iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

No, the diesel export ban won't work. We would have a huge diesel glut in TX & LA. No way to easily ship to rest of country. Local glut leads to lower local prices. Refineries shutdown. Supply shock on top of another supply shock.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This activity is a hit every year. Students surprisingly consistently respond: 1) Class always assume society is more equal than reality 2) The rich students always (without any prompting) voluntarily give away the majority of their cupcakes 3) Always brings lively discussion!

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The largest economic YouTube influencer, Economics Explained, peddles in sensational doomerism to sustain its vitality. But worse, in their pitch to attract sponsors, he lies claiming to be an "esteemed econ professor." If econ is a "junk science", why do these guys keep flouting fake econ titles?

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The Western Water economy isn't capitalist. It's Central Planning with Fuedal Characteristics. Salt Lake Basin Alfalfa contribute 0.07% to Utah's GDP. In a region of 2.8M people, why should the 20k farmers get sympathy profits for producing a low value product? youtu.be/gsSkNrAcG-Y?...

youtu.be

Did capitalism Drain Colorado?

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Will the new Venezuelan/US oil deal lower gas prices? Unlikely. At most we are seeing an increase of 1-2M barrels when the Hormuz deficit is closer to 10mbd. Also, does this now make Trump out most socialist president ever? #economy #economics #gas

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

How did the USA become one of the most propering economies in history? An expansive continent wide market coupled with democratic institution and appropriate public goods and regulations. If we can see this much progress in 250 years imagine how much more we'll see in the next?

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

It is because we are richer today that we have less household servants. Irish girls in 1862 Boston received a "large wage" of $3k in today's money. Instead of celebrating greater wage equality, we complain. Many folks want superiority, not equality.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Gov Debt is a problem. Who caused it? Republican tax cuts? Unfunded boomer entitlements? With Social Security trust fund running out in less than 6 yrs, current Senate candidates will have to make unpopular decisions.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

You can make a career by always predicting an economic crisis. Peter Schiff and Steve Keen spew fear for profit. The formula works. Criticize "mainstream econ" and say a crisis will come. Watch the views roll in. What can we do about it?

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Inflation coming in hot! 1. Some is old news, gasoline prices may have peaked in mid May. 2. But Core PPI, which nets out gas prices is trending up. Still reason for concern.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Will Mamdani's government grocery stores solve food deserts? Maybe there is a supply side market failure. Or maybe the nutritional inequality is caused by demand. The research has a clear answer. #equality #economy #economics #data #newyorkcity youtu.be/g5_ylYcrocw?...

youtu.be

Will Mamdani's government grocery stores solve food deserts?

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Big worries in today's Inflation Report. While oil drives the bulk of the increase, we are seeing signs of broader inflation. As @Mike Konczal notes, tariffs affects are still present. Real wages wiped out year long gains in just 60 days. #economy #gasprices #wallet #economics #data

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

I think we now have real evidence that AI exposure is associated with job decline for age <25. The Canary in the Coalmine paper addresses a lot of concerns. While economic science takes time; now is the time to think about policy responses. youtu.be/Q2qzjBlk_3w?...

youtu.be

We Now Have Evidence AI Is...

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Some nice news this fine Friday! Thank you to many who have helped me and gone out of their way. We're all a product of a community of support.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

"We haven't seen a 1%-month spike in inflation for years. Will the Fed respond by raising rates? Their tools focus on the demand side. Oil is an input to production; ie supply side. The Fed can't do much about that." Full Interview Here @cgtnamerica.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFeD...

Sean Callebs interviews Christopher Clarke on CGTN about tariffs.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Who would have guessed five years ago that Journalism (2.3%) would have a far lower unemployment rate than Computer Engineering (7.8%)? Economics is highest paid non-engineering major, but with generally better unemployment. An early career med wage of $72k w/ unemp of 3.5%.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Are more folks working multiple part time jobs since the 80's? No. In fact things got better. Surprisingly, the "gig economy" jobs are at a record low. But instead, folks get more views, more clicks, more as revenue when they say otherwise. Lots of things are getting worse, this isn't one of them.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

The supply chain are so bad in the airplane industry that they're tearing apart perfectly good planes! And it will last another 10 yrs! Who knew that Covid disruptions could last this long? This video's got Roswell Aliens, destruction, and me operating an excavator! www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4BU...

