On this week's MACRODOSE, James kicks off our economics history series with a look at the life and impact of the Polish-German revolutionary and Marxist theorist Rosa Luxembourg, and why her work has renewed relevance today (2:22). For exclusive content - including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix - visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk. To learn more about the work we ...
Jul 09, 2025•27 min
FULL EPISODE: patreon.com/macrodose This week on The Curve, James Meadway is joined by Kate Aronoff - staff writer at The New Republic - to discuss Zohran Mamdani's resounding victory in the democratic primary for New York City Mayor (0.57). In the full episode, available to Macrodose patrons, James & Kate also break down: - Attempts by US republicans to take from the poor and give to the rich via Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, set to cut health insurance for those on lower incomes and...
Jul 02, 2025•23 min
On this week's MACRODOSE, James unpacks the big news story of the week: the US’ direct entry into the war in the Middle East, the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, and the potential long term geopolitical and economic fall outs (2:11). For exclusive content - including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix - visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk. To learn more about the work...
Jun 25, 2025•21 min
FULL EPISODE: patreon.com/macrodose This week on The Curve, James Meadway is joined by Laleh Khalili - Professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and author of Sinews of War and Trade and Extractive Capitalism. Together, James and Laleh discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, with Israel escalating it’s U.S.-backed war on Iran. What are the potential geopolitical and economic consequences of escalating tensions in the region? (1.57) In the full episode, available to Macrod...
Jun 18, 2025•31 min
On this week's MACRODOSE, James unpacks: First, everything you need to know about today's Spending Review from the Labour government. What cuts are coming, and what does this mean for public services? (0:31) Second, the millionaire exodus that never was - new research debunks the myth that higher taxes are driving the rich to flee the UK (7:45). For exclusive content - including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix - visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose ....
Jun 11, 2025•15 min
FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose On this week's episode of The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley discuss Rachel Reeves spending review, expected to mark a miserable return to austerity (1:41). In the full episode, James and Grace discuss Starmer pledging to increase defence spending to put Britain in a state of ‘war-fighting readiness’, and the Autonomy Institute's report on how maximum temperatures limits will be required for workplaces. Autonomy Report: https://www.ier.org.uk...
Jun 04, 2025•24 min
Last week, Macrodose returned to SPACE4 for another live show, looking at the future of global political economy under the shadow of Trump 2.0. We explored where the UK fits into this shifting global landscape, what a radical economic programme could look like, and how green politics can rise to meet the moment. Speakers: James Meadway Maria Finnerty (Cafod’s economic lead) Kojo Koram (Author of Uncommon Wealth) Nick Dearden (Director, Global Justice Now)...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 13 min
To celebrate the launch of The BREAK—DOWN ISSUE #1, editor Adrienne Buller was joined by Quinn Slobodian and Geoff Mann for a timely conversation on the afterlives of neoliberalism, the climate crisis, and the global rise of the far right. ISSUE #1 The BREAK—DOWN is dedicated to exploring the political economy of the climate crisis. We bring together personal stories, cultural critique, expert insight and radical imagination to explore the systems driving ecological collapse — and what it might ...
May 22, 2025•58 min
On this week's MACRODOSE , James Meadway unpacks: First, the UK avoids recession! Where did recent positive GDP figures come from and are they sustainable? (0:48) Second, more news from "The Uninsurable World", as global losses from natural disasters hit $318 billion in 2024 (3:28). And finally, how the Labour government is responding to historic droughts in the UK (12:07). For exclusive content - including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix - visit: https:...
May 21, 2025•17 min
FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose On this week's episode of The Curve, James Meadway is joined by Faiza Shaheen - distinguished policy fellow at the London School of Economics - to discuss the trade deal recently announced between the UK and US (1:49). In the full episode, James and Faiza investigate the sudden flurry of interest in the term “geoeconomics”, and reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is about to review Cash ISAs. Macrodose LIVE tickets (May 22nd): https://www.eventbrite....
