Yesterday was the worst day to day for new cases of COVID 19 globally since the pandemic started. WE may feel safer, but the world is a dangerous as ever. To combat it, and any future variants, we must respond as a united planet: the reality is we can only open if rich countries pay for the vaccines of poor countries. In 1918 after WW1 we had the League of Nations, in 1948, after WW2 the UN, World Bank, Marshall Plan and the WHO. Maybe this crisis will provide the catalyst for a global response,...
Apr 22, 2021•40 min•Ep. 129
We head down the West Lower to look at the fallout from the KBC move to leave Ireland, plus in the week that the new more muscular USA slaps sanctions on Russia, we look at the geo-strategic options for Russia, including a tacit alliance with the USA against China in Siberia. Also, there's a Russian/American summit coming up, why doesn't Ireland host it and use out neutrality actively? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 20, 2021•49 min•Ep. 128
One of the most significant changes influencing our world is the feminization of the economy. It's been a long time coming, and the fruits of many battles- contraception, free and inclusive education, divorce, abortion. Finally, in the West, woman are catching up with men, in income and wealth. This trend will profoundly affect the society and the economy. Candice Bushnell, writer of Sex in the City, remarked that, "Women with money is a notion that our society is uncomfortable with". Well we'd ...
Apr 15, 2021•39 min•Ep. 127
Over the last few decades Ireland has been growing by leaps & bounds, catching up with most of our European neighbours in almost every measurements, social and economic. Part of that story has been the dramatic improvement in the countries' capital base as a result of US MNC investment. Ireland has received more US corporate investment that China, Russia, India and Brazil combined! Now the Biden administration wants to harmonize global corporation tax - do we need to come up with a new strat...
Apr 13, 2021•38 min•Ep. 126
China is changing. Relations with the US have plummeted Taiwan is the ground zero for the new China. What happens in Taiwan will affect the global economy for decades to come. We head to Taipei for an explosive local view of regional and global. Also what doe the US's new 20% corporation tax mean for Ireland and the world economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 08, 2021•40 min•Ep. 125
Ireland has been in lockdown for 231 days - by far the most stringent lockdown in the EU, so where's the dividend? Could 1950s/60s Irish emigration to the UK explain far more about Ireland and Covid than we care to admit? Plus, it's all changed in the USA. Paul McCulley talks about the tectonic shift in economic policies that is shaking up the United States - how Biden calls time on Reagan's economics and why we are looking at a bear market for bonds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Apr 06, 2021•44 min•Ep. 124
Yes, the canal is unblocked, but the ramifications of the events should not be understated: the fragility of our global supply chain has been exposed and people are starting to awaken to the inter-connectivity of our global lives. Join us as we talk with the brilliant historian Mr Silk Roads himself, Peter Frankopan about what all this will mean for the future of globalization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 01, 2021•45 min•Ep. 123
Any free trade has 2 sides: a buyer & a seller. After today’s conversation with one of our Patreon: Ciaran Mulqueen - who runs the crazy house prices instagram page it seems that buyers are going to start taking major steps to change the course of the housing market, in Ireland and globally! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 30, 2021•41 min•Ep. 122
All European countries have seen increases in far-right parties in the last decade. This political affiliation will not just disappear as most people hope it will. This week we look the far-right straight in the eyes and try to understand the underlying sentiments & motives behind the political affiliation. History has shown us the risk of letting it run free. Withe the help of Kevin Cunningham we don't just look at economics and social issue, but personality types & deep human character...