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

This is my uncertainty face. Clarke notes jobs contracted since last year. “The trend has been flat for ten months now." The Fed doesn’t have a lot of room to cut rates to ease job pressures due to inflation. Christopher notes that hiring for young people is “in the doldrums." 🧵

Christopher Clarke, PhD
Washington State University
Making a shrugging uncertain face

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

The strait didn't close in the 80's during the Tanker War, it wont stay closed for today's conflict. Modern insurance markets are powerful. They allow the world's commerce to continue even in the face of armed conflict. It prevents a regional war from paralyzing the world's economy.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

In Persian Gulf Region: 🟢 Highest GDP per cap: Qatar ($123k, PPP) 🟢Highest Pop: Iran (90M) 🟢Highest GDP: Saudi Arabia ($1.2T, exch rate) 🟢Combined the Gulf Cooperation Council towers over Iran. GDP: $2.3T vs $0.5T 🟢Israel's GDP alone is larger.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Has America stopped manufacturing stuff? No, we produce more than ever. But we need less workers to do it. The tariffs haven't stopped the factory jobs from disappearing. Only by focusing on advanced automated manufacturing can we keep increasing our capacity.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Jon Stewart expressed many common misconceptions about what economists believe. We are not market absolutists. Long have we called for environmental regulations. Another John Stuart (Mill) called the environment the "inheritance of the human race, there must be regulations."

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

New BLS nominee is a good sign. A career of careful research in data measurement. Unlike the partisan EJ Antoni, the Senate prevented from taking power, we will have competents at our economic data agency. The sector will never produce the same scope, quality, nor transparency as the government.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Ice Budget is bigger than FBI, DOJ, DEA, and all other federal law enforcement combined. To prosecute one crime, it has nearly a third the budget of every state and local police departments & jails. This isn't about budget deficits.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Capping credit cards to 10% will cause more harm than help. Consumer credit is competitive. Price controls create shortages. So instead, Consumers will use Payday Lenders w 300% interest. While evidence is mixed on banning payday lenders, a credit card ban will simply be bad.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

MLK noted social & political equality are much easier than economic equality. He was right. While we've seen improvements in the unemployment and income gaps, progress is slow. Wealth gap may take another century.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Can we blame first-class cabins for unruly passengers? A 2016 paper made headlines w claim. I'm skeptical. 1. Huge effect size 2. Doesn't control for alcohol service 3. No replications. 4. Airlines haven't used the results; even in the face of the post-covid "Unruly-pocaplyse."

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Were egg Price records explained by greed, monopolies, gouging, or corporate lies? Or was just simple supply and demand? Today, with prices now at all time record lows, basic economic models win out again.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

The U.S. has more forests today than we did a century ago. That's despite tripling our population and increasing GDP by 20 fold! New YouTube Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqls... How? Watch the video. This is simply the most gorgeous visit I've done. Northern California is just stunning!

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Can coups work? Maybe, but the added uncertainty even when an old regimenis replaced by a good one makes it difficult. Avg treatment effects are significantly negative for GDP per cap. It's driven by a decline in Domestic Investment, not a fall in foreign aid nor FDI. Robust to geography.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Maduro Gone! Usually CIA regime changes don't work out. Maybe it's different this time. Machado/Gonzalez are popularly democratically elected. Is all this really just about oil?

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

New paper looks at Indiana Covid vaccine effects. Six month gap between 11 & 12-yr-old eligibility gives us out natural experiment. Result: Large spillover among households, but not for schools.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Have housing prices returned to pre-covid levels? No. But Trump's graph is real. It only looks at the mean price for one developer, Lennar. National data still shows a stubbornly high plateau. Build more houses.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Everybody always gets this question wrong: How much does Kevin McAllister's Grocery Basket Cost Today? We need to adjust for quantity changes. It comes at $42.54. Median wages grew even more. It's the most affordable Home Alone yet. youtu.be/kOMKsIlXy_E?...

youtu.be

How Much Do Home Alone Groceries Cost Today?

