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Scott Reynolds Nelson

@nelsonhist.bsky.social

Dad, historian, tireless layabout, often incompetent in meatspace. wrote: Steel Drivin' Man, Nation of Deadbeats, Iron Confederacies, & OCEANS OF GRAIN @basicbooks he/him

1,993 Followers  |  1,552 Following  |  275 Posts  |  Joined: 10.08.2023  |  1.934

Latest posts by nelsonhist.bsky.social on Bluesky

Rasmus Jarlov on Twitter writes: "There is nothing to celebrate. Moving from average tariffs of less than 2% on trade between the USA and Europe to 15% under today’s deal will inevitably lead to inflation. Almost everything will become more expensive in both Europe and the USA, and we will all be worse off. The economic illiteracy in the White House is doing serious damage to the West."

Stylish Skunk replies: "I have a feeling you have 0 idea what you're talking about.

In fact I know you do."

Rasmus Jarlov responds: "Of course. I am former minister of trade in Denmark and you are an anonymous Twitter profile. You probably know a lot more than me. For sure."

Rasmus Jarlov on Twitter writes: "There is nothing to celebrate. Moving from average tariffs of less than 2% on trade between the USA and Europe to 15% under today’s deal will inevitably lead to inflation. Almost everything will become more expensive in both Europe and the USA, and we will all be worse off. The economic illiteracy in the White House is doing serious damage to the West." Stylish Skunk replies: "I have a feeling you have 0 idea what you're talking about. In fact I know you do." Rasmus Jarlov responds: "Of course. I am former minister of trade in Denmark and you are an anonymous Twitter profile. You probably know a lot more than me. For sure."

lol

28.07.2025 01:46 β€” πŸ‘ 48143    πŸ” 8504    πŸ’¬ 743    πŸ“Œ 456

It is now clear that average tariffs on August 1 are set to be higher than they were on "Liberation Day." Only a fool would look back to the chaos of early April and conclude that the problem was that the announced tariffs were too small.

If you're not worried, you're not paying attention.

12.07.2025 13:43 β€” πŸ‘ 3543    πŸ” 971    πŸ’¬ 141    πŸ“Œ 58
Ulric Ellherhausen's 1931 typanum over the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago showing Eastern Phoenicians, Persians, and Egyptians passing writing to the west

Ulric Ellherhausen's 1931 typanum over the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago showing Eastern Phoenicians, Persians, and Egyptians passing writing to the west

Just a reminder as Netanyahu bombs Tehran to the Stone Age, that most of "western civilization" (including writing, higher math, brass, wheat) actually came to us from North Africa via Persia

16.06.2025 13:52 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I have access through Newsbank if that doesn't work out

12.06.2025 00:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
An instagram post of a person holding a copy of the Ukrainian translation of Scott Reynolds Nelson's book, Oceans of Grain in front of a marble archway

An instagram post of a person holding a copy of the Ukrainian translation of Scott Reynolds Nelson's book, Oceans of Grain in front of a marble archway

Look at the cover of the Ukrainian translation of my book! #booksky #WhatsHistory www.instagram.com/p/DI1ok8gN4Y...

11.06.2025 22:56 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Corey Wiley on Twitter writes: "You don’t get it. 
Foundational immigration law is morally just and has been established over millennia. Disrespecting these rules and ideals is very offensive to folks who highly value civilized society"

Corey Wiley on Twitter writes: "You don’t get it. Foundational immigration law is morally just and has been established over millennia. Disrespecting these rules and ideals is very offensive to folks who highly value civilized society"

Not true.

I see you're a luxury watch dealer. I'm also interested in watches. Let me show you how free and easy migration has allowed you to earn a living. 🧡

10.06.2025 23:58 β€” πŸ‘ 14758    πŸ” 3392    πŸ’¬ 325    πŸ“Œ 852
Elon Musk Built an Al Super Computer in Our Backyard: It's Poisoning Us
YouTube video by More Perfect Union Elon Musk Built an Al Super Computer in Our Backyard: It's Poisoning Us

Elon Musk's DOGE sacked 10% of EPA officials just as Musk's xAI was spinning up. What is xAI's powerplant? 35(!) huge gas-powered generators in Memphis, all without permits, all discharging uncontrollably ... Colossus indeed www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VJT...

