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Jason F. Bell

@jasonfbell.bsky.social
43 followers 66 following 375 posts

Husband • Father • Plant-Based • Researcher interested in History, Philosophy, Political Economy, and Geography • Currently studying Urban-Industrial Development Nexuses for PhD Substack: @ceterisnonparibus Website: www.jasonfbell.com

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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Labels are funny things. Trump claims this FIFA World Cup is the most "successful" and I tend to agree. By most accounts and stats this is the most "successfully corrupt" FIFA World Cup.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/books/ng-int...
theguardian.com
How AI is changing language
As allegations of LLM use rock the literary and media worlds, linguists explain what really distinguishes human and machine writing, while novelists including Jennifer Egan and Jeanette Winterson refl...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
So now the integrity of the rest of the tournament should be called into question. "I am good at this stuff."
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Can we all agree that future host nation presidents take a "Basics of Football" test to determine their efficacy for hosting an event of this magnitude. Trump clearly wouldn't pass the test of drawing a football correctly.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Justice for football.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Are we all really surprised that FIFA, one of the most corrupt institutions on earth, overturned a red card given to the host country--itself governed a corrupt institution (those in the White house)? Corruption begets corruption.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Read this in conversation with Richard Reeves's On Boys and Men, which speaks to many of the core issues despite speaking from USA data. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
dailymaverick.co.za
Why boys lag at school in SA, and what masculinity has to do with it
Across the globe, boys are increasingly becoming disconnected from education and at times, dropping out of school. The belief is that it has to do with toxic masculinity.…
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
From one of the horse's mouths. Won't be long until they stop selling us consoles too. Or modualirise accessories down to components. We truly are beginning to own nothing, pay more, and be forced to be happy with this arrangement. More thoughts on this coming in my Substack @ceterisnonparibus
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
"The accusation matters less than the social function it performs: the scapegoat comes to embody what the community fears, resents or does not understand." www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
dailymaverick.co.za
Roots of xenophobia: Before ‘Abahambe’ there were AmaMpondo and Amankula
There is something eerily familiar about the narrative that immigrants, documented or not, are the source of our pain in South Africa, with the phrase ‘Abahambe’ gaining dangerous traction.…
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
The area holds a place in my memories. It would be a shame to see it disappear. We need to work to regenerate the spaces that surround the Plaza maybe akin to the work done in Cincinnati. This requires community participation and not division. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
dailymaverick.co.za
Decaying Fordsburg in danger of turning historic Oriental Plaza into ‘a dinosaur’
The Oriental Plaza used to be a hub of bustling activity but now locals fear the degradation around Fordsburg is driving people away – and will turn the former shoppers’ paradise and historic marketpl...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Conference presentations are just vehicles for doors to open. Had a great time listening to such a diverse range of topics, voice, and perspectives at the Regional Studies Association 2026 Conference in Gothenburg.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
When the state gets you to work against each other instead of working for you, you need a new politics and political settlement.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
FIFA should be disbanded. The absolute joke that they have allowed this WC to become before the first kick-off. The last couple hosts should have been stripped of hosting rights due to numerous human rights abuses and warmongering. Trumpie has made it even more political. Disgrace.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
groundup.org.za/article/unem...
groundup.org.za
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
jacobin.com/2026/06/sout...
jacobin.com
South Africa's Left Can Rebuild — If It Rejects Corruption
The South African left today is dominated by parties of patronage and corruption and small sectarian groupings. If the Left is to rebuild itself, it needs to break with these elements and forge a move...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I still love these books. And even more so episodes like this. pca.st/episode/f45d...
pca.st
This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)
As the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations, we revisit a 2022 episode that explored the hidden cost of an invisible threat: air pollution.   SOURCES: Angela Duckworth,…
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
This is one of the best examples of "useless information" out there. At least for the general public. But still immensely fascinating! www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-...
scientificamerican.com
How the Guinness Brewery Invented the Most Important Statistical Method in Science
The most common test of statistical significance originated from the Guinness brewery. Here’s how it works
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
I think that Graham Platner's politics throws a slight spanner in the Left vs Right debate and reframes it toward a more vertical orientation of bottom-up vs top-down politics.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
We're seeing more examples of bottom-up community action taking ownership of the spaces they live in. It's great. share.google/aP8jJTiW2veX...
share.google
Community volunteers lead the way in keeping Lyttelton clean
Residents are dedicating their weekends to grass cutting, tree pruning and general upkeep across Lyttelton, turning community spirit into visible action throughout the suburb.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
I can safely say that Graham's, and similarly Zohran's, bottom-up politics is a much need breath of fresh air. And shows the political elite that they can lose their places if they get too comfortable and forget who they serve, the people. youtube.com/watch?v=nlRs...
youtube.com
The Most Shocking Election In America
YouTube video by More Perfect Union
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
What kind of society would you design if you didn't know whether you'd be born in Sandton or Soweto? That question should make us deeply uncomfortable with the one we've built. In this new post on my Substack @ceterisnonparibus,i ruminate on notions of privilege. open.substack.com/pub/jasonfbe...
open.substack.com
Lifting our veils of ignorance
Ruminating on privilege and poverty in South Africa
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
aeon.co/essays/lets-...
aeon.co
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
dailymaverick.co.za
AI is eating the academic publishing industry alive, but some good might come of it
In a publish-or-perish environment where numbers count much more than quality, artificial intelligence has become the great disruptor. But what this could ultimately lead to is universities rebuilding...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Meat as industrial policy www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Humanity’s favourite food’: how to end the livestock industry but keep eating meat