Mar 25, 2021•48 min•Ep. 121
The global seller’s market for housing is hitting new levels of madness - its time for buyers to take a stand and decide that they’re not going to take part in this madness - at least until the supply comes back to its pre-pandemic levels. In the same vein, it’s important to consider how the world is changing as people look to buy new homes. We break down five major urban trends with Simon Kuper. Plus John's Cheltenham blues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 23, 2021•49 min•Ep. 120
Joe Biden unveils a $1.9 trillion package and is saying he will spend more. This is a massive change - almost a revolution against economic orthodoxy - and we are on our way to MMT (Modern Monetary Theory). We talk to the main proponent of MMT: Professor Stephanie Kelton about this brave new world. We are in a transformative age. Welcome to the future! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 18, 2021•47 min•Ep. 119
Learning used to be hands-on, trail and error, mentors, mistakes & real world experience. Gutenberg is the model. Could going back to the old ways be the key to unlocking the innovators within our youth? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 11, 2021•43 min•Ep. 117
Why vaccine is the only game in town. What Michael should say to Joe on St Patricks Day, plus crimes in the “West lower”..... then off the London talking with Robert Shrimsley of the Financial Times on Boris Johnson’s surprising resurgence in popularity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 09, 2021•50 min•Ep. 116
The War in Drugs is a spectacular failure. It is time to end it and begin to have an adult conversation about legalizing drugs. If you went out to set up a better way to enrich a violent criminal class, it would be impossible to find a better way. We explain the economic case for the legalization of drugs, tax them and use the proceeds to help those small amount of recreational drug takers who become addicts. Treat addiction not as a crime but a health issue. Also don't fear the rise in global b...
Mar 04, 2021•36 min•Ep. 115
The markets are getting their knickers in a twist over inflation and maybe even deficits, we explain why the economics of the 1990s no longer applies and the big shift in global policy is the bias now is towards inflation not deflation for the first time since the 1970s. Plus, the brilliant economist Noah Smith from San Fransisco on three brilliantly practical ideas to make housing work better for everyone. Plus, what happens to an economist trying his hand at radio presenting for the craic gets...
Mar 02, 2021•37 min•Ep. 114
The USA is embarking on the biggest change in economic policy in decades. Biden is using the economics of the 1930s to avoid the 1930s. This is a big deal. We speak to renowned economic heretic and former Fed economist, Claudia Sahm about Biden's New Deal, being bullied by 1970's thinking and America creating 10 million new jobs. Also, we talk about economic heresy. When only one Federal Reserve economist out of 406 is black, economics has a problem. We discuss about the coming Reformation in ec...
Feb 25, 2021•56 min•Ep. 113
The upcoming sale of Ulster Bank will reveal how Ireland actually works. We give you the "collars up" view from the West Lower Stand at the Aviva stadium - where deals are done. This corporate finance 101 podcast breaks down the likely carve-up of Ulster Bank amongst the Insiders, and explains why as long as the banking system is joined at the hip to the property market, Ireland will always be a boom/bust economy driving up mortgage rates and down competition. Also why data is important. We brea...
Feb 23, 2021•38 min•Ep. 112
What will our cities look like after Covid? We talk to renowned urbanist Richard Florida, the man behind the concept of the Creative Class and Creative Cities about what next for our cities. We also outline three "must do's" for cities. The first is a directly-elected Mayor with proper taxation/spending powers, second a tax on land hoarding to make land useful again and third, cities need to issue municipal bonds to finance everything, from housing to great public works, with the aim of making o...
