As we delve into America in this pivotal election year, grappling with its geopolitical challenges, culture wars, and internal conflicts, Evan Solomon makes a crucial point: discussing America as a monolith is a common mistake—it's simply too vast and diverse. In today's infotainment era, narratives are no longer neatly collected but instead compete and diverge. This week, we're exploring the connections between nativism in the 1850s, the ongoing religious and cultural struggles, and the current...
May 14, 2024•39 min•Season 2024Ep. 39
Why do wealthy people live in houses originally built for the less affluent? Despite vast improvements in living standards over the years — lower infant mortality rates, faster access to life-saving drugs, and increased life expectancy — today, even modest homes are un-affordable for many. Consequently, wealthy individuals find themselves competing for properties originally intended for lower-income families. This trend not only highlights the scarcity of suitable housing but also deepens social...
May 09, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 38
The Tories are seeking revenge for Brexit by exploiting immigration policy. Having been out-foxed, out-thought and out-gunned by Dublin on Brexit negotiations, they are extracting a price- that price is the framing of the new Irish election. By encouraging the relocation of asylum seekers to Ireland, the Tories are effectively using Ireland as a bargaining chip to pressure France into accepting a deal on immigration, all while avoiding responsibility for asylum seekers themselves. They are playi...
May 07, 2024•32 min•Season 2024Ep. 37
Last week, the football team I play with went on a trip to Italian organised by one of our lads Camilio Borza a member of the Irish Italian tribe. In the the vibrant tapestry of Irish history, few immigrants have left their mark like the "Eye-talians" with their chippers which have fed generations of Irish people. This week, the podcast explores the captivating journey of Italian immigrants to Ireland, tracing the roots of one of the country's earliest and most successful immigrant communities. ...
May 02, 2024•39 min•Season 2024Ep. 36
This podcast delves into the intricate interplay of politics and housing, a phenomenon not unique to Ireland but deeply emblematic there. It examines how the control, or lack thereof, of housing can shape political fortunes. From Ireland to Britain, Canada to Australia, the "politics of housing" is a pivotal and global issue, particularly for younger generations. While Eastern European countries, with reasonable house prices, see happier young populations, Ireland faces a crisis where housing be...
Apr 30, 2024•31 min•Season 2024Ep. 35
In part two of our mini-series on Turkey, we delve deeper into the electrifying economic history of Istanbul, from the Byzantine to the Ottoman empires and up to today. We explore how these empires sent shockwaves through history, shaping the world as we know it. Without the Ottomans, Columbus might never have discovered America, there'd be possibly no Renaissance, no dominance of Europe, no humanism. And what about Attaturk? The most impressive leader of the 20th century? Hope you enjoy it. Hos...
Apr 25, 2024•35 min•Season 2024Ep. 34
This is the first of 2 podcasts on Turkey following a quick visit to Istanbul where the inflation rate is currently at 69% annually, and the currency, the Lira, is on a devaluation spiral, but might this financial crisis be the event to kickstart economic, political and regional change. Amidst rising tensions in the Middle East and with Hamas' chief in talks in Ankara with Erdogan, Turkey finds itself in a potentially influential position as a regional powerbroker. Could Turkey be on the brink o...
Apr 23, 2024•33 min•Season 2024Ep. 33
The majority of my tribe, economists have been getting it wrong for decades, if you go back and look at economic research from the seventies, nobody is talking about coming inequality. Yet inequality afflicts the West, dominating politics. This week, in a not-so-groundbreaking revelation, Ben Bernanke's report on the Bank of England's failures shows us how out-of-touch economists really are. Economists need to get out more, mix a bit, walkabout more! A blind faith in mathematical precision has c...
Apr 18, 2024•32 min•Season 2024Ep. 32
Elon Musk is to 2024 what Howard Roark was to 1943. In Ayn Rand's book Fountainhead, her hero Roark was brilliant, single-minded and flawed. Musk is a modern day Roark and yet despite his remarkable entrepreneurial success, from SpaceX to Neuralink, Tesla is on the skids. 10% of its workforce has just been fired and it's share price has dropped 30% since January, and its market share is dwindling in China. Musk's investments in China have also led to wholesale intellectual property theft. Standi...
Apr 16, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 31
In this week's episode, we plunge headfirst into the contentious issue of Nimbyism – should property ownership grant individuals the power to stop developments? We don't think so! Particularly not when contrasted with the backdrop of the housing crises gripping the English-speaking world. Bound by the chains of common law but bereft of common sense, our societies find themselves stuck in a self-inflicted housing crisis. Join us as we dissect how our flawed society has bred Nimbyism, and been per...