30.05.2025 18:18 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tires Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tires. But experts say these tire emissions are a significant source ...

Its amazing that a thing i never even heard about five years ago is 78% of ocean plastic, literally everywhere e360.yale.edu/features/tir...

28.05.2025 21:57 β€” πŸ‘ 59    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
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paulkrugman.substack.com/p/cronyism-c...

23.04.2025 13:11 β€” πŸ‘ 377    πŸ” 106    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 8

Wow, & straightforwardly implying why Owen was removed too: "CBS's parent, Paramount global is trying to resolve the [Trump] suit as it completes a merger that needs government approval."

23.04.2025 12:03 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Actually. How the US benefitted from outsourcing its research interests to experts in universities.

19.04.2025 11:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1439    πŸ” 302    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 21
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One of the worst effects of successive govts' rhetoric on Higher Ed is that it's 'training for a job'. So 18yos get themselves (and are pressured) onto narrow technical courses. Yet employers are crying out for ppl who can read, think, write, speak! I've never met an employer who said different.

17.04.2025 09:42 β€” πŸ‘ 301    πŸ” 94    πŸ’¬ 15    πŸ“Œ 6
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Radical Tariffs Aren’t New, But They Have Been Disastrous In four cases, tariffs have led to depressions in US history.

"Since the 19th century, US government actions have led to drastic changes in international trade and finance," @nelsonhist.bsky.social writes in #AHAPerspectives. "And in all four cases, the result was not recessions but depressions." πŸ—ƒοΈ

14.04.2025 15:04 β€” πŸ‘ 188    πŸ” 71    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
Bill Ackman suggests that tariffs against China will (somehow) only hurt China, and that China should "Pick up the phone and call the President."

Bill Ackman suggests that tariffs against China will (somehow) only hurt China, and that China should "Pick up the phone and call the President."

Radical changes in US tariffs have led to 4 US depressions, but carry on believing a rich guy who ought to know financial history, but apparently doesn't foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

12.04.2025 14:15 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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The Awful History of Tariffs and Depressions What the 19th century teaches us about what happens next.

Gift copy of the article foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

11.04.2025 19:40 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Awful History of Tariffs and Depressions What the 19th century teaches us about what happens next.

Here's my piece in Foreign Policy about how we've seen radical changes in tariffs or trade rules in the past (1819, 1837, 1890, 1930) & it ain't pretty. foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

11.04.2025 18:20 β€” πŸ‘ 40    πŸ” 18    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Creating their own security forces, you say? Glad there's no horrifying historical precedents for this

10.04.2025 19:28 β€” πŸ‘ 80    πŸ” 31    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1
21   jackson's bank war, or how to understand moby dick
YouTube video by Scott Reynolds Nelson 21 jackson's bank war, or how to understand moby dick

This morning Wall Street will watch the result of a dead cat bounce. Historians will be here to tell you the crash that followed when Congress surrendered power to Pres. Andrew Jackson, aka Captain Ahab www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0J...

10.04.2025 13:05 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
21   jackson's bank war, or how to understand moby dick
YouTube video by Scott Reynolds Nelson 21 jackson's bank war, or how to understand moby dick

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0J...

10.04.2025 12:47 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Ordeal of Eugene Debs: The Panic of 1893, the Pullman Strike, and the Origins of the Progressive Movement The American panic of 1893 had origins that were almost purely fiscal. No grand conflict between workers or owners started it; no fear of a growing socialist movement extended it. Yet within a year th...

Uncorrected proof at academia.edu: www.academia.edu/56104256/The...

08.04.2025 15:05 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Also, in case you want to know more about how tariffs caused the 1893 depression & how Eugene Debs responded using the social media of the day to build a progressive movement: academic.oup.com/illinois-sch...