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Many claim the latest inflation data have been faked, that there is selective missing data, private data doesn't confirm it, etc. While there are some measurement issues due to the shutdown, I think there's more signal than noise in this report. youtu.be/gCs80FMbk58?...

youtu.be

Is the BLS lying to you?

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Is the data so bad the government cancelled it in October? No. Previous shutdowns were only "partial." Now we have November data. Trend is bad, but we're still floating. Policy changes can fix a lot of this. @geohussar.bsky.social

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

The world's largest container ships can't come to the America. We sees at most 16k container ships, the biggest are 24k! Thats 60%! Why? It was quite a puzzle. I went to the Port of LA, boated along side one, talked to experts, and found out it has something to do with Idaho! youtu.be/qFyYqUwXWLw

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

No Planet Money! Not the Fake Graph! You can't compare mean productivity to median wages. When we do compare mean to mean, the gap disappears. Real median wages are not stagnating either. We need accurate data to solve today's very real problems. @planetmoney.bsky.social

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Tax funded anti-poverty programs predate both socialism & capitalism. Accompanied with modern markets, they've done wonders to alleviate suffering. But today, demographics and continued subsidies for the elderly threaten safety nets for the young and poor. youtu.be/P7Iq4c8V06A?...

youtu.be

Does Welfare Reduce Poverty?

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Should the new poverty line be $140k? No. It's inaccurate math. It's inaccurate English. Michael Green seems to use a "comfortable living wage" source, and relabel it as "poverty." youtu.be/O84sYFh20Sw?...

youtu.be

Is $140k the New Poverty Line? Economist Answers

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Thanksgiving Dinner has never been more affordable. TDay dinner now takes the smallest share of our weekly median wages in the 40 yrs of Farm Bureau data. Produce is significantly more expensive though. Immigration crackdown is impededint even better news.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

New video. Go watch. Are the economic degrowth scholars actually doing the "decent" standard of living they advocate for? Do they not have dryers, dishwashers, or TVs? This entire literature is a distraction from real environmental solutions. youtu.be/fNLbtWcHDZE?...

youtu.be

Can Degrowth Solve Climate Change?

YouTube video by Christopher Clarke

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

New Data! How's the economy? Unemployment ticks up to 4.4% in Sept. More current Unemployment Claims continue to slowly rise in Nov. Yet, inflation is slowly rising to 3.0% as of Sept. What will the Fed do?

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Reposted by EconChrisClarke

LorennaCleary.bsky.social @lorennacleary.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

God I bloody love economists. This one zeroes in on Rand Paul’s tweet complaining about the number of people on food stamps. And while he doesn’t touch on income inequity vs cost of living, he does explain the cost for SNAP now vs pre-pandemic.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Sen. Rand Paul claims food stamp spending doubled "an alarming trend." But this relies on 4 mistakes. 1. Graph can't replicate. 2. Need to adjust for Inflation 3. The economy is now bigger. 4. Share of Pop on Food Stamps Actually Declined. Conclusion: There is no trend.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Autopilot is drastically reducing accidents. data from Tesla, Waymo, Police Records, and Peer review research are now all showing it. Will eventually save global economy $1T in lower premiums alone.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Degrowth Economics can't work. Even Ecuador's consumption is too high. It requires a massive increase in poverty. Impossible to do in a democracy. We need massive green technology investments, which even have modest bipartisan support.

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

We've never seen mortgage lock-in like this before. We're talking 90% of mortgages! Some estimates say it caused 8% of the price increase due to the already tight housing market before 2022. What do you think? Is this enough to abandon the 30yr fixed?

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EconChrisClarke @econchrisclarke.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

I was asked why tariffs haven't crashed the economy. The answer: I never predicted they would in the first place. My videos from Jan & Apr both forecasted growth slowdown and modest price rises. And that's exactly what we've seen.

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