On this week's Macrodose, Helen Hester invites you to consider what the world will look like as work becomes increasingly automated. What will this mean for people whose job involves looking after people? What about the domestic caring work that is often unpaid and tends to fall most heavily on women and racialised minorities? How do we envision a world after work ? Helen Hester is a professor of gender, technology and cultural politics at the University of West London. She is also the author of...
Aug 14, 2024•18 min
“To the question how shall we ever be able to extricate ourselves from the obvious insanity of this position, there is no answer.,” These words were written fifty years ago by philosopher Hannah Arendt, but are just as relevant to the present moment, in which our political leaders and systems continue to fail to grapple with climate and ecological crisis at the scale or urgency they demand. The degree to which these systems are failing has led many to question whether capitalism, democracy or ev...
Aug 08, 2024•54 min
On this week's Macrodose, Luke de Noronha unpacks the political economy of migration and what we might expect from the new Labour government. In the context of the recent spate of far-right riots, it's more important now than ever to understand how we got to this point and to unmask the “legitimate concerns about migration” that have supposedly fuelled such racist violence. Luke de Noronha is an Associate Professor at UCL and the author of Deporting Black Britons: Portraits of Deportation to Jam...
Aug 07, 2024•18 min
Today we're publishing part two of our sell-out live event recorded at London's Union Chapel on July 26th. For this discussion we teamed up with our friends over at Verso Books and the Dig Podcast for a podcast extravaganza. Eleanor Penny of the Verso Podcast and Dig host Daniel Denvir sat down with writer and academic Laleh Khalili and the freshly re-elected, newly independent, MP Jeremy Corbyn, to talk about the past present and most importantly the future of Internationalism. We talked about ...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 26 min
This week we are very excited to bring you a recording of the live event we hosted with the Verso and Dig podcasts last Friday at the Union Chapel in Islington. The Union Chapel is the most beautiful venue and it was a joy to share the evening with so many of you. Thank you to Dalia Gebrial who chaired the event and our panelists James Meadway, Thea Riofrancos and Asad Rehman. A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grat...
Jul 31, 2024•48 min
If you listen to this podcast, chances are you’ve heard of the global target of “net zero emissions” by 2050. You’ve probably also heard about how off track we are from meeting it. But what if I told you we’re even more off track than you might think, because thanks to some effective lobbying, governments don’t have to count the emissions from their militaries, despite their being some of the world’s foremost consumers of fossil fuels. Like me, you might be wondering how that happened, and what ...
Jul 25, 2024•47 min
On this week's Macrodose, Adam Elliot Cooper takes a close look at prisons. What can we learn when we begin to think about the prison through an economic lens? What is the role of mass incarceration in our economy? And what can the relationship between crime and capitalism tell us about the world we are living in today? Adam Elliot-Cooper is a lecturer in public and social policy at Queen Mary University, London. He is also the author of Black Resistance to British Policing tinyurl.com/54e5yhsn ...
Jul 24, 2024•21 min
On this week's Macrodose, Eleanor Shearer takes us in a deep dive into AI and the enormous processing power that goes into sculpting vast quantities of data. How does the ownership and control of computing power define the very nature of our digital economy? What can we realistically do to prevent the monopolisation of compute by Big Tech? And is there a role for the government in sculpting the landscape of AI development - remaking tech for people, not for profit? Eleanor Shearer is a senior re...
Jul 17, 2024•14 min
Capitalism could not exist without the power and structure of the law — that’s the simple but radical argument made by my guest today, Katharina Pistor, law professor at Columbia University, and the author of The Code of Capital: How The Law Creates Wealth and Inequality. On today’s episode, we break down how the law ‘encodes’ capital and invisibly structures our world, from giving corporations the rights of a person, to obscure treaties that allow fossil fuel giants to sue governments when they...
Jul 11, 2024•48 min
This week on Macrodose, as James takes a summer break, Olly Haynes breaks down the weekend's French election results, in which the New Popular Front left alliance surprisingly emerged as the largest party ahead of Le Pen's RN and Macron's Ensemble. Olly unpacks how the French left snatched a tentative victory from the jaws of defeat, potential outcomes of the gridlock, and a mixture of hope and warning signs for the future of France. A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers...