08.04.2025 15:00 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A chart showing international trade based on land & enslaved people, bank notes, pet banks, treasury bills, with Bills of Exchange cut out. 2 presidential acts & 2 acts of congress make this possible: 
Sep. 1833 	Moves federal deposits from 2nd Bank of the US to his β€œpet banks”
Aug. 1834 	Coinage Act (officially values silver lower to attract gold onto the market)
Jun. 1836 	Distribution Act (distribute federal deposits among Jackson’s β€œpet banks”)
Jul. 1836		Specie Circular (you can only buy federal land with gold or silver)

A chart showing international trade based on land & enslaved people, bank notes, pet banks, treasury bills, with Bills of Exchange cut out. 2 presidential acts & 2 acts of congress make this possible: Sep. 1833 Moves federal deposits from 2nd Bank of the US to his β€œpet banks” Aug. 1834 Coinage Act (officially values silver lower to attract gold onto the market) Jun. 1836 Distribution Act (distribute federal deposits among Jackson’s β€œpet banks”) Jul. 1836 Specie Circular (you can only buy federal land with gold or silver)

Dear spineless House Republicans:

Sep. 1833-6: Andrew Jackson messes w/ intl. trade, esp. hurts 2nd Bank of the US & the 7 sisters (Brit Banking houses)

July 1836: Bank of England raises the Bank rate & cuts off the 7 sisters

1837: Depression of 1837

see: Nation of Deadbeats, ch 11

05.04.2025 17:50 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
In 1893 Grover Cleveland stands in front of a US Treasury vault that has been looted in President Benjamin Harrison's term (1889-1893) by the tariffs imposed in what has been called the McKinley Tariff of 1890

In 1893 Grover Cleveland stands in front of a US Treasury vault that has been looted in President Benjamin Harrison's term (1889-1893) by the tariffs imposed in what has been called the McKinley Tariff of 1890

Dear spineless Republican House members who don't know history:

1890: McKinley Tariff of 1890 drastically increases tariff
1891-2: US Treasury loses trust of foreign investors/lenders
1893: Depression of 1893
#history #tariffs
see: Nation of Deadbeats, ch. 10

05.04.2025 17:25 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
London newspaper describing American tariffs aimed at them. Warns that it will retaliate

London newspaper describing American tariffs aimed at them. Warns that it will retaliate

Dear spineless House Republicans:

Mar. 1817: Congress passes *huge* tariffs
May 1817: Britain makes counter-tariffs
Dec 1818: US wheat loses Caribbean mkt, prices drop 50%
Mar 1819: Depression of 1819

#wakeup #history #tariff
See, Nation of Deadbeats, ch. 4 or www.jstor.org/stable/27105...

05.04.2025 17:12 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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A Nation of Deadbeats by Scott Reynolds Nelson: 9780307474322 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books Pundits will argue that the 2008 financial crisis was the first crash in American history driven by consumer debt. But in this spirited, highly engaging account, Scott Reynolds Nelson demonstrates tha...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/120669...

04.04.2025 16:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Radical tariff changes put the US into depression in 1819, 1893 & 1929. Hasty executive action did so in 1837. Buckle up #NationofDeadbeats

04.04.2025 15:09 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Episode 154: Carol Nelson-Pond - No Women Allowed - "Breaking Barriers" - CY6 - Check Your Six Episode 154 of the Check Your Six podcast brought a ground breaking, barrier breaking lady into the GRP Studios that was the first female TV anchor in Central Florida, Carol Nelson-Pond. Carol was the...

A brief break from our nation's latest dumpster fire: An interview with my mom Carole-Nelson Pond (now 87) about how she broke into broadcasting in Florida, becoming the first anchorwoman in Florida, and possibly the first in the South www.buzzsprout.com/1027078/epis...

03.04.2025 11:14 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Back in 2017 when Trump 1 wanted to zero out NEH I spent half an hour in my office looking for books that got NEH support. These books. These titles. Another 30 minutes & I could’ve reached the ceiling. Now they’ve actually done it.

01.04.2025 04:17 β€” πŸ‘ 56    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
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Georgetown Law To Ed Martin: F All The Way Off - Above the Law It's a good day to be a Hoya.

Seriously, be this kind of Catholic institution instead.

30.03.2025 03:27 β€” πŸ‘ 408    πŸ” 58    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 9

I wish students could experience how interesting writing (and reading!) can be, the sooner the better. The degree to which they've internalized these actions as purely instrumental and for the purposes of proving proficiency to a standard or authority is a problem.

21.03.2025 14:05 β€” πŸ‘ 209    πŸ” 58    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 7

@nelsonhist is following 20 prominent accounts