May 14, 2025•16 min
On this week’s MACRODOSE , James Meadway breaks down two big stories. First (0:43), fresh warnings from UK food suppliers about the threat of climate change. Second (3:24), tensions between India and pakistan have seen the dismantling of a key treaty over the supply of water. And finally (10:32), a look at what Reform’s successes in the local elections could mean for England’s flood defences. 🎟 LIVE show tickets! (May 22nd) Green Futures in the Age of Trump, with James Meadway, Kojo Koram, Adri...
May 07, 2025•15 min
FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose On this week's episode of The Curve, James Meadway is joined by Adrienne Buller from The Break Down to discuss the electrical blackouts that hit southern europe, what caused them, and what they mean for climate policy (2:05). In the full episode, James and Adrienne go over the Canadian election results, the latest on international trade after Trump's liberation day, and the launch of The Break Down's first magazine issue. Macrodose LIVE tickets (May 22nd)...
Apr 30, 2025•18 min
On this week’s MACRODOSE , James Meadway breaks down two big stories. First (0:35), as US investors continue their sell-off, what could de-dollarisation mean for global markets and the balance of economic power? Second (8:41), James reflects on the legacy of Pope Francis following his passing—highlighting the economic themes of his papacy that have been largely overlooked in mainstream tributes. 🎟 LIVE show tickets! (May 22nd) Green Futures in the Age of Trump, with James Meadway, Kojo Koram, A...
Apr 23, 2025•13 min
FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose On this week's episode of The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley are joined by Nick Dearden, Director of Global Justice Now and author of Trade Secrets: The Truth About the US Trade Deal and How We Can Stop It. Together, James, Grace & Nick discuss the continued fallout from Trump's tariff turbulence (2:12). In the full episode, they unpack the big British Steel debate here the UK, and the landmark UN decision to force shipping firms to pay for CO2...
Apr 16, 2025•26 min
On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway focuses on the one huge story of the week: Trump’s tariffs and the end of globalisation (1:17). As Washington announces a sweeping 10% minimum tariff on all US imports, decades of economic orthodoxy are being upended—and the world economy is being reshaped before our eyes. What do we make of it, and what happens next? For exclusive content—including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix—visit: https://www.patreon.com/mac...
Apr 09, 2025•14 min
In a new show from Macrodose: The Curve , James Meadway and Grace Blakeley break down the week’s biggest economic stories and what they mean for all of us. Joining them on this episode is former Greek finance minister and Diem25 secretary Yanis Varoufakis to discuss Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day' of tariffs (1:46). In the full episode, Yanis James & Grace discuss Germany opting for 'military keynesianism' & whether a wealth tax is an idea whose time has come. FULL SHOW: Patreon.co...
Apr 02, 2025•23 min
On this week's MACRODOSE , James Meadway unpacks: the UK's Spring Statement and Labour’s reckless welfare cuts (0:51), how Trump’s America is using dollar swap lines to pressure the EU (7:55), and how global shipping companies are raking in record profits from worldwide trade disruptions (16:55). For exclusive content—including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix—visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose . Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macro...
Mar 26, 2025•23 min
James is away from the show this week, so we’re sharing a great conversation between him and Paris Marx for the podcast Tech Won’t Save Us - a show offering a critical take on Big Tech and its impact on society. Paris and James dive into the UK’s relationship with tech. Why is Keir Starmer promising to, quote, “mainline AI into the veins of the nation”? Can we do anything about the UK’s dependence on Silicon Valley? And what might an alternative tech future look like? For exclusive content—inclu...
Mar 19, 2025•46 min
On this week's MACRODOSE , James Meadway unpacks: Germany’s dramatic break from austerity as the government abandons its balanced budget commitments for the first time since 2009 (1:14) , and a look at Rachel Reeves' planned cuts in Britain, sticking to the same old austerity playbook even as Germany goes the other way (10:37) . For exclusive content—including our new chat show, The Curve , and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix —visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose . MICHAEL BURKE – IN...
Mar 12, 2025•21 min
In a new show from Macrodose: The Curve , James Meadway and Grace Blakeley break down the week’s biggest economic stories and what they mean for all of us. In this excerpt, they discuss the recent German federal election results and how Die Linke managed to turn things around (1:08). In the full episode, James and Grace look at how US food imports are at a record level, and some recommended reading on the global debt crisis. FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose...