Jul 10, 2024•13 min
Today's episode of Election Economics is a post-election debrief - hosted by Ayeisha Thomas-Smith who is joined by Phil Burton-Cartledge. They touched on their immediate reactions and analysis of the results, if the Tory losses were inevitable, what next for a Labour government, and the openings & contradictions of the new political UK landscape. Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is host of the New Economics Podcast for the New Economics Foundation and Executive Director at NEON, the New Economy Organise...
Jul 05, 2024•38 min
Today's episode of Election Economics is a crossover show with Politics Theory Other, where PTO host Alex Doherty invited James Meadway and Richard Seymour to discuss their outlooks on the post-election political horizon in the UK. They discussed potential new right-wing formations between Reform and the Conservatives, the echoes of populism and anti-populism in this campaign, the left-wing purges of the Labour party and the nuances of the current overlapping ecological and social crises. Politi...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Today on Macrodose Election Economics, James is joined by Polly Smythe, to unpack her research on the links between oil, gas and arms companies and 31 Labour MP candidates. They also touch on the upcoming organizing and union ballots with Amazon workers in the UK. Polly is a writer and journalist, and currently the labour movement correspondent for Novara Media. You can read Polly's full pieces for Novara here: https://novaramedia.com/2024/06/13/meet-the-labour-candidates-lobbying-for-oil-gas-an...
Jun 28, 2024•18 min
What would you say a human life is worth? According to the US government, for an American it’s about $7.2 million, compared with the global average of approximately $1.3 million. If you’re Swiss though, you’re worth a pretty penny at $9.4 million. While these estimates might sound absurd, they're really important to understand: these kinds of figures and the models that produce them are a core part of how mainstream economics understands and shapes policy, and they have had a significant role in...
Jun 27, 2024•53 min
On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down a post-pandemic rise in diseases across the world, and how this overlaps with our ideas of health, work and care in the UK (1:10), before looking at how the political uncertainty in pre-election France has caused the European Central Bank to withdraw it's borrowing support, and what this means for future power balances in the Eurozone (08:23). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running an...
Jun 26, 2024•15 min
Today on Macrodose Election Economics, James is joined by Olly Haynes to talk through the upcoming French elections, the far-right’s resurgence, and how the French left is mobilising to counter it. Olly is a freelance writer and journalist, and host of the FLEP24 podcast - a regular podcast covering the French 2024 elections in further detail: x.com/flep24pod TICKETS to our MACRODOSE LIVE event on July 26th: https://unionchapel.org.uk/venue/whats-on/versothe-dig-live-podcast-with-jeremy-corbyn...
Jun 25, 2024•26 min
Today on Macrodose Election Economics, James is joined by Maeve Cohen to discuss the We Are The Economy coalition project, and different ways to frame the relationships between austerity, work and social wellbeing. Maeve is project lead at The Social Guarantee, and convenor at We Are The Economy - a coalition of organisations who are coming together to call for more investment in public services: https://www.wearetheeconomy.co.uk/ TICKETS to our MACRODOSE LIVE event on July 26th: https://unionch...
Jun 21, 2024•17 min
Today on Macrodose Election Economics, James is joined by Zack Polanski to talk through the Green Party's current campaign, and their ideas for economic, ecological and social futures. Zack has been the deputy leader of the Green Party since September 2022. He is a Londonwide member of the London Assembly, where he is chair of the Environment Committee, and the national spokesperson for the Green Party for Democracy & Citizen Engagement. TICKETS to our MACRODOSE LIVE event on July 26th: http...
Jun 20, 2024•28 min
On this week’s Macrodose James Meadway breaks down what Reform UK’s “contract” for voters tells us about the future battlegrounds for economic policy (1:46), a preview of the upcoming French election (13:25) and a quick recommendation - a new paper from economist Isabella Weber, proposing responses to an age of “overlapping crises” (20:35). You can find the report here: https://t.co/zaYDO6fFvS A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and...
Jun 19, 2024•23 min
Today on Macrodose Election Economics, James is joined by James Schneider to discuss the contradictions of a Labour government, the future of the left and organising in the UK. James Schneider is former Head Of Strategic Communications to Jeremy Corbyn, and author of Our Bloc: How We Win (2022, Verso). He is currently Communications Director for Progressive International, an international organisation of unions, peasant movements and activists. TICKETS to our MACRODOSE LIVE event on July 26th: h...