Bruce Friedrich argues the only way to tackle the world’s insatiable but damaging craving for meat is like-for-like replacements like cultivated and plant-based meat
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
open.substack.com/pub/kaguura/...
open.substack.com
The Mathematical Reason Most People Never "Make It"
The uncomfortable truth about effort, outcome, and the math that connects them all
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Mathematics is out there aeon.co/essays/for-s...
aeon.co
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
How I Became a Manufacturing Skeptic by Dani Rodrik @projectsyndicate.bsky.social prosyn.org/Q5HJhUW
prosyn.org
How I Became a Manufacturing Skeptic
Dani Rodrik reviews the evidence that convinced him that developing countries’ hope lies in services.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
www.linkedin.com/posts/samuel...
linkedin.com
Infrastructure development is often framed as a smooth journey from planning to delivery. However, project failure is not the exception but a routine outcome, with far-reaching social, economic, and… ...
Infrastructure development is often framed as a smooth journey from planning to delivery. However, project failure is not the exception but a routine outcome, with far-reaching social, economic, and e...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
jacobin.com/2026/05/mark...
jacobin.com
How Socialism in the 21st Century Could Work
A socialism with a role for markets but not capitalists can deliver human flourishing without the pitfalls of fully planned economies.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-kyl...
linkedin.com
#urbaneconomy #urbanplanning #sociology #cities #sustainabledevelopment | Dr. Kyle Farrell
What Urban Planning Can Learn from a 40 Year Old Economics Book I was recently thumbing through an almost forgotten economics book from grad school: Micromotives and Macrobehavior by Thomas Schellin...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
pca.st/episode/28a8...
pca.st
Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger? (Update)
Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. In this updated replay of a 2022 episode, we hold a very…
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/tr...
businessday.co.za
Public spaces should meet ageing population’s needs
Urban areas should be accessible and safe for the elderly and people with disabilities
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
The coevolution of culture and industrial paths in regional restructuring and transition: A cultural toolkit approach
How regional industrial paths unfold and what contributes to their evolution and directionality are crucial questions for many regions. While the path…
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
If there ever was an example of "don't mess with the recipe" it is ProNutro. Now available in cement flavour.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
What Governments get wrong when they commission Urban Advice www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-g...
linkedin.com
What Governments get wrong when they commission Urban Advice
There is a peculiar ritual that plays out with remarkable consistency across the world's capital cities. A government, freshly energised by a new administration or a once-in-a-generation development m...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
dailymaverick.co.za
SA’s literacy crisis — reading for pleasure belongs at the heart of education policy
South Africa faces a literacy crisis, with 81% of Grade 4 learners unable to read meaningfully. Emphasising reading for pleasure is essential for fostering motivation and effective literacy developmen...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
"Bell’s work demonstrated, with unsparing documentation, that apartheid was not merely a moral aberration but a system of race and class exploitation in which the corporate world was a willing, calculating participant."
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
dailymaverick.co.za
Terry Bell, journalist who spent a lifetime speaking truth to power, dies at 84
Veteran journalist Terry Bell, who spent decades in exile opposing apartheid before returning to hold democratic South Africa to account, has died at 84. Fiercely principled to the end, he remained a ...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
open.substack.com/pub/pmresear...
open.substack.com
Why Certain Places Immediately Feel Well Designed
Emergence
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
www.linkedin.com/posts/lucamo...
linkedin.com
Beyond Gap-Spotting: Evaluating Phenomenon-Based Research | Luca Mora posted on the topic | LinkedIn
Do we really need a problem in the literature (often framed as a gap) to justify every paper? No, but we often review as if we do. We’ve learned to narrate and argue contributions as missing links in...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Out of how many total pitches faced? This type of reporting is purely attempting to discredit officials. To miss a call by 0.3" is almost as close as it gets. Can we make a grandiose report every time a gold glove fielder fluffs their only fielding opportunity?
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Someone deserves a raise for this headline www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
Engels in the Outfield
A radical history of the Mets insists that baseball can still be the people’s game.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Well I mean GOOD and rigorous research should be a public good that is not done solely for profit. Too often these consulting style outputs don't give enough weight to proper issues because the research is shallow. substack.com/@paulsweeney...
substack.com
Paul Sweeney (@paulsweeney)
McKinsey has unwittingly proven their own model is bullshit…
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
substack.com/@pmresearche...
substack.com
Nicole Williams (@pmresearcher)
One of my favorites.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
www.linkedin.com/posts/robsho...
linkedin.com
Incredible new tool alert! 🚨 DOUGHNUT ECONOMICS FOR POLICY MAKERS ✨ Whether you work on policy or want to help those who do, this incredible new guide - with lots of fantastic practical examples -… |...
Incredible new tool alert! 🚨 DOUGHNUT ECONOMICS FOR POLICY MAKERS ✨ Whether you work on policy or want to help those who do, this incredible new guide - with lots of fantastic practical examples - is...
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
The fallout of mainstream gaming journalists' attempts to now walk-back their far-too-quick and knee-jerk reviews of Crimson Desert highlights a deeper issue with reviews and the unwillingness to review something on its full merit or as a complete product/work of art.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
open.substack.com/pub/pmresear...
open.substack.com
Why Systems Thinking Must Come Before Analytical Thinking
When most projects begin, the first instinct is to get into the weeds: create a timeline, define deliverables, assign tasks, and set up the Gantt chart.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
open.substack.com/pub/unherd/p...
open.substack.com
Introducing the Econoclasts
The new podcast from UnHerd
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
open.substack.com/pub/gracebla...
open.substack.com
Capitalism is Killing the Future
A system built on war, exploitation and ecological collapse makes apocalypse feel inevitable — but it doesn’t have to be.
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Jason F. Bell @jasonfbell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
What Does “Capitalism” Really Mean, Anyway?
In a new global history, capitalism is an inescapable vibe—responsible for everything, everywhere, all at once.
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