Apr 11, 2024•29 min•Season 2024Ep. 30
Are we truly living in a Plutocracy', where we are governed by the wealthy elites instead of those we voted for? As election season heats up around the globe, we tackle the age-old question: should we tax the rich more? While the wealthy typically oppose such measures, there's one dissenting, wealthy voice: Nick Hanauer, podcaster, venture capitalist, and rich lad himself who thinks that we either force the rich to pay more in taxes, or the streets will revolt, and the pitchforks will come. Hana...
Apr 09, 2024•38 min•Season 2024Ep. 29
Palestine is one of the most, if not the most, tragic national stories of the 21st century. Divided, humiliated, abused, and abandoned by both West and East, the Palestinian nature has been strangled by Israeli occupation, asphyxiated by international indifference, and its children scattered all over the world. Bassem Youssef trained cardiologist turned comedian, talks to us about how the global conversation often reverts back to the less important matters surrounding the war - instead of what a...
Apr 04, 2024•39 min•Season 2024Ep. 28
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for fraud on hundreds of thousands of customers that unraveled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency. We chatted to Michael Lewis recently, who spent over a year with SBF, immersing himself in the universe of crypto-bros, and recently published his book 'Going Infinite' which tracks back the entire story of the crypto-hack that is SBF. We discuss h...
Apr 02, 2024•42 min•Season 2024Ep. 27
Inheritance is a tricky one. We all want to leave something to our kids if possible, yet inheritance for society makes inequality permanent, favouring the children of the rich. Millennials are about to become the wealthiest generation, which begs the question - should inheritors of wealth play a role in driving social change? What should they give back? A recent Bank of Italy paper reveals the rich stay rich. Tax records dating back to 1427 reveal that the top twenty wealthiest families in Flore...
Mar 28, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 26
How best to run an economy and a country, bottom up or top down? A trip to Switzerland got me thinking should we invert power, making the local more consequential than the nation, should we devolve government, introduce fiscal federalism and instead of our "spectator democracy" should we opt for "direct democracy" . Unlike Ireland, where accountability seems elusive, Switzerland's governance is marked by subsidiarity and active democracy. With their frequent referenda, the Swiss distribute respo...
Mar 26, 2024•40 min•Season 2024Ep. 25
The US House of Representatives has just approved a bill with the potential to ban Tiktok from America. But this story is about much more than corporate America's jealousy over its Chinese rival's more profitable and addictive business? Its about the direction of social media and an increasingly docile, addicted citizen, out-foxed and out-thought by an algorithm. What we are witnessing is an internal power-play within the tech cartel. With its personalised algorithm, TikTok means human curiosity...
Mar 21, 2024•28 min•Season 2024Ep. 24
The primary driver of economic growth is the innovative human mind. In this episode, we sit down with Ed Guiney, the visionary co-founder of Element Pictures, the powerhouse behind Oscar winners like 'Brooklyn', "Room" and 'Poor Things', and TV dramas such as 'Normal People'. We delve into the fascinating tale of Ireland's cinematic resurgence, driven by strategic tax incentives and our rich storytelling tradition. Join us as we uncover the secrets to Ireland's rise as a global film hub, from sc...
Mar 19, 2024•41 min•Season 2024Ep. 23
No one trusts them, the Irish government or Katie M's doctored photos. For them its part of the national theatre, for us its a national threat. How did the government misread the public and why does the public not believe them? Is Ireland progressive or reactionary? Despite a track record of successful progressive referenda, from gay marriage to abortion rights, there is now a palpable uncertainty regarding Ireland's liberal democratic identity. Is the tide shifting? We argue it is signals the o...
Mar 14, 2024•34 min•Season 2024Ep. 22
Bitcoin is being touted as a revolutionary asset, but in reality, it's often the wealthy transferring wealth to unsuspecting individuals, marketed as a stroke of financial liberation. This asset is not money - it lacks many characteristics traditionally associated with money. It functions scarcely as a medium of exchange, lacks stability in value, and operates without regulation. Instead, it predominantly serves as a speculative asset or digital commodity. Despite this, it garners headlines as b...
Mar 12, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 21
For International Women's Day, we're thrilled to welcome Alice Evans, who is currently immersed in writing a book on gender equality across different cultures. This week, we travel to southeast Asia with Alice, whose storytelling transports us to China - where we explain the rise of China through their love of money, their increasing emphasis on wealth and their Lunar New Year's celebration's focus on monetary gain. Join us as we navigate the fascinating interplay between money, gender dynamics,...