Feb 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 111
Hundreds of years ago, the Dutch were Europe's moneymen and it looks as if they are at it again. We look at new alliances & digital trade routes emerging in the post-Brexit era. Looking at Hindu parables, what's the elephant in the room? What's the story with Bitcoin, digital Gold or digital Tulips, plus the logic in Elon Musk's big bet. If Bitcoin is a hedge against catastrophe, are we missing something? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 16, 2021•37 min•Ep. 110
we start off by taking a look at the fallout of the Gamestop fiasco before tackling the bigger issue: Conventional thinking. In many ways the world is still pushing “zombie” ideas - ideas that have been proven to be false but that are still being pushed as policies. With the help of Tom Bergin we look at a few conventional ideas and explain why they’re nothing more than a popular myth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 11, 2021•39 min•Ep. 109
Public housing should be addressed with the same urgency as public health. If we can close down the economy, borrow billions, furlough millions and stop the world in the name of public health, we should be able to tear up the rule book when it comes to housing. The property market in Ireland and the rest of the English speaking world is a scam, rigged to push prices upwards, indenturing working families and exacerbating the wealth divide. Here's how to fix it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Feb 09, 2021•36 min•Ep. 108
We take another look at the "day-trading" insurrectionists to examine who is actually in control, what human emotions are unleashed by the markets and what it all means for politics and economics. We are joined by the authors of the wonderful book Angrynomics political scientist Mark Blyth and hedge fund manger Eric Lonergan. Things are rarely as they seem to be! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 04, 2021•38 min•Ep. 107
Something unusual is happening in the stock market: the little guy - or in this case, guys - are beating up the big multi-billionaire hedge-fund managers. This is in stark contrast to the usual market hegemony and might signal a deep change: the little guy is slowly recognizing their power in numbers. If short selling, margin calls, put options, short squeezes are all Double Dutch to you, fret now we have you covered. Join us as we explain it all with Twitter comedy sensation Avalon Penrose &...
Feb 02, 2021•47 min•Ep. 106
Ireland, like many economies is hostage to the rentiers, companies that sidle up to governments to get a licence to provide some product or service that the government used to provide. This is a licence to print money, because the rentier company has a monopoly to hoover up rent rather than make anything. They dominate the property market, utilities and have led to the infantilization of the public sector. At every stage prices rises because these are the opposite of competitive companies. Given...
Jan 28, 2021•31 min•Ep. 104
The arrival of Joe Biden has led to a profound change in tone, with America quickly re-signing back up to the Paris Accord. The planet is back on the agenda and the mantra of growth at all costs irrespective of the environmental costs, is being reappraised. We talk to Kat Raworth, author of "Doughnut Economics" about a different way of looking at the world, the economy and how we understand our relationship to the world around us, our priorities and the need to re-frame economics for the 21st ce...
Jan 26, 2021•51 min•Ep. 104
We explain by way of the SFX and Doc Martins how financial markets create inequality. Late stage financial capitalism generates super normal profits for owners of capital and debt by way of IPOs, and forces wage moderation on ordinary workers. We explain how understanding the credit cycle is key to understand the modern economy through the prism of the glorious Doc Martin, focusing on trickle down economy, opportunism and leveraged profits and market booms and busts. What does this mean for the ...
Jan 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 103
Trump is gone but what next for Trumpism? The saga is far from over. While the armed Boogaloo boys are mobilizing across the United States we talk with Professor William Black to get a thorough understanding of what’s going on in America and what the future holds for Donald J. Trump. Also a quick hit on how China has emerged unassailable from both Trump and Covid, plus America's first internal rebellion and the vision of Alexander Hamilton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...
Jan 19, 2021•47 min•Ep. 102
We still have time to do a New Zealand, with the vaccine roll out going so slowly, can we do a Taiwan and be out and about my St Patrick's Day? We talk zero Covid with Prof Aoife McLyset: How we can administer an economic vaccine while we wait with a bit of imagination, plus what the new biotech revolution - ushered in by the mRNA vaccine - means for all of us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 14, 2021•41 min•Ep. 101
Trump is over, Trumpism is not. The great American experiment is only starting, as the Republicans become the party of the anxious while, the Democrats - the party of the satisfied. As the world's economic power shifts to Asia, we should try to understand people's real fears. Also, why the world need fewer "blackboard" economists and more "kitchen table" economists and will America's next president, Joe Biden lead the charge of change? All that teased out with the help of the extraordinary write...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 100
Interesting times! As the US is engulfed by a culture war, we look at a culture war closer to home. Here’s why Brexit provides a once in a generation opportunity and how we can seize it. Brexit is a change and change is the one thing that is constant. Embrace it. Economically, there’s huge upside. Politically, it makes constitutional change on this island more likely. We are chatting to Andrea Catherwood on the future of Ireland, how to avoid our own culture war and how we best negotiate it from...
Jan 07, 2021•41 min•Ep. 99