Jun 17, 2024•46 min
“The stakes could not be higher.” These are the recent words not of climate activists, but of a coalition representing major oil and gas companies in a letter to the US Supreme Court. The context? They’re asking the Court to block dozens of lawsuits that seek to hold these firms to account for their role in driving the climate crisis, including by awarding damages for the costs of extreme weather events. But how would this actually work? While it’s becoming more frequent, extreme weather has alw...
Jun 13, 2024•46 min
On this week’s Macrodose James Meadway breaks down how the European Central Bank is helping drive a far right vote across the EU (1:57) the rising price of oranges after crop failures in Florida and Brazil (6:21) and a listener question - why are Reform UK proposing to reduce interest paid on Quantitative Easing reserves, and is that actually a pretty good idea (10:19)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. I...
Jun 12, 2024•19 min
Today on Macrodose: Election Economics, James is joined by Aditya Chakrabortty to discuss Sunak, Starmer and the long shadow of Nigel Farage in UK politics. Aditya is senior economics commentator at the Guardian, where he writes a regular column. He has also been a finalist for an Orwell Prize for journalism in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and in 2023 won the British Press Award for Best Broadsheet Columnist of the year. TICKETS to our MACRODOSE LIVE event on July 26th: https://unionchapel.org.uk/...
Jun 11, 2024•22 min
Welcome to Election Economics, a Macrodose bonus series that we’re running in the lead up to the UK general election on July 4th. Over the coming weeks James Meadway will be joined by a selection of economists, politicians and commentators to unpack what the campaigns’ policies and pledges mean for people in Britain. Today James Meadway is joined by Yanis Varoufakis - who will unpack and reflect on the weekend’s European Election results - which saw leftwing parties suffer defeat at the hands of...
Jun 10, 2024•15 min
At the time of this recording, over 35,000 Palestinians had been killed, 80,000 wounded and 1.7 million internally displaced as a result of Israel's assault on Gaza. Alongside this profound loss has been the deliberate destruction of infrastructure and the 'ecocide' of Gaza's environment, from its cropland to its water and sewage systems. In this extra episode of The Break Down, Adam Hanieh, a Professor of Political Economy and Global Development at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Uni...
Jun 10, 2024•32 min
Welcome to Election Economics, a Macrodose bonus series that we’re running in the lead up to the UK general election on July 4th. Over the coming weeks James Meadway will be joined by a selection of economists, politicians and commentators to unpack what the campaigns’ policies and pledges mean for people in Britain. Today we’re joined by Laurie Macfarlane. Laurie is an economist, a fellow at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London, and the co-author of Rethink...
Jun 07, 2024•36 min
Over the coming weeks Macrodose will be co-publishing The Break Down - a new series created by our friends over at Common Wealth. This series is dedicated to examining the role of capitalism in the climate and ecological crisis, and will feature long-form interviews with former Roundtable guest Adrienne Buller. Today Adrienne is joined by Adam Hanieh, Professor of Political Economy and Global Development at the University of Exeter. His latest book, Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and th...
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr 7 min
On this week’s Macrodose James Meadway takes a look at Mexico’s new left wing president (2:05), and a listener question - what is national debt, do we need to pay it off, and will it ever impact you and me (14:30)? Kate Aronoff’s article: tinyurl.com/mhre9x98 A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. Find our socials, newsletter and more here: linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast We want to hear from you! Leave a c...
Jun 05, 2024•22 min
Welcome to Election Economics, a Macrodose bonus series that we’re running in the lead up to the UK general election on July 4th. Over the coming weeks James Meadway will be joined by a selection of economists, politicians and commentators to unpack what the campaigns’ policies and pledges mean for people in Britain. Today we’re delighted to be joined by Dr Julia Grace Patterson. Dr Patterson is the founder and chief executive of Every Doctor UK, a doctor-led campaigning organisation fighting to...
Jun 03, 2024•28 min
Welcome to Election Economics, a Macrodose bonus series that we’re running in the lead up to the UK general election on July 4th. Over the coming weeks James Meadway will be joined by a selection of economists, politicians and commentators to unpack what the campaigns’ policies and pledges mean for people in Britain. Today we're joined by economist and author Grace Blakeley, whose new book Vulture Capitalism explores the mystifying logic that underpin our current economic system. TICKETS to our ...
May 31, 2024•30 min