Mar 07, 2024•33 min•Season 2024Ep. 20
In this episode, we delve into the concept of black swan events and explore how they resonate with contemporary art & culture. A black swan event, a term popularized by Nassim Taleb, describes an unpredictable event with severe consequences beyond normal expectations. Is the tiktokisation of culture that we are experiencing its own black swan event? Is social media to blame for the shift from authentic creation to derivative works driven by trends? As art becomes increasingly commodified and...
Mar 05, 2024•34 min•Season 2024Ep. 19
This week, we return to the theme of acceleration and confront a stark reality: much of Ireland is stuck in 1984. Despite boasting an economy that has expanded between 20 to 30 times since the mid 80s —earning us the title of one of the world's fastest-growing economies — our public infrastructure remains trapped in the past. We explore the paradox of aggregation becomes apparent: while the aggregate wealth has surged, the benefits have not been equally distributed, leaving our infrastructure la...
Feb 29, 2024•32 min•Season 2024Ep. 18
Forty years since its inception, the DART and the lack of substantial progress in transport infrastructure reflects a systemic failure in Ireland's approach to development and progress. Instead of marking a milestone of achievement, the Dart's anniversary serves as a stark reminder of the political inertia and lack of commitment to meaningful change. Despite the economy expanding exponentially, with a growth of 20 to 30 times its size since 1984, the public transport system remains severely unde...
Feb 27, 2024•42 min•Season 2024Ep. 17
This week, we delve into the perennial question: Why do so few students depart school with a genuine love for mathematics? Is the way we teach maths the crux of the issue? Joining us is Colm O'Regan, host of his own Mathematics podcast, to show us the story behind the numbers. Maths, essential across various studies including economics, embodies the evolution of human thought, guiding us from guesswork to certainty - yet is widely loathed by students. It begs the question, does our approach to t...
Feb 22, 2024•36 min•Season 2024Ep. 16
Next week, the war in Ukraine enters its third year. and last week Putin's regime murdered its only real political opponent, Alexi Navalny. Putin has transitioned from electoral manipulation to murder. This week, we chat with Alexander Kabonovsky, the podcast's resident go-to for all things Russian. Together, we explore the impact of Navalny's murder, Putin's position, and the uncertain path ahead for the ongoing conflict. As the situation in Russia rapidly deteriorates, drawing unsettling paral...
Feb 20, 2024•35 min•Season 2024Ep. 15
Amidst the backdrop of the hottest January on record, surpassing pre-industrial averages by 1.6 degrees, join us this week as we embark on a gripping exploration of the economic history and pre-industrial climate change. From the medieval era to the tumultuous 17th century, we delve deep into its profound impacts on society, economy, and religion. We use the poignant saga of the Pont d’Avignon as our starting point. A 13th-century bridge succumbed to the fury of climate-induced mass flooding, wh...
Feb 15, 2024•33 min•Season 2024Ep. 14
With the election year in full swing, we're shining a spotlight on the resurgence of the Kennedys. Joining us to navigate the intriguing rise of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy is the economic and political aficionado Pippa Malmgren. We ponder the origins of this surprising surge and its underreported nature amidst swirling allegations, anti-pharma sentiments, and vaccine skepticism. We contemplate whether RFK could embody a voice that resonates with the American people and discuss what ...
Feb 13, 2024•37 min•Season 2024Ep. 13
In this week's episode, we delve deep into the dynamic forces shaping our global economy, from seismic demographic shifts to the transformative rise of artificial intelligence and the ascendance of Asia on the world stage. Once again, we welcome the esteemed Martin Wolf, whose unparalleled insights shed light on the intricate intersections of these pressing global challenges. Together, we attempt to navigate the evolving landscape of demography, examining its implications for societal structures...
Feb 08, 2024•42 min•Season 2024Ep. 12
Almost eight years later, we shine a spotlight on Brexit and how it has come to the forefront of public discourse. We explore the destructive impact of populism on stable democracies, as evidenced by the Brexit saga. The discussion delves into the false premises that underpinned Brexit, examining how it damaged the UK's economic relationship and threatened domestic stability. We are joined by economist and Financial Times columnist, Martin Wolf, who offers us a new perspective on navigating UK p...
Feb 06, 2024•34 min•Season 2024Ep. 11
For the second installment in our Milei series, we delve into what's causing the political gender divergence within Gen Z. We are joined this week by John Burn-Murdoch, who shares his insights on what has caused the split. Young men are swinging Conservative and you women are moved Liberal. Across the globe, from the US to South Korea, a profound split has emerged, shaping political affiliations, and societal norms, and even influencing electoral outcomes. We discuss the consequences of this div...
Feb 01, 2024•40 min•Season 2024Ep. 10