Mar 05, 2025•19 min
On this week's MACRODOSE James Meadway unpacks: Trump and Putin’s plans for Ukraine – and the geopolitical stakes for Europe (1:29), why new research debunks the myths about working from home (7:50), and our top economics reads for beginners (12:08). For exclusive content, including our new Macrodose chat show - The Curve - visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Post-Work: What It Is, Why It Matters and How We Get There - by Helen Hester and Will Stronge CEP LSE: Not incentivized yet effi...
Feb 26, 2025•14 min
In a new show from Macrodose: The Curve , James Meadway and Grace Blakeley break down the week’s biggest economic stories and what they mean for all of us. In this excerpt, they discuss the Bank of England’s interest rate cut and its forecast of 3.5% inflation- are we seeing the return of stagflation? (0:40) In the full episode, James and Grace examine why Britain’s gas prices are soaring, and tackle a listener question: where do they stand on the hotly debated notion of techno-feudalism ? FULL ...
Feb 19, 2025•12 min
On this week's MACRODOSE , James Meadway unpacks: the Bank of England’s gloomy forecast for the UK economy (1:08), new warnings about just how water-hungry Britain’s data centres will be (6:23), and how the rising price of eggs is the fresh political headache for US president Donald Trump (13:57). Red Shadow - 'Stagflation' Jo Michell - 'Rate cuts won’t save us: why Rachel Reeves must do more to fix the economy' For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to suppo...
Feb 12, 2025•19 min
In the first episode of The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley dive deeper into the economic stories hitting the headlines and what they mean for all of us. First up is US President Donald Trump announcing a slew of tariffs that have provoked reaction globally. For the full episode with James and Grace, head to Patreon.com/macrodose
Feb 05, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 1
On this week's MACRODOSE , James Meadway unpacks: how China’s new DeepSeek AI model is sparking chaos in Silicon Valley (0:38), a look back at the first 10 days of Trump 2.0 and the early economic trends emerging (6:53), and a listener question: what the hell is Trump coin, and why is it now worth millions of dollars? (13:18). For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach...
Jan 29, 2025•18 min
In the media, the importance of the legacies of empire and colonialism are often dismissed, with the public conversation often centring on the "culture war" elements of this history, from debates about statues to institutions like the National Trust becoming "woke". The implication of much of this discourse is that empire and colonialism are features of the past, and should be left there.In reality, it is far from that simple. Our guest for Episode 18 is legal scholar Kojo Koram, whose first boo...
Jan 23, 2025•51 min
James is on personal leave this week, so we’re bringing you a special recording from October 2024: the book launch of From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire by Sarah Jaffe. Find the full episode at patreon.com/Macrodose. Grief is everywhere in today’s world, yet even in our movement spaces, it’s often a topic left unspoken. As we navigate an era of intersecting crises, how can we carve out space for our essential human needs—rest, care, and time to mourn—while organising to meet...
Jan 22, 2025•22 min
Politics is increasingly polarised, but if there’s one thing politicians of all major parties can agree on, it’s growth — that their political rivals failed to deliver growth, that we need more of it, and that getting it will solve all of our problems, from inequality and poverty to crumbling public services and stalling investment. But not everyone agrees. For a growing movement of post-growth and degrowth economists, economic growth is neither neutral nor desirable. Instead, many increasingly ...
Jan 16, 2025•43 min
On this week's MACRODOSE , James Meadway unpacks: the wildfires in California and their potentially catastrophic economic fallout (1:20), a New York Times piece on the politics of climate change and whether it’s time for a new “green populism” (11:54), and the financial mess Keir Starmer’s government is already finding itself in (17:00). Biden Left us Behind with a "Prius Economy": https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/opinion/electric-vehicles-tax-credits.html For exclusive content, including The ...
Jan 15, 2025•25 min
On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: India’s economic slowdown and how climate change is transforming traditional models of development (0:48), Trump’s bid to buy Greenland and the geopolitical race for Arctic resources (8:00), and the surprising economics of olive oil, with prices finally expected to fall this year (13:08). For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comm...
Jan 08, 2025•18 min•Ep. 107
