Favorites January 1st 2023

August 2021, San Martin

Joe @JoePostingg

Doesn't always work like this, but sometimes unions have better management incentives than management.

Steven Greenhouse @greenhousenyt

While Southwest's CEO focused on maximizing profits—and avoiding big investments in software because that would reduce profits—its flight attendants union sent Southwest a letter that placed updating the obsolete scheduling technology above its pay demands https://t.co/JiqA4ArkOU https://t.co/EgOlKdyyfF

Really strong argument for German-style codetermination, the effectiveness probably varies across industries, but Airlines seem like a reasonable starting point.

Science Is Strategic @scienceisstrat1

Global EV sales are exploding, with total sales forecast to hit 10.6 million in 2022, up an incredible 60%. Below is a 🧵 on this hugely consequential development, which has economic, environmental & geopolitical implications Cc: @Noahpinion @JesseJenkins @dwallacewells @ramez

The whole thread is great, one highlight: EVs were 13% of the global passenger car market in the first half of 2022. Average range is increasing quickly, and battery manufacturing capacity is through the roof.

Threads

• Thread of predictions made in 1923 about 2023. Or you could check out this 2014 prediction of 2023 from the X-men franchise.

• Thread by Krugman summarizing a point made by Blanchard about inflation. TL;DR: inflation is an iterative sequence of price increases that need to be stopped somehow, central banks aren't actually the most efficient way to do it, but nothing else works as reliably.