Politics of despair: 21st century capitalism

In this episode, Professor Susan Sell talks about 21st century capitalism and how it undermines health outcomes, social goals and equity.

She discusses the connection between the market, our work and our health, particularly for those with precarious working conditions where we see the market’s direct impact on physical and mental wellbeing.

Professor Sell explains the phenomenon of ‘failure demand,’ growing demand for services we shouldn’t need, particularly if we were to value caring for people and place in society.

A key concern raised by Professor Sell is corporate tax avoidance and profiteering. She highlights how clear this has become, giving examples from the COVID-19 pandemic when major corporations gained record profits from government stimulus in the economy. Companies now focus on making more money for shareholders rather than the betterment of society.

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Professor Susan Sell is based at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at the Australian National University. She has previously held positions at a number of universities, including George Washington University in the United States and has published widely on the global political economy and on 21st century capitalism. In 2015-2016 she was appointed to the Expert Advisory Group for the United Nations Secretary General’s High-level Panel on Public Health and Access to Medicines.

Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.

Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.

You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account.

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