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Justin Smith

@justinsmithecon.bsky.social
160 followers 47 following 731 posts

Econ prof at Laurier. NOT one of Trump’s personal lawyers. Opinions my own.

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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Today’s pepper haul. This is about half of the total yield from the plants. Pictured: yellow ghost, Carolina reaper, a few habaneros, a couple of scotch bonnets
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I don't think Mark Carney deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, but I want him to get it purely because it will really annoy Trump
ctvnews.ca
Mark Carney's stand against Trump leads to Nobel Peace Prize and Time Person of the Year buzz
Mark Carney built a global profile in 2026 by standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump. If some prediction-market traders and prominent admirers are right, the Canadian prime minister could end the ...
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
You might think it would be totally humiliating to accuse someone of secret meetings and perjury in a senate hearing and then find out you're wrong because you mixed up the name of a sports team, but apparently not this guy.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Meanwhile I’m sucking wind after an easy 5k every 4 days
rnz.co.nz
New Zealand woman runs 1000 ultramarathons in 1000 days
Pounding through over 90 pairs of shoes, floods, tummy bugs and 40+ degree heat, Shannon-Leigh Litt has smashed the record for the most days in a row running 50km.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Contractor is supposed to show up at 9am for a quote. Seemed really wishy washy on the phone when we scheduled, so I’m giving it about 50% chance this happens
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I’m going to say very unlikely on this one
apple.news
Trump says he expects Canada trade deal within weeks as import ban looms — The Canadian Press
Just hours before import bans on certain Canadian goods were set to take effect,
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Big if true
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
CTV went with this pic for its Trump, Iran war video, and I like it
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Kind of cool, as a first impression. I’m sure there are all kinds of problems though
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This 6am comment ended up being darker than I intended because as it turns out Peterson is very sick. I don't wish the man any ill will; I just don't like much of anything he has to say.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
You don’t hear a lot about Jordan Peterson these days. I’m not mad about it.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Turns out “the jerk store called, they’re running out of you” actually is the best response
apple.news
This is the best way to respond to an insult, according to science — BBC Science Focus Magazine
'I know you are, but what am I?' is surely the best comeback of all time. September 20, 2026 It’s often said, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” But that’s wrong; bec...
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Damn, I was just listening to NFG today
tmz.com
New Found Glory Guitarist Chad Gilbert Dead at 45
The lead guitarist and founding member of New Found Glory, Chad Gilbert, has died ... his band announced.
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Reposted by Justin Smith
Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Oh for fuck’s sake
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Get ready for darkness until 9:30am in the middle of winter, Winnipeg!
ctvnews.ca
Manitoba moving to permanent daylight saving time
Manitoba is making the move to permanent daylight saving time, with Premier Wab Kinew saying the decision was based on public feedback and preferences.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Trump out here just making the case stronger and stronger for cutting ties with the US
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Has Trump had a childish meltdown over the interest rates yet?
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It’s hard to ignore the basic game theory of AI CEOs claiming they’ll work together to slow the speed of AI development. Big individual gains to deviating from that plan, so equilibrium is they don’t cooperate.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Today during class I wanted to explain that I often catch viruses that my kids bring home from school, but what came out was “my kids make me sick”. Hopefully people got the correct meaning of that
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The top spec iPhone duo is almost 5 GRAND in Canada. Seems high.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
That’s right, and he will literally strangle you if you fuck around
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Listen to this asshole. Asked about Trump’s trolling and threats, he responds that Canadian politicians have said things they regret, and we should bring down the tenor. Asked if Trump should too, says he doesn’t want to talk about trade.
ctvnews.ca
'It's time to take the tenor down': U.S. Ambassador Hoekstra's message to Canadian politicians
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says Canadian politicians need to tone down their rhetoric and is asked if U.S. President Trump should do the same.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I’m glad this is happening the day before I take a road trip in my extremely fuel inefficient vehicle
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This has to be insanely illegal
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
bahahaha. Sadly, some people will believe this.
ctvnews.ca
Trump says oil prices won’t come down until after U.S. midterms
