds and Alberta are running roughshod over BC. Carney and Smith seem to feel they are entitled to build whatever they want in BC regardless of what the BC government says www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Where will Alberta's oil pipeline go? Documents reveal possible B.C. routes | CBC News
The Alberta government has considered three different pipeline routes through northern British Columbia for a new major oil export pipeline, according to documents obtained by CBC News which provide a...
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
This is simply normalising imperialism
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
LLMs and their proponents are becoming a new totalitarianism, infesting the minds and lives of humanity. They seek complete synthesis with daily life: work, entertainment, personal lives, relationships, decisions - every aspect of human existence is fair game and open for ‘enhancement’ 1/3
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
The number of PMs is not the correct indicator for ‘governability’, rather it should be the quality of policy implementation. All having long ‘reigns’ shows is the sclerosis of the political system and the failure to have democratic renewal.
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Entirely evidence-free wibbke from @rentouljohn.bsky.social/ @the-independent.com here. Has cutting immigration been good for growth or public services? No. Has it reduced racism/community pensions? Also no. Has it helped Labour politically? Also no. Also LOL But.. "it's a good story"
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
My latest paper has been published in the South African Journal of Economics today! It estimates the effect of informal ethnic networks on trade flows in Africa It leverages a new IV framework using pre-colonial territory maps #EconSky #AcademicSky onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Bridging New Divides: Ethnic Linkages and Trade in Africa
This paper studies the effects of ethnic linkages on trade between countries within Africa. I construct a digitised and geo-referenced dataset of historical ethnic territories for pre-colonial Africa...
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Conrad Copeland @conradcopeland.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Can it get more peak colonial solipsism than Canadians complaining that our first indigenous GG (who speaks Inuktitut and English fluently) is criticised for not learning French sufficiently (despite having basic conversational skills in French)? 1/2 www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...
ctvnews.ca
Outgoing Gov. Gen. Mary Simon insists she took learning French ‘seriously’
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who is set to end her term next month, insists she did take the task of learning French “seriously,” despite criticism she faced during her tenure.
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