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that oil prices that have surged because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after U.S. midterm elections.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Interestingly, despite Trump’s preoccupation with the unfair Canadian dairy rules, the US maintains a large bilateral trade surplus with Canada. We export about CAD 390 million to the US, and import about CAD 1.06 billion from them. Doesn’t this mean they’re ripping us off?
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Trump, of course, leaving out that the procurement bans were a retaliation against their initial trade actions, and that the dairy trade barriers are longstanding and negotiated by him under CUSMA
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I know that Trump making up stories about his presence near ground zero on 9/11 bothers many Americans, but does it not also bother MAGA? Don’t they hear this and say “fuck off buddy”?
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
So what are we thinking the US retaliation is going to be? 100% tariffs? 150%? No trade at all?* *except energy and potash…let’s not get crazy here
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
City of Waterloo put the hunger games swimming registration on the first day of school. Someone needs to go to prison for this
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Happy 9 year anniversary to this shot of me surfing in Australia with unintentional awkward body shape shadow silhouette
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I didn’t realize that Bessent was so worried about sampling variability
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
There’s already a documentary on Netflix about Trump’s plane switcheroo in Turkey? Didn’t that happen like a month ago?
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I mean in Trump’s defence, it is standard economics that trade is bad and that suddenly stopping it entirely is the key to prosperity.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I feel like a broken record here, but... not statistically different from zero (although getting pretty close at the 10% level)
ctvnews.ca
Economy sheds 42,000 jobs, unemployment rate steady in August: StatCan
The previously hot labour market stalled out to end the summer with a loss of 42,000 jobs in August, Statistics Canada said Friday.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Does Trump think that in the absurd Carney’s comments that he’d be liked by Canadians? And is he so triggered that he’s willing to try to collapse our over it (noting of course that he won’t and can’t)
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Just ground up some dried habaneros in a spice grinder and I’m here to tell you that inhaling habanero dust is extremely uncomfortable
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Is this bad?
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Stuck in Costco during this epic storm and it feels like the world is ending with all the phone alerts and random other Costco alarms going off. Also a million people gathered in the food court and by the door waiting it out
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Reposted by Justin Smith
Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Here is my letter to the MacDonald Laurier Institute on the subject of their appalling research. Use as you will. I recommend sending something of your own, though. And if you know anyone associated with MLI - and Board directors, say - send it to them, too.
docs.google.com
Alex Usher email to Brian Lee Crowley
(text of an email sent to Brian Lee Crowley of the MacDonald Laurier Institute on September 2, 2026) Dear Brian, I am writing to you and your board with respect to the publication “The equity excelle...
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Reposted by Justin Smith
Tammy Schirle 🇨🇦 @tammyschirle.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"in markets that are not perfectly competitive, the provision of an alternative public option can increase societal welfare, and this is true even if the public option is less efficient than the private sector and even if it runs at a loss." Food for thought 👇
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Simultaneously, somewhere right now Trump is typing out a truth social post saying Canada has been taking advantage of the US for years. Which is it guys? Also, if you're going to try to be funny, at least make sense. Two submarines at the west Edmonton mall? Lame.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I think this is what bothers me most about negotiating with the current US administration. The starting point is a shitty deal designed to destroy Canadian industry, auto in particular.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Crazy to me that they have these events with people nodding along with Trump like he’s saying anything even remotely coherent.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I haven’t been avoiding American products up to this point, but this shit is getting sufficiently annoying that it’s time.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Yeah, this is definitely what happened. They’re hammering out specific text in a deal, and the US was like “hey, perhaps we should coordinate?” Not surprised he’s lying having seen his senate testimony, but he could have tried a bit harder than this to make it sound believable
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Breakfast of champions
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Doug Ford yesterday: “Kiss my ass” Doug Ford today:
ctvnews.ca
Doug Ford says its time to turn down the temperature one day after calling Donald Trump ‘a loser’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that it is time to turn down the temperature after “things got a little heated” and a “little personal” with U.S. President Donald Trump one day prior.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Okay this is it, we’ve reached the peak of Trump’s stupidity.
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Justin Smith @justinsmithecon.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Winner, and still least funny person alive, JD Vance.
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